Airsoft Action - February 2021

PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY
ISSUE 122 - FEBRUARY 2021 - FREE

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CONTENTS
08
TS FEBRUARY 2021
14
ISSUE 122 - FEBRUARY 2021 - FREE
ARMOURY:
EVOLUTION E-416
ARMOURY:
ARES L85A3
PROUD TO SUPPORT PILGRIM BANDITS CHARITY
24
34
Editor: Nigel Streeter
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
Ad Design: Deadshot Design
Publisher: Nigel Streeter
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Walwyn Road,
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Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003
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,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise
without the express permission of the publisher in
writing. The opinion of the writers do not necessarily
reflect those of the publisher. The editor reserves the
right to edit submissions prior to print.
KIT & GEAR:
CHOOSING A
CHEST RIG
38
EVENT:
TAIWAN CHARITY
GAME
LOCKDOWN
LOADOUT:
CHICAGO PD
KIT & GEAR:
GREY GEAR
58
FIND US ON…
64
76
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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.
FEATURE:
IMMERSIVE AIRSOFT
VORSK DIARY:
ENTER THE VP-X!

Contents
FEBRUARY 2021
8 ARMOURY: EVOLUTION E-416 DEVGRU ETS
A long-time fan of the HK416, Bill has had one in his
personal armoury since 2007 and it’s served him well through
skirmishes and ‘sims over the years but with technology
marching ever onwards, he takes a look at the very latest
E-416 DEVGRU ETS from Evolution Airsoft to see if “the only
easy day was yesterday”!
14 ARMOURY: ARES L85A3
Bill takes a look at a great new airsoft replica from ARES that
is now the “meat and veg” of UK Forces, the L85A3 and
makes a case as to why more UK airsofters - and those that
run a “Brit-inspired” loadout around the world - should be
looking at this model and how ARES have brought things fully
up to date!
20 ARMOURY: LCT LCK-16
This month Bill gets fully back to his OPFOR “roots” as he
finally gets his hands on the LCK-16 (RPK-16) from LCT
Airsoft. He’s been waiting for this support variant for some
considerable time as it’s already proving to be a popular
model, so has his wait been worth it?
24 KIT & GEAR: CHOOSING A CHEST RIG
Whilst the current trend is for the majority to be wearing
some form of plate carrier, Bill takes an “Old Skool” step
back to look at chest rigs - be they canvas concoctions or
thoroughly modern marvels of hi-tech nylon - and puts
forward a case that this is a piece of gear that suits every
airsoft need when it comes to load bearing!
30 KIT & GEAR: HARDSHELL MAINTENANCE
As some of us are still in our enforced “stay at home” time,
it really is a great opportunity to ensure that ALL your kit is
squared away and prepared for the day we can get back
out to our favourite sites again! Bill gives the benefit of his
many years as an outdoorsman to show you what you can be
achieving positively in your downtime.
34 KIT & GEAR: LOCKDOWN LOADOUTS
Some of the Airsoft Action crew are getting some serious
levels of “cabin fever”, with some awesome loadout ideas
following on from Bill’s take on “The Last Ship”. This time,
it’s Boycie’s turn, as he heads to “Chicago PD” to create a
loadout that could lead to giving “lockdown” a whole new
meaning!
38 EVENT: TAIWAN CHARITY GAME
As a complete airsoft addict, our “Legionnaire in Taiwan”,
Stewbacca, went straight from MOA in Taiwan to a game the
very next day – but it was all in a good cause.
40 RED CELL: FAVOURITE 2020 “ARs”
The Red Cell crew have been hit by the lockdown in the UK
and have been unable to meet this month. It’s been a big
disappointment but, as always, the resilience of the team has
come to the fore and this time they take a look at the AEGs
that have served them well during 2020!
48 FEATURE: NEW FROM VFC
Last November Bill and our “Legionnaire” in Taiwan, Stu
“Stewbacca” Mortimer, got a chance to “sit in” with Ray
from VegaForceCompany to take a look at the new models
that will be coming from them later this year. Now we pull
together a more detailed look at the new AEGs and GBBs to
show exactly what will be on offer!
52 ARMOURY: G&G CMF16
It is no secret that AA’s Legionnaire in Taiwan, Stewbacca, is
no great AEG fan, preferring instead the thunder and fire of
using a GBB, so what did he make of G&G’s CMF16? Read on
to find out…
56 RELOADED: KWA H&K MP7 GBB
As a self-confessed H&K fanboy, Stu “Stewbacca” Mortimer,
was delighted when he first got his hands on this iconic
replica. Now he looks back at how things have gone since
then.
58 KIT & GEAR: GREY MAN
The subject of a (yet to be released) film on Netflix, the “Grey
Man” has become widely (and wildly) popular across airsoft,
with many kit manufacturers producing their own version of
“grey gear”. Having checked out the rest of his kit, Bill turns
his attention to his own personal “grey”.
64 FEATURE: IMMERSIVE AIRSOFT
Amongst the Airsoft Action crew we’re lucky to have some
exceptionally talented people and not just for the obvious
reasons! Whilst everyone involved in AA is a solid player, they
also look at different elements of the game to see what can
really make a day of BB-slinging interesting and this month
Red Cell member, James, lets us in on his very latest project!
68 ARMOURY: WETECH G36C GBBR
Recent events in the “real” world prompted Stewbacca to
pen a long-term review of one of his all-time favourite airsoft
primaries.
72 THE CAGE: RESOLUTIONS
As we enter 2021 there are still challenges ahead of us due
to the ongoing dangers of the C-Virus situation and of this
we must all be mindful but, with hope on the horizon, we
can all start to look again to the future and to getting back
out on the fields and sites with our friends and fellow players.
Bill updates on the progress the magazine made in 2020 and
spoke to the AA Crew to see what Christmas brought them -
and what they’re hoping for in 2021!
76 VORSK DIARY: ENTER THE VP-X!
In his ongoing “Vorsk Diary”, this month Bill takes a long look
at the new VP-X pistol and gives it some “punishment”!
78 KIT & GEAR: MAXPEDITION HEAD-TO-HEAD
“Editorial inspiration” comes in many shapes, sizes and forms
and this month, while looking for a looking for something to
quiet his boisterous puppy, Frenchie spotted something that
got him thinking…
80 RETAIL ROUNDUP
2021 appears to be starting slowly, with our favourite shops
physically shut again for a while at least, and games for many
will be off for a while too, so what better time to invest that
money saved on some righteous gear in readiness for when
it’s time again to get “game on!”
