Airsoft Action - March 2020

WORLD EXCLUSIVE!!
VORSK VX-9 CONCEPT PREVIEW
PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY
MARCH 2020 - FREE

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08
18
WORLD EXCLUSIVE!!
VORSK VX-9 CONCEPT PREVIEW
INSIDE
AIRSOFT:
VX-9 CONCEPT
EVENT:
SHOT SHOW 2020
PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY
MARCH 2020 - FREE
32
42
Editor: Nigel Streeter
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
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Publisher: Nigel Streeter
Cover Photo: VORSK AIRSOFT.
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Web: www.airsoft-action.online
©Calibre Publishing Limited 2019
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
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without the express permission of the publisher in
writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily
reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the
right to edit submissions prior to print.
EVENT:
AIRSOFT
SURGEON 2020
50
MILSIM:
BLACKLINE SIMS
54
THE CAGE:
WINTER GEAR
ARMOURY:
BOLT SR47
FIND US ON…
74
76
facebook.com/AirsoftAction
Search ‘Airsoft Action’
LETTER, IDEA OR
QUESTION?
Got something to say? A question for our
experts? An article or article idea?
Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the
Editor: nige@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to us at
the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to
us on Twitter or Facebook.
COLLECTOR:
GREASE GUN
EVENT:
OZ1 CONQUEST 19

CONTENTS
Contents
MARCH 2020
MARCH 2020
8 INSIDE AIRSOFT: VX-9 CONCEPT
Airsoft Action has built up very strong relationships
within the industry, which has led to a number of
exclusive reports on new technology and models.
This month Bill takes it even deeper by looking at the
very creation of a new model that will be unveiled at
IWA 2020!
12 ARMOURY: G&G BAMF
In a world of me-too ARs and M4s, G&G’s radical
race rifle stands out like a sore thumb. Steve T finds
out if its performance can also rise above.
18 EVENT: SHOT SHOW 2020
Held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each January, the NSSF
SHOT Show is an absolute must-visit for anyone
involved in any kind of shooting discipline and this
year Bill and Nige made the pilgrimage to “Sin City”
to report back on what’s coming our way in 2020!
24 FEATURE: AIRSOFT ACTION LEGION
As an exciting part of our new fully international
digital format, we have started a new project to
bring you in-depth articles from around the world,
written by “local” airsofters.
28 ARMOURY: TM V10 GBB
Tokyo Marui tend to announce things and then we
end up forgetting all about them until the release
actually comes around. Not so with the V10 for Phil
Bucknall, who is not a 1911 fan so for him to like
one, it had to be different.
32 ACTION AIR: AIRSOFT SURGEON
CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
Airsoft Action has been promoting Action Air
since 2012 and this February saw the UK’s biggest
event yet. Nige reports from the Airsoft Surgeon
Championship Shield Cup 2020, which took place
alongside The Great British Shooting Show.
38 ARMOURY: SPECNA ARMS SV98
Bill has been on the range recently with a new
addition to the ever growing line of airsoft replicas
from Specna Arms and finds their new take on the
Russian SV-98 very much to his liking!
42 MILSIM: BLACKLINE SIMULATIONS
Bill was in conversation with a former military friend
who has an interest in high-end MilSim and whilst
the names of many mutual friends came into the
conversation, “Blackline Simulations” in Canada
proved to be an outfit that is little known.
46 KIT & GEAR: FAB GLOCK HOLSTER
With SigAir’s G19X now a regular fixture on Steve
T’s hip, he treats it to a new holster from firearms
accessory firm, FAB Defense.
47 KIT & GEAR: NUPROL OPEN MAG
POUCHES
With options in the range for both M4 and pistol,
Steve T serves up a two-for-one special offer of
Nuprol’s tasty looking taco-style open mag pouches.
48 ACTION AIR: MADDERS CUP 2020
Sunday 19th January marked the 6th annual
competition held in memory of Malcolm Dowding, a
true gentleman and superb IPSC competitor. Dawn
Williams, who shoots with South West Practical
Shooters, covered the match for Airsoft Action.
50 THE CAGE: WINTER GEAR
Bill gets together with the newly extended Airsoft
Action crew to look at what you can do to get the
most from any Winter BB-slinging adventure, by
finding out what they add to their “Gear Gage”
when the snow starts to fall!
54 ARMOURY: BOLT SR-47
Are you an AR user, or do you prefer the AK? This is
a debate that will go on and on and while it does,
Bill looks at a solution that never really made it in
the real world but that could be the answer to your
airsoft prayers, the Knight’s Armament SR47!
58 COLLECTOR: M41A PULSE RIFLE
Frenchie pulls on his sci-fi hat to take a look at an
AEG that only exists in the minds of its creators and
yet seems to have a fan-base all of its own.
60 THIS IS MY M4: PART 4
After years of making minor modifications to RIFs
with varying degrees of success, Steve T goes all-in
on his MWS to find out just what an inept home
tech can achieve. This month: increasing the FPS.
62 ARMOURY: SIGAIR M17
After being in the middle leagues of GBB pistols,
VFC is making a break for the high ground. Steve T
finds out if the new, officially licensed SigAir P320
M17 can measure up to the Taiwanese firm’s recent
success with the Glock G19X.
66 ARMOURY: TM MK46 MOD0
Phil Bucknall takes a long, hard look at this muchanticipated
rifle from Tokyo Marui – but does it give
your shoulder a good thumping, or just your wallet!
73 COMPETITION: WIN VORSK 001!
Win VORSK Number 001, a Hi-Capa 5.1, complete
with Red Dot Sight in our exclusive, easy to enter
competition!
74 COLLECTOR: GREASE GUN
In the second of Frenchie’s “Collector” series in this
issue, he turns his attention to a gun that was wellliked
by those who used it.
76 EVENT: OZ1 CONQUEST 19
Being effectively banned in Australia, Iggy Roberts
has to travel to NZ to get his airsoft fix, from where
he reports on OZ1’s latest big game.
82 LAST POST: UPGRADES
Having seen an amazing figure touted on Facebook,
Frenchie examines the tricky subject of upgrades or,
more specifically, the amount of money some players
seem willing to spend on them.
Photo by Victor Karlund. https://www.instagram.com/victorkarlund

UP YOUR GAME
T IPPMANNTACTICAL.COM

ADVANCED
LITHIUM ION BATTERY
Standard lipo balance chargers are recommended
Discharge Rating: 10C at 2600 mAh
(equiv. 20C at 1300 mAh, a common airsoft lipo)
Fits standard airsoft battery storage areas
Can store on average 2-5 times the energy of other
Airsoft batteries keeping you in the game longer
Distributed by RWA Group
( United Kingdom and Europe )

INSIDE AIRSOFT
VX-9: CONCEPT TO REALITY
VX-9
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS THE TEAM AT AIRSOFT ACTION HAVE BUILT UP VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN
THE INDUSTRY, WHICH HAS LED TO A NUMBER OF EXCLUSIVE REPORTS ON NEW TECHNOLOGY AND MODELS. THIS
MONTH BILL TAKES IT EVEN DEEPER BY LOOKING AT THE VERY CREATION OF A NEW MODEL THAT WILL BE UNVEILED
AT IWA 2020!
I’ve been with Airsoft Action for quite a
few years now and before that I played
and ran games of my own. In my time
in “the industry” I’ve seen some brands
come and, indeed, some brands go but
my relationship with those that have
weathered the vagaries of the international
airsoft market has, in some cases, moved
from professional to real friendship!
Whatever industry you may work
in, you will undoubtedly make lasting
friendships with certain individuals
that are outside your own company,
but that you deal with on a daily basis,
and such is my relationship with Ross
at Nuprol. I am incredibly proud of this
young man, having seen him flourish
from a young site tech to a key part of
a successful and multinational airsoft
business and whilst I already knew he
would go on to great things within the
industry, as the “team head” behind
the new VORSK range of GBB pistols,
he and his team have truly established
themselves as real innovators!
It seems only yesterday that I was
writing about the new VORSK models,
models that I myself have come to
love and trust, but these have been
on sale for a little while now and
garnered superb feedback in terms
of durability and performance already
amongst the player base. However, Ross
and his team don’t let the grass grow, and
although the existing models have only
been released to market for a relatively
short time, the next VORSK model is set for
release at IWA 2020 - and what a model
it is!
The VORSK “project” has been ongoing
for over two years now and the models
already out there have proved that taking
your time with your own concepts from
just that, a concept in the form of a
“IF YOU ARE A TRUE FAN OF
THE MIGHTY “1911” THEN NO
DOUBT YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR
WITH THE AMT HARDBALLER
LONGSLIDE BUT EVEN IF
YOU’RE NO “GUN NUT” THEN
YOU MAY WELL HAVE COME
ACROSS IT IN MOVIES LIKE
“THE TERMINATOR” OR “THE
PHANTOM”, OR INDEED IN
GAMES LIKE “RESIDENT EVIL 4”
AND OF COURSE “HITMAN”.”
scribbled sketch, through formal design
both traditional and 3D, creation of
bespoke tooling, development and testing
and then final manufacturing has proved
to be time very well spent indeed. But
this is merely an overview of what already
exists, and it’s the yet-to-be-released
VORSK VX-9 that I wish to bring to your
attention this month.
HARDBALLER!
If you are a true fan of the mighty “1911”
then no doubt you will be familiar with
the AMT Hardballer Longslide but even
if you’re no “gun nut” then you may
well have come across it in movies like
“The Terminator” or “The Phantom”,
or indeed in games like “Resident Evil
4” and of course “Hitman”. As a big
gamer himself, Ross openly admits
that the inspiration for the VX-9 comes
from various on-screen sources and
that the creation of the pistol itself was
somewhat of a “passion project”.
It’s an iconic “geek gun” and one
that every self-respecting 1911 lover
will NEED in their collection. Yes,
Western Arms made a “Hardballer”
back in the day but try getting hold of
one of those now! The real thing was
made by made by Arcadia Machine &
Tool (AMT) from 1977 to 2002, and
the Hardballer was the first entirely
stainless steel 1911 pattern pistol to
be manufactured, so it 100% has
its place in a historical sense! The
Hardballer got its name from the roundnose
hardball G.I. ammunition it fired, solid
230 grain FMJ bullets in .45 calibre so, in
all ways, it was a bit of a beast. Although
8
MARCH 2020

INSIDE AIRSOFT
VX-9: CONCEPT TO REALITY
AMT produced a number of variants, the
basic Hardballer was essentially an all
stainless steel version of the Colt Gold Cup
(a fabulous handgun!), fitted with micro
rear sights. The AMT Longslide was an
upgrade on the basic model, featuring an
extended 7 in (178 mm) barrel, introduced
in 1980. It had all the same qualities as the
basic Hardballer but with slide and barrel
lengthened by 2 in (51 mm) and this was
the model that really became the movie/
game icon that we know and love.
Ross told me: “I (and we) didn’t want
to make yet another standard 1911/MEU
style pistol, and as all VORSK models most
definitely have their own ‘identity and
feel”, the VX-9 needed to be unique and
something more than just a bit special!
Initially we had our doubts whether this
model would be achievable at all, but with
18 months of development behind it I
believe I can most definitely say that it is! If
it’s not been made then why not? And my
team and I have the mindset that... we will
make it.”
I’ve been lucky enough to see the
development of this particular pistol since
it was just a sketch on a piece of paper
and Ross has been kind enough to share
every stage of the design and manufacture
process with me. He and tech guru Mark
have agonised over the most miniscule
of details, and from day to day, week
to week, and month to month I would
receive emails from them showing another
piece that had been not only achieved but
nailed!
As much
as I hate
the phrase
“OEM”, the
VX-9 proves
beyond any
doubt that
VORSK is
100% its
own “OEM”
and that for
the brand
to prosper
and grow,
real financial
investment
has been
made to
ensure that
this will be
the case.
When you look at
creating something
completely new it’s
all very well having a
concept, and indeed
even a fancy design,
but then comes
the really hard, and
expensive, part of the
deal as you will need
to create bespoke
moulds and tooling
to get things as right
as you want them to
be on the finished
product.
I can tell you
now that the VX-9
needed 16-plus new
moulds in its creation
and this costs some
serious money! Not
only that, but as good as the mould and
toolmakers are, sometimes “Mr Murphy”
steps in and things have to be redone to
get that “perfect” product. For the VX-9
not a single part is from an existing 1911
mould. This model may look like a 1911
but it’s kind of not! Getting every part right
has taken months and months and many
sample parts, and to give an indication of
this I can tell you that Ross and Mark spent
literally months debating just the final
hammer style!
But there’s more and I’ll explain
just how much more by looking at the
distinctive Hardballer ridged slide! Again,
Ross told me: “The slide took a few
attempts to get right! The easy option
would have been to make the top ridge
a “bolt on” to an original slide and make
minor adjustments. But in the end we
decided the entire slide needed to be as
correct as possible, so it deserved its own
mould. As well as the bespoke well-known
rear sight....”
Starting with 3D printing, the slide went
through numerous design phases until it
was finalised into a resin “mockup”. This
resin version then winged its way off to
the toolmakers for creation of the mould
before test-casting. After test-casting the
initial parts were checked minutely to
ensure that they were not only correct
in “look” but also fit for purpose… and
this is all before production could even be
dreamed about!
SILENT ASSASSIN
With the basic pistol now complete for
range testing, Ross and the team also
turned their attention to the suppressor
that was needed to round out the package
and, again, multiple design samples were
created, not only again to get the “look”
but to ensure peak performance. Put
plainly, the suppressor needed to attach to
the pistol properly and effectively without
the dreaded “thread against thread” issues
that you encounter with even the best
suppressor adaptors. The VX-9 suppressor
is another bespoke design that has been
“GETTING EVERY PART RIGHT HAS TAKEN MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MANY SAMPLE
PARTS, AND TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF THIS I CAN TELL YOU THAT ROSS AND MARK
SPENT LITERALLY MONTHS DEBATING JUST THE FINAL HAMMER STYLE!”
www.airsoft-action.online 9

INSIDE AIRSOFT
VX-9: CONCEPT TO REALITY
“ROSS TELLS ME THAT THE VX-9 WILL BE AVAILABLE IN A RANGE OF DIFFERENT
FINISHES AND WILL BE SOLD EITHER AS A SINGLE, OR AS A “MATCHED PAIR” WITH
SEQUENTIAL SERIAL NUMBERS, WHICH SOUNDS SUPER-COOL. I’LL REPORT BACK
HAVING SEEN THEM IN THE FLESH AT IWA, WITH A FULL RANGE REPORT SHORTLY
AFTER, SO WATCH THIS SPACE!”
internally “tweaked” to make sure it
attaches as smoothly and as efficiently
as possible; both inner and outer barrel
threads to extend the barrel have been
addressed, with a custom moulded and
designed suppressor made “just so” so
that the VX-9 recoils correctly. Now I don’t
know about you, but this level of attention
to detail impresses the heck out of me!
What I am loving
about the airsoft
industry at the moment
is that more than ever
manufacturers are
ploughing their own
furrows in terms of
innovation and design.
When you add that
we, as players, are not
content these days to
accept something that
simply “looks like” a
particular weapon, but
also want the best levels
of performance from
it, then those same
manufacturers are giving
us just that, as standard,
from the moment we lift
our newest airsoft pistol
or rifle from the box!
They are taking
the opportunity to
make what people
want but also what
they don’t know they
want, thinking quite
literally outside the
box! Is it the place of
the manufacturer to open new areas for
models? I believe it is and by creating the
VX-9, taking inspiration from other areas
that we all love, VORSK have done this,
and I can’ wait to get my hands on one!
In closing, Ross tells me that the VX-9
will be available in a range of different
finishes and will be sold either as a single,
or as a “matched pair” with sequential
serial numbers, which sounds super-cool.
I’ll report back having seen them in the
flesh at IWA, with a full range report
shortly after, so watch this space! AA
WIN VORSK NUMBER 001!
IF YOU READ OUR EXCLUSIVE “VORSK OVERVIEW” IN THE JANUARY ISSUE OF AIRSOFT ACTION AND
THOUGHT “WOW! I WOULD LOVE ONE OF THOSE!” WELL NOW YOU CAN WIN THE VERY FIRST VORSK
- NUMBER 001 - WHICH COMES IN BLACK AND TAN WITH A RED DOT SIGHT ALREADY FITTED. THIS
TRULY IS A COMPLETE ONE-OFF PRIZE, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE NUMBER ONE AND WE ARE GIVING IT
AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER.
FULL DETAILS OF HOW YOU CAN WIN THIS AWESOME PRIZE ARE ON PAGE 73.
10
MARCH 2020

armoury
G&G COBALT BAMF
SCI-FI SUPERSTAR?
MAKE IT SO...
IN A WORLD OF ME-TOO ARS AND M4S, G&G’S RADICAL RACE RIFLE STANDS OUT LIKE A
SORE THUMB. STEVE T FINDS OUT IF ITS PERFORMANCE CAN ALSO RISE ABOVE.
Will you just look at this thing?It’s
like no AR15 I’ve ever seen! If
Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard used
a wormhole in the space-time continuum
to send a phaser rifle from the Next
Generation movies back to 2020, then it
might look something like this. It’s all sleek
bare metal with blue accents that are set to
stun (sorry!)
It might appear Alien to MilSim players,
but that doesn’t mean it will only appeal to
Spaceballs like me. As we’ll see, both the
construction and performance will make it
an attractive option for many airsofters.
BLUE MOVES
Despite the BAMF’s sci-fi sculpt, this is no
movie prop replica. G&G’s latest licensed
RIF is 100% based in the real world and a
race rifle from Cobalt Kinetics.
The Washington, Utah business is…
not your usual firearms manufacturer. They
sound more like a California company
when they state that art overrides both
form and function. Like a Silicon Valley
tech co, they also talk about how their
“Blue-sky thinkers imagined design,
features, and capability that did not… and
could not exist”. And like any 21st century
entrepreneurial start-up they aim to,
“Disrupt the market”.
How do they intend to do that? In their
own words: “Cobalt Kinetics does not hire
gun builders or gun-engineers - or even
gun enthusiasts. We create and cultivate
them.” Alarm bells, anyone? There’s a
bunch of other promo guff but you get
the idea - they let the marketing dude get
freaky.
All that having been said, the BAMF
is an AR. A really - REALLY - sexy AR, but
it’s still just an AR. The form factor will
be familiar to any M4 user with control
interfaces that instinctively fall to hand.
“BAMF” stands for Billet Aluminum
- they mean aluminium, folks - Modern
Firearm. And G&G’s AEG meets those
credentials too. It may weigh more than a
polymer RIF but less than a conventional
metal weapon, without feeling any less
solid.
SEXUAL HEALING
Without coming over all weird, in terms
of physical presence, the Cobalt Kinetics
BAMF is almost sexual. The CNC machined
construction is intended to result in a
super-tight construction without wobbles.
While that’s certainly true of the usually
questionable buffer tube/stock area, we
noticed that the handguard rotates slightly
around the free-floating inner barrel,
which also had more play than we’d
expected.
Our biggest reservation is that the mag
release on the right-hand side just jumped
off during normal operation. Luckily, that
happened at home so we could find the
tiny spring that shot out too, but it would
be another story mid-game. Everything
popped back in without trouble, but you’d
be disappointed if that happened on a
budget starter RIF, let alone a £500 special.
C-clamp fans will be pleased to hear
the handguard is devoid of rail contours,
with a small portion of picatinny at the
top and bottom of the tip for iron sights,
flashlights and the like. You can always
“BUILDING ON THE SPEED-FIRST METHODOLOGY, THE PHYSICAL MOVEMENT OF THE
AMBIDEXTROUS FIRE SELECTOR IS SMALLER THAN CONVENTIONAL, WITH SEMI
AUTO AT JUST 45 DEGREES AND FULL AT 90. IT’S SO USER-FRIENDLY THAT WE CAN
INSTANTLY SEE HOW IT MIGHT SAVE TIME ON THE RANGE.”
12
MARCH 2020

armoury
G&G COBALT BAMF
add more accessories thanks to the M-LOK
rails at 3, 6 and 9 O’clock. Up top, the
aggressively contoured charging handle is
offset by some curiously old-fashioned iron
sights. I guess they presume everyone will
just take them off to run an optic.
There are QD sling points at either end
of the handguard, which would make
for some unbalanced sling configurations
since there isn’t one on the skeletonised
stock. The butt is slightly curved and feels
natural in the shoulder.
Building on the
speed-first methodology,
the physical movement
There’s also a flash of gold on the trigger,
too. Flash is the word…
LENGTH ISN’T EVERYTHING
The BAMF was always designed as a range
rifle first, so it’s not exactly the shortest
platform. The full metal pistol grip and
stock may also add weight, but that only
helps with the overall balance against that
long front end.
On the inside, there’s the familiar G2
gearbox and you can unscrew the buffer
tube to swap out the spring to adjust your
FPS. The factory spec short-stroke gearing
is designed to allow faster trigger response
and hence, speed up subsequent shots
too. The wiring also features an
(CARS). It’s largely based around the autoeject
magazine system, which is imitated
here, but G&G calls it the “Auto Drop
Advanced Magazine” (ADAM).
In the highly competitive world of two
and three-gun shooting, the fractions of a
second saved with auto-drop could make
the difference between first and last place.
When enabled on this airsoft version, the
follower pops up on empty and a small
plate releases the magazine, ready to
replace. It might be an inconvenience midskirmish,
but it would be altogether more
welcome mid-course in a competition -
which is this RIF’s heritage.
Mag depleted - which you should
anticipate, after all - it drops by itself, new
of the
ambidextrous
fire selector is
smaller than conventional,
with semi auto at just 45
degrees and full at 90. It’s
so user-friendly that we can
instantly see how it might save
time on the range. It’s also clickyclicky-precise-nice.
The flared magwell that is definitely
oversized - and one of the more scifi
aesthetics - is similarly designed to
facilitate faster reloads, but some high
capacity metal airsoft mags may be a tight
fit further up the chute. On our tests at
least, polymer mags are just fine.
With a largely graphite grey finish, the
unmissable neon blue of the buffer tube
is picked out by that distinctive flash hider.
inline MOSFET, so it’s 11.1 LiPo ready.
There’s a rotary hop behind the
ejection port that you can access
using the charging handle and you
can remove the non-adjustable
stock to fit the battery using an
Allen key. You can squeeze an
11.1 LiPo stick into the buffer
tube, but only with some
torturous feeding of cables up,
down, back up again and with
a bit of folding for good measure.
And I thought the front-wired Evo was a
pain!
The fact you can’t adjust the stock
through multiple positions might seem
like an ergonomic step backwards, but I
personally only ever tend to use a stock
at its maximum adjustment, so it didn’t
bother me at all. But you should make sure
the BAMF fits you - and your batteries -
before buying.
DROP ‘EM!
In the real world, the Unique Selling
Point for the BAMF is its reload speed in
competition shooting. And as if they can’t
get enough of acronyms, this is called
the “Cobalt Advantage Reload System”
mag
in; go!
Removing the
intermediary
step of
manually dropping
the
magazine could shave split-seconds off
your course run. We went in curiously
sceptical but came out thinking it’s a giggle
- there’s something impressive about a
machine pre-empting your next move and
saving both time and effort.
There’s been a lot of speculation in the
airsoft world about damaged mags since
the BAMF’s drop-free feature was first
announced and sadly, we have to report
it’s entirely justified. The base plate on our
review sample decided to go it alone after
just a few hundred rounds. Throughout
“THE BAMF BARELY BREAKS A SWEAT HITTING CANS AT 25M AND TORSO-SIZED
TARGETS FROM 40M, WITH SHOT AFTER SHOT LANDING ON POINT. WE’D EXPECT
NOTHING LESS GIVEN ITS RACE RIFLE ROOTS, BUT WE’RE STILL HAPPY TO FIND IT
EXCELS IN THIS AREA.”
www.airsoft-action.online 13

