Airsoft Action - 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!”
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