84 LAST POST: LET’S GET RUGGED!
In-game “comms” often consist of a variety of radios systems
and/or “walkie talkies”, however, they are not the only
choice. Frenchie takes a look at an alternative that might just
fit the bill, without breaking the bank.

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

armoury
E-416 DEVGRU ETS
THE 416 EVOLVES!
A LONG-TIME FAN OF THE HK416, BILL HAS HAD ONE IN HIS PERSONAL
ARMOURY SINCE 2007 AND IT’S SERVED HIM WELL THROUGH
SKIRMISHES AND ‘SIMS OVER THE YEARS BUT WITH TECHNOLOGY
MARCHING EVER ONWARDS, HE TAKES A LOOK AT THE VERY LATEST
E-416 DEVGRU ETS FROM EVOLUTION AIRSOFT TO SEE IF “THE ONLY
EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY”!
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armoury
E-416 DEVGRU ETS
It’s fair to say that I have a bit of history when it
comes to the HK416 in airsoft terms. Back in 2006
my wife and I had the chance to go and live in
Florida for a few years - and you’d better believe that
we jumped at the chance! We decided to sell up and
commit to the move, packing our household into a
container and waving goodbye to the majority of our
belongings for a while but sadly, the container didn’t
contain what was then already a reasonable collection
of AEGs and GBBs…
At that point the shippers were already wary of
what they could place into the container and I was
advised that including “RIFs” might cause problems
with US Customs and lead to our entire household
being delayed for additional checks, so I decided not
to go there! Initially I thought to leave my airsoft
collection behind but, in the end, the majority of it got
sold to friends and I left just a couple of AEGs in the
UK so that I’d be able to get out and play when I was
“home”.
What that did, of
course, was allow me
to arrive at my “new
home” with a good
few “airsoft bucks”
in the bank and after
playing locally for a
year or so in Florida
with some cheapend
CAs, I decided
it was high time to
treat myself and my
old friend John Lu
(of Lionclaws Airsoft
fame) kindly put me
in touch with Andrew
Ho at Airsoft Extreme
in California. Long story short… very soon there was a
Gen 1 VFC “416” on its way to me and that self-same
AEG has been with me ever since!
At the time the 416 was the golden child of the
special ops community, an improved version of the
M4 carbine with many changes, most notably a
short-stroke gas piston system originally dreamed
up for G36 (in truth it dated back to the AR-18 rifle
designed in 1963, but hey, who’s counting amongst
friends and major arms manufacturers!). It’s said that
Operational Detachment–Delta collaborated directly
with H&K to develop the new carbine and, allegedly,
Delta Force replaced its M4s with the HK416 in 2004
after tests revealed that the piston operating system
significantly reduced malfunctions while increasing the
life of parts. The project was originally called the “HK
M4” but this was changed in response to a trademark
infringement suit from Colt Defense!
The HK416 has subsequently been picked up by
numerous law enforcement agencies and special
operations units and, perhaps equally importantly, was
adopted as the standard service rifle of the Norwegian
Armed Forces and (more recently) the French Armed
Forces, replacing the aging FAMAS in 2016, so it’s
no high-falutin’ one-trick pony! However, there’s one
place that in my mind the 416 shines brighter than
ever and that’s in the hands of the USN SEALs.
Now I could mention “Geronimo” here but
that’s an old (yet historically important!) story now,
however, the fact is that the HK416 has become
interwoven in SEAL lore due to that piece of history.
That particular 416 was reported to be “a 10-inch
barrel with a typical Special Operations loadout for
this rifle including an AAC Suppressor, a Geissele
trigger, Remington RAHG handguard, a Surefire Scout
weapon light attached with an S&S Precision light
mount, an EOTech
optic with an EOTech
2x magnifier, and
an Advanced Target
Pointer Illuminator
Aiming Laser
(ATPIAL)” but, as with
many things SEAL,
we’ll probably never
know for sure.
The fact is though
that the HK416 is
seen in SEAL hands
pretty regularly, and
of course has become
“de riguer” for fans
of “SIX” and “SEAL
Team”. Therefore, for players with an “NSW bent” the
416 is a pretty obvious choice in airsoft form and now
quite widely available, so I find it unsurprising and
quite apt that Evolution Airsoft have christened their
new take on this as the “DEVGRU”.
“THAT PARTICULAR 416 WAS REPORTED TO
BE “A 10-INCH BARREL WITH A TYPICAL
SPECIAL OPERATIONS LOADOUT FOR THIS
RIFLE INCLUDING AN AAC SUPPRESSOR,
A GEISSELE TRIGGER, REMINGTON RAHG
HANDGUARD, A SUREFIRE SCOUT WEAPON
LIGHT ATTACHED WITH AN S&S PRECISION
LIGHT MOUNT, AN EOTECH OPTIC WITH AN
EOTECH 2X MAGNIFIER, AND AN ADVANCED
TARGET POINTER ILLUMINATOR AIMING LASER
(ATPIAL)” BUT, AS WITH MANY THINGS SEAL,
WE’LL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW FOR SURE.”
EVOLUTION, FORM AND FUNCTION
I’ve been dealing with the friendly team from
Evolution Airsoft in Italy for some considerable time,
having met them at IWA before I joined Airsoft Action.
I always enjoy visiting their stand at the German show
and there’s also a long association with Bjorn from
Klockar Airsoft, who has graced our Winter Cover a
few times now as well as appearing on Evolution’s
marketing materials. He’s a great friend of mine, a
www.airsoftaction.net 9

armoury
E-416 DEVGRU ETS
true “brother in (airsoft) arms” and
I’m proud that he’s become a part of
our Airsoft Action Legion. That’s not
to say there’s any nepotism going
on here though, as the new E-416
DEVGRU ETS, to give it the full title,
stands quite happily on its own two
feet as a solid, yet advanced, airsoft
design.
Evolution have come a LONG
way since I first met them and I’d
have to say that the DEVGRU is a
fabulous amalgam of everything that
they’ve learned about airsoft over
the years, handily placed into one
excellent, great looking package!