armoury
G&G COBALT BAMF
its time on test with me, the mag has only
landed on carpet - and carpet is a lot more
forgiving than the concrete or stone you
might find at a skirmish.
I can’t see any securing mechanism
for the base plate - other than sliding it
on until you feel a slight click - but that’s
so light I can guarantee it will come away
again. It’s a matter of when - not if -
whether it snags on your pouch, sling or
clothing. The mag will still be functional,
but the exposed inner body is shiny black
plastic that’s unlikely to withstand torture
treatment.
The drop-free system operates flawlessly
and genuinely brings something new to
the market. But this magazine is literally
designed from the ground up to hit the
ground on the way down, so you’d think
they’d make the base plate like the bumper
from a Hummer that could withstand the
apocalypse.
TURN ON OR TURN OFF?
Happily, you can turn off the drop-free
functionality by flicking a small switch on
the top of the
mag. Now you
can play out any
skirmish as if
you were using
a conventional
mag, with reloads
working exactly
as you’d expect.
You can also use
your usual AEG
STANAG mag
with the BAMF.
We’ve tried EPMs
and high caps
alike without
problems and
that’s probably
the option we’d
go for.
And if you
want to use the
new drop-free
mags in other
STANAG AEGs?
Sure - go for it!
Now you can
have insta-drop
combined with
any old M4-alike.
It’s funny that -
gorgeous build
aside - one of the
BAMF’s Unique
Selling Points is
more to do with
the mag than the
RIF itself. It’s just a
shame that unique
mechanism comes
with a follower
you need to pop
back into place every time you reload, like
rejiggling your gentleman back into a pair
of baggy old Y-fronts.
TIME SPENT ALONE VS FUN
WITH FRIENDS
Before packing our bags for the frontline,
we spent some time with the BAMF on the
range and found that it performed well.
Averaging 317FPS, it cycles with a brisk
snap even though it’s well below UK site
limits of 350. It feels sharp and focused.
The BAMF barely breaks a sweat hitting
cans at 25m and torso-sized targets from
40m, with shot after shot landing on point.
We’d expect nothing less given its race rifle
roots, but we’re still happy to find it excels
in this area.
Once you get past the safe zone cooes
of “Oooh! What’s that?” - and who
could blame them! - the BAMF operates
much like any other AR. For a wellmatched
sidearm that combines outright
performance with zero mil-score, ASG’s
recent race pistol, the CZ Shadow 2, would
be its perfect counterpart.
Self-proclaimed shadows - no pun
intended - will opine that the BAMF is just
too shiny to be practical, but what do they
know? Of course, it isn’t a sniper rifle, but
then it also isn’t limited in terms of Rate
of Fire or Minimum Engagement Distance.
With the range that was apparent even
as standard, the BAMF might just make
a great basis for a very sexy Designated
Marksman Rifle.
A HAPPY ENDING
Most airsoft manufacturers seem content
to ride the M4 treadmill, rinse and repeat.
Kudos to G&G for bringing something new
to the table here. If you can work around
real-world wobbly bits like the mag release,
base, and handguard, you’ll find the BAMF
is every bit the sci-fi superstar it looks. If
you’re looking for a distinctive and highly
capable AR with real sex appeal then, as
Jean-Luc might say, “Make it so!” AA
G&G Cobalt Kinetics BAMF TEAM
Price: £499.99
Weight: 3,592g
Length: 940mm
Inner barrel length: 430mm
FPS: 317 avge (Tested)
Hop: Adjustable
Construction: Billet aluminium
Full auto: Y
Recoil: N
Power source: Battery
Gearbox: G2 (V2)
Magazine type: Metal/polymer
Capacity: 90 rounds
“OF COURSE, IT ISN’T A SNIPER RIFLE, BUT THEN IT ALSO ISN’T LIMITED IN TERMS
OF RATE OF FIRE OR MINIMUM ENGAGEMENT DISTANCE. WITH THE RANGE THAT WAS
APPARENT EVEN AS STANDARD, THE BAMF MIGHT JUST MAKE A GREAT BASIS FOR A
VERY SEXY DESIGNATED MARKSMAN RIFLE.”
14
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
HELD IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA,
EACH JANUARY, THE NSSF
SHOT SHOW IS AN ABSOLUTE
MUST-VISIT FOR ANYONE
INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF
SHOOTING DISCIPLINE AND
THIS YEAR BILL AND NIGE
MADE THE PILGRIMAGE TO
“SIN CITY” TO REPORT BACK
ON WHAT’S COMING OUR WAY
IN 2020!
The 2020 Shooting, Hunting and
Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, owned
and operated by the National
Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF),
signalled a positive year ahead for the
both the firearms and airsoft industries,
both in the USA and internationally. Strong
attendance, motivated buyers and sellers
and a series of packed special events
that collectively made up “SHOT Week”
resulted in one of the best SHOT Shows
ever!
The show spanned January 21st to
the 24th at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
Industry professionals packed the aisles
from the get-go and by the time the doors
closed on the Friday afternoon attendance
totalled over 60,000 visitors! I’ve been to
SHOT Show on a number of occasions
now and if you’ve never visited, the sheer
scale of what is on offer will blow your
mind as they pack in over 2,000 exhibitors
over multiple halls. You’ll end up walking
miles to see so much innovation that it
quite literally takes your breath away - and
it’s the perfect opportunity to make new
connections and re-establish old ones.
We have the IWA Outdoor and Classics
Show here in Europe (and I’m pleased to
report that it continues to grow steadily)
but SHOT is like IWA on steroids, although
to find all the airsoft exhibitors you need
to put in some serious prep! Unlike IWA,
“WE HAVE THE IWA OUTDOOR AND CLASSICS SHOW HERE IN EUROPE (AND I’M
PLEASED TO REPORT THAT IT CONTINUES TO GROW STEADILY) BUT SHOT IS LIKE IWA
ON STEROIDS, ALTHOUGH TO FIND ALL THE AIRSOFT EXHIBITORS YOU NEED TO PUT
IN SOME SERIOUS PREP!”
18
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
airsoft does not yet have its own dedicated
area at SHOT. There are literally thousands
of products for attendees to see on the
show floor, encompassing firearms,
ammunition, accessories, optics, knives,
gun safes, apparel and tactical equipment,
among other categories. Hundreds of
new products from numerous companies
are on display in the show’s New Product
Centre alone. In addition to the exhibiting
companies on the main show floors, the
NEXT Pavilion
provides first-time
vendors from the
show’s extensive
waiting list with
welcome visibility
and potential
new customers. If
there’s something
you want to find
in relation to
Shooting Sports,
including the
very latest airsoft
innovations, then
“SHOT” is most
definitely the place
to visit!
Not all of
the important
attractions are on
the Show floor
though and one of
the most eagerly
anticipated events
is “Industry Day”
at the Range.
This takes place
on the Monday
immediately prior
to the show at
is held at the
Boulder Rifle &
Pistol Club Boulder
City, Nevada,
approximately 25
miles out into the
desert south of Las
Vegas. Sadly, Nige and I flew into Vegas
on the Monday afternoon this year and
missed Range Day but from all accounts
much ammunition was expended and
much safe, shooting fun was had by all
that attended. Our arrival time also sadly
meant that we missed SHOT MEALSIM
at “The Heart Attack Grill” but at least I
managed to keep my patch collection up
to date!
POUNDING THE FLOOR(S)!
The doors to the show proper though
opened bright and early on the Tuesday
morning, and after a brief visit to the
professionally run Press Room it was time
to get rolling. As much as I like to see
as much as possible when I visit SHOT,
experience has taught me that you need to
make a schedule and stick to it. It’s simply
just not possible to see everything but with
so many friends in attendance there was a
constant “heads up” flow of information
in relation to exciting new products.
First up was real firearms - and you
really can’t see everything! One of the
trends that caught my eye very quickly
was the move yet further towards even
lighter carbines and rifles, with many
manufacturers going for skeletonised rails
and stocks. With all the big names in play,
firearm models that stood out for me
where from Knights Armament, Remington
Defense, Daniel Defense, LMT, Lantac (oh,
that SPR!), and BRO. It was also interesting
to note that the AR/AK story also seems to
be “still a thing”, and there was also a lot
more “AK” action than I’ve seen before
too!
There were a couple of specific things
that I wanted to check out and the first of
those was the Laugo Arms “ALIEN” pistol,
as this seems to be causing a lot of chatter.
This is marketed (with a hefty price tag!)
as their flagship pistol, which has now
gone from prototype to production and
even been approved for IPSC competition
use. The 9mm “ALIEN” allegedly has the
lowest bore axis available on a handgun,
with the positioning of its fixed barrel some
1.7mm below the line of the grip axis.
With an overall length of 8.5-inches, the
pistol is certainly unusual to look at and it
feels very comfortable in the hand. I can
only speculate how long it will be until we
see a licensed version but if the Hudson is
anything to go by it won’t be long!
Of course, the other stand I wanted
to spend some time on was that of SIG
www.airsoft-action.online 19

EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
“USING THEIR LICENSE TO B&T TO FULL EFFECT, ASG PULLED A BIT OF A FLANKER
BY DROPPING THE USW (UNIVERSAL SERVICE WEAPON) AS THIS IS AN INTERESTING
SIDEARM DESIGNED BY THE SWISS COMPANY.”
(more on them later!) and I was not to be
disappointed as the MG338 was on display
loud and proud! SIG confirmed recently
that it has delivered the new models to
U.S. Special Operations Command, along
with sound suppressors and ammunition
for them. SIG says the .338 calibre machine
gun weighs around 20 pounds, making
it lighter than even the L variant of U.S.
military’s standard 7.62mm M240 machine
gun and lighter too than the MK 48, which
SOCOM previously led the development
of as a lighter-weight alternative to the
M240-series. It’s a beast alright and, again,
it will be interesting to see if SIG AIR
look to produce a replica. I was also very
taken by the NGSW-R prototype, which
is called the “Spear”, in both 6.8x51mm
Hybrid and 7.62x51mm. This is the latest
evolution of the MCX platform but with
some improvements, including a newly
designed for-end with a full-length top rail
and a standard AR-style charging handle
with an additional folding charging handle
on the left side of the receiver! I can see
this being a very popular build for many
NGSW “fans”.
All the big names for optics were at
SHOT 2017 but it was absolutely fabulous,
as a Brit, to see the lads from SHIELD
SIGHTS plying their trade up there with the
very best. I’ve had a great relationship with
SHIELD for a number of years now, and
after a 20-plus year journey themselves the
guys are taking great pleasure in showing
off their family of mini-sights, including
the new RMS, to the world. It was also
fabulous to see just how much our friends
at VORTEX have grown since we first met
them and featured their “little known”
range of optics and I’m looking forward
to spending some time catching up with
them properly at IWA.
When
it comes
to firearms
accessories
you can’t
not mention
MAGPUL but this
year they seemed
very subdued.
The UTG/Leapers
stand is always
and impressive
affair, but this
year seemed
bigger and
bolder than
ever before; if
you need an
accessory for
your firearm
then they will
undoubtedly
have it! There
were some
great rails and
accessories on
show for AK
variants, but it
was their “Super
Slim” system that
still caught my
eye. If you’re looking to build a “lo-drag
rifle” then this comes in a whole range
of models and is extremely light and low
profile!
In terms of Tech that caught my eye,
the big one has to be the MantisX training
system which has again moved on a lot
since I first discovered them back in 2017.
From a one-table stand with a single tablet
a few years ago, they were out loud and
proud this time with an extensive display
of their latest gear for showgoers to try.
They’ve kindly provided for me one of their
latest X10 Elite units to check out, which
I’ll report back on in due course but it was
their drop-in AR bolt/magazine combo that
really got me excited as I’m keen to see if it
will work in a GBBR AR!
NEW FACES, OLD FRIENDS
Of course what we really wanted to
get our teeth into was the airsoft side
of things and although, as I said earlier,
airsoft does not have a dedicated space, it
was excellent to see this year that at least
some of the manufacturers were actually
grouped close together! It would be
20
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
impossible to bring you every tiny piece of
news here but I’ll give you an overview of
things that I personally found exciting.
First off I mosey’d straight on over
to the ASG stand to check out the
“announced at SHOT” B&T USW. Using
their license to B&T to full effect, ASG
pulled a bit of a flanker by dropping the
USW (Universal Service Weapon) as this
is an interesting sidearm designed by the
Swiss company. It was first introduced in
2016 and it brings the old concept of a
stocked pistol to a whole new level. The
airsoft version is a real sweetie, feels good
and solid and I am certain it will be a hit
with players of all types as it definitely
ticks all the “Mil/LE” boxes whilst having
a far wider appeal to both bolt-action and
DMR users as a backup! And speaking of
snipers, ASG also had the latest addition to
their Accuracy International line of replicas,
showing a very tidy MK13 Mod 7 springer!
They were also showing the new ICS
“CXP-ARK” AK which looked super-cool
but as I’m seeing ICS at IWA in person, I’ll
concentrate more on that next month in
our report from the German show.
Specna arms were also “loud and
proud” at the show, with a tidy booth
showcasing their firm favourites along
platform, and I for one can’t wait for this.
Add to this, new partnerships for Specna
Arms with Daniel Defense and Strike
Systems and it looks like it’s going to be
quite the year for them.
Thankfully, this year EVIKE had moved
up from the depths of the lower halls
to take over a dominating site close to
Group (EMG). I’ve always been a Noveske
fan so seeing both AEG and GBB versions
of current firearms that are being built with
input from the manufacturer themselves
was a REAL thrill. I’ve already been booting
the beejaysus out of the new “Infidel” AEG
model on the range and I’ll be reporting
back on that fully in Issue 112 next month!
“SPECNA ARMS WERE ALSO “LOUD AND PROUD” AT THE SHOW, WITH A TIDY BOOTH
SHOWCASING THEIR FIRM FAVOURITES ALONG WITH SOME NEW MODELS AND SOME
REALLY INTERESTING 3D-MODELLED CONCEPTS TO ADD TO THEIR ROCK RIVER ARMS
COLLECTION…”
with some new models and some really
interesting 3D-modelled concepts to add
to their Rock River Arms collection, along
with some of their own creations such
as an angled foregrip incorporating QD
mount points, some neat “blade” trigger
designs, and a nicely ergonomic stock
thought up specifically to take into
account new battery designs. Internally
they had some cleverness going on
with ORION gearboxes put together to
maximise the performance given by the
GATE ASTER. Although Specna Arms are
saving the physical launch of the product
range until IWA in March, they were also
talking a LOT about the new EDGE 2.0
models that will come with the ASTER as
standard, high torque motor, new hopup
unit, and the ESA-2 quick change
spring system. On the wall to handle and
stroke was the latest Specna prototype
model incorporating their take on the
PDW stock system, which felt rock solid
and was very easy to use. Again, being
saved for IWA (hopefully!!!) is the new
“J-Series”, their take on the mighty AK
other airsoft companies. Whilst EVIKE
are obviously known best as a “mega”
retailer in North America they are also fast
becoming a purveyor of their own subbrands
of airsoft gucciness! First up for me
was the range of “Novseke” ARs that are
being created by the Evike Manufacturing
The new “Strike Systems” (that name
again!) “F4” AR from Dytac looked lovely,
everything a thoroughly modern AR should
be, with some extra goodies to boot.
On the pistol front their Archon Type B
looks good, and word is that this should
be starting to ship soon, and a prototype
www.airsoft-action.online 21

ULTIMA
JACKET
BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN
/ SRP: £89.95

EVENT REPORT
SHOT SHOW 2020 - LAS VEGAS, USA
Strike Systems (as yet un-named) pistol
looked very cool indeed. Also appearing
on the EVIKE stand was the full range of
TITAN batteries but I’ll be hooking up with
Matt again at IWA to get the very latest
from them.
Just around the corner was G&G. I’ve
become used to their “mega stand” at
IWA but although their SHOT booth was a
little more modest it was certainly packed
with some 6mm loveliness! Although
models of the SMC-9 are rolling out and
getting into the hands of players, it still
featured front and centre of the G&G
display and I am waiting eagerly to get my
hands on one to test (any day now!). The
BAMF rifle that you’ll find reviewed this
month also looked great in their lineup and
once again I was teased by the “micro-
AKs”. these will not be to everyone’s
taste, but as an out and out AK “lover”
they have a certain something that grows
on me every time I see them! Their pistol
range is looking better than ever - and I
have to admit that I drooled a little over
the new VX9 MKV in Dark Earth. They also
put on a great show with their accessory
parts and consumables, both of which
we’ll be taking a closer look at soon!
A bit out on their own but in some
ways rightly so, were KWA. KWA have
always gone their own way with what they
create and the stand that they showed in
one of the firearms halls was absolutely
first rate! Pitched wholehearted towards
the “training market”, their LM4-D got
a LOT of approval from my real-steel
buddies, with much fondling, stroking and
coo-ing! It’s models like this that are really
persuading shooters of the real thing that
airsoft should be taken seriously as a part
of any training regimen and when minus
magazine, many of my friends had a hard
time believing that this was “airsoft”!
That’s not to say that KWA were neglecting
their airsoft fans though, as they had a
great display of the internals for both the
AEG 2.5+ and AEG 3 gearboxes, probably
one of the clearest and nicest I’ve ever
come across. I was particularly taken by the
QRF MOD3, and the Ronin 47 (their take
on the AR/AK “hybrid”) definitely looked
like it needed
to come home
with me! Overall,
KWA put on a
GREAT display that
appealed I’m sure
to everyone who
visited them.
…and speaking
of training, I am
going to return
to SIG and, more
specifically, SIG AIR.
We all know
that SIG have pulled
their models back
“in house” and
if you check on
their website they
are unashamedly
chasing the “6mm
Training” market -
with some success too, as their ProForce
P229 has become the official training
firearm of the U.S. Coast Guard! Both the
P229 and the M17 took pride of place
in their airsoft line, along with the MCX
VIRTUS which feels absolutely superb
and it was an real joy to finally see airsoft
featured in the “SHOT Daily” newssheet,
albeit thanks to SIG and their “safe
training” story.
The “training” story is one, as a shooter
of both real and replica, that I shall be
following with great interest and I have to
say that if others follow the lead that SIG
have taken, then we will all be in for some
righteous airsoft treats in the future!
IT’S A WRAP (AGAIN)!
Of course, what I’ve brought you here
is just the very tip of the iceberg, there
is SO much more exciting news that will
be coming by the time that IWA is upon
us and visiting SHOT show this year
has let us tap into it earlier than ever
before. We also spoke at length to more
manufacturers in the footwear, clothing
and equipment sectors but that’s a whole
other story which we tend to concentrate
on at IWA. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of
tactical goodness lined up for evaluation
and review, which will drop into Airsoft
Action in the coming months and I have to
give special mentions to both PTS for their
“M-TEK FLUX” helmet and to Helikon-Tex
for their new gear that is looking sublime.
Again, I’m meeting both manufacturers
again in Germany and will bring a better
look at everything soon!
SHOT Show is the largest trade show of
its kind in the world, attracting upwards of
61,000 attendees from100 countries and it
was truly great to see friends old and new!
Preparations have already begun for next
year’s SHOT Show, which will return to the
Sands Expo with an extension into Caesars
Forum (hopefully with a dedicated airsoft
area, who knows?) on January 19th to
22nd 2021. I hope to see you all there! AA
www.airsoft-action.online 23

THE LEGION
AA GLOBAL CONTRIBUTORS
WE ARE
LEGION!
AIRSOFT ACTION HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH MANY DEDICATED CONTRIBUTORS SINCE THE MAGAZINE
STARTED AND WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE AUTHENTICITY, ORIGINALITY AND UNIQUENESS THAT OUR
CURRENT TEAM OF EXPERIENCED WRITERS BRINGS TO EACH ISSUE. AS AN EXCITING PART OF OUR NEW
FULLY INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL FORMAT, WE HAVE STARTED A NEW PROJECT TO BRING YOU IN-DEPTH
ARTICLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, WRITTEN BY “LOCAL” AIRSOFTERS. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT’S
TIME TO INTRODUCE “THE AIRSOFT ACTION LEGIONNAIRES”!
The aim of The Airsoft Action Legion
is to bring you stories from all over
the world with a truly local “take”,
whether it’s a game or event report, a
focus on a retailer or manufacturer, or
even a report on a new piece of gear, or
even an AEG! The initial “Legionnaires”
are all players that have worked with
Airsoft Action before but (in the main) in
an “unofficial” capacity as an occasional
contributor, but all players, and all with a
huge passion for airsoft.
The role of the “Airsoft Action
Legionnaires” is to foster friendship and
an excellent community spirit on a truly
international basis, while fostering superb
relations with our industry partners around
the globe and bringing that news to you
wherever you may be!
As our international reach grows we
aim to enlarge the remit of The Legion
to truly encompass airsoft in an inclusive,
global format and, at the time of writing,
“The Legion” has already grown again as
we’ve just been joined by another good
friend, Turgay Dansik who runs Airsoft
Pro in Turkey! If you are interested in
becoming a part of The Legion, or just feel
like reporting on airsoft games, events and
developments in your own country then
please just drop an email to bill@airsoftaction.co.uk
To kick things fully into gear though,
we’d like to introduce the starting lineup
for The Legion!
KELLY “FEMME FATALE”
HARDWICK - UK
Kelly joins The Legion as our “roving
correspondent”, to bring you stories
from the UK, the USA and even further
afield! Kelly has been writing for Airsoft
Action since 2015 but she started playing
in August of 2014 and quickly became
involved in airsoft media after she
created one of the worldwide leading
airsoft blogs, “Femme Fatale Airsoft”,
in November 2014. She is an airsoft
and tactical kit enthusiast, although
“obsessive” is probably more accurate!
At 27 years old, she makes her living as
a full-time blogger, influencer and writer,
travelling the world visiting airsoft sites
and events. She is a CQB girl at heart who
loves to dabble in MilSim. Whilst reporting
for Airsoft Action she has already travelled
internationally to cover events for the
magazine, from woodland skirmishes in
France, to a 40-hour MilSim in Greece,
Germany for IWA and even Taiwan for the
G&G CQB Cup! In her own words “I have
travelled extensively and met so many
awesome people, I am really grateful
for the opportunities the magazine has
afforded me” - and we all look forward to
her bringing you more of the same!
CLARENCE LAI - AIRSOFT
SURGEON – HONG KONG
Clarence Lai is one of the most prominent
figures in Airsoft. His work as an Airsoft
gunsmith and with Action Air (Airsoft
IPSC) has helped him gain recognition
and respect the world over. From the
resplendent beauty of his one-off pistols,
to his active work in promoting Airsoft
IPSC globally, his work within the Airsoft
community is revered and admired.
Being the premiere airsoft guns and parts
manufacturer, Airsoft Surgeon crafts
custom guns for some of the most notable
Action Air/Airsoft IPSC race shooters
around the world.
Based in Hong Kong, as well as
producing his awesome pistols and rifles,
Clarence also has close connections and
relationships with every manufacturer, so
is ideally placed to be on top of the news
as it happens (and sometimes even ahead
of it!).
Airsoft Action, along with Chris Kong of
RedWolf Airsoft, has worked for nearly
eight years with Clarence to promote
Action Air through the prestigious “Airsoft
24
MARCH 2020

THE LEGION
AA GLOBAL CONTRIBUTORS
Surgeon Championship”, culminating this
year with the event and the UK’s National
Exhibition Centre, which is reported
elsewhere in this issue.
Before he flew back to Hong Kong,
Clarence commented “I am really delighted
to be working with and writing for my
friends at Airsoft Action. Without doubt it
is the best airsoft magazine in the world
and now it is going global, it will give us
the opportunity to reach even more players
and shooter alike.”
STU MORTIMER –
STEWBACCA - TAIWAN
With over 14 years of experience playing
airsoft in the UK & Spain and now residing
and playing in Taiwan, Stu (Stewbacca)
started it all back at First & Only Matlock,
UK back in late 2005. Living and working
in Taiwan for the past two and a half years,
he’s made closer connections with the
airsoft community as well as numerous
manufacturers based there. Having already
visited Bolt, Modify, and ICS facilities to
report for TacticalTwo, as well as previously
collaborating with Airsoft Action to
share his airsoft related activities and
international shows held in Taiwan. He also
writes English language articles for local
magazine “Combat King Monthly” in his
spare time and has reported on events in
Taiwan’s remote PengHu islands, as well as
Mainland China with them. Having formed
the expat and local English speaker’s
“TaiWan Anglophone Team” skirmish
group, he’s already attended nearly one
hundred games in the few short years he’s
been in-country, as well as recently taking
up Action Air IPSC shooting with the Taipei
based SPPT team.
HANA - CHINA
Chinese proverb: “Out of blows, friendship
grows.”
Hana joins us from China and she is the
Chief Marketing Officer at OneTigris,
a company whose equipment we love
and use ourselves! At one time entirely
ignorant of airsoft, Hana started playing
with her team in China but has also now
participated in a MilSim and events in the
USA, and she fully comprehends the joys
of building friendship through teamwork
and BBs! In her words “I saw how people
of different age, race, sex and cultural
background could be united through their
passion for airsoft. What I love about it is
that each experience on the field is filled
with determination and belief brought
about by games and tactics and when we
leave the field, each of us somehow carries
this sense of preparedness and adventure
to other stages of life itself.”
BJORN KLOCKAR - SWEDEN
Björn, more commonly known as just as
“Klockar”, joins The Legion from Sweden
and started playing airsoft in the late
1990´s. Initially just a player like all of us,
he really got rolling in 2013 and now he’s
here! He plays and hosts games mainly
at Tjärnan Airsoft Field, possibly one of
Sweden’s best CQB fields and enjoys
both skirmish games as well as more
MilSim oriented events. Bjorn has had
collaborations with lots of companies and
brands over the years, and now works
directly with Evolution Airsoft as well as
numerous kit manufacturers. He tells us:
“It’s a huge honour to be picked to be in
the “Legion” of Airsoft Action magazine.
I’ve been in touch with Nige and Bill over
the years and have been on the cover of it
three times now, always in my snowcamo!
I hope I can bring some great photos
and interesting articles for you all in the
future!”
STEF - NETHERLANDS
Stef is another player that we know and
love for his enthusiasm for all things airsoft
and he, like some of the other AA writers,
sits proudly in the “older and bolder”
category! Born in 1970 in the naval city
of Den Helder in the Netherlands, Stef
is a painter by profession. His airsoft
adventures started in 2014 with “local”
skirmishes in the Netherlands but he was
soon travelling abroad to larger games,
such as the National Airsoft Event in the UK
and Borderwar in the Czech Republic. His
view is that “the great thing about airsoft
is that you make many new friends from all
over the world.”
JONATHAN - IRELAND
Another “old friend” who has been
involved with the magazine for some
years is Jonathan, age 45, Irish gamer and
MilSimmer! Jonathan has been playing in
Ireland for twelve years, running sites for
six, and currently owns and runs two! Like
many of us at AA he is a self-confessed
“real steel freak”, loves sound tactics,
and is always pushing gaming to the max.
www.airsoft-action.online 25