Externally, their full-metal take on
the 416 looks not only great but,
with the anodized CNC machined
aluminium “SF Bronze” rail, it’s drop-dead gorgeous
and everything, right down to the keyed-colouration
of the polymer parts, gives an overall impression of a
project where everyone involved has given their all.
I’ve worked a long while (and spent quite a few
bucks too) getting my own 416 properly “DEVGRU”
but apart from my paintjob, the Evolution version is
good to go from the box and whilst it looks super on
the outside, it’s inside where things get particularly
impressive. Internally you get 8mm bearings, a CNC
milled cylinder, reinforced cylinder head, a steel gear
set, a reinforced gearbox with integrated slot for
Mosfet and electronic E.T.S., a high torque motor,
rotary hop and 6.01 inner barrel as standard. Even the
“unseen” parts are cool, with an upgraded selector
plate, high grade metal spring guide, reinforced
tappet plate, and even high-flow wiring throughout.
Oh and I mentioned the E.T.S., right? The DEVGRU
actually features the new E.T.S. III system, but what
does this mean? We asked Evolution and they told us:
“The E.T.S. III is the most advanced
programmable electronic trigger ever installed in a
stock air soft gun and it is the easiest to use. While
other manufacturers install electronic units with
very limited basic functions and require you to buy
additional software to unlock the advanced functions
and use an external programming unit, PC or apps
to program them, the E.T.S. III have all the advanced
functions out of the box, and no need of extras to use
them, all you need is your finger as all functions, even
the most advanced ones, are programmed via trigger.
Fast and easy!”
Essentially what Evolution
have done is to push their
AEGs to the next level as
they see it, so they factoryinstall
their most powerful
programmable trigger system
in their new “Hardcore”
series. This system gives the
user endless possibilities
for different functions and
configurations with no
additional software, no
external programming unit,
and no PC connection or
Apps required. Basically, it’s
super-easy to program your
AEG just the way you like it
via the trigger!
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armoury
E-416 DEVGRU ETS
With the new system your AEG can benefit from:
• ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER RESPONSE
• PRE-COCKING
• RAMPING
• ACTIVE BRAKE
• FULL CYCLE CONTROL
• PWM ROF CONTROL
• SMART TRIGGER AUTO-BOOST
• AUTO LIPO, LIFE AND VOLTAGE DETECTION
• LOW BATTERY WARNING
• BATTERY FAILSAFE
If you’re not conversant with all these functions
then Evolution have done an excellent job of putting
all the information in one place, and you can find
everything by visiting their dedicated page: https://
www.evolutioninternational.it/our-products/air-softguns/evolution-hard-core/evolution-hard-core-e-t-s-iii.
There’s also a really good downloadable Instruction
Manual on the same page, although everything does
come printed in the box too.
short time! It has some classic and unique features
externally that I love, and internally it’s set up not
only to protect the tech and ensure its continued
operation, but to provide more than sufficient
operating choices to keep any user satisfied for some
time to come.
This seems to be getting to be a habit I could get
used to but I’ll say that I believe Evolution Airsoft
have done a superb job with the E-416 DEVGRU ETS
and my sincere thanks go to Sergio and Francesca
at Evolution Airsoft for the opportunity to check this
excellent AEG out. It may well be time now to retire
my old 416 to the armoury and go door-kicking with
the new DEVGRU!
Please do take a moment to visit the website
www.evolutioninternational.it to keep tabs on what
Evolution do next, as I’m sure it will be righteous! AA
THE ONLY EASY DAY…
So, the DEVGRU looks fabulous and feels just right!
Given the high-quality CNC Alloy rail the balance
point is pretty much centred, which is perfect for ease
of manipulation and given the short overall length
of 700mm (780mm stock extended) and weight of
2,900g it’s really easy to drive from target to target!
After establishing a user-friendly and consistent
chrono reading of exactly 1 Joule/329fps on .20g
RZRs (loaded into the very nicely made 130BB
polymer magazine that comes with the AEG), I was
really happy on my 30m range at just how good the
DEVGRU was from the box, hitting my small steels
each and every time just using the “H&K irons”
on .25g RZRs. I also took a stroll up to the “woods
range” with this AEG as I was keen to see what it was
like at longer ranges and even with the power level as
standard, it reached out happily to the 70m point.
After spending so many “easy yesterdays” with
my existing 416 I have to say that any contender for
the title was going to have to be exemplary from the
get go and I have to admit that after not touching an
AEG from Evolution for far too long, the new E-416
DEVGRU ETS has once again opened my eyes to how
far airsoft carbines and rifles have come in such a
“EVOLUTION HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE I FIRST MET THEM AND I’D HAVE TO SAY
THAT THE DEVGRU IS A FABULOUS AMALGAM OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY’VE LEARNED
ABOUT AIRSOFT OVER THE YEARS, HANDILY PLACED INTO ONE EXCELLENT, GREAT
LOOKING PACKAGE!”
www.airsoftaction.net 11

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armoury
ARES AIRSOFT L85A3
L85A3
KEEPING THINGS INTERNATIONALLY ROUNDED-OUT,
BILL TAKES A LOOK AT A GREAT NEW AIRSOFT REPLICA
FROM ARES THAT IS NOW THE “MEAT AND VEG” OF UK
FORCES, THE L85A3 AND MAKES A CASE AS TO WHY
MORE UK AIRSOFTERS - AND THOSE THAT RUN A “BRIT-
INSPIRED” LOADOUT AROUND THE WORLD - SHOULD
BE LOOKING AT THIS MODEL AND HOW ARES HAVE
BROUGHT THINGS FULLY UP TO DATE!
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armoury
ARES AIRSOFT L85A3
The SA80/L85 is what we in the airsoft world refer
to as a “marmite gun”, as just like the spread
you either love it or hate it! In airsoft terms, the
bullpup configuration gives little benefit over that of
any other AEG or GBB (albeit that it does have a long
inner barrel for its overall length) and, just like the real
thing, the airsoft versions of the L85 have suffered
from all manner of niggly problems over the years.
The fire selector is in an odd place, the magazine
release of the A1 could be activated just by knocking
it against a pouch resulting in a dropped magazine
(trust me, I know this to be true!) and the old EBB
versions were frankly atrocious, stripping their piston
almost unfailingly in the first game you took it to!
However, the L85 was the “future weapon” of my
childhood, with the EM1 and 2 and the 4.85x49mm
XL-series of bullpup rifles being seen in comic books
in the hands of the British soldier of the “year 2000”.
By the time the “SA80” came into service in 1985
many young men like me had grown up seeing this
configuration in both comic strips and movies, as
the Steyr AUG, another classic bullpup military rifle,
entered service in 1978 and was extremely popular
with film companies who wanted to appear modern
and up to date.
There’s actually an entire history of “matters
military” wrapped up in the L85 that I won’t go into
fully again but suffice to say, this rifle illustrates the
changing role of the infantry soldier on the “modern
battlefield” due to increased reliance on a high
mobility combined arms mindset, a change in British
Army doctrine away from semi-auto only battle rifles
for the regular soldier and, of course, the role of
politics and NATO standardisation in terms of the
5.56×45mm round. This is a rifle that had a troubled
early life but one that has gone on to actually be a
trustworthy service weapon and the advances for the
L85A3 continue to bring things bang up to date!
The “SA80A3” prototype was first seen at the
2016 DVD military show at Millbrook, as part of the
“Dismounted Soldier” exhibit, which featured some
of the ten prototype SA80A3s built for feasibility
testing. An A3 was next seen on Heckler & Koch’s
stand at the 2017 Defence and Security Equipment
International (DSEI) exposition in London, which is the
first time that we saw it “in the flesh”. As part of the
VIRTUS concept that aims to “address the negative
impacts on tactical mobility, survivability and muscular
skeletal injury caused by excessive load carriage by the
dismounted soldier, allowing users to ‘fight lighter”,
the L85A3 was integral.
Whilst the upgrades to the original L85A1 were
fairly major in the A2 program, the further refinement
of the A3 takes things forward in increments rather
than huge chunks! The rifle is clearly distinguished
from earlier A2s by its new Heckler & Koch “HKey”
attachment system and the front end which moves
everything further forward than the Daniel Defensedesigned
RIS handguard, housing a more freefloating
barrel and a truncated gas block. The gas
block mounting point for iron sights has gone, being
replaced by a full length Picatinny rail which allows for
the mounting of low interference back up iron sights.
The A3 upgrade also includes a modification to the
upper receiver and a full-length, contiguous top rail
and provides a weight saving of 100g. The rifle also
benefits from a new Flat Dark Earth coating offering
improved durability and better camouflage across
various environments, although the green cheek pad,
pistol grip and buttpad have been retained.
In terms of actual adoption, the first real sight of
the A3 of all things came by way of an online post by
the Grenadier Guards showing off the rifle with the
caption: “We are the first regiment in the British Army
to be equipped with the SA80A3. Newly upgraded
equipment helping us meet the varied and demanding
objectives around the world.” In the photograph the
new variant was pictured with an ELCAN SpecterOS
4x optic and Shield CQS Close Quarter Battlesight
mounted on top, along with a MK3 Laser Light
Module. Further images released showed that the
Grip-Pod seen on the A2 was also part of the package
but in FDE to further add to environmental blending.
AIRSOFT L85, FLYING THE FLAG
PROUDLY!
When it comes to airsoft, it has always troubled me a
little that so many UK airsofters ignore the mainstream
of UK Forces when it comes their loadouts. Whilst
there are numerous excellent “UKSF” impressions
that are particularly noteworthy for their almost living
“AS A FAN OF THE L85, I HAVE TO SAY STRAIGHT FROM THE START THAT I BELIEVE
ARES HAVE ONCE AGAIN CREATED A SUPERB-LOOKING REPLICA OF THE CURRENT
BRITISH ARMY ISSUE RIFLE! ARES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT AT THE FINISH WHEN
IT COMES TO THEIR AEGS AND THE A3 IS NO EXCEPTION; IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY
BEAUTIFUL.”
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armoury
ARES AIRSOFT L85A3
history
standard,
the poor old British
Infantryman is sadly
neglected in the main,
even though there are
several manufacturers that
now make
half-way decent L85 replicas.
I’ve always been proud to “fly the flag” with my
personal loadouts and although I’ve probably covered
many units and many nationalities in the past, there
has always been a basic set of DPM, DDPM and
now MTP in my gear locker and the L85 has been
ever-present since my first year living and playing in
the USA, when the first STAR model was released.
Surrounded by guys in their Woodland loadouts
and with their tricked out “M4s” every which way
I turned, there was something almost perversely
enjoyable about being “the guy with the bullpup and
the SUSAT”! I discovered that DPM actually worked
superbly amongst the palmettos and mangroves and
that DDPM was totally at home in the drier inland
areas of Florida - and every time I rolled out in my
“Brit Gear” my L85 came with me.
I’ve owned a number of L85 AEGs over the years,
from that original slightly finicky STAR, through
the better in all-ways ARES L85A2, the original
(and downright dreadful when it first came out!)
ARMY R85 EBB, along with the first and subsequent
generations of the ICS model, which overall is a pretty
neat and trustworthy AEG. I’ve never owned a WE
GBB version, or indeed a G&G but every airsoft L85
I’ve personally owned has (admittedly after some
fettling of the R85!) given great service.
Of course, when the A3 variant was announced I
knew it was only a matter of time before an airsoft
version appeared and almost straight away new rail
systems appeared as aftermarket parts. However,
many of the manufacturers who currently make L85
AEGs seemed to be very slow off the mark for once
and, thus far, only ARES have gone the whole hog
and provided a fully realised A3 which is due for
release soon!
Thankfully, the guys at iWholesales were kind
enough to provide Airsoft Action with a sample of
this stunning new AEG, so we were able to get out
on the range with it during our “Xmas Downtime”
and give it some
beans, although
for obvious reasons I haven’t yet been able
to test it “in game”.
As a fan of the L85, I have to say straight from
the start that I believe ARES have once again created
a superb-looking replica of the current British Army
issue rifle! ARES have always been great at the
finish when it comes to their AEGs and the A3 is no
exception; it looks absolutely beautiful. Weighing in at
a hefty 5,500g (before you add optics and accessories)
it “feels” like the real deal and the component parts
are put together with huge attention to detail; it feels
absolutely solid as a rock! There’s a mix of stamped
steel and high-grade alloy in the overall construction,
and it really shows! The main change to the AEG is
the replication of the “HKey” rail system with the loprofile
(removable) iron sights and that is scrupulously
done, even down to the colour (I checked back on my
pictures from DSEI 2017!). Talking of colour, the new
FDE on the receivers are also spot on, and that finish is
definitely growing on me!