THE LEGION
AA GLOBAL CONTRIBUTORS
Jonathan has worked with us on a number
of MilSim-related articles in the past, and
death! He has worked in over 51 countries
for the last 35+ years and he managed to
survive with luck and support from others,
although he is a trained and certified
“ninja” (yes the real kind!). Rob holds a
Ph.D. in hard knocks and bullshit from The
School of the Holiday Inn Express and is still
issue. He’s been involved in airsoft for over
20 years and has been producing events
for about half of that time. After spending
a large amount of time in the Vietnam War
re-enacting community, he now focuses
on creating covert espionage and tactical
airsoft scenarios and helps to build missionfocused
teams to complete them.
IOAN “IGGY” ROBERTS –
AUSTRALIA
Iggy is a Royal Navy Photographer that
has been a contributor to Airsoft Action
magazine for 10 years and has been a
regular fixture within the team as his duties
have allowed, as well as a player known
throughout the UK (and beyond!). Iggy
will no doubt bring you updates on “The
Irish Game” with his usual, individual
flavour!
ROB – USA EAST COAST
Rob joins us from Florida to keep an eye on
East Coast USA and developments there.
As a man who has spent “time on the
circuit” and former core member of Bill’s
“OC-16 Airsoft Training/OPFOR Cadre”,
he is now a shooting/tactics instructor
who specializes in the use of airsoft for
reality-based training (RBTwA). In his
semi-retirement, he now works mostly
with “shooters and looters” to correct
their ego-driven errors and developed bad
habits; he believes everyone can improve
no matter how ninja you are and that using
airsoft for RBT allows Overspeed training
without negative side effects like... erm…
known to wield a gameday AK AEG when
the mood takes him!
SEAN - CANADA
Sean joins us from Canada as the owner of
Blackline Simulations, a highly immersive
and realistic military simulation company
that you’ll see featured elsewhere in this
emigrated to Australia in 2018 and gets in
his fix of airsoft now through visits to New
Zealand and when he returns to the UK. As
part of The Legion, Iggy is very excited to
bring coverage of airsoft news and events
from this distant corner of the world and to
keep us fully updated with the continued
legal battle to get our beloved game up
and running “down under”. AA
www.airsoft-action.online 27

armoury
TOKYO MARUI V10 GBB
V10
POWER!
Photo: Airsoft Project
AS IS OFTEN THE WAY WITH MARUI, THEY TEND TO ANNOUNCE THINGS AND THEN WE END UP FORGETTING ALL
ABOUT THEM UNTIL THE RELEASE ACTUALLY COMES AROUND. NOT SO WITH THE V10 FOR PHIL BUCKNALL, WHO IS
NOT A 1911 FAN SO FOR HIM TO LIKE ONE, IT HAD TO BE DIFFERENT.
The V10 isn’t a new pistol and in the
real world it has been around for at
least 20 years, if not longer. It’s also
been out in airsoft form for a few years too
and has always struck me as an odd choice
for them to make, as it isn’t used by any
military force and it doesn’t feature in any
new films but as I like it, I’m prepared to
let it go! As always for all things Marui in
the UK, my goto was Defcon Airsoft UK,
in Stoke. One, it’s really close to me and
two, they always seem to have the goodies
in before anyone else! The V10 was no
exception and not long after over-paying
for the Mk46, I got a message saying the
V10 had arrived.
I dashed down to the shop to pick it up
before playing at Fireball on the Saturday,
so I was keen to get it in time for that
game.
First Impressions
First impressions were very good, with it
looking great in its box with the contrast
between the highly polished sides and the
sand-blasted effect on the top and curved
surfaces. The porting on the slide is nicely
done too, as are the 10 ports in the black,
cone-shaped barrel which attaches to a
nicely done chrome effect breach/chamber.
The markings are crisp and replicate (to
some degree) the real gun, however, the
medallions on the pistol grips say “Tokyo
Marui” - the gun doesn’t suffer for that
though. Take down is like a cross between
a standard 1911 and one with a guide
rod but easy enough to do if you’ve ever
handled either type of airsoft 1911 in the
past. Even if you haven’t it’s actually quite
intuitive and
easy to do.
So, how
did it hold up
after using it
on Saturday
at Fireball
Squadron
Airsoft Club?
I’d say it was
a game of
two halves
if I’m being
brutally
honest. It is
a great little
Photo: Airsoft Project
pistol to shoot
and accurate too out to about 20-25m,
with a nice snappy recoil using Nuprol 2.0
green gas and Devil Blaster 0.28g BBs.
FPS was 220 +/- 2 (0.63J) with said BBs,
which is well below the legal limit here in
the UK. It’s very comfy in the hand thanks
to the moulded grips and it’s overall size
is comparable to a G19. The contrasting
finish from the flat sides to the textured
curved surfaces is very appealing and looks
fantastic to me - and a few others who
“FIRST IMPRESSIONS WERE VERY GOOD, WITH IT LOOKING GREAT IN ITS BOX WITH
THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE HIGHLY POLISHED SIDES AND THE SAND-BLASTED
EFFECT ON THE TOP AND CURVED SURFACES.”
28
MARCH 2020

armoury
TOKYO MARUI V10
were quite impressed by it. The sights are
Novak ones but don’t have any paint on so
in low light acquisition is a challenge. I shall
rectify that with some white paint ASAP,
however. If RMRs are your cup of tea, then
the V10 is optic-ready and comes with
a mounting plate for the Marui version
ONLY. it will not work with aftermarket
options but I have a couple I’m going to try
that have a specific 1911 plate included,
so stay tuned. Unlike newer Marui releases
the slide needs to be removed to adjust the
hop unit but it is easy enough to do and
had no problem with 0.28g BBs.
A LITTLE STIFF
The stiff slide release wasn’t actually as bad
as I thought it would be, it just took a little
getting used to and a slight adaptation
to my manipulation of it. It’s probably
partly down to my usual handgun being a
Glock and the fact I haven’t used a 1911
for quite a while. I certainly wouldn’t let
it put me off if I were looking to buy the
V10. The mags hold 22 BBs but if you
think you’re gonna get 22 off presently
(with the temperature being sub-10degs),
then you’re dreaming unless you leave…
Ooooh, I dunno? Maybe 30secs between
each shot? If you want anything useable
then you’re either going to have to
under-load the mag or accept that the
last few won’t be fired. I found 16 was
the absolute max during that game and
still have enough punch to lock the slide
back and not lose power with the last few
shots. It was about 7.5degs under the trees
temperature-wise and I would fully expect
the gas efficiency to only get better as the
temp climbs into the summer months,
when even the shorter mags for the V10
should be able to empty their full load of
BBs.
One thing of note though, is that there
have been notices online from Marui
themselves about slides cracking at the
rear. Mine is fine thus far, so I don’t know
if this is cracked from the factory or after
some use so as it gets warmer but if you
are concerned, using 144a instead of
green gas would probably be a sensible
course of action. If you do happen to have
a crack develop, then that’s something
you’re going to have to take up with your
retailer. In the UK, this on its own is a
very compelling reason to buy from a UK
retailer, to protect your investment and for
that I cannot recommend Defcon Airsoft
UK enough. They have delivered 100%
on any and all TM needs and wants I’ve
had over the last 18 months or so and
consistently have stock, even when other
retailers don’t.
SUMMARY
So there we have it. A nice little pistol.
It’s nothing new really, as the V10 has
been out for years by other manufacturers
but it is a very well executed replica of a
little-seen 1911 variant. It isn’t without
small issues (common to most 1911’s
when the temp is low though) and one
potentially BIG issue but whether the slide
is a problem across all of them remains to
be seen. I’m glad I got it as a change to the
modern handguns I have been using for
the best part of the last 4-5 years.
LAST MINUTE UPDATE!
Just before going to press, something
happened that I have never ever
experienced with Marui - the slide cracked
at the rear where Marui had said they’d
been having issues! I was absolutely
amazed if I’m being honest, even though
I knew the release had been delayed as
a direct result of this very problem. I’d
probably put maybe 20-25 mags through
the gun so it wasn’t through over-use.
Luckily Defcon took the gun back and I
am on my second V10. So far (after 10
mags) it shows no signs of damage and I
am watching it like a hawk. I have noticed
that everything in this one feels a little less
tightly sprung; the slide release is much
easier to actuate and it seems to be a little
more controlled. Perhaps this has some
bearing on the longevity of the slides but I
honestly don’t know yet. Rest assured that
as I use it, I will report back on it and how
well it holds up as the weather, hopefully,
gets warmer.
I find myself torn now as it really is
a nice little pistol and different to boot!
Can I recommend it knowing I’ve already
had one fail on me though? Well, yes, I
think I can - so long as you are aware and
happy to take that chance. If you are not
particularly gentle with kit, or have no idea
how to fix things, or if you feel you’d be
unable to get it back to the retailer you
bought it from if it does break, then I’d
have to say steer clear of it …for now! Let’s
see if any more of them have issues and
what Marui are prepared to do about it as
the manufacturer but, until that is clear I’d
have to say “caveat emptor”, which is a
real shame! AA
“THE STIFF SLIDE RELEASE WASN’T ACTUALLY AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD
BE, IT JUST TOOK A LITTLE GETTING USED TO AND A SLIGHT ADAPTATION TO MY
MANIPULATION OF IT. IT’S PROBABLY PARTLY DOWN TO MY USUAL HANDGUN BEING A
GLOCK AND THE FACT I HAVEN’T USED A 1911 FOR QUITE A WHILE. ”
www.airsoft-action.online 29

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EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
Lorem ipsum
ACTION AIR AT THE
BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW
AIRSOFT ACTION HAS BEEN PROMOTING ACTION AIR SINCE 2012 AND THIS FEBRUARY SAW THE
UK’S BIGGEST EVENT YET. NIGE REPORTS FROM THE AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD CUP
2020, WHICH TOOK PLACE ALONGSIDE THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW.
At just after 12am, on the 12th of
February, I found myself standing in
the empty vastness of Hall 9, at the
National Exhibition Centre, in Birmingham,
England, having just clambered out of
the seven and a half ton lorry I had driven
into the hall a few minutes earlier. It was
one of those “odd” moments, when you
feel both 100% alive and yet dreading
that something would go wrong - a
definite “Why the eff are we doing this?”
moment!
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Regular readers of Airsoft Action,
particularly those who have been with us
from the beginning, will know that the
magazine has been a solid supporter of
(what used to be called) “Airsoft Practical
Pistol Shooting” since it made its first
appearance at Airsoft Arms Fair 5, in 2012.
In the July 2012 issue I reported from
AAF5, where I had the pleasure of meeting
a guy from Hong Kong called Clarence
Lai, also known as “Airsoft Surgeon”.
Back then I had very little idea of who
the Airsoft Surgeon was, although I was
hugely impressed with the Practical Pistol
Workshops he ran, tickets for which sold
out almost as soon as they were made
available. At the time, I wrote “Watching
him handle a pistol is not like watching
someone simply holding a pistol – it is as
though it has become an extension of his
arm and he doesn’t have to think about
doing something with it, he just does it!”
During a break between sessions I got
to chat with Clarence and we immediately
struck up a friendship but neither of us
could have imagined then where that
would lead – and why I would end up
standing in the middle of an empty Hall
9 at the NEC, in the middle of the night,
eight years later!
IPSC? WHAT’S THAT?
IPSC stands for “International Practical
Shooting Confederation”, which is the
worldwide governing body for practical
shooting and its many disciplines,
including handguns, rifle, shotgun and
“Action Air”. As their website says: “IPSC
shooters need to blend accuracy, power,
and speed into a winning combination.
Multiple targets, moving targets, targets
that react when hit, penalty targets, or
even partially covered targets, obstacles,
movement, competitive strategies, and
other techniques are all a part of IPSC to
keep shooters challenged and spectators
engaged.” Eagle-eyed readers might spot
the word “spectators” in there and it was
that word that set me thinking whether
we could leverage it to get more people
involved in the game generally.
Fast-forward to March of the following
year at IWA, in Nuremberg, Germany. I
was scheduled to meet Chris Kong on the
RedWolf Airsoft stand, which is where
I would also find Clarence Lai. Needless
to say, the three of us got to talking and
at some point in the conversation one of
us asked whether it would be possible to
run an Airsoft Practical Pistol UK Event,
which rapidly morphed into “Why just
the UK? Why not make it a European
Championship?” In October of the same
year the first “Airsoft Surgeon European
Championship” took place at The Grange,
not far from Coventry in the UK and
looking back at what I wrote of the event
at the time, I included the line “…less than
eight months later I found myself standing
inside a vast marquee….”!
THINKING BIG
Over the next seven years the event
continued to grow, as did Action Air
throughout Europe and in many ways,
I think what we were doing with the
“THE BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW IS HELD AT THE NEC AND ALMOST JOKINGLY,
I QUIPPED THAT “MAYBE WE COULD RUN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ALONGSIDE THE
SHOOTING SHOW?” IMAGINE MY UTTER ASTONISHMENT WHEN STEVE SAID “WHY
NOT? I’LL ASK THE BOSS!””
32
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
Airsoft Surgeon Championships was partly
responsible for that growth. The event
also moved venue from The Grange, first
to Strikeforce Airsoft in Gloucester and
then, having taken a break in 2018 for
the World Shoot in Hong Kong, to FPS
on the Isle of Wight last year. However,
as good as each of those venues were –
and the competitions at all of them were
excellent – after the splendour of the
World Shoot we wanted to “raise the bar”,
so Chris Kong and I set about looking for a
suitable venue. This proved to be a bigger
challenge than either of us thought it
would be. With some venues shying away
from “shooting” and others concerned
about potential damage, it wasn’t until a
chance meeting in the Press Room at IWA
in 2019 that things really started moving.
FRL MEDIA
You might not know the name but FRL
Media are the company behind both
“War and Peace” and “The Great British
Shooting Show” and while in the IWA
Press Room I ended up chatting to FRL
Media’s Steve Morgan, where the subject
of the difficulties we were having finding a
venue came up. The British Shooting Show
is held at the NEC and almost jokingly, I
quipped that “maybe we could run the
championship alongside the Shooting
Show?” Imagine my utter astonishment
when Steve said “Why not? I’ll ask the
Boss!”
Back in the UK and following (it has
to be said) some pretty straightforward
negotiations with FRL Media, it was settled
– the Airsoft Surgeon Championship 2020
would be held right alongside (and as an
integral part of) The Great British Shooting
Show 2020!
…and that is how, after many months
of very hard graft and a huge effort by
a brilliant team of people, at just after
12am, on the 12th of February, I found
myself standing in the empty vastness of
Hall 9, at the National Exhibition Centre, in
Birmingham, England!
CUTTING IT CLOSE
The only way we were going to make a
success of the event, was to have a team
of people who knew what they were doing
and had the skills and determination to
make it happen. We were very fortunate
that Tim Wyborn, from Xsite Airsoft and
Xsite Practical Shooting Club, said he
would take on the job of designing the
required twenty stages, ably helped and
assisted by his sons, Matt and Paul. If
you are involved in the UK airsoft Trade,
you may also know Tim, as he works for
iWholesales and all three are excellent
Action Air shooters, having won many
trophies between them. Tim also happens
to be the UKPSA (United Kingdom Practical
Shooting Association, the governing body
for IPSC in Great Britain) “Action Air
National Squad Director”, so we knew that
all the stages would be both challenging
and to IPSC standards. Tim also brought
John Thompson onto the team, who
designed and built the electronic timing
units and ran the “Stats Office” during the
match.
Meanwhile, Chris Kong and I had the
job of building all the partitions (walls)
and barriers for the stages, a job that took
far, far longer than we expected and we
www.airsoft-action.online 33

EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
didn’t actually fully
complete until just a
couple of days before
we had to get it to
the NEC. On more
than one occasion we
wondered if we would
make it!
But make it we did
and having completed
the pre-match shoot
on Thursday (a
“pre-match shoot”
is usually held before
all big events and
is where the match
officials compete
against each other,
whilst looking for any
issues and problems
that could arise), the
stage was set for the
arrival of the shooters
on Friday.
The Match
Shooters were not
allowed into the
NEC until 7am and
by 9am all but a few
had arrived and been
registered. The entry
fee also allowed
them full access to
all three days of the
Shooting Show – not
that they would have
too much time in
the first two days
of the match. With
over 100 shooters
and twenty stages to
complete, we hoped
that there would be
some “down time”
on Sunday for them
to explore the other
halls.
There was,
however, another
element that many
shooters may not have
experienced before…
public spectators!
We all know that
if anything is to grow
it needs to be fed
and, in that respect,
neither skirmishing
nor Action Air is any
different. In the very
early part of our
planning we decided
to include provision
for spectators to come
and watch and, with the huge amount of
space we had, the stages were laid out
to accommodate a wide walkway where
spectators could see the action from in
safety.
The idea was that being at a “shooting
show”, visitors would at least have some
perception of what it was all about – and
probably not part of the “guns are bad,
guns kill people” lobby! If we could get
them to come and look, maybe we could
also get them interested in Action Air, or
airsoft in general but, in particular, we
wanted to prove that our sport isn’t just
“shooting plastic BBs from toy guns”! To
aid in that, we enlisted the help of the Neil
and Rob from Attack Sense Targets, who
set up a superb, multi-target range where
anyone could have a go – all for free.
NUPROL kindly sponsored the gas and BBs,
along with Raven and Vorsk pistols.
As I mentioned earlier, the stages had
been designed by Tim Wyborn and his
sons and they had done an amazing job
of creating a variety of different challenges
– some simple, some difficult but all good
fun to shoot. Some involved opening doors
or having to shoot one target to activate
another so you could then shoot that too.
One even had a “wobbly walkway” that
you had to stand on, while yet another
was called “The Rollercoaster” and yes,
you had to shoot from a moving carriage
on a track! All, though, had one thing in
common… To be successful you would
need to plan how you were going to
complete the stage and then execute that
plan up against the clock – and a hundred
plus other competitors – while being
watched by members of the public. No
pressure then!
As Friday progressed it soon became
apparent that shooters were enjoying
the challenges and spectators were
appreciating what they were watching,
with spontaneous rounds of applause
breaking out around the stages. From
my point of view, I was really chuffed
to see everyone having a good, albeit
competitive, time – and that is something
else I have noticed over the years that I
have been involved. It might sound a bit
of a cliché but there really is a “family”
atmosphere about the whole thing and
when someone has a problem, other
competitors don’t consider it “one less
person to worry about”, they offer help,
advice and even use of their own gun,
to make sure the other competitor can
continue. I know this also happens in
airsoft but I have never seen (as I have
in quite a few Safe Zones), little groups
huddled together, not talking to anyone
else or even acknowledging their presence.
It just somehow seems more “open” and
34
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
friendly.
One minor inconvenience about being
at the NEC, is that events have to close at
4:30pm and the Championship was no
exception and so, at spot on 4:30 shooting
stopped, guns were packed away and
everyone headed off for a well-earned
rest, ready to be back the next morning
to kick off again at 9am. Sitting in the
“Shooters Area”, we had a quick debrief
before heading off ourselves and yes, there
had been one or two very minor hiccups
but all-in-all, it had been an almost perfect
start to the competition, due largely to the
enormous amount of detailed planning
beforehand (“The Six Ps” really do work!).
As I live only 45 minutes away (on a
good day, with no traffic), I drove home for
food and a few hours sleep, before getting
up before the sparrows to head back to
Birmingham. Most shooters, however,
had taken advantage of the NEC’s superb
location, with its excellent transport links
and masses of nearby hotels, some of
which were just five minutes walk away.
Refreshed and ready to go, shooting
commenced again at 9am and the match
carried on from where it left off the day
before. As I had already taken nearly 500
photos, I decided to spend some time
wandering around the show itself.
The British Shooting Show
Some readers might remember The British
Shooting Show from its previous venues,
Stoneleigh Park and before that, Newark
Showground and while the show still bears
the same name and some resemblance
to those earlier venues, it now so much
bigger and better. Just about every form
of shooting is catered for, although if you
want to shoot a pistol (as a firearm) then
your choice is limited to just LBP (long
barrelled pistols), which have a stock
attached and must measure a minimum of
24” from muzzle to butt.
I have always been very averse to this
type of pistol, finding that the ”stock”
prevented a proper “draw” and banged
underneath my forearm when in use (the
pistol that is, not my forearm!). However,
Shield Sights (who also sponsor the
Championship) had the new .22 CZ75
Shadow on their stand, with the stock
cleverly attached to the back of the grip,
rather than underneath it. I say “stock”,
it is more like a thick piece of wire with a
small counterbalance at the end which,
when using a “speed” holster draws and
presents like any other pistol. They also had
a very sexy .22 version of the Kriss Vector
to fondle and drool over!
The main show was in Halls 7 & 8 and
traders were doing swift business with
the many thousands
of visitors. It was
great to catch up
with Scott and the
rest of the guys at
LandWarrior Airsoft,
where their life-size(?)
metal “Predator” was
attracting the usual
level of interest. Also
there “flying the airsoft
flag” was Bespoke
Airsoft, iWholesales
and NUPROL. I must
admit that I was a
surprised at the lack of
airsoft representation
at the show and
think airsoft retailers
are missing out on a
potentially lucrative
three days. Yes, I
know it is expensive,
what with travelling,
stand, hotel and staff
costs and yes, I know
the argument that
(in the UK) there are
restrictions on what
you can sell to whom
but here’s the thing…
The argument “I
don’t go because I
can’t sell (black) airsoft
guns” - known as
“RIFs” in the UK - I
believe, is no longer
(as) valid. If you can’t
sell black guns then
don’t! There are
masses of guns, both
rifle and pistol, where
the predominant
colour is blue, red,
green and yes, even
pink! I haven’t got
the final visitor figures
but I am certain they
will be more than
last year and possibly
over 40,000, the vast
majority of whom are
NOT airsofters. They
are not going to be
taking part in a MilSim,
neither are they likely
to be heading off to
a Sunday skirmish
any time soon but
they might just be
looking for something
to do a bit of back
yard “plinking”, or
a multitude of other
reasons. The point
www.airsoft-action.online 35

EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
is that colour is not
important and that
means, providing they
are at least eighteen
years old, they can
be sold to and let’s
face it, are you ever
likely to get 40,000
potential customers
walk into your shop in
a year, let alone three
days??
Away from airsoft,
the likes of Browning,
Umarex, GMK and
many others had
substantial stands,
as did Accuracy
International, where
I had chance to catch
up with Dave Walls,
the man behind the
World’s Best Sniper
Rifle and who still
shoots a mean .50cal!
Tucked away in
the far corner, the
sounds of ACDC
blasted out from
“Big” Phil Campion’s
“Battleship” CQB
area, where members
of the public were
“encouraged” by
Phil around a series
of corridors while
taking out “the bad
guys” – all of which
could be seen on four
large screens outside!
I bumped into AA
Contributor, Andy
Nightingale and his
colleague from Calibre
Shooting, Tighe, who,
after the obligatory
photo for the mag,
were quickly roped in
by Phil to run the area
while he grabbed a
quick cuppa.
Just past this was
a .22 range and
alongside that, a
number of air rifle
ranges where visitors
could have a go. It
is great to be at a
show where you can
actually do some
shooting, rather than
just see guns piled
up on racks, or stare
balefully thought glass
cabinets. The ranges
seemed busy – but not as busy as the
range we had set up alongside the Airsoft
Surgeon Championship and which I think
deserves special mention, for more than
one reason.
ATTACKSENSE TARGETS
Very early on in the planning of the
Championship, we decided to attract
spectators, not just to come and look but
also to ”have a go”. Real steel pistols
(not LBP) are banned in the UK and this
would provide the opportunity to try an
(almost real) alternative. So, just inside
the entrance to the Championship area
a special stage was constructed where
shooters could test their guns and which
would also serve as a “Have A Go”
range for spectators. I spoke to Neil at
AttackSense Targets and he immediately
offered to bring a load of targets and run
the range, along with his colleagues, Rob
and Mark. NUPROL very kindly sponsored
the gas and BBs, plus we were also given
two Raven and two Vorsk pistols to use –
and I’ll come back to how the pistols fared.
Each day, the show opened at 9:00am
and each day there was a queue at the
range shortly afterwards, which did not
disappear until the show closed at 4:30pm
– and even then there were still people
waiting. I took the opportunity to chat to
as many spectators as possible and even,
on occasion, cajoled those (how can I
phrase this…?) reticent to shoot a “toy
gun” (as some called them) into having a
shoot. Obviously, not everyone came away
having changed their minds but, by far, the
majority certainly came away with a smile
on their face and were eager to see where
they were on the scoreboard! Coverts? Not
all but some, definitely!
To say that the AttackSense guys
worked their butts off would be a massive
understatement and I want to publicly
thank them for the huge effort they put
in and the support they gave us. Cheers
guys!
Incidentally, we (of course) loaned
every spectator a set of eyepro as they
entered the area and beforehand took a
guess at how many pairs we would need,
being 200. On more than one occasion
we had to stop visitors from coming in
until we had pairs returned and the flow
of spectators was constant throughout the
whole match.
RAFFLE & RESULTS
Such was the planning and
organisation, by Sunday lunchtime most
shooters had completed all twenty stages
and were taking the opportunity to take
a look round the show while the results
36
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
AIRSOFT SURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP 2020
were being compiled. Back in the day, all
the scores were recorded on paper and
the figures typed into a computer program
to calculate the final scores. These days
the individual scores for every shooter and
every stage are entered onto a pad that is
linked to a central location (although often
backed up on paper just in case there is
a problem with the network or internet)
and all that is required is for them to be
verified and printed. While this was being
done, it was time for the (now traditional)
raffle and this year the generosity of our
sponsors had been tremendous, with
everything from Airsoft Surgeon pistols, to
rifles, to boots and even a MantisX 10 Elite
(and if you don’t know what that is but
are interested in improving your shooting
skills, then I highly recommend you do a
search on Google!), plus masses of other
prizes. As always, the raffle was in aid of
“Maggie’s”.
Maggie’s centres “are a network of
drop-in centres across the United Kingdom
and Hong Kong, which aim to help
anyone who has been affected by cancer.
They are not intended as a replacement
for conventional cancer therapy, but as
a caring environment that can provide
support, information and practical advice.”
Once again, everyone dug deep and over
£1,500 was raised and we were delighted
that Anna was with us once again to
receive the money on the Charity’s behalf.
With the raffle complete, results
announced and trophies awarded, it
was time for the closing speeches and
goodbyes “until next time”.
On a personal note, I would like to
thank the many, many people who helped
make the Airsoft Surgeon Championship
Shield Cup 2020 a success. Everyone put in
a huge effort and it clearly showed in both
how smoothly things ran, how any issue
was dealt with in a totally professional
manner and I would particularly like to
thank Fiona and Jane, who kept us fed and
watered throughout. Last but by no means
least, a massive thank you to the shooters
themselves, who flew in from as far away
as Hong Kong! I hope you had a good
time and look forwards to seeing you back
again in 2021.
However, just before I close, I want to
go back to the pistols used on the range,
the two Ravens and Vorsks because I have
never seen so many rounds put through
pistols over such a short period of time
with so few problems! One of the Ravens
suffered a loose barrel and… that was it!
The most-used pistol was a Vorsk and it
(quite literally) had tens of thousands of
rounds put through it and it did not miss
a beat. No venting, no leaks, no doubleshots,
no mag issues, nothing! It just kept
going …and going …and going for three
all three days. The other three pistols were
also thoroughly tested but that particular
pistol was an absolute Trojan which, for
the price, is simply stunning!
RESULTS
Lady
Open
Champion: Siu Yi Ma
Second: Marianne Gundayo
Standard
Champion: Ching Chi Mak
Second: Jo Lucas
Third: Evelyn King
Super Junior
Standard Champion: Sasha Mikailov
Junior
Open Champion: Matt Wyborn
Standard Champion: Paul Wyborn
Senior
Open
Champion: Tim Wyborn
Second: Danny Yau
Third: Mark Chandler
Standard
Champion: Mike Darby
Second: Clive Gamlin
Third: Geert Van de Vyver
Super Senior
Open
Champion: Steve Taylor
Second: John Cull
Third: Norman Humphries
Standard Champion: Guy De Backer
Overall
Open Champion: Joe Lau
Open Second: Matt Wyborn
Open Third: Mateusz Cichecki
Open Fourth: Justin Cooper
Open Fifth: James White
Standard Champion: Paul Wyborn
Standard Second: Alisdair Mustard
Standard Third: Sergio Santos
Standard Fourth: Kwok Fai Lau
Standard Fifth: Alex Meade
Classic Champion: Pak Lam Lai
Classic Second: Rafal Tomanek
Classic Third: Miguel Vincente
Production Champion: Chong You Leung
Production Second: Matthew Reed
Production Third: Alexandre Venancio
Production Optics Champion: You Fung
Chan
Production Optics Second: Andre Miranda
Production Optics Third: Laurent
Christophe Cheron
FINAL THOUGHTS
Of all the events I have covered as
Editor of Airsoft Action, this year’s Airsoft
Surgeon Championship was the most
challenging and rewarding by far, however,
the results prove that it was well worth
every single moment. I honestly belive we
showed thousands of people that we are
not “just a bunch of adult kids running
around the woods shooting each other
with plastic pellets from toy guns” and,
judging by the reaction from the vast
majority of spectators, airsoft has got a
great future.
Obviously, it has not been possible
to include anything like the number of
photos I took over the weekend, so if
you’d like to see the rest, head over the
The Airsoft Surgeon Championship’s
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/
airsoftsurgeonchampionships. AA
“EVERYONE PUT IN A HUGE EFFORT AND IT CLEARLY SHOWED IN BOTH HOW
SMOOTHLY THINGS RAN, HOW ANY ISSUE WAS DEALT WITH IN A TOTALLY
PROFESSIONAL MANNER”
www.airsoft-action.online 37