UNDER THE SKIN
Internally, the A3 is a bit of a peach too as it benefits
from the ARES Electronic Firing Control System
(E.F.C.S.) gearbox. With the development of E.F.C.S.
system (not only now in the AMOEBA Airsoft line)
ARES are now releasing many new products with the
E.F.C.S. Gearbox as standard and amongst them is
the A3. This programmable system (you do need an
external programmer sadly) allows you to set up your
AEG in different ways but ultimately lets it withstand
current to around 30A, enhances piston positioning
and allows it to put up with rapid semi-auto fire.
The Mosfet on the gearbox is the new generation
“Blue”, which ARES tell us is more resistant to
Amperage/Voltage fluctuations and spikes and allows
11V LiPo and LiFe type batteries to be happily used as
standard (more on this in a bit…). The gearbox is of
the highest build quality, coming with a quick release
spring guide, silver wiring and an electronic trigger.
Allied with a high-torque motor that sits beneath and
in line with the gearbox, it all equates to an efficient
and effective setup.
I mentioned above the position of the motor and,
as this fills the rear of the lower receiver and given the
fact that the new slimline HKey rail offers no storage
space for a battery, you might be wondering where
16
FEBRUARY 2021

armoury
ARES AIRSOFT L85A3
this resides …as did I! When the A3 first arrived with
me, as it was a pre-release model it came with zero
paperwork and as yet there’s very little online to refer
to either! After some head-scratching I finally got
round to checking inside the pistol grip (by way of the
little plate in the base) and lo and behold, there was
a mini-Tamiya connector! Yup, the battery lives in the
pistol grip and although this is an elegant solution to
keep things looking great, it also means that you’ll
need a specific battery and I would recommend that
you buy a couple when you buy the AEG, as it is a
VERY tight squeeze in there!
After trying all my batteries I came up short finding
one to fit, so I spoke to Tim at iWholesales about it
and he kindly shipped me down a choice of two LiPos,
a VP Airsoft 7.4V 850mAh 30C and a BIGFOOT 11.1V
850mAh 15C; of the two I found the BIGFOOT battery
the better fit. Of course, the A3 is perfectly happy on
an 11.1, so job done and I used this one for my range
testing.
The L85A3 with that battery fitted chrono’d at a
perfectly acceptable mean of 1.0J/330fps on .20g BBs,
with the provided polymer midcap magazine feeding
them unerringly. With targets out at 30 metres I was
able to get very reasonable groupings on semi-auto -
and have some real fun when I switched the selector
up to full! The thing for me that REALLY gives the
edge, is a combination of the sheer quality of this
AEG, the feel and the EBB function that sends the
“bolt” plate back and forth with each and every shot!
Squeeze the trigger and you get a BB away in a flash!
Squeeze again… crack! Then switch the selector up to
full auto and give it some beans and I defy you not to
have a HUGE sloppy grin on your face in short time!
I’ve used this lovely L85A3 AEG extensively on
the range since it arrived with me and have come to
love the model all over again. I feel that one of these
may be in my personal future and as ARES offer a
great package deal with optic, foregrip and an extra
magazine if you want to “one stop shop”! I’m hoping
to get to some international games again in the latter
part of this coming year and with the ARES I really feel
I could be flying the flag again. I’ve always wanted
to take a full British Infantry Section to a game
overseas and this latest iteration of the L85 would be
the ideal rifle for that, along with a Minimi for our
section gunner. The L85A3 finally looks properly cool,
performs flawlessly, and is built like a tank. When it
comes to loadouts it’s about the mindset but in this
case it’s also all about the right AEG too and the ARES
L85A3 is perfect for the job!
Our thanks go to the guys at www.iwholesales.
co.uk for providing the test AEG and the ARES L85A3
should be arriving in stores soon. AA
“THE L85A3 FINALLY LOOKS PROPERLY COOL, PERFORMS FLAWLESSLY, AND IS BUILT
LIKE A TANK. WHEN IT COMES TO LOADOUTS IT’S ABOUT THE MINDSET BUT IN THIS
CASE IT’S ALSO ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT AEG TOO AND THE ARES L85A3 IS PERFECT
FOR THE JOB!”
www.airsoftaction.net 17

armoury
LCT LCK-16
COLD
WAR
GOES
HOT!
20
FEBRUARY 2021

armoury
LCT LCK-16
THIS MONTH BILL GETS FULLY BACK TO HIS OPFOR “ROOTS” AS HE FINALLY GETS HIS HANDS ON
THE LCK-16 (RPK-16) FROM LCT AIRSOFT. HE’S BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SUPPORT VARIANT FOR SOME
CONSIDERABLE TIME AS IT’S ALREADY PROVING TO BE A POPULAR MODEL, SO HAS HIS WAIT BEEN
WORTH IT?
It seems only yesterday that I first started speaking
with LCT Airsoft about the RPK-16 and, as always,
development takes a while to complete - but their
little sneak-peeks during the process had me drooling!
Fast forward to MOA 2019 and there in all its glory
was the finished product, and I knew I had to get my
hands on one as soon as possible… But then came
“2020” and the supply chains slowed right down. The
initial stock of this much-anticipated AEG went superfast
and I needed to put my patient head fully on and
just bide my time…
Thankfully, although we are still not yet back to fullspeed
in terms of airsoft games, things are beginning
to speed up again and new stock of many models is
finally landing in the UK, so when I heard from Tom at
NUPROL that the LCK-16 was finally arriving (and that
one had my name on it for testing) I was overjoyed!
Sadly, with the backlog of containers at the ports right
now, even though the AEG was “officially” in the UK
there was yet another wait until the container was
released. However, just prior to Christmas the LCK-
16 was delivered to me and I knew that the festive
season was going to be a great one!
Why was I so excited about this AEG you
may ask?
It’s simple
really… Although I
own a very nice PKM for
“OPFOR Support Duties”
old beastie and if you like to
and aggressive in your style of
it’s quite the lump to drag
day. Even though it benefits
HUGE box magazine I
myself if this benefit
obvious negatives. Yes,
standard AK variant
magazine but that really
with me as a “purist”; a
it’s a BIG
be mobile
play, then
around all
from a
often ask
outweighs the
I could use a
with a drum
doesn’t sit well
support gun
should be quite obviously that, and indeed many
games, especially MilSims, will ask that a support gun
be true to the real deal.
Of course, with the old Russian doctrine where
offensive direct action using overwhelming firepower
was the key denominator of infantry tactics, for
general OPFOR “play” there are a number of
options that bring the weight of the support gun
down whilst still keeping things “real”. The RPD is a
physically smaller weapon that’s more manageable
than the PKM, but it’s still a bit of a heavyweight and
although the LCT Airsoft RPD is a thing of beauty, it’s
also expensive. That brings us neatly to the RPK, or
Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, that’s been in service
since the 1960s and, with various upgrades and
re-chamberings, is still in use to this day by Russian
reserve and police units!
The RPK has really been the best choice for the
“OPFOR gunner on a budget” as they are cheap
(certainly in relation to many support AEGS!), easy to
work on and, as in the real world, can use virtually
any AK magazine as well as a dedicated high-capacity
drum. It is a great choice if you want a “Russian”
support gun that covers a LONG period of service and
will serve well for virtually any OPFOR scenario
but again, it’s now kind
of “old skool”, long,
heavy and slightly
unwieldy
with that longer
barrel.
These days we want a support
gun that, like the M249, is shorter and
lighter but still able to lay down a huge amount of
suppressive fire when needed. So, what’s the answer
to our OPFOR prayers? It has to be the RPK (or as LCT
“IN THEIR USUAL INIMITABLE STYLE, LCT HAVE REALLY PULLED IT OFF AGAIN WITH
THEIR LCK-16! I AM CERTAIN THAT THE “STITCH COUNTERS” OUT THERE WILL FIND
SOME MINUSCULE REASON WHY THIS DESIGN IS SOMEHOW “WRONG” BUT, TO
ME, THE FINISHED PRODUCT DOES THE JOB EXCELLENTLY AND REALLY GIVES A
TREMENDOUS “FEEL” THE MOMENT THAT YOU LIFT IT CLEAR OF THE BOX.”
www.airsoftaction.net 21

armoury
LCT LCK-16
Moscow Higher
Military Command
School and Russian Special Forces. Inevitably this
rollout is still in progress, with the RPK-16 now
heading toward “line units” in numbers.
call it, the LCK) 16!
With the easy availability now of good
standard “RATNIK” clothing and gear, in my
mind OPFOR has come out of the airsoft closet
and is loud and proud about how they go about
getting business done! The AK-12/15 models were
the first to arrive in airsoft form to fully support this
movement, and now it’s a much more common sight
to see Russian loadouts on site. OPFOR has moved
away from the “ragtag freedom fighter” vibe to a
degree, with all the gear to create a “main force”
look available in full! Some of the guys local to
me have adopted and embraced this loadout style
wholeheartedly, and their Digi Flora looks super-cool
in a sea of Multicam and MTP and along with their
VBKO uniforms, 6B46 plate carriers, and SMERSH load
carrying gear the guys are also rocking the AK-12, and
it is a righteous look indeed!
Like any good infantry unit though, these “Ratniks”
need their support gunner and the RPK-16 is the
perfect beast for the job. Online digging gives me
some history: In May 2011 the FKU NPO “StiS”
research division of the Russian Ministry of the Interior
announced the tender for the “Development of an
assault LMG with variable rate of fire” under the
name “Tokar”. According to the requirements, the
new light machine gun should have an overall length
of 35.4”/900 mm with the long barrel and 27.5”/700
mm with the short barrel at a weight of 14.33 lb/6.5
kg. Ammunition was to be fed from the newly
developed 60- and 90-round magazines as well as
from standard magazines. Only Degtyaryov came up
with anything even part-way decent at the time and
the program was mothballed.
In 2016, “Tokar-2” came along. The biggest
difference was the feeding system: either from a
60-round magazine or a 100- or 250-round belt
box. Degtyaryov took part again but an unexpected
competitor, Kalashnikov Concern, also expressed
interest and the winner was soon determined. The
RPK-16 (the number indicates the year 2016, when
the developments began) was issued to troops for
operational testing in February 2019 after preliminary
trials and amongst others, it was issued to the
LCT NAIL IT AGAIN
In their usual inimitable style, LCT have really
pulled it off again with their LCK-16! I am certain
that the “stitch counters” out there will find some
minuscule reason why this design is somehow
“wrong” but, to me, the finished product does the
job excellently and really gives a tremendous “feel”
the moment that you lift it clear of the box. The LCK-
16 is by no means a super-light AEG, as it’s pretty
much ALL made from steel, weighing in at 4,700g
plus fully loaded but it’s overall length of 825mm
(650mm with the stock folded, and 915mm with
the stock fully extended) means that it’s manageable
for smaller players - and for bigger guys like me it’s
perfectly shootable from the shoulder all day long.
Inside, the internal parts make further tuning and
upgrades straightforward if you want to take that
route, but the basic setup will give you issue-free
operation for a considerable time! As well as LCT’s
usual impeccable internal build, there’s a tried and
tested V3 gearbox married up to a powerful 2,2000
RPM motor and the AEG has a 400mm long brass
internal barrel. Overall, the LCK-16 is made from
components of superb quality, with great attention
to detail throughout to give it every semblance of the
real thing, even down to the distinctive steel 14mm
CCW flash-hider! As stated before, pretty much
everything is made of steel sheet, the only obvious
exceptions being the polymer ergonomic pistol grip,
adjustable stock, dedicated handguard and the drum
magazine. The top dust cover features a rail which
is ideal for flush-mounting optics of your choice, but
also has a removable flip-up ladder sight as standard.
The high-quality polymer handguard also features
mounting rails top and bottom so you can fit further
accessories, a foregrip, or a bipod. The classic “AKstyle”
fire selector features additional finger-rests to
improve ease of operation and the finger-grooveprofiled
pistol grip sits comfortably in the hand.
RATNIK’S REVENGE!
The well-finished self-winding drum on this AEG holds
a respectable 2,000 BBs, allowing you to bring down
“BB death” on BLUEFOR to your heart’s content, plus
22
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armoury
LCT LCK-16
“IN TERMS OF ACCURACY, I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY ON SEMI BUT THIS IS
SUPPOSED TO BE A “FULL-AUTO-SUPPORT-BEAST” AND BE ABLE TO SPIT OUT BBS
CONSISTENTLY AND GIVE AN AREA-DOMINATING EFFECT, RATHER THAN BEING NAIL-
ON-THE HEAD ACCURATE - AND IT DOES THIS WITH ALACRITY!”
the drum can be easily and swiftly filled by splitting
it at the rear. The drum also holds a box for three
AA batteries (pretty common for AK drum mags)
and the winding mech is easily activated using the
lever on the front face. Just like the original RPK you
can use standard AK magazines in the LCK-16 and I
tried a number of brands that all fed perfectly well.