armoury
SPECNA ARMS SV98
REAL DEAL
BOLT ACTION
RUSSIAN STYLE
PUTTING HIS OPFOR HAT BACK ON THIS MONTH BILL HAS BEEN ON THE RANGE RECENTLY WITH A NEW ADDITION
TO THE EVER GROWING LINE OF AIRSOFT REPLICAS FROM SPECNA ARMS, AND HE FINDS THEIR NEW TAKE ON THE
RUSSIAN SV-98 BOLT ACTION RIFLE VERY MUCH TO HIS LIKING!
Ahh… The joys of OPFOR! For those
of you that know me personally,
you will understand that the
“sneaki-cheeki-breeki” bone in my body
is very strong indeed and although I have
played many roles in airsoft games, it’s that
of the bringing problems to BLUFOR that
I really enjoy these days! Just like many of
you out there, I’ve done my time standing
“on stag” in all weathers and the thought
of crowding round the brazier with my
OPFOR “colleagues” and then nipping off
to cause mayhem is far more attractive to
me now!
And of course, when I want to make
merry with BLUFOR then having a bit of
“reach” is most definitely a good thing,
and to date it’s been my gas SVD that has
been my “tool of choice” to accomplish
this task with. I’m very particular,
especially in a MilSim environment, to
have the correct rifle and over the years
I’ve often fancied trying the “true”
sniper role but frankly, just as in the real
world, it takes a very particular mind-set
to perform this even adequately. In an
airsoft game, a talented sniper with a
higher-powered, bolt-action rifle can act
as a real “force multiplier”, reaching out
beyond normal engagement distances to
remove the threat of a support gunner, or
take out a “high value target”.
I’m more of a “direct action” type of
player though and I’ll be the first to admit
I just don’t have the patience to crawl
around in a “Ghillie Suit”, waiting for that
one perfect moment. That said, I’ve often
found myself at a MilSim game where
playing as OPFOR I wanted to engage
and harass NATO forces in their Forward
Operating Base, or whilst they are out on
patrol. As good as my beloved AKs are,
with them set to 1.07Joule/340fps and
with relatively short barrels, I simply don’t
have the range or accuracy to get beyond
the return fire!
Even my beloved SVD, which performs
at 1.59 Joule/415fps (.20g chrono), tends
to max out at around 90m and my search
for something more “meaningful” has
been a long one! And, coming back to my
desire to have the “correct” rifle, just like
“AS GOOD AS MY BELOVED
AKS ARE, WITH THEM SET
TO 1.07JOULE/340FPS
AND WITH RELATIVELY
SHORT BARRELS, I SIMPLY
DON’T HAVE THE RANGE OR
ACCURACY TO GET BEYOND
THE RETURN FIRE!”
in the real world the SVD has really been
the only sensible choice when it comes
to playing a “Russian” role, unless you
wanted to carry an ancient Mosin Nagant
M1891/30 sniper rifle with PU scope, or
were talented enough to custom build
a half-way decent SV-98. Luckily there
are now a couple of models of this most
modern of OPFOR bolt-actions out there
and the model I’ll put in front of you here
is that produced by Specna Arms.
REAL DEAL RUSSIAN STYLEE
The SV-98, or “Snaiperskaya Vintovka
Model of 1998”, came about due to
the need for Russian units to replace
their aging stock of SVDs for the true
“sniper role”. As good as the SVD is, it
is essentially still a DMR in nature and
even though some models were accurized
beyond the norm, specialist units still felt
the need for a dedicated precision rifle due
to their own changing roles.
Developed in 1998 by a group of
IZHMASH designers, led by Vladimir
Stronsky and produced by JSC Kalashnikov
Concern, the SV-98 is based on the
design of the Record CISM full bore
target shooting rifle series, also made at
Izhmash. The original SV-98 had a unique
appearance, featuring an adjustable chassis
of dark green aviation plywood, a fixed
buttstock with adjustable stops, cheek and
stock shock-absorbers and a telescopic
bipod (reference pictures show both “L96”
and “Harris” styles in use). The “business
parts” of the SV-98 were a cold-hammer
forged receiver and a cold-hammer forged,
free-floating heavy barrel which could be
chrome lined to order. The barrel featured
a threaded muzzle, which could accept the
standard provided conical muzzle brake, or
a specially designed TGP tactical suppressor
that required the use of subsonic
ammunition. The rifle was developed to
fire 7.62×54mmR 7N1 standard sniper,
7N14 enhanced penetration sniper or
“Extra” match grade sports cartridges.
38
MARCH 2020

armoury
SPECNA ARMS SV98
The rifle fed
from a 10-round,
staggered column,
detachable box
magazine, which had
marked holes on the
left side so the user
could easily ascertain
how much ammunition
they had available.
This seems a little
superfluous to me, as
any good sniper will
know exactly how
many rounds they have
put on target, but in a
stress-shooting situation
every little helps! The
SV-98, just like the
older SVD, did have
open sights; the front
sight was hooded and
the adjustable rear
sight was removable to
ensure that
any optic
could be
fitted as
close to
the bore
of that
special
barrel as
possible. The
most common
optics noted
are the 7x
PKS-07 with
an illuminated
reticle, or
the 3-10x
variable 1P69
“Giperon”
optical sight
and for night
work, the
1PN113. Other optical and
night sights, including
imported models are used
and this is backed up by
images easily found online.
According to the
manufacturer, the SV-98
sniper rifle was designed to
engage targets at a range
up to 1,000 m (1,100
yards), an incremental
improvement over the SVD’s
800 m (875 yards). The SV-98 shows a
move away from the traditional Soviet
reliance on “firepower over
precision” and has provided a tool
ready to take Russian Forces into
a new era. The SV-98 is used by
some counter-terrorist forces such
as the FSB, Ministry of Justice of
the Russian Federation, Ministry of
Internal Affairs and by sniper units
of the Russian Armed Forces. As
of 2015, it became the precision
platform for Russian Airborne
Troops and in 2018 an order was
placed for the supply of 26 SV-
98M rifles for the National Guard
of Russia.
REACH OUT
So, with the SV-98 now in service
throughout the Russian Federation
the introduction of this model
to the Specna Arms line will no
doubt prove popular with airsoft
players who favour a “Russian
Military” loadout - and amongst
the OPFOR enthusiasts like me!
Although there are other
models appearing on the market
and there are some great custombuilt
SV-98s out there (as owned
by AA contributor Taz!), until
now you’ll have needed to save
up your pennies for some time
to afford one, or have access to
a REALLY talented airsoft-smith.
Thanks to the Specna Arms mantra that
their CORE-series replicas will have “an
attractive price in combination with good
performance straight out of
the box as well as high-quality
materials” their SV-98 comes in
at just €220 (€295 for the rifle/
scope/bipod package) which
makes it an affordable choice.
That’s not to say that the price
in any way relates to “out of the
box” quality and performance
though! I’ve been working
with the spring-powered SV-98
for about a month now (and
their SA-SO2 bolt-action for
significantly longer) and thus far
I’m extremely happy with both
models. The Specna Arms SV-98
replica features a simple and reliable boltaction
mechanism fed from a detachable
65BB box magazine, and I’ve found the
bolt to be smooth and simple to operate
in all conditions. Internally, the SV-98 is
put together with parts compatible with
the “TM standard”, so that’s good news
for you “upgraders”! The guys at Specna
Arms also tell me that upgrades can easily
be made using tuning and upgrade parts
from AirsoftPro.
In terms of construction, the SV-98 is
made of metal and reinforced polymer.
Metal parts include the entire external
“A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE REAL SV98 IS ALSO REPLICATED WELL, IN THE FORM
OF THE TRANSPORT HANDLE MOUNTED ON THE RIGHT-HAND-SIDE OF THE CHASSIS;
ALLEGEDLY THIS WAS FITTED TO STOP USERS GRABBING THE OPTIC WHEN MOVING
THE RIFLE!”
www.airsoft-action.online 39

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armoury
SPECNA ARMS SV98
barrel along with the chamber, trigger and
charging handle as well as RIS accessory
rails and all assembly elements such as
screws. The chassis with the stock, stock
pad and the magazine are made of solid
polymer and rubber; the use of Specna’s
own “NCore” reinforced polymer makes
the construction very durable and the
matte finish of the chassis gives the rifle
a striking and unique look. Oh, that
green… (you can have boring black, tan,
or olive if you wish)! The stock has three
adjustment points as the cheek pad and
the comfortable, profiled buttpad can be
adjusted for height and length. At the
bottom of the stock there is an adjustable
monopod which improves the stability of
the rifle when shooting prone.
The SV-98 consists of two main
elements: the chassis with the stock
and the barrel with the chamber. This
is a practical solution when it comes to
transportation and disassembly of the rifle,
as takedown requires only the removal
of three hex screws. Thanks to a top RIS
mounting rail, the SV-98 can be equipped
with any optics and you have options for
both styles of bipod commonly seen on
the real thing, thanks to both a stud and
prong fixture incorporated in the chassis.
A unique feature of the real SV98 is also
replicated well, in the form of the transport
handle mounted on the right-hand-side of
the chassis; allegedly this was fitted to stop
users grabbing the optic when moving the
rifle!
RANGE IN
I’ll get this out of the way first… The SV-98
is, at 1,210mm/48-inches long, a big rifle!
That said, of course what that also means
is that it does have an exceptionally long
585mm/23 -inch inner barrel too! From
the box the SV-98 chrono’d nicely at 1.58
Joule/413fps with .20 BBs but I’m sure
that could easily be tweaked higher and
still comply with the “sniper” limits found
at most sites. However, even at 415fps
with the hop set correctly (easy to do, it’s
a big dial on the bottom of the chassis!),
the long inner barrel, and that amount of
power I was interested in what the range
and accuracy of the rifle would be like.
For a start, I knew it was pointless taking
it to my little 30-metre range, so I waited
for “Game Day” at my local site and took
it along to their 50-metre range to put it
through its paces and let me tell you, I was
in no way disappointed!
Moving up to .30g Precision BBs kindly
supplied by Specna Arms with the test rifle
I was able to get a more solid trajectory
and the SV-98 hurled BBs downrange with
a huge “crack”, which certainly turned
some heads! Once I’d dialled the optic
in, I was easily hitting the “dinner plate”
targets at the furthest extent of the range,
which is exactly what I’d hoped for. When
I returned home, much as I hate maths, I
performed some basic calculations which
told me that with a slight power-tweak,
a .30g BB should, in principle, be able to
haul ass way beyond the 50 metre mark,
even when the rifle is “stock”!
During this summer we are moving
our “home range” to give more distance
to shoot over and soon I will have 140m
to test on! I am keen to see what the
SV-98 will be able to achieve as it is but,
once that has been tested, I believe that
this beautiful rifle may be in line for some
work to see just HOW FAR I can get a .30g
to travel accurately! For now though, all
things considered I’m really, really happy
with the Specna Arms SV-98 and it’s
exactly the kind of “reach out and touch
somebody” rifle that I hoped it would be.
It’s a fabulous bit of kit and I’ll be keeping
it well tuned for dedicated MilSim events…
probably!
Thanks to Specna Arms for providing
the test model. You can check out all their
models by visiting https://specnaarms.com
and the SV-98 is currently available from
https://gunfire.com. AA
“MOVING UP TO .30G PRECISION BBS KINDLY SUPPLIED BY SPECNA ARMS WITH THE
TEST RIFLE I WAS ABLE TO GET A MORE SOLID TRAJECTORY AND THE SV-98 HURLED
BBS DOWNRANGE WITH A HUGE “CRACK”, WHICH CERTAINLY TURNED SOME HEADS!”
www.airsoft-action.online 41

SITE SPECIAL REPORT REPORT
REAPER BLACKLINE OPSSIMULATIONS - CANADA
BLACKLINE
SIMULATIONS
PRODUCING THE MOST IMMERSIVE MILITARY SIMULATIONS IN CANADA
NOT SO LONG AGO BILL WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH A FORMER MILITARY FRIEND WHO HAS AN
INTEREST IN AIRSOFT, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH-END MILSIM AND WHILST THE NAMES OF MANY MUTUAL
FRIENDS CAME INTO THE CONVERSATION, “BLACKLINE SIMULATIONS” IN CANADA PROVED TO BE AN
OUTFIT THAT IS LITTLE KNOWN. BILL REACHED OUT TO THE GUYS AT BLACKLINE, MAKING A NEW FRIEND
ALONG THE WAY!
Rescue teams conduct vehicle exit rehearsals while waiting for advanced teams
to locate a downed aircrew - Photo Credit Sid Sharma Photography
The airsoft community does seem to
throw the phrase “MilSim” about
quite a lot doesn’t it? But what do
we mean by “MilSim” and how do we
begin to categorise what is a true “MilSim
Event”, rather than simply an “upgraded”
game?
This is a question that I still find hard to
answer as, by definition and stated in law
in some countries as part of an ownership
defence for “realistic imitation firearms”,
what we all engage in when we head out
to get our airsoft on, is a form of “military
simulation”.
For me, a true “MilSim” features
100% immersion in the event/game
world, with the highest levels of
authenticity in choices of kit, comms, and
AEGs/GBBs. The event should be of a
longer duration (12 hours minimum) and
run uninterrupted for that time. Once you
enter the AO you should deport yourself
as your chosen character, be that techdrippingly
“operator” or down and dirty
OPFOR, for the entirety of the event. You
will be issued tasks and orders and you
must work to achieve the goals you are
set, in the most effective manner.
Again, in my mind, a “True MilSim”
will usually take place on a unique site
(although I’ve got involved in some great
“woodland” events over the years!) and
feature unique elements to aid in the
immersion, along with strict ammo limits.
It will undoubtedly NOT be cheap but,
ultimately, it will be satisfying, you’ll come
away tired yet elated with stories to tell
and shared experiences tucked away in
your back pocket! Okay, that’s my take
and whilst some will not agree with this
description, there are more that will, I
believe.
And this is what led me personally to
look at Blackline Simulations. Blackline
produces an immersive roleplaying
experience where you take on the role
of intelligence officers and tactical teams
as you work to uncover and eliminate
threats around the AO. Blackline have
been creating an alternate reality full of
spies and clandestine activities since 2016.
Taking elements from real-life espionage
stories and special operations actions,
they blend them with familiar gameplay
mechanics and cinematic drama to create
a unique, one of a kind experience. In
their own words “It’s as if Jason Bourne
and Tom Clancy had an escape-room
baby”.
The Blackline team were tired of
participating in events that didn’t focus
on realism, or those that penalized
people who wanted to spend time
planning, use real tactics, practice real
skills, or use equipment in an authentic
way. They created scenarios where there
would be real consequences for actions
taken; they wanted failure to be a real
possible outcome. At Blackline you can
expect a blend between reality and an
event that is as seamless as they can
make it. Intelligence is real, the enemy is
everywhere and your ability to perform
will make a real difference to the outcome
of the event!
Very much liking the sound of all of
this, I spoke to Sean at Blackline and
asked him “What is the overall ethos at
Blackline and how did that come about
and develop?” This is what he told me:
“The origin and culture of Blackline
can be traced back to an experience that
a lot of MilSim players might relate to…
“I was in command of a faction at a
MilSim and trying to provide my players
with a realistic environment. I set an
overall strategy, worked with some of
the switched-on team leads to create
well thought out plans and put us all
to work on the objectives we were
assigned. However, when things kicked
off, a few different situations occurred.
First, our main flanking maneuver failed
because a team went rogue. Second,
a team became lost in the woods
and had to be guided out. Third, our
“TAKING ELEMENTS FROM REAL-LIFE ESPIONAGE STORIES AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS ACTIONS,
THEY BLEND THEM WITH FAMILIAR GAMEPLAY MECHANICS AND CINEMATIC DRAMA TO CREATE A
UNIQUE, ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE. IN THEIR OWN WORDS “IT’S AS IF JASON BOURNE AND TOM
CLANCY HAD AN ESCAPE-ROOM BABY”.”
42
MARCH 2020

SPECIAL SITE REPORT
BLACKLINE SIMULATIONS REAPER - CANADA OPS
intelligence gathering tasks were an
anticlimactic box-checking exercise to
collect envelopes with the word “Intel”
written on them. Finally, our strategy of
not attacking a technologically superior
enemy in a heavily defended position
was interpreted by them as us “giving
up” and created a lot of animosity.
After the event ended it became clear
that different groups had different
expectations for the event. Some thought
they would just set their own objectives
and ignore the rest of the team. Some
thought it was just a skirmish and
wanted to shoot. Others didn’t expect to
need any skills beyond pulling a trigger.
Meanwhile, another group wanted a
more authentic and realistic experience.
All of these expectations are fine on their
own, but when you mix them, no one is
really 100% satisfied.
“After 20 years of playing airsoft, this
one experience clarified for me what I
was missing in events. I wanted realistic
missions where authentic tactics and
strategy would be useful and appreciated.
I wanted dedicated and capable teams
who were there to complete the mission.
I wanted consequential objectives that
required real thinking and effort. Most
importantly, I wanted everyone attending
to want those same things.
“None of that existed here. So
Blackline Simulations was created with
the explicit purpose of providing realistic
immersive challenges and creating
the high-performing teams needed
to accomplish them. That mission has
attracted individuals who put the mission
first and who want to do it well. They
are selfless, focused, teachable, free of
ego and ready to put in the hard work
in order to succeed. They’ve made those
traits our culture and it’s attracting some
of the most talented people I’ve seen in
this sport.
“The biggest compliment we’ve
received was “I’ve been playing airsoft
for 15 years, and I’m finally getting to
do what I’ve always wanted to.” It’s
exciting to be part of something getting
comments like that.”
Having spoken about Blackline
specifically I also asked Sean “In Canada
is MilSim more popular, or are themed
games and general skirmishes still good to
go” and he commented:
“Milsim is a broad term that
encapsulates a lot of events here. In
Canada, you may see a 36-hour event
with military vehicles and complex
objectives that calls itself a MilSim. Then
you’ll see a six-hour-long event with a
lunch break also market themselves that
Surveillance exercise in preparation for OP CIVIC BURDEN
held in downtown Toronto, Ontario - Photo Credit 09A
way, too. If we define a MilSim as a nonstop
event with medical simulation and
complex objectives, then I’d say between
10 and 20 percent of Canadian events are
true MilSims (I’d agree with that from a
wider perspective too! Bill).
“Skirmishes and day games make up
the bulk of play here but you’ll find the
player base moves between the types of
events pretty regularly. The themes of
these events generally focus on NATO vs.
Russia conflict, with a good number also
inventing their own imaginary BLUFOR/
REDFOR, or GREEN/TAN belligerents and
storylines. There are a couple of more
“game” themed events, such as one
based on the board game RISK and one
on the video game Battlefield. A lot of
these larger MilSims are annual events
that people look forward to every year.
“Complicating things is the fact that
EX IVORY ZERO tasked a small group of participants
with constructing and occupying a surface hide during
a Canadian winter - Photo Credit IG @zerodarkmedia
www.airsoft-action.online 43

SPECIAL SITE REPORT
BLACKLINE SIMULATIONS REAPER - CANADA OPS
One of three personnel tasked with managing logistics, communications,
and unit tracking at the Tactical Operations Center - Photo Credit 15D
Canada is a massive country (59 hours
of non-stop driving to go from coast
to coast). That creates a lot of regional
and cultural differences as well. A side
effect of that size is that a lot of regions
are self-contained and there isn’t a lot
of communication between them. Being
in Ontario (a little east of the centre
of Canada), you would find a clearer
division between people who participate
in MilSims and those who participate in
skirmishes. In Quebec, there are a few
large MilSim events that tend to appeal
to the skirmish player base as much as
the “military” enthusiasts. To the west,
in Alberta and British Columbia, it seems
there are fewer MilSims and more casual
events. Full disclosure though, I base that
observation off of the discussion groups
I’m a part of and not from boots-onthe-ground
experience (see reference to
59-hour drive!).
“One big difference I see between
Canada and other regions like the USA
and Europe, is our lack of focused
“impression teams”, although there are
some general interest groups where
people use Russian equipment, or Cold
War gear. We definitely have re-enactor
units that focus on WWII or the Vietnam
War but they aren’t exclusively airsofters.
And like most regions, there are a ton
of individual impressions focusing on
real-world and fictional units. However,
it’s hard to find an airsoft-centric team
that has come together and created a
Typical operating conditions during a January
in Canada - Photo Credit IG @zerodarkmedia
very specific impression with the intent
of being as authentic and realistic as
possible. Back in the late 1990’s and
early 2000’s there was a small selection
of teams that focused in on Naval Special
Warfare that mandated the kit list right
down to which specific belt you could
use, but that commitment seems to be
less of a focus for people now. (Side note
to Canadian impression teams… If you’re
out there get in touch with Blackline! We
have some events for you!)“
As always I’m keen to know about the
legalities of airsoft in any country where I
might one day play, so Sean told me:
“Like a lot of places, Airsoft lived in a
grey area for a while. In Canada, a 1:1
copy of a real firearm that cannot cause
injury is considered a “replica” and those
are prohibited. Any gun firing a projectile
over 500 feet per second or having
muzzle energy of 5.7 joules is considered
a firearm and is subject to all the laws
relating to those. However, since airsoft
guns can cause serious injury but don’t
have the fps or muzzle energy required to
be a firearm, they were tough to classify.
Eventually, some studies were done and it
was determined that an airsoft gun would
have to fire over 366fps and under 500fps
to be legal, and at that point it would be
considered an “uncontrolled firearm” and
available to the public. This limits some of
what we can purchase but manufacturers
and retailers have adjusted to meet the
criteria and navigate the regulations. Our
airsoft guns don’t need to have orange
tips and they don’t need to have clear or
brightly-coloured components.
“There are some obvious laws and
consequences. Using an airsoft gun in
the commission of a crime would result in
real weapons charges. Similarly, walking
down the street with one or playing in a
public park will get you into a different
brand of trouble. In some provinces there
are age restrictions on purchases that
require you to be at least 18 years old.
Overall though, Canadians are pretty lucky
and we don’t have to deal with the same
challenges our neighbours to the south or
across the pond have!”
Once again, speaking to a fellow
player about airsoft in their own country
has been a real eye-opener and is a big
part of the international community
“spirit” that we all share… that of shared
experience through airsoft. I was lucky
enough to meet Sean in person at SHOT
Show and, along with our mutual interest
in Vietnam Era Living History, I found him
to be very much on “my wavelength”.
To this end, Sean has kindly agreed to
become part of “The Legion” and I look
forward to collaborating with him on
future articles!
If you like the sound of Blackline
Simulations as much as I do, then
check out their superb website: www.
blacklinesimulations.com AA
“EVENTUALLY, SOME STUDIES WERE DONE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AN AIRSOFT
GUN WOULD HAVE TO FIRE OVER 366FPS AND UNDER 500FPS TO BE LEGAL, AND AT
THAT POINT IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN “UNCONTROLLED FIREARM” AND AVAILABLE
TO THE PUBLIC.”
www.airsoft-action.online 45

KIT & GEAR
FAB GLOCK HOLSTER
DOING
A 360!
WITH SIGAIR’S G19X NOW A REGULAR FIXTURE ON STEVE
T’S HIP, HE TREATS IT TO A NEW HOLSTER FROM FIREARMS
ACCESSORY FIRM, FAB DEFENSE.
If a sidearm fits in one of my universal
holsters, then I’m usually happy. But
every so often, I find myself enjoying
a particular pistol so much that it makes
sense to treat it to its own home away
from home. The SigAir Glock G19X by VFC
- as reviewed last issue - is one of those
pistols.
Rather than opt for a retention holster
from one of the usual airsoft brands, I
chose a product that has been designed for
use with the real firearm. The FAB Defense
G9R MX Scorpus Level 2 holster might only
cost about a tenner more, but the build
quality is in another league. It also comes
complete with three mounting options
included at a total price of around £32.00,
representing value for money that’s on par
when you factor that in.
YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND
The Israeli manufacturer describes the MX
as: “The holster for the professional who
is looking for versatility and performance”.
Like just about any roto holster - other
brands are available, kids - you can adjust
the way it sits on your loadout through
360 degrees, making for “endless Cant
adjustment options” (in their own words).
Not only does the MX come preinstalled
on a paddle, ready to drop
into your waistband, but also included
are a solid belt-loop mount and the
MolleX adapter. So, whether you want
the versatility to use it in any number of
trousers, mount more sturdily on a belt or
to your chest rig or plate carrier, all your
options are covered.
OPPOSING FORCES
So far, so standard for the breed but,
unlike most roto holsters, the Scorpus Level
2 Retention System features two separate
opposing retention devices that capture
the trigger guard of the handgun, one
pressure activated locking lever and one
spring-based retention device.
This combined system ensures that
even after you release the locking lever,
the handgun is still held by the springbased
retention device. Simply hold the
grip firmly, push on the pressure activated
locking lever and then perform a clean
draw.
As long as you aren’t sloppy as you
draw, the G19X pops out with a sense of
purpose every time. We love the added
security that inspires confidence that your
pistol won’t jump free at the far end of the
field - for you to realise it’s missing only
when you go to take your mag out on the
way back into the safe zone!
RUGGEDLY HANDSOME
The MX’s construction has far less flex than
many rivals, which has a real benefit in
that it won’t deform as you grab for your
pistol in the heat of battle, which could
potentially postpone - or even prevent - an
efficient draw.
This rugged fiberglass reinforced
polymer composite holster feels like it
would really take a beating and keep on
going. The locking lever initially feels stiffer
than others we’ve used, but ultimately
more solid too and we not only grew
accustomed to it in no time, but we’re
reluctant to go back to other options now.
Looks are a personal thing and some
may find it overly complicated or fussy, but
to me the MX’s sharp lines and angles are
every bit the modern operator I could ever
hope for.
SCORPUS 1 VS 0
DOORFRAME
I’ve had the pleasure of using FAB’s MX
Scorpus holster for a few games now and
it hasn’t caused a problem once. Even
after a couple of incidents with a stubborn
doorframe, as well as there being barely
a mark on it, functionally there’s been no
grabbiness, no snatchy releases and no
fuss.
In fact, I can only think of one problem
with the MX. They don’t seem to make
one for my new Sig M17 (reviewed this
issue)... AA
AVAILABLE OPTIONS
While the product on test here is for
Glock 9mm standard and compact
models, the MX Scorpus Level 2 holster
is also available for a wide range of
sidearms from 1911s and the Sig 226 to
H&K USPs and Makarovs.
In terms of colours, not only is it
available in standard Matte Black and
the de rigeur Flat Dark Earth, but we’re
delighted to report that you can also get
it in Olive Drab green.
The Southpaws among you will be
happy to hear that the MX is available
for both right or left-handed use.
46
MARCH 2020

KIT & GEAR
NUPROL OPEN MAG POUCHES
A TALE
OF TWO
POUCHES
WITH OPTIONS IN THE RANGE FOR BOTH M4 AND PISTOL, STEVE T SERVES UP A TWO-FOR-ONE
SPECIAL OFFER OF NUPROL’S TASTY LOOKING TACO-STYLE OPEN MAG POUCHES
It was the best of times, it was the worst
of times.” I doubt Charles Dickens was
thinking of Nuprol’s Open Mag Pouches
when he spoke of hope and despair in the
opening to A Tale of Two Cities, but he
may as well have been.
SIMILARITIES
The frames to either side and molle
mounting points are all made of a tough
polymer, while the main panels are a
high-quality rubber compound. The
overall effect is something of a halfway
house between soft fabric pouches and
rigid shells, which should offer the best
of both worlds. While the overall pocket
simply can’t fold, flap or roll down
making it easier for a mag to slip out,
the construction remains flexible enough
to mould to the mag - especially under
pressure - rather than forming a solid chute
for a mag to slide out of like a kid hopped
up on candyfloss at the funfair.
With both retention style pouches
intended to be universal across rifle and
pistol magazines, they’re Molle compatible
and tighten with bungee cord to either
side that squeezes the mag in place. The
fit is adjustable for your mag by pulling the
cord at the bottom, where you’ll also find
drainage grommets. You can also slacken
the cord to release the tension for a larger
mag or freer draw.
Both are available in Black , Olive Drab,
Tan and Grey.
DIFFERENCES
But as in any family, the DNA is just
different enough
that these two are
not identical twins.
The M4 pouch
costs £12.00, is
height adjustable
and also features
mounting points
to the fore, so you
can stack either
further M4 or
pistol magazines
on top. While the
pistol pouch is
£2.00 cheaper and
can be angled fore
and aft to match
the arc of your
arm, you can’t
stack them.
The key
difference is the
way the pouches
mount to your Molle platform. The M4
pouch is fixed to its frame with up to five
screws. Two polymer arms thrust down
through the Molle with enough flex for the
under-over manoeuvre providing added
security, with the only disappointment
being the end tabs that close ever-soslightly
less firmly than we’d like.
The pistol pouch’s mounting system
uses fewer screws/bolts that all too easily
pull the nuts back through the polymer
belt mount either as you tighten it - or
upon impact. After fitting, one pouch even
came off the belt in my hand before I even
made it out of the safe zone...
IN OPERATION
The main benefit of a retention pouch
is that there’s no need for those pesky
bungees over the access hole, which can
only slow down reloads. Even if some
protuberance doesn’t foul on the line on
the way out, I found I still needed to look
down more than I wanted to see what
was going on in my rig, rather than in the
game.
I was pleasantly surprised how my
reloads were instantly smoother and faster
using the Open Pouches. Swapping mags
mid-game takes a fraction of the time and
might just prevent the tide turning when
every second counts.
In terms of security, I’m by no means a
dynamic player, running all over the field
and sliding feet first into cover, but I have
yet to lose a magazine from these pouches
and feel confident they would stand up
to those tests too. As long as your pistol
pouch doesn’t rip free, that is…
M4 pouch recommended, pistol best
avoided. AA
www.airsoft-action.online 47

EVENT REPORT
THE MADDERS CUP 2020
“MADDERS”
SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY MARKED THE 6TH ANNUAL
COMPETITION HELD IN MEMORY OF MALCOLM
DOWDING, A TRUE GENTLEMAN AND SUPERB IPSC
COMPETITOR. DAWN WILLIAMS, WHO SHOOTS WITH
SOUTH WEST PRACTICAL SHOOTERS, COVERED THE
MATCH FOR AIRSOFT ACTION.
2020
Malcolm Dowding was one of the
UK’s top shooters and was a
true gentleman and ambassador
of the sport; always willing to offer help,
encouragement, and advice to others.
Malcolm was an excellent shooter; he
spent many years as an armed officer
in the police and then maintained his
shooting skills at East Barnet Shooting Club
(EBSC) after retiring from the police force.
As well as being an excellent shooter,
Malcolm was also a very experienced
Range Officer; respected for his knowledge
and fairness on the range.
Malcolm meant a lot to everyone in
the shooting community and was muchloved
and respected; known lovingly as
“Madders” amongst his friends, he is
still much missed by the UK’s Action Air
community. Sadly, Malcolm passed away
suddenly in March 2015 but the shooting
community did not want his passion and
memory to fade away and on 5th April
2015 the 1st annual “Malcolm Dowding
Challenge Cup Match” was held in his
memory. This annual competition soon
became known as the “Madders Cup”;
being hosted by a different UK Action Air
Club each year.
This year the competition was held at
East Barnet Shooting Club (EBSC), near
London. East Barnet Shooting Club is a
live-fire shooting range where Malcolm
introduced many shooters to the Action Air
Practical Pistol shooting discipline. EBSC is
considered to be Malcolm’s “home” club.
Fifty-four shooters from across the UK
and Europe gathered together at 9am to
start the 12-stage competition at EBSC,
which was organised by both EBSC and
Watford Practical Pistol Club (WPPC) club
members.
Fifteen UK Clubs were represented:
- EBSC
- WPPC
- SWPS
- XPSC
- LPSAA Striker
- Double-Tap
- GPS
- 3-Gun UK T.S.C
- Basildon
- 1066 Action Shooting
- Surrey Borders RPC
- AAA
- Ham & Petersham
- Maidstone Pistol Club
- Tameside Pistol Club
La Défense and French Rooster
European Clubs were also represented at
the competition.
After the Safety Briefing was conducted
and the competition was officially started,
there was a strong sense of friendly rivalry,
mixed with a genuine family vibe as the
competition held in memory of a respected
friend kicked off…
The twelve stages (Courses of Fire) were
split into four shooting ranges, allowing for
four squads to shoot simultaneously. There
was a good mixture of short, medium
and long shooting stages that utilised a
combination of paper targets, steel drop
targets and moving targets. These provided
an interesting combination of simple
shooting stages requiring a small number
of shots, and other stages that required
more shooter movement and a strategic
approach to the completion of the stage to
achieve a good stage score, as quickly as
possible.
For example, one stage required
shooters to stand on a floating platform
whilst completing the stage, whilst another
stage required the shooter to take a
“starting position” that involved sitting
at a table holding a wedge of cash and a
handful of playing cards, simulating a card
game! There was also the welcome return
of the “Mind The Gap” stage, which
involves shooting a large quantity of steel
drop targets and paper targets from very
tight shooting angles.
The match flowed without a glitch,
due both to the meticulous planning
and preparation by EBSC and WPPC club
members and the support demonstrated
“SADLY, MALCOLM PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY IN MARCH 2015 BUT THE SHOOTING
COMMUNITY DID NOT WANT HIS PASSION AND MEMORY TO FADE AWAY AND ON 5TH
APRIL 2015 THE 1ST ANNUAL “MALCOLM DOWDING CHALLENGE CUP MATCH” WAS
HELD IN HIS MEMORY.”
48
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
THE MADDERS CUP 2020
during the competition from the volunteer
Range Officers and Scorers.
Shooting stopped as planned at
approximately 5.30pm and the shooting
family all pulled together to dismantle
the competition shooting stages to return
EBSC to normality ready for the week
ahead, whilst the competition scores were
calculated. The scoring was calculated
efficiently throughout the competition
using the live-feed “Shoot n’ Score It”
scoring input system, so it didn’t take long
for the final scores to be published from
the ten Shooting Divisions. These were as
follows:
Standard:
1. Alastair Mustard
2. Alex Cox
3. Matt Liddy
Standard Senior:
1. Pete Thornton
Standard Super Senior:
1. Guy De Backer
2. Stephen Birtwhistle
3. Ronnie Graham
Standard Lady:
1. Elured (Elmo)
2. Misty
3. Dawn.H
Standard Super Junior:
1. Kiko
2. Adam Lake
Open:
1. Matt Wyborn
2. Justin Cooper
3. Mario
Open Super Senior:
1. Steve Taylor
2. Paul Van De Bosch
3. John Cull
Open Lady:
1. Marianne
2. Dawn.W
3. Richelle
There were also a couple of shooters
who were the only people shooting in
their divisions and categories; Matt Reed
(Production) and Jon (Classic) and Matt
Wyborn, from XPSC, also took home
an additional trophy for the combined
“Overall Winner”. The trophies were made
for this competition by Kent Laser Craft
and were based on designs from WPPC
club members, which included photos of
Malcolm on the two trophy designs.
Individuals and traders donated
generously towards the raffle;
donating prizes such as airsoft
pistols, an airsoft rifle, BBs, gas,
safety glasses, red-dot sights,
caps, and shooting experience
vouchers. Contributing
organisations included:
- Redwolf Airsoft
- iWholeSales
- Practical Shooting
Supplies
- Elite Shooting Centre
- Black Rifle
- Gunfellas
- Carlisle Small Arms
Club
- WPPC members &
friends
The annual memorial
competition raises money for
local charities each year, with
the charity being chosen by
the shooting club hosting the
competition. This year’s chosen
charity was the Fire Fighter’s
Charity and a grand total of
£1,500 was raised from a
combination of competition
entry fees and raffle ticket
sales.
It was great to see so many
familiar faces (and some new ones) at the
competition; demonstrating the Action
Air “family” pulling together to support
the event and to celebrate and remember
Malcolm; a real tribute to Malcolm and his
passion for the Action Air sport. AA
“ONE STAGE REQUIRED SHOOTERS TO STAND ON A FLOATING PLATFORM WHILST
COMPLETING THE STAGE, WHILST ANOTHER STAGE REQUIRED THE SHOOTER TO TAKE
A “STARTING POSITION” THAT INVOLVED SITTING AT A TABLE HOLDING A WEDGE OF
CASH AND A HANDFUL OF PLAYING CARDS, SIMULATING A CARD GAME!”
www.airsoft-action.online 49

THE CAGE
WINTER GEAR
THE CAGE:
WINTER
GEAR
All images courtesy of Björn Klockar
THE TEMPERATURE MAY HAVE PLUMMETED BUT IT’S STILL TIME TO GET OUT AND PLAY AIRSOFT, SO
THIS TIME BILL GETS TOGETHER WITH THE NEWLY EXTENDED AIRSOFT ACTION CREW TO LOOK AT
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET THE MOST FROM ANY WINTER BB-SLINGING ADVENTURE, BY FINDING OUT
WHAT THEY ADD TO THEIR “GEAR GAGE” WHEN THE SNOW STARTS TO FALL!
Where I live in the UK, the
chance of blizzard conditions
during an airsoft game is small
but, even here, not unknown! I’ve had a
couple of extremely memorable games
during the dark months of the year
where the snow has set in and being
well prepared has meant I’ve been able
to enjoy every precious moment when
the chance presented itself!
Preparation and the right clothing
setup can mean the difference between
a long, enjoyable day’s play and an
early trip home due to becoming mildly
hypothermic (or worse!). You may
think that this is a rare occurrence but
believe you me, it’s more commonplace
than you might realise. Many airsofters,
even seasoned ones that I know, will
spend huge amounts of money on their
airsoft guns and tactical gear but very
little on their clothing. I’ve heard the
excuse “I don’t have the money for
expensive winter gear” all too often but
what it really comes down to is a lack
of forethought and preparation. This is
equally true when it comes to your AEGs
and GBBs, although that is a discussion
for another time!
Setting yourself up with a clothing
and gear system which will allow you
to hit the field year-round is actually
not as expensive as you might think. If,
during the summer you budget for just
a single piece of kit each month you’ll
be surprised how quickly your system
builds. Add to this, that many retailers
are selling off old stock at good prices
to make room for new models and that
players are getting rid of surplus gear
at shows and airsoft boot fairs and you
can really snap up some “off season”
bargains!
First off though, what do I mean by a
“system”? Quite simply put, a clothing
“system” is a selection of garments that
will work as standalone pieces in their
own right but which can be combined
effectively to give you a set of gear that
works all year round. This “system” will
normally consist of:
Base Layer: Your base layers are the
items of clothing that are worn directly
next to the skin. They come in different
weights and thicknesses of fabric for
summer and winter use, although a
mid-weight set will work for different
seasons. The fabric properties will be
mainly to do with moisture management
as they will actively “wick” moisture
away from you skin, keeping you dry and
comfortable.
Mid Layer: The mid layer is all about
levels of insulation, allowing you to
regulate your body core temperature.
Mid layers can be fleece or “lofted”
insulation; it’s best to avoid down jackets
and vests in the UK as we’re often
dealing with wet cold rather than dry
“snow” cold. If down gets wet, it stays
wet and actually draws heat from your
body trying to dry itself so it’s better to
look at synthetic fills.
Shell Layer: Exactly as it sounds;
your shell layer forms the outer barrier
against the elements. This layer will be
of a waterproof and windproof fabric
and these days may be either “hard”
or “soft” shell. Hard shells are normally
fully waterproof with taped seams but
many tend to be noisy due to the face
fabrics used. Soft shells may or may not
have taped seams and whilst they are
sometimes not fully waterproof, they will
“…IT’S BEST TO AVOID DOWN JACKETS AND VESTS IN THE UK AS WE’RE OFTEN DEALING WITH
WET COLD RATHER THAN DRY “SNOW” COLD. IF DOWN GETS WET, IT STAYS WET AND ACTUALLY
DRAWS HEAT FROM YOUR BODY TRYING TO DRY ITSELF SO IT’S BETTER TO LOOK AT SYNTHETIC
FILLS.”
50
MARCH 2020

THE CAGE
WINTER GEAR
be highly water resistant; they also tend
to be made of softer, quieter fabrics.
By understanding what you are
buying and why, the choice becomes
straightforward. What you are aiming
to do is create a set of gear that will
actively work together. The base layer
draws moisture away from the skin and
lets it transport through the insulating
mid layer. The shell layer allows moisture
inside the system to escape whilst
keeping wind and rain out. By juggling
with these layers you can be comfortable
in any climatic situation and get your
game on no matter what “Ma Nature”
may throw at you.
A SYSTEM THAT WORKS!
For my own system I will always look for
a mixture of three things: performance,
comfort, and durability. Most of us
need to travel light these days so you
can add lightweight and packable as
a sub-criteria. It’s a real struggle for
many manufacturers to bring all of that
together but all of your clothing should
work together seamlessly.
Bjorn has very kindly provided me
with a list of the gear that you’ll see
him wearing in the supporting pictures
for The CAGE this time, which I’ll share
with you to give you an idea of what you
might need over your base layers and
usual clothing:
• Alligator 3d Max - snowdrift
ghillie suit.
• Multicam Snowsuit - noname
from Ukraine seller on eBay.
• LBX chest rig “Tatical Assault
chest rig heavy”(ranger green)
equipped with molle front and
backpanel in Multicam. Front
panel tacos in Multicam Alpine
from High speed gear.
• Gloves from Wiley X “DURTAC”
tan.
• Goggles from Wiley X “SPEAR”
tan.
• Backpack from 5.11 AMP 24 in
“Kangaroo” colour..
• Snow shoes from Miltec “Snow
White”
• AEG is a Tango Down model
from Evolution airsoft.
• Boots are Lowa Zephyr GTX Mid
tan.
Now you may not need to go the
full hog of carrying snowshoes but for
a Winter game, when worn over good
quality base and mid layers, what Bjorn
has outlined will allow you to cover
off most scenarios. Whilst this is an
excellent list for any player to work from
as a template, I asked my colleagues
(including those from The Legion) the
question:
“How do you prepare for winter
games and is there any specific item of
gear that you always carry/wear when it
gets properly cold?”
Steve: “Always look after yourself
first; weapons can’t perform without an
operator, so... layer up! That said, I’ve
never played in sub-zero conditions, so
a thick pair of socks in proper boots and
a good fleece to wear in the safe zone
between games has done me proud.
One thing I have learned is that it’s not
a good idea to leave guns, gas mags or
even batteries in the car overnight when
it’s cold. In fact, just this weekend I was
testing a GBB pistol, left it outside for
just 20 minutes at most while I sorted
out an AEG and it was useless, just
vented gas everywhere. Totally not the
pistol’s fault, it cannae defy the laws of
physics, Cap’n! Keep green gas mags
warm by keeping them near your body
where you can or, even better, switch to
CO2 if your pistol supports it. And even
with a variable nozzle, you’d be well
advised to park even the best GBBR in
favour of an AEG when temperatures
drop hard!”
Phil: “I don’t feel the cold as much
as others and I don’t do 24/48hr
MilSim or long games that require
really cold weather sleeping or playing,
so I kinda’ rely on a few layers with
T-shirt, sweatshirt and then a soft shell.
Headwear-wise, I only tend to wear a
helmet during the winter months or
a nice microfibre Magpul beanie as
my head gets really hot if I’m running
around with a hat on, so it’s got to be
minus figures almost before I feel I need
to cover the old bonce!”
Jonathan: “In Ireland there’s never
a dramatic change in weather, it just
rains… all the time! There is not a huge
change in seasonal loadouts. However,
from an Irish perspective in primary
platforms there’s a huge difference!! A
lot of lads run GBBRs in the summer and
change to AEG in winter, this goes for
secondary platforms there’s not much
you can do unless you swap out mags
from Green to CO2!! With the weather
the way it is, the big problem I see is
batteries during the winter months and
how to look after them to get max value
and performance; personally I tend to
run a PTW which runs 12 months of the
year without much of a performance
difference, and TM pistols never let you
down in any weather! Salomon boots,
Sealskinz socks, Crye Combat Pants and
tops are always suitable for any weather,
with duck feather jacket, Mechanix
gloves, belt kit and chest rig for us older
players if it’s a long game or MilSim!”
Rob: “Here in Florida winter is
the dryer and the less hot season, so
clothing doesn’t differ a whole load year
round! Back when I opened my indoor
CQB place up north though it was a
different deal, and it was those little
hand warmers in a dump pouch with the
gas magazines that kept them running
properly!”
Callum: “My Russian military
winter sleeping bag is a MUST! I did
a weekender last year and it was -5
every night but I couldn’t tell, I was
toasty and warm! Equally I lived off the
Russian army MRE for the duration and
the increased calories and fat content
kept me going and not feeling the cold
or losing energy throughout (another
interesting point, that of rations, and
one we will return to – Bill)”
Björn: “Bill has already made
mention of my Winter kit, but building
up your clothing in layers is priority one
I think and be sure to check your boots
and keep a spare pair of gloves with
you. We play down to -20 C over here in
Sweden!”
Sean: “I will echo Björn in that
clothing is going to be a priority.
Airsofters are generally averse to
discomfort and if they’re not well
prepared to handle cold weather
conditions they’ll just head home. That
usually (and luckily!) happens long
before they encounter genuine dangers
like hypothermia and frostbite. However,
those are also excellent reasons to own
and know how to use cold weather
clothing. An additional challenge we’ve
“...BUILDING UP YOUR CLOTHING IN LAYERS IS PRIORITY ONE I THINK AND BE SURE TO CHECK
YOUR BOOTS AND KEEP A SPARE PAIR OF GLOVES WITH YOU. WE PLAY DOWN TO -20 C OVER
HERE IN SWEDEN!”
www.airsoft-action.online 51

TAP PANELS FOR MORE INFORMATION

THE CAGE
WINTER GEAR
encountered in Canadian Winter is the
fallibility of guns. Batteries die quickly, gas
loses pressure, and equipment can get
brittle. One local event saw all weapons
fail overnight when the temperatures
dropped to -20C. There are groups here
that use small heating packs to keep gas
magazines and batteries warm.”
Nige: “It has been a while since I last
played in very cold conditions and, like
Phil, I tend to rely on a few layers over my
usual playing attire of “combats and teeshirt”,
coupled with a woolly hat (which
normally comes off after a few minutes).
The only other additions are full-finger
gloves and, if really cold, a shemagh.
Footwear-wise, if the ground is icy or
snow-covered, thermal socks are the order
of the day and I revert to my tried and
tested DM boots which, despite years of
use, still have the best grip of all the boots
I have in my kit-locker.”
Scott: “Always thermal base layers;
always! Although I played in -13C once
and all the guns pretty much froze solid!”
For me there’s one particular bit of
kit that’s proved invaluable; one of the
things with any game is that you will
undoubtedly spend a fair amount of time
in a cold, static position. You might be
attending the safety briefing first thing in
the morning or breaking for lunch, but it’s
a rarity to find a heated Safe Zone isn’t
it? Also when you’re out in game and
digging in for an ambush it’s unlikely you’ll
find a patio heater, so for years I’ve always
had an original Snugpak “Softie” jacket
in the pack for just such times, for when
you want a bit of instant warmth. This has
now been updated to a Military Mountain
Leader Smock which has been created
to support the user in a diverse range of
operational environments, especially when
exposed to extreme cold weather.
What is interesting is that as I
commented earlier, for many airsofters it is
still all about their AEGs and GBBs, so this
leads to another question as to how we
look after our airsoft guns in the Winter…
one for the future there I feel! AA
www.airsoft-action.online 53

armoury
BOLT SR-47 URX3.1
AR + AK
= SR47
ARE YOU AN AR USER, OR DO YOU PREFER
THE AK? THIS IS A DEBATE THAT WILL GO ON
AND ON AND WHILE IT DOES, BILL LOOKS AT
A SOLUTION THAT NEVER REALLY MADE IT IN
THE REAL WORLD BUT THAT COULD BE THE
ANSWER TO YOUR AIRSOFT PRAYERS, THE
KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT SR47!
It is a big question, isn’t it? Are you AR
or AK? The world of airsoft is dominated
by “AR” models and there are so many
takes on this that it’s genuinely mindboggling!
If you want an out and out
“MK18” then it can be yours, and if you
want something that might grace the
hands of “John Wick”, or a Three Gun
World competitive shooter style, then with
a little judicious searching
of parts pretty much
any AR derivative can
be yours fairly quickly.
And the same can
now be said of AKs,
as there are so many
parts accessory available, along
with some pretty darn fine “tacticool AKs”
that are good to go straight from the box
if you want something unique, or indeed
like to keep things completely and utterly
“classic”.
However, you might like the idea of
something that was truly one of a kind,
one that melds together the best elements
of both platforms and I’d say if this is the
case, then you may wish to turn your
attention to the Knight’s Armament SR-47.
Back in the early days of “The War on
Terror”, USSOCOM units looked for every
advantage they could find whilst operating
“behind the lines” and the concept of
an AR/M4-style platform, that could use
the ammunition they would find easily
in their AO, led to a procurement order
simply
the self-
rifles.
Knight’s already had
a history of modifying
the issue M4 carbine
into SOPMOD
platforms and, to
them, this was just
an extension to
same program,
albeit with a
curveball thrown in
for such a weapon.
Knight’s Armament
Company won
the contract
for the initial
prototype,
a run of
just
six
technical
due to
both calibre and loading differences.
The finished weapon was thought to be
the best of both worlds; an “AR” style rifle
that used standard AKM magazines and
ammo.
Born from the idea of a soldier being
able to resupply behind enemy lines and
operators being able to leave a smaller
footprint to conceal their presence, the SR-
47 combined the familiar AR ergonomics
with the legendary 7.62x39mm cartridge
used by the AK-47. The SR-47 was
specifically designed to allow operators to
utilise munitions acquired from the enemy
in situations where resupply was not an
option. Additionally, the SR-47 had the
added benefit of sounding like a typical
AK-47 (not an AR), which helped mask an
operator’s presence as well as being able
stay covert by not leaving any evidence,
such as casings from a NATO weapon.
The SR-47 was developed with
a specific purpose, or to fulfil
a specific set of operational
requirements but until recently
it was a pretty “hush hush”
platform. However, with
another surge of interest in
loadouts in the style of
NAVSPECWAR-DEVGRU
(no doubt thanks to
the popularity of
the show “SEAL
Team” and even
“Cat Shit One
Packy”)
perhaps
this
unusual
platform
is worth a
revisit!
“…THIS WAS JUST SIMPLY AN EXTENSION TO THE SELF-SAME PROGRAM, ALBEIT
WITH A TECHNICAL CURVEBALL THROWN IN DUE TO BOTH CALIBRE AND LOADING
DIFFERENCES. THE FINISHED WEAPON WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE BEST OF BOTH
WORLDS; AN “AR” STYLE RIFLE THAT USED STANDARD AKM MAGAZINES AND AMMO.”
54
MARCH 2020

armoury
BOLT SR-47 URX3.1
BOLT FROM THE BLU(FOR)!
A few years ago I had the chance to
get my hands on one of BOLT Airsoft’s first
takes on the SR-47 style, in the form of the
“KeyMod Cobra”. I loved the idea of an
AR/AK hybrid and, at the time, managed
to unearth a lot about the “real world”
rifle which endeared it even further to me.
However, the non-military styling of the
“Cobra” left me with a little feeling that
all was not totally right and lovely rifle that
it was, it got sold on after a while. I loved
the rifle and the system but for me the
“look” was just wrong. Recently though I
discovered the SR-47 URX3.1 version and
the love affair was immediately rekindled!
The URX 3.1 Rail is a free floating, fully
modular replacement forend for the AR
platform and, unlike “traditional” quad
rail designs, the URX 3.1 incorporates
short sections of M1913 Picatinny rail at its
front and rear ends for mounting tactical
accessories, eliminating the commonly
unused sections of rail for reduced overall
weight and a more comfortable grip.
There are also four integral QD sling swivel
sockets provided for ambidextrous sling
compatibility and, by adding URX 3.1 Rail
Panels and additional
rail sections, you
can customise the
URX just as you like
it. This is beautifully
rendered on the BOLT
replica and little extra
touches like the use
of a Knight’s-style
7.62 QDC muzzle
device really pull the
whole look together.
Externally everything
is solid-as-a-rock and
tight, and you get an
outer barrel assembly,
receiver set, buffer
tube and various
operating items made
from a combination
of alloy and steel for a durable finish and
which also provides a realistic weight.
Where Polymer has
been used on the
real thing (pistol
grip, rail covers and
stock) BOLT use a
high density nylon
fibre which is a tough
material that feels
great!
BOLT Airsoft’s
rendition of the SR-47
features their Bolt
Recoil Shock System
(BRSS) to create
simulated recoil for
enhanced realism. In
addition to the recoil
system, BOLT has also
greatly reinforced the
gearbox and the rest
of the internals to withstand the powerful
recoil “shock” and to enhance the rifles
durability and performance. The BRSS
produces kinetic energy from the gearbox
and transfers that energy down through
the receiver (produced by the piston’s
movement, transferred to a recoil weight
in stock tube) and into your shoulder
through the stock. The development
team at Bolt Airsoft have created a
powerful recoil system which once was a
revolutionary idea but is now one that has
been thoroughly tried and tested. Bolt are
not hiding any reduced quality parts inside
their rifles to bring the manufacturing cost
down either; the rear-wired gearbox is
a work of art! Forged steel gears seated
in low friction 8mm bearings will handle
cycling all day long. You’ve even got an
aluminium spring guide, one-piece metal
hop-up unit, high torque motor and
precision inner barrel as standard! Are you
getting the idea?
The BRSS system also has some great
advantages other than the obvious “felt
recoil” and these include:
• Low Energy Consumption: BRSS
technology provides great power recoil
action even when using Low Voltage
batteries. Its unique design makes this
AEG solid inside and out, with outstanding
reliability.
• High Durability: BRSS Gears are
made strong, which makes them stronger
to handle the strong recoil shock, which
longevity to the AEG’s life.
• High Compatibility: BRSS Gearbox
system parts offers a high degree of
compatibility with other brands’ gearbox
parts. Over 90% of BRSS parts are
compatible with those available on the
market.
These advantages give players lower
long-term ownership costs and a wider
choice for possible repairs, upgrades,
modifications and customisation. That
means you can upgrade to your heart’s
content - if you really feel the need to
improve on what’s available out of the box.
“THESE ADVANTAGES GIVE PLAYERS LOWER LONG-TERM OWNERSHIP COSTS
AND A WIDER CHOICE FOR POSSIBLE REPAIRS, UPGRADES, MODIFICATIONS AND
CUSTOMISATION. THAT MEANS YOU CAN UPGRADE TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT - IF
YOU REALLY FEEL THE NEED TO IMPROVE ON WHAT’S AVAILABLE OUT OF THE BOX.”
www.airsoft-action.online 55