This means that if you do go through your allotted
“2,000” in a firefight you can grab a mag from a
team-mate and get straight back in the game!
With an 11.1 LiPo fitted (you need to remove
the body pin at the front of the dust cover and
slide the whole thing off to fit one, and it’s a tight
squeeze so be careful!) you can easily have hails of
BBs howling downrange at a very respectable rate.
The “UK-Spec’d” test sample chrono’d very nicely
at 1.09J/343fps on .20g RZRs and I was very pleased
to find that the drum mag fed very evenly and
efficiently… it must be good old-fashioned “Soviet
Simplicity” even in airsoft form! In terms of accuracy, I
was more than happy on semi but this is supposed to
be a “full-auto-support-beast” and be able to spit out
BBs consistently and give an area-dominating effect,
rather than being nail-on-the head accurate - and it
does this with alacrity! I will tell you that it’s no slouch
when it comes to aimed fire though as, at 50m prone,
I was easily able to put all my BBs on target on semi,
and having semi is a bonus as you can still use the
LCK indoors without automatically having to resort
to a secondary. “Walking” the LCK-16 from target
to target with controlled bursts gave me a good idea
of what it’s capable of - and that’s a LOT - when it
comes down to suppressing your opponent’s fire and
movement capability, which is exactly what you want
from a support gun.
I said earlier, the LCK-16 is still a new model but
LCT have a great reputation for durability and longterm
performance (my personal AKs are still rocking
after years of use), so I’m thinking that things will
continue “as new” for some considerable time, even
when you’re talking about an AEG that’s going to be
used on full-auto the majority of the time. I’m seeing
the LCK-16 available around the UK£450-£470 mark
at the moment and for a thoroughly modern support
gun that oozes “OPFOR/Ratnik Cred” that’s a great
price! Having now had one in my hands and on the
range, I am most seriously considering adding one to
my own personal collection - and that’s the very best
recommendation I can give you!
My thanks as always go to UK LCT distributor
www.nuprol.com for providing the test sample, and
these super AEGs should now be appearing in your
favourite airsoft shops, so GET SUM! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 23

KIT & GEAR
CHEST RIGS
CHOOSING
A CHEST
RIG
WHILST THE CURRENT TREND IS FOR THE MAJORITY TO BE WEARING SOME FORM OF PLATE CARRIER,
BILL TAKES AN “OLD SKOOL” STEP BACK TO LOOK AT CHEST RIGS - BE THEY CANVAS CONCOCTIONS OR
THOROUGHLY MODERN MARVELS OF HI-TECH NYLON - AND PUTS FORWARD A CASE THAT THIS IS A PIECE
OF GEAR THAT SUITS EVERY AIRSOFT NEED WHEN IT COMES TO LOAD BEARING!
In my opinion, a decent chest rig (indeed more than
one!) should have permanent residence in any
self-respecting airsofter’s personal gear locker, as I
genuinely believe it’s one of the most useful bits of kit
you’ll ever own! Whether you’re a full-on skirmisher
or MilSim “opr8r”, then a chest rig will fulfil all that
you need in terms of load carriage or simple gearhauling.
There really is a model that will suit both your
budget and your style of play!
Whilst it is currently popular to lug around a darn
great plate carrier (even including plates if you’re
“doing it right” - and I’m as guilty as the next man for
doing this), I’ve personally always been a huge fan of
chest rigs. Even if you’re in a situation where you need
to use body armour (dubious really in an airsoft game
if you think about, unless it’s for “tacticool” points),
then a rig will allow you dump a lot of extraneous
weight quickly and easily whilst keeping your plates in
place. Over the years I’ve had numerous chest rigs as I
find them comfortable to wear and very easy to work
with if the design is right. All of mine have served me
very well indeed and I will admit to having a bit of a
collection of different models that I’ve built up over
the years. My first ARKTIS rig is now well beyond the
point of saving and I’ve had rigs to try from some of
the best companies in Europe and the USA and, quite
frankly, I love ‘em all!
I’ve long been a fan of the US brand Tactical Assault
Gear (TAG), which was set up by prior service USN
SEAL Chris Osman, and one model to me still shows
how “the rig” updated itself for what we need today.
TAG were right in the game from the very beginning
and as one of the first “nylon gear” companies to
take up (the then-new) ATACS patterns, they’ve got
lots of experience working with different fabrics.
Their gear has ALWAYS been really top notch and
the combination of a Phalanx Chest Rig and Combat
Sustainment Pack has given me more than enough
“MANY WILL RATTLE ON ABOUT THE RHODESIANS BEING THE “DADDY” OF THE TACTICAL
CHEST RIG STORY BUT, IN REALITY, THE “RIG” HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A STAPLE
THROUGHOUT MILITARY HISTORY, OFTEN BEING WORN BY “SPECIAL UNITS”, OR AT THE VERY
LEAST THOSE THAT COULD BE CLASSED UNCONVENTIONAL.”
24
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
CHEST RIGS
space to carry both a fighting load for my primary and
a sustainment/survival load comfortably, and although
they’ve been with me for quite some time, both items
are still going strong.
I believe all of the above actually says a lot about
how airsoft itself has changed! When I first started
out playing and DPM was “de rigeur”, most guys I
knew used some form of belt-mounted load bearing
gear (usually ’58 pattern webbing), as it was cheap
and easily available. If, in those days, you wanted
to look all “ally” and “operator” (I don’t think that
phrase even existed back then…) then you’d go
for a chest rig over your SAS or RM pattern smock,
usually a Webtex model but if you were properly “into
things”, then an ARKTIS.
I was all set as I already had a classic ARKTIS rig
that I’d bought from a Royal Marine in Deal, but
in the years that followed the ante was upped as
folk started appearing with rigs from the likes of
BLACKHAWK! And then more esoteric models like
the original LBT models. Movies such as “Blackhawk
Down”, which showed DELTA wearing BLACKHAWK!