STRETCH
PANTS
BLACK / DARK COYOTE / GREEN
/ SRP: £69.95

armoury
BOLT SR-47 URX3.1
DOWNRANGE
But what happens on the range I hear
you ask? All this clever stuff is great but
how does the SR-47 actually shoot? The
answer is… well, VERY well! Given that the
internals are the latest iteration of the tried
and tested BRSS, I had no doubt that outof-the-box
performance would be right up
there and I wasn’t disappointed!
Using .20g RZR BBs the SR-47 delivered
a massively consistent chrono reading
of 0.92 Joule/315fps which is absolutely
perfect for use on all UK sites. I did try
the BOLT with a number
of different brand AK
magazines and, sadly, it
does seem a little picky
in this respect. Of all the
models I tried other than
their own, only my old MAG
brand “AK74 bakelites”
(which frankly fit anything!)
seated well.
This could
be a small
“downside”
if you’re
buying as a
team.
With
the 600BB
“steely” hicap
magazine
topped off
with .25 RZRs
it was time
to set the hop and have at it! Like all Ars,
the SR-47 has the fire selector above and
to the left of the pistol grip,
and with semi engaged
the BOLT went off with a
righteous “crack” and a
good jolt in the shoulder,
sending BBs straight
downrange to target at
30m. Cranking up to full
just upped the “giggle
factor” as the thump in
the shoulder seemed to
increase - but affected
accuracy not at all!
As you’ve probably
guessed, I’m really excited
about this rifle. Bolt Airsoft kick pretty
much every other manufacturer’s butt
when it comes to this AR/AK hybrid, not
only with the awesome recoil system but
also through value for money along with
quality of parts and construction. The
SR-47 appeals to me as it is based on a
real military weapons platform, albeit one
that was subsequently mothballed but
it also fits neatly into the “well-financed
contractor loadout” bracket which we all
love. If you love your AR but want to steer
away from the herd then the BOLT SR-47
URX3.1 may well be the rifle you’ve been
looking for!
Sincere thanks, as always, go to the
guys at NUPROL (www.nuprol.com), who
distribute the BOLT brand in the UK, for
providing the test rifle. AA
“GIVEN THAT THE INTERNALS ARE THE LATEST ITERATION OF THE TRIED AND TESTED
BRSS, I HAD NO DOUBT THAT OUT-OF-THE-BOX PERFORMANCE WOULD BE RIGHT UP
THERE AND I WASN’T DISAPPOINTED!”
www.airsoft-action.online 57

THE COLLECTOR
M41A PULSE RIFLE
THE
FRENCHIE PULLS ON HIS SCI-FI HAT TO TAKE A LOOK
AT AN AEG THAT ONLY EXISTS IN THE MINDS OF ITS
CREATORS AND YET SEEMS TO HAVE A FAN-BASE ALL OF
ITS OWN.
COLLECTOR:
M41A PULSE RIFLE
Apparently…
“The M41A uses an electronic
pulse action to fire, controlled
directly from the trigger and powered by
a battery located in the carry handle. The
internal mechanism, including the rotating
breech, is mounted on free-floating rails
within a carbon-fibre jacket and the
entire assembly is recoil dampened to
reduce the effects of muzzle climb during
burst and fully automatic fire. Even so,
the weapon’s recoil is fairly significant. A
thumb selector allows the firer to switch
between selective, four-round burst or
fully automatic firing modes. A manual
charging handle on the right-hand side of
the receiver allows the user to check for
rounds in the chamber or clear the breech
in the event of a stoppage. The standard
M41A ammunition magazine stores 99
rounds in a ‘U’ bend conveyor. Rounds
are fed mechanically into the weapon’s
rotating breech. While the magazine
weighs 1.5 kg when fully loaded, standard
practice is to only fill it to 95% capacity (95
rounds) to prevent jamming.
“The M41A generally mounts the under
barrel U1 grenade launcher, comprising
a barrel, breech and four-round internal
magazine, fired using a trigger just in front
of the rifle magazine, the housing for
which doubles as a grip during grenade
firing. While this launcher was integral to
initial versions of the rifle, later models
featured a modular system that allowed
the launcher to be swapped out for a
different unit at the user’s discretion.
Grenades must be hand-loaded into the
launcher’s four-round magazine, which are
then loaded into the breech and primed
to fire from a pump action.” (courtesy of
Xenopedia at avp.fandom.com)
I had been going to start this month’s
piece with my usual introduction but since
we are dealing in fantasy (and I’ll come
back to that later), I thought I would let
the idea speak for itself first. Yes, I’m going
to have a look at the M41a Pulse rifle, one
of the most iconic movie weapons ever in
my opinion. This is not a Collector per se,
as there are two versions of this available
to airsofters and they are basically identical
– one was a G&P kit that was built around
a Marui M1A1 Thompson and the other
was a kit that came pre-built around a
Chinese built M1A1 copy, by Snow Wolf
(if my memory serves me right). Since one
was a copy of the other and since I have
had considerable experience of building
and ripping these apart, I thought I would
just take a look at this brilliant rifle, and
why it is so utterly awful!
AT THE MOVIES
This is a movie gun – the fact that there
are some live firing versions out there does
not change that fact. The M41a simply
doesn’t exist. Caseless ammunition isn’t
rimmed and cannot therefore be manually
extracted in the way brass can – if you
want to argue that point find some videos
about the operation of the H&K G11. Sorry
– that was one of the things that leapt out
at me in the description above…
I shall therefore leave the unreal aside
and deal with the real.
The first one of these I built was from
a kit and a Marui Thompson and it was
a sod, mainly because I was learning as I
went and also because some of the design
decisions were poor. The catch that secures
the sliding stock could have been much
better – it works but it took some work
to make that so. There are lots of screws,
lots of locating pins and acres of wire that
go into making one of these. Bringing
it together, once the gun is inside the
“SINCE ONE WAS A COPY OF THE OTHER AND SINCE I HAVE HAD CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE OF
BUILDING AND RIPPING THESE APART, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BRILLIANT
RIFLE, AND WHY IT IS SO UTTERLY AWFUL!”
58
MARCH 2020

THE COLLECTOR
M41A PULSE RIFLE
shell is a bit of a juggling act and at the
time I turned the air blue as it constantly
frustrated me. Together it all went,
however, and it worked!
The base gun, the M1a1, is a really
good airsoft gun with a solid gearbox and
generally excellent range and reliability, so
there was never any doubt that the M41a
would perform. The grenade launcher
does nothing (which is a shame) and it is
rendered as a 12-gauge shotgun, which
is also inaccurate. That first M41a went
to a player who had the benefit of being
employed for his family’s metal working
business and the last I heard (and this was
a long time ago), the heatshield had been
replaced by a genuine SPAS 12 article and
he was working on fitting a Marushin gas
powered shotgun into the launcher. Nice
…if it worked!
More recently, when Snow Wolf
released their complete version, I spent
days tearing them apart and reducing their
muzzle velocity - as they were a bit cheeky,
to put it nicely. What I found then was that
my previous experience stood me in good
stead and this was a pretty easy job. Once
you know, you know, I suppose.
A BRILLIANTLY AWFUL GUN
So why do I describe it above as a
“brilliantly awful gun”?
It’s brilliant because it looks amazing,
the designer(s) got that bit spot on. It’s
chunky, serious and looks like it actually
should work. Beyond that, as an airsoft
gun, it’s awful.
Firstly, balance - or the complete lack
thereof. Removing the stock from the
M1a1 and replacing it with a thin sheet
metal sliding stock, while at the same time
piling some serious weight at the front of
the gun makes for a handling nightmare. I
am sure there are some absolute fans out
there who would dispute that, but it makes
L85s seem well thought out. This more
than any other single factor is why I never
owned one, no matter how cool they are.
Next, weight. The original outer barrel
assembly is replaced and, credit where it’s
due, the new parts are pretty solid. That
makes the M41a front heavy as noted but
also heavy in general. As a movie gun it
doesn’t have to do anything but look good
but trust me, this would absolutely fail any
military weapon test program. “Unwieldy”
is the nicest thing I can say about it.
Contrary to the description of the
M41a in Alien-land, it is not robust. Now
it isn’t rubbish that falls
apart instantly, but the stock
isn’t strong and is best left
collapsed. The magazine floor
plate will disappear faster than
a Xenomorph playing hide
and seek and there are no
proper sling points to ensure
it doesn’t go flying, should
you stumble. It is also big. The
pistol grip is big, bigger than
the Thompson original. The
front end is fatter than it really
needs to be. Proper guns are
built to fit the average human
being – the M41a was largely free of that
consideration - and it shows.
Finally, power. Being an airsoft gun, it
needs a battery somewhere and it fits in
through the rotating barrel end cap. When
I started with these it was difficult to find a
decent NiCad or NiMh that would fit and
last, LiOn batteries have at least sorted that
issue.
You may feel that I’m being unfair to
the M41a and that may be true. It looks
fantastic still and I would love to have
one as a wall-hanger but I just can’t rate
it as a useable airsoft gun. Those of you
familiar with the original Thompson M1a1
know that it is a bit of a handful – it was
designed in very different times – and the
Pulse rifle takes those handling deficiencies
and multiplies them many times over. It
looks great but, honestly, I think it only
ever worked properly in the movies. AA
“AS A MOVIE GUN IT DOESN’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING BUT LOOK GOOD BUT TRUST ME, THIS
WOULD ABSOLUTELY FAIL ANY MILITARY WEAPON TEST PROGRAM. “UNWIELDY” IS THE
NICEST THING I CAN SAY ABOUT IT.”
www.airsoft-action.online 59

FEATURE
MY FIRST (PROPER!) AEG
THIS IS MY M4 PT 4:
MOAR POWAR!
AFTER YEARS OF MAKING MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO RIFS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS, STEVE
T GOES ALL-IN ON HIS MWS TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT AN INEPT HOME TECH CAN ACHIEVE. THIS MONTH:
INCREASING THE FPS
Halle-fricken-lujah! After a couple
of months of dressing her up, I
can finally start improving the base
performance of the already impressive
MWS from Marui.
I love a good Gas Blow Back Rifle
(GBBR) but, so far, every single one I’ve
purchased for the UK market has come in
on the disappointing end of the FPS scale -
and the MWS was no different. Even after
a few hundred rounds for it to loosen up
- and a re-chrono to boot - Tokyo’s finest
still only came in at 297FPS average using
Green Gas. I have pistols that shoot harder
than that.
NOT A GO-GETTER FROM
THE GET-GO
GBBRs are notoriously underpowered here
in the UK and with that in mind, I buy
them fully expecting to need to upgrade
the output from the get-go. For that
reason, a variable nozzle is always going
to be a day-one addition for any GBBR in
my book. That’s why I ordered a drop-in
part from 6,000 miles away in Hong Kong,
ready for the second part of this series -
only for Royal Mail to lose it 12 miles from
home!
At that time, it was a new-to-market
solution from Asia’s Angry Gun that
wasn’t stocked by any UK supplier, hence
ordering from overseas. I was looking
forward to bringing you an early headsup
on the product but thankfully you can
now buy it domestically without worrying
about import duties. And that’s exactly
what I did! After a couple of months
playing dress-up, now I can get into the
performance upgrades.
PERFORMANCE BY NUMBERS
When I said this was a “drop-in” part, I
wasn’t kidding! Fitting the High Speed
Carrier with MPA nozzle almost literally
could not be any easier - painting by
numbers is more difficult than this!
All you need to do is tap out the rear
receiver pin - or just pull it out in our
case - to rotate the front of the RIF down
around the front pin. Then pull back on
the charging handle and bolt assembly to
remove them together. Don’t worry when
the two parts separate in your hand -
they’re supposed to do that.
Simply realign the new carrier with the
charging handle, slide both in again and
close it back up. Push the pin back through
and you’re done! It’s a matter of moments
to complete and as a result, your MWS
now performs as it was originally intended
– albeit after a little fettling.
ON THE LIMIT
The beauty of an adjustable nozzle on a
GBBR is that you can vary output on both
a day-by-day and site-to-site basis, so that
you can dial in your RIF to perform right
on the limit every single time - meaning
that you’re free to focus on achieving
your objective on game day. It takes all
the guesswork out of which strength gas
will make you competitive - or even just
legal - and means that you no longer need
to carry a spare bag of numerous gases to
feed the GBBR beast on your back.
Like most mechanical thingamybobs,
lefty-loosey, tighty-righty means turn anticlockwise
to reduce gas flow, clockwise to
raise it. Simples! Adjustment is done with
“WHEN I SAID THIS WAS A “DROP-IN” PART, I WASN’T KIDDING! FITTING THE HIGH SPEED CARRIER
WITH MPA NOZZLE ALMOST LITERALLY COULD NOT BE ANY EASIER - PAINTING BY NUMBERS IS MORE
DIFFICULT THAN THIS!”
60
MARCH 2020

FEATURE
THIS IS MY M4
an Allen key to the front of the group,
which means you’ll have to remove it
every time you want to tweak the FPS.
This does mean disassembly every time to
adjust but as we’ve seen, that’s far from
needing a tech.
It’s a bit fiddly just to make sure the
key is actually inserted properly and doing
its thing, and while
every adjustment has
an effect, it seems that
not all turns are created
equal. Sometimes a
quarter turn will have a
big impact on output;
other times it barely
registers. It’s a process
of trial-and-error to
dial in the required
performance and a bit
more persnickety than
we’d prefer, but there’s
no denying that we
were able to raise the
FPS over standard to reach - and even
exceed - UK limits.
While adjustment may be easy rather
than convenient then, if that’s still a scary
prospect, you can
always dial in the FPS
10-20 below the most
common site restrictions
when you set it up to
allow for temperature
variance and never
touch it again. I’ll be
honest - that’s what I’ve
done!
350 IS THE
MAGIC NUMBER
As we’ve already seen,
this MWS averaged less
than 300 FPS stock but
the MPA nozzle easily enables it to reach
the magic 350 for most UK sites using
regular green gas and without breaking
a sweat. You might even be able to open
the valve further for
higher numbers but we
called off when the bolt
started to feel too loose,
nipped it back up and
were happy with the
end result anyway.
Of course, higher
FPS means greater
range, so we weren’t
exactly surprised to
see BBs travelling both
further and faster after
installing the MPA and
carrier and raising those
numbers by 50 from
300 to 350.
While bigger numbers can all too
easily come at the expense of accuracy,
we didn’t note any drop-off, with the
MWS still making inch-tight groups at 25
metres - the extent of my outdoor range.
Beyond that, I’d guesstimate from a few
cheeky attempts that accuracy at longer
ranges is similarly unaffected. I’d love to
report an improvement in FPS consistency
having fitted an aftermarket nozzle, but
variance between maximum and minimum
remained constant at about 40FPS on
average - albeit at a higher level.
ON FULL VENT
Fitting the MPA as part of the carrier
raised FPS by 17% for a reliable 340FPS,
so we’re all good, right? Yeah… not so
fast.
The problem is that this mod has
introduced a new problem, where the
MWS vents gas on full auto. It’s fine for
short bursts but anything over three or
four shots and you start to see a gas
cloud. That might work for me and any
triple-tap players out there but airsofters
with a heavier trigger finger might
struggle to make it work for them.
Using a tighter setting with higher
powered gas - Abbey Vertex - mitigated
the effect but swapping back to the
standard TM unit almost entirely negated
it. And I do mean almost - it seems this
mod simply accentuates an issue that was
there to begin with. Marui internals are
not exactly renowned for their resilience
when faced with higher powered gases,
which raises a question mark over long
term reliability if you choose to use
anything above 144a - or standard green
gas.
So, it seems we have a trade-off here -
do you prioritise gas efficiency or outright
power?
There’s no right answer for everyone
but since this is my build, I’ve gone with
higher FPS and range over stock thanks
to the MPAS - for now. I’ve reached this
decision because I tend to shoot fewer
rounds from greater range. You might
choose exactly the opposite for the way
you play.
I’m not exactly happy about the results
and fully intend to circle back and see if
there are other options on the market to
improve output that are less compromised.
I’ll let you know if I find that silver bullet...
Next month: The front end - inner barrel
and rails. AA
“I FULLY INTEND TO CIRCLE BACK AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS ON THE MARKET TO
IMPROVE OUTPUT THAT ARE LESS COMPROMISED. I’LL LET YOU KNOW IF I FIND THAT SILVER
BULLET...”
www.airsoft-action.online 61

armoury
SIGAIR M17
AFTER YEARS IN THE MIDDLE LEAGUES OF GBB PISTOLS, VFC IS MAKING A BREAK FOR THE HIGH
GROUND. STEVE T FINDS OUT IF THE NEW, OFFICIALLY LICENSED SIGAIR P320 M17 CAN MEASURE
UP TO THE TAIWANESE FIRM’S RECENT SUCCESS WITH THE GLOCK G19X
They may be different beasts but this
Sig obviously shares DNA with last
year’s G19X. Of course, they’re made
by the same airsoft manufacturer (VFC),
both officially licensed with the original
firearms firms paying close attention (Sig
Sauer and Glock respectively) - and they’re
also both hearing aid brown. Or fifty
shades of beige, if you prefer.
Beyond that, they also share
operational similarities in airsoft, such as
the under-barrel hop adjustment, which is
so brilliantly convenient to use. But where
the G19X requires an Allen key, the M17
comes with a bespoke tool. Fret ye not if
you lose it though, because you can just as
easily
adjust the
M17’s hop with your bare hands.
Either way, we like; more
please!
Where the G19X feels nimble,
the P320 is an altogether weightier - and
slightly more cumbersome affair. That’s not
to say it pales in comparison - far from it -
but worth mentioning to help you choose
depending on your requirements. This isn’t
a head-to-head review though, so let’s
focus on the sidearm in question: SigAir’s
first under its own banner and quite
appropriately, the M17.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER
NAME
Sig Sauer’s origins may be in Germany
but the company now largely operates in
America. After a lengthy review process, a
modified version of the P320 was selected
by the US military in 2017 as the winner of
its Modular Handgun System competition,
when it would become known as the M17.
The compact carry version is called the
M18.
Utilising 9x19 NATO rounds, the M17
was judged to have better accuracy
and ergonomics than the outgoing and
long-serving Beretta M9. The first unit to
receive the M17 was the 101st Airborne
Division, with planned adoption as the
standard sidearm for the US military and a
subsequent order for 421,000 weapons.
A limited run of 5,000 units was made
available to the civilian market in 2018,
while international services that have
since adopted it include Denmark, the
Royal Thai Police and numerous US police
departments.
Initial feedback from those in service
that have been issued this sidearm to date
seems largely positive. If the US military
has a new pistol, then you can bet it’s soon
going to become a regular sight on the
airsoft field, much like Glocks before it.
EXCELLENT FINISH TO START
We’ve seen unofficial M17s from other
airsoft manufacturers before but this is the
first in a line of in-house projects by the
mighty Sig themselves. And if the German/
American legends are going to put their
name to something, you better believe it’s
going to be good. Manufactured for airsoft
by Taiwan’s Vega Force Company, this M17
- bought at full retail, conspiracy theorists
- arrived slathered in oil and in need of a
good strip and rub down upon delivery; at
least you know it hasn’t had chance to dry
out during storage or transit.
Rightly or wrongly, first impressions
count and despite its otherwise sharp
lines, that gopping mag extension hanging
out of the bottom of the magwell is
aesthetically awful. It doesn’t even add
BB capacity over the CO2 version in terms
of functionality. The good news is that it
makes the pistol more comfortable for
players with larger hands, but having
spoken to many potential owners, SigAir - I
can tell you right now that a lot of players
will be put off purchasing the P320 on
those grounds alone. I believe there’s a
shorter magazine on the way as an option
and I hope we see it sooner rather than
later.
Overall, the finish is excellent
throughout - as you’d expect from VFC - it
feels solid, the mechanisms work sharply
62
MARCH 2020

armoury
SIGAIR M17
and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
There’s nary a rattle to be found, other
than on that overlong mag - and even then
it’s far less noticeable than even on the
already impressive G19X.
IS SQUOVAL A THING?
With good rough textured panels to all
four sides of the grip - complete with
crisp trades - I still found the overall
shape to be an odd compromise between
square and oval that wanted to rotate in
my hand more than I’d like, despite the
recess above the mag release that makes
a natural feeling place to rest your thumb.
Although it invites your thumb to rest on
the triangular mag release, it’s definitely
just above, so there’s absolutely no risk of
dropping the mag accidentally - it takes a
definite movement to do that. I wish my
beloved FNX had sculpted this area so well.
The lefties among you can also swap
the mag release to the right side, while the
slide release and safety are ambidextrous
from the get-go.
Speaking of those crisp trades, you’ll
find them all present and correct with “SIG
SAUER M17” to the front left of the slide,
plus the company logo to both left and
right of the grip. There’s even a unique
serial number engraved to the right,
behind the famous “Newington, NH, US”
legend. While the ejection port carries the
legend “9mm x 19”, the only place you’ll
find a giveaway to this RIF’s airsoft nature
is a subtle warning under the trigger guard
and ‘Cal 6mm BB’ in the under-barrel rail.
SIG IS AS SIG DOES
The slide release is undersized compared
with many other pistols and mounted
towards the rear but it falls readily to hand,
which will be familiar to owners of Sig’s
previous pistols such as the legendary 226.
The safety is similarly small and initially
stiff to apply with just a thumb. Moving
it to fire is a bit freer but neither are really
usable until the M17 gets a couple of
games under its belt, after which both
seem to work fine.
Similarly, the travel on the trigger
between take up and release has improved
with use, while the reset remains almost all
the way back out again without a strong
physical sensation. It’s hard to get a feel
for. Target shooters may struggle with that,
but you wouldn’t notice it in a skirmish.
Serrations to both front and rear of
the slide help with racking and there’s
a lanyard hole to the rear of the grip to
make this pistol difficult to lose, but leaves
an unavoidable awkward void behind the
bottom of the extended mag. Appearances
should count for nought, but it just looks
like a part’s dropped off
the mag somewhere
between the safe zone
and the heart of the
game.
A rail under the
barrel makes it easy to fit
flashlights etc, and the
iron sights are solid - even
if there’s daylight under
the front that might
slow a fast draw from a
universal fabric holster if it gets snagged.
And if iron sights don’t do it for you in
2020, that black plate to the rear of the
slide is designed to remove and replace
with a bespoke RMR Red Dot that’s yet to
be released. The prototype was on display
at this year’s SHOT show and it looks pretty
trick.
BIG GUN HEAVY SLIDE MOAR
GAS
Our first shot out of the box on a fresh
mag of green gas using .20 BBs read
380FPS and kicked hard - that got our
attention! But it soon settled down to an
average of about 300FPS.
In normal usage - giving gas time to
normalise for temperature and then using
just one shot per second - FPS drops off
sharply, from a more realistic 358 with a
full charge to an average of 340 within
the first 10 shots. You’d be well advised to
squeeze off a couple of rounds before you
chrono to come in under the usual (UK)
350 limit then, but after that you’d be safe.
From there - and oversimplifying slightly
- the M17 seems to lose about 20FPS every
10 shots or so. By the time it reaches the
end of the second magazine of BBs on
a single gas charge, the M17 is down to
about 263FPS on average and struggles
to operate. If you wait long enough, it’ll
regain its composure and offer up a few
more shots, but probably best to bank on
re-gassing every time you reload if you can.
OK, there’s a big heavy slide to shuttle
to and fro but that’s still a bit disappointing
when VFC’s own G19X - admittedly shorter
and lighter - can manage up to double the
number of mags. But anyone looking for a
one-to-one training tool with the real deal
won’t be disappointed; empty mag means
reload, after all…
But at least gas fills are done to the
rear of the mag rather than underneath,
which will help with drop resilience and
something we’d like to see adopted as
standard.
The important thing is how the M17
shoots and at 5-10m, it lands most shots
within an inch or so. And it remains
accurate at greater distances - when the
hop comes into play - and it can still hit a
torso-sized target at around 30m or more.
I’ve been happy to take the M17 out
for a skirmish, confident in the knowledge
that it will work as expected. While
the G19X - with its more efficient gas
performance - can still work effectively
when temperatures are down, the M17
can land longer shots on target. The more I
use the M17, the more I like it...
SUMMARY
I don’t know if Sig will love or hate me
for saying this - or more likely just won’t
care either way - but as a relatively big
handgun, the P320 feels a lot like a 1911
on steroids, much like their MCX is even
more so an AR15 that’s levelled up. With
familiar but streamlined control interfaces
alike, that just means they’ve taken two
of the most successful tried-and-tested
platforms of the last 100 years and
improved on proven classics in both cases.
In terms of airsoft replica sidearms,
it seems that VFC is on a roll - and long
may that continue! On recent evidence,
the Taiwanese company has taken a
genuine step up both in terms of quality
and performance to place them on par
with brands that have further reaching
heritages.
As for the M17 on test today, if you
want to replicate the US military’s current
sidearm, then you can do so confident in
the knowledge that the SIgAir by VFC is
also an excellent airsoft option. AA
SigAir P320 M17 ProForce
Price: £156.99
Weight: 761g (Tested)
Length: 20.3cm (Tested)
Inner barrel length: 139.7mm
FPS: 297 avge (Tested)
Hop: Adjustable
Action: Single action only
Construction: Metal slide, polymer
frame
Full auto: No
Power source: Green gas (tested)/CO2
magazine
Magazine type: Metal polymer
Capacity: 27 rounds (Tested)
www.airsoft-action.online 63

Airsoft & MilSim News Blog
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armoury
TM MK46 MOD0 RECOIL LMG
R
E
C
O
I
L
PHIL BUCKNALL TAKES A LONG, HARD LOOK AT THIS MUCH-ANTICIPATED RIFLE FROM TOKYO
MARUI – BUT DOES IT GIVE YOUR SHOULDER A GOOD THUMPING, OR JUST YOUR WALLET!
R
I
F
L
Where to begin with
this one? Possibly
one of the most
anticipated releases of last
year from Marui and if you
asked players prior to its
announcement it would’ve
been one of most in demand
types of gun to have a recoil
function. It’s been a dream
of many for years - a recoil
LMG? Yes please! In fact, I’ve
never owned an LMG and I
never had any desire to do
so either. I didn’t want to
lump it around if my normal
M4 could do what it could
do. The only way I was ever
going to buy one was if it
had recoil. Now some would
argue that the Marui Mk46
is no different to any other
NGRS AEG and, to a degree,
you’d be correct but it is so
much more than just that!
Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you
to the guys at Defcon Airsoft in Stoke-on-
Trent for getting these into the UK superquick
after they were released in Japan and
before pretty much any other retailer in
the UK. If you want to preorder one from
the next batch (and I know they are trying
to secure more as their first batch sold out
on the day of arrival), then drop them a
message at www.defconairsoft.co.uk
OUCH!!
Now let’s address the elephant in the
room straight out of the gates shall
we? The price! Be under no illusions
this is an expensive gun. It’s the flagship
product for Marui and has had huge R&D
expenditure invested in it, plus it comes
with lots of unique features that only
add to the experience when you fire it.
Even the packaging is on another level. I
don’t usually go into much detail when
discussing the box that a gun comes in (as
it’s just a box) but in this instance I’m going
EXTRAORDINAIRE?
to start with it shortly.
The retail price is anywhere from
£1,200 (the Defcon Airsoft Price) to the
highest I’ve seen, at £1,400. Yes, it is a
lot; especially when you consider that the
average price for a standard Mk46 from
other manufacturers is roughly £400-£500.
However, I don’t think it’s a comparison
that’s valid as it is the only gun on the
market with the features it offers - and
those features are definitely worth the
asking price to me! However, it’s a decision
anyone thinking of buying one needs to
make for themselves. It isn’t even the most
expensive airsoft gun available today, that
crown still belongs to the GBLS DAS and,
like the Mk46, it too is a unique item with
zero direct competitors.
BOXING CLEVER
Back now to the packaging that is more
than that. Firstly, the box is huge! It’s about
the same size as three Marui 416 boxes
stacked on top of each other and it’s not
66
MARCH 2020

armoury
TM MK46 MOD0 RECOIL LMG
“THE FIRST THING YOU SEE ON OPENING THE OUTER BOX IS A REALLY NICE GUN
METAL GRAY TRAY WITH A PLASTIC CARRY HANDLE AT EITHER END. WHEN YOU LIFT
THIS OUT THERE’S ANOTHER GUN METAL GRAY BOX BUT THIS ONE HAS A HOLE IN ITS
MIDDLE THROUGH WHICH PROTRUDES THE HANDLES FOR THE INCLUDED GUN BAG -
AND THAT’S HOW YOU LIFT IT OUT.”
light! The first thing you see on opening
the outer box is a really nice gun metal
gray tray with a plastic carry handle at
either end. When you lift this out there’s
another gun metal gray box but this one
has a hole in its middle through which
protrudes the handles for the included gun
bag - and that’s how you lift it out.
Popping the Velcro tabs (which I’ve
never seen as a method for sealing
packaging in airsoft and shows the effort
in presentation and attention to detail
Marui have gone to) on the first box
reveals a selection of small, sturdy brown
boxes, each labelled with the contents. In
one you find the links for the ammo belt
each in its own little cut out; the second
has the fake rounds beautifully presented
in bullet-sized cut outs in a foam tray; the
next box has the box mag in it; another
one has the rather sturdy all metal bipod
and finally the last box has the manual
in it. The manual has been designed so it
actually looks like a pseudo military manual
and even has instructions in English. Unlike
most Marui products, there’s no exploded
diagram but I don’t think anyone is going
to be in a rush to take their £1,200+ pride
and joy apart in a hurry anyway!
Going back to the second box, you
once again peel open the Velcro panels
that secure it and then you see the bag.
This is not some dirt-cheap gimmick of a
bag either, it’s a proper JTECH offering with
YKK zippers and is very sturdy with high
quality stitching holding the very durable
and thick material together. At either end
there are zippered pouches with elasticated
netting for storing bits and bobs or bottles
of BBs, which you’re going to need a lot
of! There are three further pouches on one
of the sides - two smallish horizontal ones
perfect for stick batteries and a few tools
and a large one that could also hold BBs. A
full bag of Airsoft Surgeon BBs fitted quite
nicely but so would a pistol to use as back
up. You could conceivably put everything
gun-wise that you’d need for a day’s play
into this one bag if you wanted to.
On the side pouches are Velcro panels
for moral or ID patches but they already
have on them two of the hottest patches
available now. A Marui one and one that’s
says “Mk46 Mod0”. The bag opens so
that it’s sides will lay flat, revealing the
Mk46 nestling in there supported by a
foam block at each end and holding the
gun securely in place and protected. These
blocks are covered in fabric and have
Velcro straps over them to further hold
down the gun. You can also flip them over
and use the bag to transport two M4 sized
rifles as there are cutouts for two guns
on the underside. The bag has more than
enough padding to protect whatever you
decide to use it for, so no worries there.
THE GUN
Now, to the gun… Oh the gun!! It is one
sturdy, solid, gorgeous, 6.5kg hunk of
gun! The lower is all one piece and its thick
metal too. There is no creak or movement
at all. The same is true of the railed hand
guard. Nice and thick and beautifully
executed. There’s a QD socket on either
side of the gas block in the lower frame.
Everything clicks and locks into place with
a very positive feeling. You know when it’s
locked together or not. The latches that
are there to unlock the feed tray cover
and to remove the outer barrel have no
mush about them, which is a step up from
some guns I’ve tried over the years. The
lever for the barrel gives a nice click when
actuated and the fluted outer barrel and
gas port pops forward to be removed
so a battery can be installed in the rail
underneath it. I use Titan Power Li-ion
2600Mah 7.4v stick packs for this as they
“NOW, TO THE GUN… OH THE GUN!! IT IS ONE STURDY, SOLID, GORGEOUS, 6.5KG
HUNK OF GUN! THE LOWER IS ALL ONE PIECE AND ITS THICK METAL TOO. THERE IS NO
CREAK OR MOVEMENT AT ALL. THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE RAILED HAND GUARD. NICE
AND THICK AND BEAUTIFULLY EXECUTED.”
www.airsoft-action.online 67

armoury
TM MK46 MOD0 RECOIL LMG
provide a lot of power in a decent sized
package. When you push it back in it clicks
and locks solidly too, so no worries there.
The outer barrel is a chunky unit and thus
far I haven’t had any issues with it due to
it being two-piece. RoF, FPS and accuracy
are unaffected by its removal and insertion.
You also have to remove the barrel to
install the bipod, which is all metal and
very sturdy. It deploys easily enough and
has a good range of vertical adjustment.
When folded it moves around a little and
can make the gun a little cumbersome to
hold but when in use this freedom to move
means it’s very easy to pivot on it for an arc
of fire. One thing I noticed here, was that
there is a little metal U-shaped bracket/
guide that the outer barrel sits in. After
a couple of games it had loosened and
needed cinching up with an Allen key. This
could be due to the recoil but more likely
down to using the bipod itself. Marui have
used plastic mock rails for the side rails on
the lower receiver and this is to stop metal
on metal rubbing of the bipod feet on the
body. I personally don’t think it detracts
from the gun in the slightest and has
absolutely zero effect on mounting options
for accessories, as you wouldn’t put them
there anyway. Saying that, I swapped
out the supplied bipod for a Gripod, as I
found the Marui one a bit of a pain in the
arse to be honest! Especially if you ran a
vertical grip on the bottom rail. It was only
swapped for preference and definitely not
because it was subpar or not up to the job
it was made for.
A minor gripe is that the paint finish
on the cone at the breach end of the
barrel has suffered a lot of wear from
the removal/insertion process which may
bother some people - not me though, I like
it! It looks “used”. I just thought it would
take longer to get to the level of wear it
has but I haven’t been overly gentle with it
either so...
Now we get to the receiver and it is
just amazing. The finish is fantastic and so
far, pretty durable. The pistol grip is the
rather large FN fare as expected and just
above it is the push through safety. There
is no fire selector; it’s a support gun after
all. The feed tray cover is sprung so you
don’t need to hold it open when clicking
the fake rounds into their mechanism and
the feed tray itself appears to be metal,
which makes sense given the rounds are
constantly moving on it when the gun is
fired. There is an integral rail running the
length of the cover and I used it to mount
my 558 and magnifier with room to spare
and right at the back is the adjustable
rear sight. The cover release buttons are
one on each side at the rear also. Once
open you have access to a nice chunky
wheel situated front and right of the feed
tray, which is super easy to dial in and
was easily hopping my 0.28g BBs with
more adjustment in the tank, although
“IT’S AN INGENIOUS LITTLE DEVICE; NOT OVERLY COMPLICATED BUT EFFECTIVE AS
IT SLIDES LEFT AND RIGHT, MAKING THE AMMO BELT JUMP INTO THE GUN AND OUT
AGAIN, WHICH, AT FIRING SPEED, REALLY DOES EMULATE A REAL BELT-FED GUN
FEEDING.”
68
MARCH 2020

armoury
TM MK46 MOD0 RECOIL LMG
heavier BBs wouldn’t be a good idea in my
opinion, purely down to cost and the effect
on FPS.
Under the cover you will also find
the caddy that the rounds clip into and
the sprung system that’s connected to
the recoil weight to simulate the rounds
feeding. It’s an ingenious little device;
not overly complicated but effective as it
slides left and right, making the ammo
There was no way it could be little and
it isn’t. I haven’t removed it and have no
interest in doing so either but the accepted
figure is that this is 600g! That’s just great
and you get a nice buzz in the shoulder
after a decent burst. If it had been any less
I think the whole thing would’ve felt pretty
underwhelming to shoot but that simply
isn’t the case... it’s an absolute blast!!
The magazine inserts into a dovetail
can get roughly 200-300 rounds out of it
before you need to wind it further. More
on this later…
The trigger and pistol grip are next
and they are the usual FN fare, so anyone
familiar with the M249 family of guns
won’t be surprised here - nothing really
to write home about. The fire selector is
mounted above the trigger and is the push
through type. It’s either on safe or full auto
belt jump into the gun and out
again, which, at firing speed, really
does emulate a real belt-fed gun
feeding. With it being plastic only
time will tell if it’s durable but with
approximately 9,500 rounds through
the gun to date, it still looks as new.
The fake rounds, however, are frankly a
crushing disappointment!! They look great
out of the box but three games in and the
paint has completely worn off down to
silver where the links hold the rounds and
they look rubbish. I have replaced them
with some inert 5.56mm rounds I had
already and even though these weigh 43%
more, it doesn’t seem to have affected
anything negatively. I am genuinely
horrified that Marui have the balls to
charge $99 for spare rounds and links!!
They’re rubbish and I’d feel robbed if I’d
paid more than $20 for them as spares!
Now, to the recoil weight, which sits
atop the gearbox. Oh boy, if there was one
thing they HAD to get right it was this.
mount on
the underside
of the gun
and also
feeds from
the bottom,
which I much
prefer to the tube
feeding system that most
249s have. One thing that has become
apparent as more people get these guns,
is that this is a potential weakness and
there have been more than a few
reports of this mount breaking -
effectively rendering your gun a
heavy, expensive paperweight. Marui
have even acknowledged this fault and
have made a replacement part available.
If you’re not in Japan and this happens to
you, then you will have to go back to the
retailer from whom you bought it to see if
they can get a replacement through their
importer/distributor.
I have been lucky so far but I am
treating it a little more cautiously after
seeing some of the photos showing this
part split in two. It’s definitely something
I shall be keeping an eye on in the future
though. However, back to the gun… Once
the mag is in place you prime it by pressing
the bullet-shaped button, which is flush
to avoid it getting hit accidentally, on the
top of the mag hidden under the belt of
fake rounds. It’ll wind the mag on and you
Image courtesy: Landwarrior Airsoft
as per the real firearm. Finally,
we get to the stock and seeing as
there are no mechanical or electrical
components in there, it is a bit surprising
that Marui have gone with the full stock
option over the collapsible one, which
most people would want. It should be
possible to retrofit one of the aftermarket
Mk46 stocks to the Marui without too
much fettling. I hope!!
HOW DOES IT SHOOT?
Pretty sure we’ve covered everything from
muzzle to butt stock now, so I suppose
we’d better get onto how the thing
shoots.
Everything so far certainly points to
a very high level of attention to detail;
materials used (bar the magazine dovetail
mount!), innovative features and solidity
certainly helps explain why the Mk46 is at
the price point it is. What we really want
though, is a gun that shoots like it is worth
£1,200+. For some people that means a
ridiculous RoF, or an ability to shoot out
to 800m with magic, heat-seeking BBs
and this is where I think quite a bit of the
“hate” comes from, as it obviously doesn’t
“…ON A MEASURED 60M RANGE WITH A LIVE TARGET … TO RECORD WHERE THE
BBS LANDED AND USING 0.28G AIRSOFT SURGEON PRECISION BBS, THEY HAD
ABSOLUTELY NO TROUBLE REACHING OUT TO THAT RANGE AND FURTHER – AND THAT
WAS WITH A MAX RECORDED FPS OF 237!!”
www.airsoft-action.online 69

armoury
TM MK46 MOD0 RECOIL LMG
“BY THE END OF THE FIRST MORNING GAME EVERYONE ON SITE KNEW WHEN AND
WHERE I WAS PURELY BY THE VERY DISTINCTIVE SOUND THE 46 MAKES. IT IS NOT
AN ANEMIC SEWING-MACHINE, IT HAS A PROPER BARK AND A REAL SOLID-FEELING
RECOIL IMPULSE THAT PROVIDES A NICE THUMP TO THE SHOULDER.”
do those things. Also, you are quite right
in assuming that “your mates A&K M249
can shoot faster and further” but this does
not mean that is better, just that it is just
different and it doesn’t do anything else
the Mk46 does.
I’ve also seen a veritable tsunami of
negative comments about the Mk46’s
range. I can’t comment on what other
reviewers have done with them to get
such appalling range with low weight BBs
because on a measured 60m range with a
live target (many thanks to Joe from Sixmil
for being said live target!) to record where
the BBs landed and using 0.28g Airsoft
Surgeon precision BBs, they had absolutely
no trouble reaching out to that range
and further – and that was with a max
recorded FPS of 237!! So I would say that
if you see vitriolic and downright ridiculous
negative comments about the Mk46, they
are likely to have come from someone who
has never even seen, let alone held one in
the flesh, or has another type of Mk46, or
they are just salty cause they can’t afford
one. Contentious statement maybe but a
lot of the abuse I’ve had (yes, abuse!!), has
been from people who ended their rant
with “I’ve never seen one and I don’t want
to as I wouldn’t buy it anyway!” Guess
what? You ain’t Marui’s target market
sunshine!!
With the mag inserted, rounds clipped
in under the feed tray, battery inserted and
charging handle racked, it was game time.
I used the 46 as intended; I would take up
a position and lay down short, controlled
bursts so my team could advance and if
it was a defend game, then I would sit
in one spot and provide… erm… “area
denial” I believe the term is. I say “short”
bursts because I quickly discovered that
I got through the 1,000-round box mag
fairly rapidly and secondly, it is so loud
next to your ear that if you did hit anyone
you wouldn’t necessarily hear them shout
“HIT!” By the end of the first morning
game everyone on site knew when and
where I was purely by the very distinctive
sound the 46 makes. It is not an anemic
sewing-machine, it has a proper bark and
a real solid-feeling recoil impulse that
provides a nice thump to the shoulder.
I played without winding the box mag
as I used it and sure enough, every few
hundred rounds the gun would stop. You
would then have to wind the mag on and
recock the gun - perfect for the simulation
of reloading and meaning that you can’t
just walk around with your finger pressed
all the way to the rear of the trigger guard
- there are, limited, consequences! The
46 is great fun to shoot and I thoroughly
enjoyed using it as did everyone else who
has had a go since. Not a single person
said it was overpriced, even if they had no
intention of ever getting one.
Whilst the 46 is not the heaviest
support gun out there by a considerable
margin; it is still heavy and for me having
never used a LMG in airsoft before and
having a bad back too I found I was only
able to use it for a few games and then
I’d have to revert back to one of my trusty
M4’s. I don’t mind this but for those who
have fully embraced the LMG role in a
team or squad and especially for those
teams that play exclusively Milsim games
where they stick to designated roles, I
imagine lumping it around all day and
night is part of the appeal, maybe?
Internally I have absolutely no idea what
it looks like; what the gearbox architecture
is like or what the upgrade potential is
and I have no desire to find out. It shoots
at a very realistic RoF and has good range
even with heavy weight BBs. To mess
with that while the gun is so new and
no aftermarket support is evident would
seem to be a fool’s errand but one I am
sure someone will embark upon before too
long! Not me though.
SUMMARY
I like the Mk46. I think they could definitely
improve on the quality of the fake rounds,
however, but apart from that I’m not sure
what else they really need to do, seeing
as the dovetail issue has already been
addressed. It is fun to shoot and provides a
level of realism to the LMG role that hasn’t
existed before. It has several safety features
to prevent damage, like not being able to
fire without the outer barrel inserted and
the top cover closed and it is beautifully
put together. It is accurate and works and
makes you smile when you use it; what
more could you ask for from a gun?
Cost-wise, well that’s up to you to
decide if it’s worth the asking price and
whether you’re happy spending £1,200+
on a single gun - remember though; even
at £1,200 it still isn’t the most expensive
gun out there! It is, however, probably the
most distinctive! AA
www.airsoft-action.online 71

WIN
competition
WIN VORSK 001!
Win VORSK
NUMBER 001!
If you read Bill Thomas’ overview of the new Vorsk pistols in the January
issue, where he said of the (then) upcoming release “I will finish up
by saying that I really am keen for this project to reach fruition, and to
see those new models arriving on store shelves. The culmination of
months of concept work, design, and development, each Vorsk pistol
combines direct input from airsoft shooters around the globe along with
the experience of the best factories in the business, to create a family
of pistols that are equally at home on the skirmish field as on the range.”
Shortly afterwards Vorsk pistols started to appear in the shops but one
very special pistol was kept back… Pistol Number 001, the very first and
now you can win it in this special competition!
This Vorsk is a HI-CAPA 5.1 with a Black slide and Dark Earth frame
and comes with a Red Dot Sight fitted, so all you have to add is some
NUPROL gas and BBs – and if you want to know how well Vorsk pistols
perform, make sure you read Nige’s coverage of the Airsoft Surgeon
Championship in this issue.
All you have to do is answer three questions which, if you read Bill’s
VX-9 article and visit the Vorsk website, shouldn’t be too difficult!
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning this superb pistol,
is answer the following questions correctly and get your entry in before
the closing date.
Here are the questions… good luck!
Q1: Which movies and games inspired the new VORSK VX-9?
Q2: How many models are there currently in the VORSK Range of GBB
Pistols?
Q3: Which real-world pistol model was the inspiration for the VORSK
HiCapa 5.1?
Enter online at www.airsoft-action.online. You can also post your
entries to: VORSK Competition, Airsoft Action, Calibre Publishing,
Wyche Innovation Centre, Walwyn Road, Malvern, Worcs, WR13
6PL, UK or email to: competition@airsoft-action.co.uk with “VORSK
Competition” in the subject line. Entries received after midnight on
14th March 2020 will not be valid. One entry per person. Entrants must
be at least 18 years old. The winner will be the first entry randomly
drawn from all the correct entries. Incomplete or illegible entries will be
discarded.
GDPR: By entering this competition you are giving explicit consent for Calibre Publishing Ltd.
to retain personally identifiable information for the purposes of contacting the winner of this
competition. All entries will be destroyed after the closing date.
Please note: This competition is open to everyone 18 years and older, however, there may
be restrictions with regard to importation or ownership in your Country. Please check before
entering. The prize includes delivery in the UK, if you are outside the UK, a small charge to
cover the cost of delivery will be made before despatch.
www.airsoft-action.online 73

THE COLLECTOR
GREASE GUN
THE
IN THE SECOND OF FRENCHIE’S “COLLECTOR” SERIES IN
THIS ISSUE, HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO A GUN THAT
WAS WELL-LIKED BY THOSE WHO USED IT.
COLLECTOR:
A LITTLE BIT OF GREASE
This time we’ll take a look at another
historic firearm in airsoft form and
one I have a fairly big soft spot for -
The US M3/M3A1 submachine gun, better
known as “the Grease gun”. There are
several airsoft options to choose from -
we’ll get to them later but first, a short
history lesson.
The USA entered WWII with the
Thompson as their M1 submachine gun.
Although a tried and tested design, the
Thompson was heavy and expensive, in
large part due to manufacturing processes
which hadn’t changed significantly since
the end of WWI. Although the USA would
simplify production and reduce cost, it
was rapidly apparent once they were fully
involved in the war that a replacement was
needed; something much cheaper and
easier to produce in large numbers.
The US Ordnance board realised in
1941 that these “gangster” guns were
actually highly effective in combat and
ordered a study to develop its own “Sten
gun” in 1942.
George Hyde, of General Motors Inland
Division would design the gun, working
closely with Frederick Sampson who would
oversee tooling and production. After
testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds,
the gun was formally adopted in December
1942 as “U.S. Submachine Gun .45 calibre
M3”.
As requested, the gun was constructed
from stamped steel with a minimum of
machining. A simple collapsible wire stock
was used and there was no fire selector,
the Ordnance Board having decided that
full-auto only was sufficient. The low
rate of fire - circa 500 rounds per minute
- meant that it was easy enough to fire
short burts and the design exceeded the
accuracy requirements demanded by the
Army. There is, lurking on the internet
somewhere, a short film showing the
comparative accuracy of the M3, the MP40
and the Thompson. With its low rate of
fire, the M3 is significantly more accurate
than either of the other two submachine
guns.
Of the original design, around 600,000
would be produced by the end of the war.
There were two significant design changes
resulting in the M3A1 - the mechanical
“A SIMPLE COLLAPSIBLE WIRE STOCK WAS USED AND THERE WAS NO FIRE SELECTOR, THE
ORDNANCE BOARD HAVING DECIDED THAT FULL-AUTO ONLY WAS SUFFICIENT. THE LOW RATE OF FIRE
- CIRCA 500 ROUNDS PER MINUTE - MEANT THAT IT WAS EASY ENOUGH TO FIRE SHORT BURTS AND
THE DESIGN EXCEEDED THE ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS DEMANDED BY THE ARMY. ”
74
MARCH 2020

THE COLLECTOR
GREASE GUN
cocking lever and pawl
were removed, replaced
with a simple hole in
the bolt for cocking.
This
meant
lengthening
the ejection
port and
moving the
safety, which was integral with the cover.
Other changes included moving the
oiler bottle to the grip (it had previously
been mounted on the receiver) and
adding a loading tool to the stock to aid
reloading of magazines. The stock itself,
when removed, now served as a wrench
to remove the barrel for cleaning and
maintenance. This model, the M3A1
would see little service in WWII but would
serve with the US Army until the first Gulf
War, as the personal weapon for tank
crews.
If the M3 had one flaw, it was to use
a double stack/single feed magazine
based on the Sten magazine, which was
in turn based on the MP38/40 magazine.
This design has always been less reliable
than a double stack/double feed design
and would cause stoppages, especially if
damaged or dirty. That aside, the M3 was
a reliable gun, far more compact than the
Thompson and considerably lighter and
despite acquiring the nickname “Grease
gun”, was well-liked by troops. Although
technically obsolete following the adoption
of the M14 rifle (which was meant to
replace sub machine guns), the M3 would
be found in Vietnam, both originals and
locally made copies. A suppressed model
was made as this simply required swapping
out the barrel for a drilled version with
an integrated suppressor and there were
kits available to convert the gun to 9mm,
presumably to take advantage of captured
ammunition. However, the US Army never
took to this idea and relatively few of these
kits were produced.
AIRSOFT M3S
Not surprisingly, Ares were first to this
party with their M3A1. A perfectly nice
wall hanger and, with Ares inexplicably
deciding to put the battery in the
magazine, that’s where it is likely to stay.
Fortunately,
the world loves to
copy Ares and the S&T
version, also an M3A1,
puts the battery in the
pistol grip. It’s a tight
squeeze, but it goes in and
you don’t have to mess
around every time you run
out of ammo!
ICS are also fond of
the odder guns, and they
produced an M3. Snow Wolf
appears to have cloned this
version. In the ICS design,
the rear of the receiver
tube comes off to allow the
battery to be installed.
All of the guns are made from alloy
rather than steel - no surprise - and all
have tried to replicate the grey, phosphate
finish applied to the real gun, with varying
degrees of success. I strongly suspect that
any one of these would look much better
after either a bit of use, or some careful
weathering. Ironically, the airsoft M3
variants also seem to suffer from weakness
in the charging pawl, a problem with the
original guns. This is either due to soft
alloy or a failure to understand exactly how
they work. For a display or re-enactment
piece, this wouldn’t be a major
issue but it’s worth bearing
in mind.
ACCURACY IS
EVERYTHING
On neither of the M3s will you
find the oil bottle in its bracket
on the left-hand side of the
receiver but the Snow Wolf
variant doesn’t know what it
is! The ICS is largely correct
- original M3 stock, cocking
pawl, short ejection port cover.
The Snow Wolf has the later
M3A1 stock with the loading
tool, the longer port cover of
the M3A1, the Grip mounted
oiler and the fake bolt has the
thumb hole from the M3A1 that replaced
the failed external lever. In short, the Snow
Wolf is basically an M3A1, with a cocking
lever.
If we turn our attention to the Ares, we
find all the same inaccuracies as we have
seen on the Snow Wolf, leaving only the
S&T version to save the day and, thankfully,
it does! It is a proper M3a1 - correct stock,
correct port cover, correct bolt, correct
oiler placement and correct sights. Of the
others, the ICS comes closest but is blessed
with the sights from the M3A1 variant for
some reason.
If you’re a collector, or a reenactor, the
S&T is a safe bet - it is correct in all details.
If you need the earlier version, ICS is nearly
there - only the lack of an oiler and the
wrong sights let it down. As to the Ares
and Snow Wolf, I personally wouldn’t give
either of them house room, when there is
a correct replica of the M3A1 out there in
the shape of the S&T.
For those of you that play, the M3A1
especially covers everything from WWII
right up to the first Gulf War, if you
fancy doing a US Army tanker loadout.
It’s acceptable for Vietnam and I would
guess that it has cropped up in conflicts
around the globe. According to Wiki, it
was used by the British 78th Division after
1944 and by 41 Commando in
the Korean
war. The Chinese
produced two
versions of it; the Type 36 and the Type 37
- both also used in Korea. The Free French
used it in WWII, it also saw service with
them in IndoChina and in Algeria. As a gun
to suit a variety of loadouts, I’m not sure it
can be beaten.
It wasn’t beautiful and its magazine was
a weakness, albeit not a unique one but,
as simple blowback submachines guns go,
the M3 was arguably one of the best ever
produced! AA
“ALL OF THE GUNS ARE MADE FROM ALLOY RATHER THAN STEEL - NO SURPRISE - AND ALL
HAVE TRIED TO REPLICATE THE GREY, PHOSPHATE FINISH APPLIED TO THE REAL GUN, WITH
VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT ANY ONE OF THESE WOULD
LOOK MUCH BETTER AFTER EITHER A BIT OF USE, OR SOME CAREFUL WEATHERING. ”
www.airsoft-action.online 75

EVENT REPORT
OZ1 CONQUEST 19 - NEW ZEALAND
BEING EFFECTIVELY BANNED IN AUSTRALIA, IGGY ROBERTS
HAS TO TRAVEL TO NZ TO GET HIS AIRSOFT FIX, FROM
WHERE HE REPORTS ON OZ1’S LATEST BIG GAME.
OZ1
CONQUEST 19
As I was thinking of the next move I
should issue to the Global Coalition
(GC) under my command, to do
my disbelief I saw the commander of the
United Federation Front (UFF) walking
in the open battlefield. I got one of my
guys in Alpha section with a DMR to
shoot him and before he had a chance to
respawn, we went out to him and wished
him a good morning; we then exchanged
various pleasantries whilst both sides
were aggressively engaging one another
all around us, a very unreal moment. All
that was missing was a cup of tea! After
a quick photo opportunity, we let him go
and returned to flank the UFF who were
attacking Charlie section as they attempted
to reach the drone capture point.
All the guys I sent around the flank
of the UFF were killed by a sniper and a
machine gunner. I then told Charlie section
to withdraw as I laid down suppressing fire
to block their withdrawal. I was happy with
the lay of the map at present. We owned 4
capture points to their 2.
This all happened just under 2 hours
into day 2 of the Conquest 19 game run
by OZ1.
THE BEGINNING
I was offered the role of GC commander.
A role I was excited and honoured to
be given but let’s take this back a few
days. I arrived with two other friends in
Christchurch, New Zealand at 01:00 hrs
on Thursday morning, where we were
greeted by a familiar face, Dave the sniper
I teamed up with in Conquest 18. He had
been in-country a day already and enjoyed
some great private games and took great
pleasure in letting us know all about his
new Gas Blow Back (GBB) Glock 19 pistol
he had just bought!
After being shown our room and
waking up the lad that was already there,
we all slept (as best as one can when
excited) until 06:00. We had a breakfast
and went straight to Ultimate Airsoft store.
This experience is so good I visit every year
because, for many Australians, it’s their
first time they actually get their hands on
an Airsoft gun. Once everyone got what
they needed and we picked up our hire
guns, we jumped back in the car and
headed to the airsoft site.
We played a few simple games with the
Aussie Assassins team, which allowed us
to see a bit of the site and get used to our
hired M4s. One of the guys, Phillip, had
an SLR which performed very well. I had
to stay low and move quickly to even get
close enough to lay effective fire on him.
I must say the SLR is an impressive airsoft
weapon when used effectively (as Phil
does) it can really make a mess of enemy
tactics and organisation.
Unfortunately, it started to rain about
two hours into our gaming and we were
called back to the shop because the guys
from Unlimited Airsoft were concerned
about the hire guns shorting out. In respect
to them, they gave us our money back for
the hire and green fee; of which most of
us spent again in their shop or indoor CQB
site! That evening we went out for dinner
with the Aussie Assassins in Christchurch
before catching up on some, by now much
needed sleep.
“ONCE WE HAD VISITED ALL THE CAPTURE POINTS, THE DAY WAS DRAWING TO A
CLOSE AND PEOPLE WERE GETTING TIRED, AMMO WAS LOW AND SOME BATTERIES
WERE STARTING TO DIE. I GOT A CALL OVER THE COMMAND RADIO... GET YOUR TEAM
READY TO DEFEND YOUR CURRENT CAPTURE POINT! ”
76
MARCH 2020

EVENT REPORT
OZ1 CONQUEST 19 - NEW ZEALAND
PREP DAY
Friday morning, game prep and orientation
day. We arrived at the Airsoft site early
to get the best prep area and soon after
both sides had everyone present and
correct. Myself and the UFF Commander
were told to get our guys and take them
to designated capture points. The day
comprised of a round-robin tour of the
site, allowing both sides to view the
locations of the capture points for the
upcoming Conquest 19 game. At each
location we were told about any key points
we should know about the capture point,
such as hazards, out of bounds areas etc.
Then we practiced various tactics, often
through using them in a mini-skirmish.
This allowed the players to see what
works and how theory adapts to practice.
There is nothing like doing it for real in my
opinion. Also, it gave people trigger time,
which is what they paid a lot of money and
travelled internationally for.
We were all made aware of a third
team in the game, the Private Military
Contractors (PMC). They would support
either side, be neutral or against everyone,
all in benefit of the overall game. What
team they were on was indicated by how
they wore their baseball caps. Peak to
the front they sided with the UFF, Peaks
back they favoured the GC, Peaks to the
side meant they were against all and no
baseball caps meant they were neutral and
not in game.
Once we had visited all the capture
points, the day was drawing to a close
and people were getting tired, ammo
was low and some batteries were starting
to die. I got a call over the Command
radio... Get your team ready to defend
your current capture point! The UFF are
advancing to take it from you! At once I
got what players I had left in a defendable
position. The UFF arrived and advanced
what seemed to be from all around us. We
fought until there was not one of us left
to defend, so eventually the remaining UFF
walked up and claimed the capture point.
A lesson learnt there. I must do better
tomorrow!!
DAY ONE
Both sides arrived in good time ready and
keen to do battle. I am told to muster the
guys and take them to my start point.
As soon as we were away from the UFF
I divulge my plan. To my frustration one
of the guys informed me I had been
misinformed and my planned route
couldn’t be achieved because we would
be trespassing on private land. So, after a
quick last-minute change in the plan, we
set off. To our surprise, the UFF had no
such issues and already reported over the
main game radio, “Game control, Village
held by UFF. Out.” “Game control, Drone
held by UFF. Out”
We rushed to our first capture point,
the kill house at Hanger capture point. One
of our guys radioed it into game control.
After a small exchange of fire with the
PMC team we held the kill house and two
of our sections (Alpha and Delta) chased
the withdrawing PMC forces until they
reached the forest capture point, of which
another of our side reported the capture
into game control.
“AFTER WHAT SEEMED AN ETERNITY FOXTROT AND ECHO (OR WHAT REMAINED
OF THEM) MANAGED TO PUSH OUT THE UFF FROM FORT MURRAY. THERE WERE A
FEW SNIPERS AND DMRS DUG IN THE FOLIAGE, WHICH WERE INCREDIBLY HARD TO
ERADICATE AND COST A GREAT NUMBER OF GC LIVES. ”
www.airsoft-action.online 77

EVENT REPORT
OZ1 CONQUEST 19 - NEW ZEALAND
I decided to stick to my plan of using
the Hanger kill house as my main point
to operate from. I sent Foxtrot and Echo
section to take over the Fort Murray and
push through to mortar. This capture point
was now cut off with only one way in and
out due to the sudden change in the map.
I wanted GC to own the Hanger, Forest,
Fort Murray and Mortar capture points. I
discarded the village as its location is too
far out to defend or send any support. I
planned on keeping the enemy busy at the
drone capture point, that way they would
be distracted and lose focus on trying to
drive their forces through the dogleg to the
other capture points.
After what seemed an eternity Foxtrot
and Echo (or what remained of them)
managed to push out the UFF from Fort
Murray. There were a few snipers and
DMRs dug in the foliage, which were
incredibly hard to eradicate and cost a
great number of GC lives. Once I received
the message we held Fort Murray, I sent
Bravo section to assault and take the drone
capture point. Charlie section was already
part of the way there as I left them in a
defensive role ahead of the hanger capture
point “our GC
HQ”. A soon as
Bravo section
were just out
of sight from
the defending
Charlie section
they were under
fire. I knew
the UFF would
be strong, so I
advanced with
the few players
I had left in
Alpha section
(my section) and
took Charlie
section out
of defence to
assist me. I told
Bravo to return
to the Hanger
after they had
respawned.
We got within
20m of the
drone capture
point but simply
couldn’t push
any further with
the numbers
we had. The
enemy were too
great in number
and when they
respawned,
they started to
flank around us.
I didn’t like how our odds were looking.
I took Alpha back to a bung line and
used it to move
around the flank
to a pill box
where we could
support Charlie
section that was
pinned down and
locked in furious
exchange of fire
with the UFF. It
was at this point
I spotted the
UFF commander
and took the
opportunity
to make an
example of him
in a gentlemanly
manner.
Upon returning
the kill house at
Hanger capture
point I checked
how the other
sections were
getting on. To my delight we still held
the dog leg capture points. So I left the
hanger in the capable defence of Charlie
and Bravo with instructions to push again
on the drone should they wish. I took all
of Alpha section I had with me down to
the forest capture point. It was great to be
reunited with my whole section again!
We heard that Fort Murray capture
point was under constant barrage from
UFF members that respawned in region of
their capture point. We decided to leave
the Forrest capture point to investigate
and support. We ventured towards Fort
Murray and found a large group of UFF
pushing on Delta and Foxtrot sections. We
picked them off as they were all facing the
opposite direction assaulting Fort Murray.
The enemies we didn’t get, the guys from
Delta and Foxtrot sections in Fort Murray
did.
I decided to try another tactic that
would free up manpower to assault on
the reaming capture points. Our intention
was to block off the access to the dog leg
area of the map by using the forest capture
point as a defendable base and operate
defensive patrols across the only access
area into the dog leg. However, after
fighting a few UFF forces that were still
roaming the forest we were all called back
to game HQ by radio.
This was the end of Day One. We were
in a good place, eight and a half hours
capture time ahead of the UFF.
After a quick feed we returned to
the site for some night games. I took
advantage of the darkness and got in
a few knife kills. Although it was hard
because I knew a few of the players had
78
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EVENT REPORT
OZ1 CONQUEST 19 - NEW ZEALAND
night vision, so slowly approaching them
with my rubber knife was quite nerveracking.
NEXT DAY
The next morning we started at the
opposite side to the day before. All
positions were free again. I had a plan...
Send the same sections up the dogleg
to capture and hold Fort Murray and the
forest whilst I, with three other sections,
race to the village and drone capture
points.
To my horror, as soon as the game
started we found we were on the back
foot, as the PMC team had already started
ahead of us and were aiding the UFF in
advancing to the village. Bravo Section,
who went straight for the drone, were all
slaughtered in the open ground by extreme
high numbers of UFF and PMC forces. We
made it to the village but were quickly
surrounded and the UFF poured manpower
into the village as the PMC team flanked
around using their range from their DMRs
to pick us off as we took cover to defend
the village. I, accompanied by Dayna from
Charlie section, set up a small ambush in
the path of the flanking PMC team and
managed to hold off the first volley of
their assault. However, after I noticed it
was only myself and half of Charlie section
remaining I decided to withdraw and
regroup. All that were left managed to get
out and we used cover and manoeuvre to
get ourselves to a safe location. There we
were joined by other members who were
back from respawn and decided to go for
yesterday’s stronghold, the kill house at
hanger capture point.
We swiftly made our way from cover
to cover through the open field until we
reached the tree line where we started
yesterday. To our shock the UFF were there
in large numbers to our right and to the
front. Charlie section, thirsty for vengeance
dived right in and fought hard but as their
numbers started to dwindle a lone gunman
that was sitting in a hut we passed could
not believe his luck. All fourteen of us
passed him without him being spotted
and by the time he looked to see what
we were up to, we were already low in
surviving numbers and engaged in combat
facing away from him. He simply used
his DMR and picked us off one at a time,
by the time each of us realised what was
happening it was too late!
This wasn’t the start I had hoped for.
The rest of Sunday pretty much felt that
way. Any move I made the UFF, bolstered
by the PMC, would swarm us and although
we caused many enemy casualties, we
simply didn’t have as many guys engaged
as they did. We also lacked the range of
the PMC team.
Our next move was to clear the dogleg
and bring out Foxtrot and Delta sections
that had secured Fort Murray but were
under constant continued attack. We got
to the forest capture point to find a red
UFF flag flying. I couldn’t let that be, so
planned a three-pronged assault to the
capture point. We just got to the capture
point and were about to be overrun when
Pikachew came bouncing in and changed
the flag to ours aided by the PMC team,
who were now helping us!
After this strange victory I sent Bravo
and Charlie section back up to Hanger to
take our old home. They swiftly advanced
into the distance, on a course to do just
that!
With Alpha section, I went to aid Fort
Murray but by the time we got there it
was quiet... eerily quiet! We could see the
GC guys manning the walls of the Fort. As
soon as they had eyes on us they opened
fire. After a fair amount of shouting and
radio calls whilst taking cover from our
own side, they realised it was us and
welcomed us into the fort. They were all
twitchy on their triggers from constant
assault all morning and no support. Jacob,
one of the guys in my section, realised
that one sneaky UFF player switched the
Fort Murray flag to red. The capture point
wasn’t in the fort itself but behind a tree
outside of the fort. I promptly went there
and fixed the problem. Whilst there I
radioed game control for a battle space
picture of who owned what. The response
was not in our favour. We only held Fort
Murray and the Hanger. Even the Forest
had been taken back. Just then a familiar
voice came over the capture point radio...
Taunting me and letting me know I was
being hunted. It was Phil, the leader of the
Aussie Assassins and a good friend - but
“BETWEEN THEM AND THE REST OF THE GUYS DEFENDING THE FORT NOT ONE UFF
GOT CLOSE TO DIGGING US OUT. ONE OF MY GUYS IN ALPHA RAN OUT OF AMMO, SO I
GAVE HIM MY RIFLE AND PULLED OUT MY KNIFE. I WAS NOW FIGHTING WITH A KNIFE
AND A RADIO!!”
www.airsoft-action.online 79

EVENT REPORT
OZ1 CONQUEST 19 - NEW ZEALAND
not whilst he was on the side of the UFF.
I knew this meant trouble. I went back
into the fort to find out where all the GC
players were on the map.
Whilst radioing for each section we got
hit again and again at the fort. The PKM,
M60 and my own gunner in Alpha section,
Lucas with his G&G CM16 LMG, were
constantly firing repeated bursts for what
seemed an hour. Between them and the
rest of the guys defending the fort not one
UFF got close to digging us out. One of my
guys in Alpha ran out of ammo, so I gave
him my rifle and pulled out my knife. I was
now fighting with a knife and a radio!!
We pushed the assaulting forces back
out from the dogleg. After they were
gone, the machine gunners poured their
fourth bag of BBs for the day into their box
magazines. I got my hire gun back and we
could actually breathe.
An opportunity came over the radio.
The PMC team were escorting a high
value target (HVT) through the site and
if captured, then the team that captured
the HVT would get a bonus hour added
to their final capture time. I split Charlie
section into two fire teams and left one
fire team to roam the open areas of the
map as a reconnaissance team, “Call Sign
Queen”.
I set up a team to assault the PMC guys
head-on using every available GC player
I could spare, consisting of Alpha section
and the remainder of Charlie section. All
other GC units failed to respond due to
being locked in the bigger game. The
PMC team were further ahead than we
had thought and we were too exposed to
set up a strong defence of their advance.
As they pushed through and around us,
Elmo from Sesame Street brandishing an
AK walked in the middle of them! My last
message before being wiped out by the
PMC team was for “Queen to kill Elmo”!!!
That did actually happen, although
it didn’t count because Elmo got to
his extraction point. There were a few
GC there but they were killed off by
the advancing PMC and the UFF came
from the other side of the GC guys. The
response of the PMC were to turn their
caps sideways to allow them to engage all
sides and no one got Elmo.
We pushed to the Hanger capture point
and the kill house where Bravo and Charlie
section went earlier. I got hit along with my
2nd in command of the section. We both
had to go to respawn leaving my section to
push on.
When I came back into the game I
was joined by another GC player from
Charlie section. We both wanted to get to
the Hangar capture point. Unfortunately,
between us and the hanger capture point
was the entire PMC team. We thought
“why not?” and made a very short-lived
assault, trying to break through their lines
to our friendly forces on the other side. The
PMC team took me prisoner. By the time I
was taken to the PMC leader our guys had
lost the kill house. It was decided that I was
to be made an example of... I was forced
to my knees and executed in front of as
many GC players as they could find. After
that I was told to get all my forces together
for the final game.
FINAL GAME
This involved a truce between the UFF
and GC where both armies would meet
on good terms and the UFF would hand
over a briefcase containing the launch
codes for the UFF ballistic missile program
in an offering for peace. This displeased
the PMC team as it meant they couldn’t
fight for either side, so they shot the UFF
leader, knifed me and ran off with the
launch codes to sell on the black market.
They held out in the kill house and other
surrounding buildings.
Both the UFF and GC worked together
momentarily to secure the briefcase
from the PMC guys. Only problem was
they were in the back of the kill house
behind many PMC guys and the kill house
maze that was laced with booby traps. I
couldn’t just watch people sheepishly try
to enter the kill house so I took the lead
and charged the entrance activating the
booby trap, at the same time as receiving
a grenade and being shot in the head from
a GBB pistol, all in the same instant! Yeah,
there wasn’t much left of me after that;
but we were in! Eventually the PMC team
fell and we had the case. Only a few UFF
started a rebellion and wanted the codes
back and the war to continue. The case
switched sides five times before leaving the
kill house. Outside the UFF got it and they
just ran.
Whichever side got the case back to
game control got a bonus of an hour
added to their overall capture time and I
had an ambush waiting, just in case this
happened. However, the UFF ran through
the car park so my GC ambush couldn’t
shoot at them because the customer’s cars
were parked there and by the time they
got their sights on them it was too late.
Throughout the day the UFF had almost
got their overall capture time equal to ours
from the first day, then with the bonus
points from having the case in the end they
were the victors of Conquest 19.
The game came to a close and later
that evening we enjoyed the tradition of all
dining at the Lone Star Steakhouse, where
war stories were exchanged and thanks
was given to key organisers of another
sterling OZ1 event, along with the annual
presentation of the honourable Dingo
awards. This year’s Dingo awards were
presented to Adrian AKA Candy man, Rob,
Victor and to my surprise and delight I was
a recipient too.
Conquest 19 was a brilliant event with
good old-fashioned airsoft game play,
along with moments of humour thrown in.
I am already waiting for the next OZ1 trip
to New Zealand. AA
80
MARCH 2020

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last post
UPGRADES
WHAT PRICE,
UPGRADES?
HAVING SEEN AN AMAZING FIGURE TOUTED ON FACEBOOK, FRENCHIE EXAMINES THE TRICKY SUBJECT OF
UPGRADES OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SOME PLAYERS SEEM WILLING TO SPEND
ON THEM.
I
am no stranger to this subject but I saw
something this week on Facebook that
made me go “What”?!!
Someone had posted about a £900
upgrade to a Marui SCAR. Yup, £900
Great British Pounds, or $1,171.00
freedom loving Dollars, if you prefer! That
is considerably more than the gun itself
cost and it’s widely accepted that the
current Generation of Marui recoil guns are
no slouches straight out the box. So how
do you justify spending that much on an
airsoft gun?!
I went to the original post and the
many comments it generated to try and
glean what exactly had been done for the
money. Yes, there were internal upgrades
but nothing that justified the asking price.
Polishing rails and adjusting the Angle
of Engagement, unless teeth have been
removed, is bullsh*t fairy dust stuff. Then
claiming to remove teeth to adjust AoE
just makes it worse! Lots of this stuff is of
highly dubious value (read: almost none)
but a good way to pretend you are, as a
tech, somehow more dedicated than other
techs. As an aside I would suggest that this
£900 upgrade demonstrates nothing that
justifies the cost. That doesn’t mean you
can’t.
DEEP BREATH AND…
I’m going to roll my outrage right back and
try and be sensible about this - for once.
Like many techs I tend to regard
“upgrades” as something that enhances,
or materially improves the performance
of the gun and, like most techs, I tend to
think of mechanical or electrical/electronic
improvements only. I therefore dismiss
things like rails, sights, replacement
external parts and the like as mere “bolt
ons” - not really upgrades. Which I realise
is wrong and somewhat snobbish - you can
upgrade a gun without having to get all
greasy.
Let me turn briefly to the dictionary:
Upgrade - raise (something) to a higher
standard, in particular improve (equipment
or machinery) by adding or replacing
components. “By adding or replacing
components…” That’s a pretty key
expression there. Yes, if I rebuild a gearbox
using higher quality components and
taking more care than was maybe shown
in the factory, that is an upgrade. But if
you really dislike the stock pistol grip and
find it off-putting, or like me you favour a
short foregrip on a rail to push against to
improve control, that too is an upgrade - it
is improving the performance of the rifle,
for you at least. I therefore apologise
unreservedly for being a bit of a snobby
tech for years!
Any change to a gun that makes
it easier to handle, use, deploy, carry,
whatever is technically an upgrade. Once I
accept that, I can start to understand why
you can spend shedloads on upgrades,
especially if you factor in the cost of fancy
(and expensive) external parts. Good
rails or replacement front ends are not
cheap - you can easily reckon on a couple
of hundred pounds for good kit from a
reputable supplier. You may need to pay
someone to fit it - the SCAR recoil has
working parts extending well forward of
the magazine well - having been bitten by
a SCAR through my own foolishness once I
can understand that you might not want to
just go lamping in there full of enthusiasm
and ignorance. Even things like PTS plastic
components aren’t cheap, let’s be honest,
and some of the decent quality internal
upgrades for Marui guns are reasonably
pricey too. It all adds up, and depending
on where you want to end up, adds up
quickly.
The underlying question is whether
it’s worth it really breaks down into two
parts: is it worth it to you, and is it value
for money? I can’t answer that first one:
that’s up to the owner. As to the second,
it probably depends on how you assess
the cost. As I have stated before, any
upgrade to a decent stock airsoft gun
is probably already bucking the law of
“POLISHING RAILS AND ADJUSTING THE ANGLE OF ENGAGEMENT, UNLESS TEETH HAVE BEEN
REMOVED, IS BULLSH*T FAIRY DUST STUFF. THEN CLAIMING TO REMOVE TEETH TO ADJUST AOE JUST
MAKES IT WORSE!”
82
MARCH 2020

LAST POST
UPGRADES
diminishing returns - the more you spend,
the more you change, the less of an overall
improvement you achieve. If you assume
that a decent airsoft rifle these days is
capable of good range and reasonably
consistent accuracy, every upgrade adds
only a little more to that performance. I’ve
done lots of high-speed setups to improve
trigger response and rate of fire and they
are great. But the gun is simply responding
faster to the trigger and firing more rounds
in a given period. It’s not shooting further
or more consistently. Having used my
own work, it’s great fun and there is a
noticeable improvement but could I have
achieved the same with the stock gun?
Very possibly.
The best upgrade I have ever done to
my guns was to sort the hop out, maybe
fit a Madbull 60 hop rubber and set it up
for 0.28g ammo. Instant improvement in
consistency, impact, brush-bucking and
yes, usable range. Cheap as chips as well.
That doesn’t mean that I think upgrades
are a waste of money, not at all, I am just
suggesting - well stating really - that the
more you do, the less you get back for
the money and time spent. If you work on
the basis that any good gun is already at
80 or 90 percent of its maximum capable
performance, all that money is going into
unleashing a maximum of twenty percent.
External upgrades are harder to quantify
as they are inherently personal. As I said,
I have a few that I favoured but on the
whole, I didn’t do that much. Many other
players do lots and that commitment and
spend is entirely up to them. Sight systems,
be they short dots or red dots? If you like
them, great, they add value in terms of
target acquisition. New rail systems to
which you attach a positive bucketful of
accessories? Magic! It’s not for me nor for
anyone else to judge what you choose to
do to your gun. I may personally not like it,
but that frankly is neither here nor there.
If it makes you feel better, makes you feel
that your gun is better equipped and more
capable, that is all that matters.
All of this counts as upgrades, however
- it is improving the original in your eyes
and shouldn’t be discounted or ignored
when we discuss the cost of upgrades.
To return to the premise of this piece -
can you spend £900 on upgrading a Scar,
or any other gun? Of course you can but,
like any spend, it has to be worth it to
you and it’s always worth checking that
some of the costs incurred are genuine
improvements, as opposed to wishful
thinking! AA
“THE BEST UPGRADE I HAVE EVER DONE TO MY GUNS WAS TO SORT THE HOP OUT, MAYBE FIT
A MADBULL 60 HOP RUBBER AND SET IT UP FOR 0.28G AMMO. INSTANT IMPROVEMENT IN
CONSISTENCY, IMPACT, BRUSH-BUCKING AND YES, USABLE RANGE.”
Airsoft & MilSim News Blog
@AMNBOfficial
Airsoft & MilSim News Blog
@airsoftmilsimnewsblog
&
AWARD WINNER
WWW.AIRSOFT-MILSIM-NEWS.COM
www.airsoft-action.online 83

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