.223 Chest Rigs over PT body armour, sent things in
a new direction and soon airsoft fields were awash
with setups that would become “Slicks”, with the
load bearing element worn separately to the armour
carrier.
But even then the chest rig was nothing new! Many
will rattle on about the Rhodesians being the “daddy”
of the tactical chest rig story but, in reality, the “rig”
has been somewhat of a staple throughout military
history, often being worn by “special units”, or at the
very least those that could be classed unconventional.
If you look way back at pictures of pirates and Royal
Navy Boarding Parties you’ll quite regularly see
multiple black-powder one-shot pistols and numerous
knives being carried across
the chest and of course, the
humble canvas/webbing rifle
bandolier was also often
worn “crosswise” to aid
in accessing ammunition!
WWII gives us images of
bandoliers being worn
across the chest by both
allied and axis troops (the
USMC even had the M1918
grenade vest!) and when
you get into Vietnam, an
“in-country chest rig” was
fairly common practice - and
it wasn’t just bandoliers that
were used!
This was the heyday of the “ChiCom” rig for the
Type 56/AK47 rifle, and once the Americans cottoned
on to how useful this bit of kit was, certain units soon
started using them too! Not only the “ChiCom” was
used but also the rig for the SKS rifle, as 20-round
magazines for the M16 fitted this perfectly! Soon
certain units were fabricating their own “homegrown”
rigs, designed for the longer 30 round
magazines and the SEALs in particular were great fans
of this style, often operating in the chest-deep waters
of the Delta where such equipment kept magazines
and ammunition clear of the muck…
PICKING A STYLE
Suffice to say that the chest rig has been around in
one form or another for some considerable time, and
the choice of styles and load carrying options are now
considerable. In my mind though, you can break it
down into three distinct areas...
Range Rigs: Chest rigs are really having a comeback
moment when it comes to “training”. In the real
world a “training rig” harks back to that DELTA setup
where you wear it over (and in addition to) a low
volume body armour vest (LVBAV), as it’s easy to get
on and off when you’re on the range. An example
here would be the Haley DC3 family or the Direct
Action Hurricane Hybrid.
Recon Rigs: The first style is one that I’m very fond
of and this will include the original “ChiCom”, in
that the rig is designed to carry spare magazines
and very little else. Often used in conjunction with
a patrol pack, “the recon rig” gives you immediate
access to ammunition that could be restricted in a
conventional belt position by the straps/belt of your
pack. Although the “ChiCom” is the best example
here, more up-to-date designs are available from
numerous manufacturers and I have a couple of super
split-front versions from US brands “Head On Tactical”
and “Whiskey Two Four”.
Fighting Rigs: Upping the load carrying aspect of
the rig, the “Fighting” version takes its lead from
the “recon and training” and then adds additional
storage. A great example of this is the original ARKTIS,
the LBT 1961 or, coming up to date, the Helikon-
Tex Guardian and the Direct Action Thunderbolt. In
this category I’ll also include the multitude of MOLLE
platforms that can be configured to your liking.
LIGHT IS RIGHT!
If you prefer to run “Light is Right”, then a chest rig
of some description is going to fit the bill perfectly!
Chest rigs are minimalist and lightweight, don’t overly
www.airsoftaction.net 25

KIT & GEAR
CHEST RIGS
restrict movement and allow you to carry a good load
of magazines. The Competition Multigun Rig platform
from Helikon-Tex is one of the “keystones” of their
new system and is made of hard-wearing Cordura
500D, plus is compatible with magazine inserts
dependant of your chosen primary platform. There are
two front utility pockets, two pistol mag pouches on
the front and it’s MOLLE/PALS compatible. You also
get a stable and adjustable H-Harness system, loops
for hanging gloves and placing accessories and the
rear is part-lined with velour for comfort and moisture
management. I’ve been wearing this rig for range
sessions for a while now and not only is it superversatile
between platforms but also fits so snugly you
almost forget you’re wearing it …until you need to
“bomb up”!
VIPER know a thing or two about chest rigs but
I have to say that the Special Ops version is one of
the very best designs they’ve ever come up with,
especially if you’re tight on funds! With built in
quad mag capacity and numerous utility/pistol mag
pouches, the Special Ops Chest Rig is capable of
bearing a substantial load in a minimal design. The
low-profile setup allows the rig to be worn beneath
outer layers of clothing, like tactical jackets or
smocks and also allows
great manoeuvrability in
confined environments.
Once again, it’s a case of
“One Size Fits Most” as the
rig is fully adjustable. The
fitted pouch configuration
features a four-capacity
mag sleeve, a GPS or small
radio pouch, two pistol mag
pouches (which can also be
used to carry a multitool)
and a Velcro ID Panel. All
the straps are unpadded
but wide enough to be
comfortable even when under load, and durable
quick release buckles mean it’s easy to get on and off.
Although it’s made of super-durable 600D Cordura,
the Special Ops Chest Rig weighs in at just 670g. It’s
available in Green, Tan, Black and V-CAM, and with
an SRP in the region of just UK£30, this is an absolute
steal!
Going just a little heavier, the OneTigris Vulture still
follows the “Light is Right” design concept and is a
minimalist model that’s just perfect for your regular
range sessions or short skirmishes. Priced at around
US$60 it’s not going to break the bank either! Now
you might think that for 60 bucks you would end up
with something that’s not going to last but this rig is a
bit special. Currently available in 500D Cordura Nylon
Multicam fabric (I hope that they’ll do other plain
colourways in due course), the Vulture benefits from
solid construction throughout, along with genuine
UTX Buckles and YKK Zippers; the price might be
keen, but the components and build quality are great.
There are four magazine pockets that will hold the
majority of AR or AK-style magazines, along with
two flapped pistol magazine/tool/flashlight pockets
and a generous zipped admin pocket on the front.
The admin pocket features a velcro patch for unit/
names tapes, along with two further rows of MOLLE
webbing for additional items should you desire to
fit them. The main body of the rig has a full-width
breathable mesh backer (which is very comfortable)
and the whole thing is topped off with a simple
unpadded X-harness, a style I personally prefer as it
doesn’t catch up as easily on lo-pro body armour if
you’re wearing it.
LOADING FOR BEAR
The Helikon-Tex HTX Lines Project was created in 2016
as a whole new concept of product development
within the company and they’ve been slowly but
surely rolling it out since then. Initial concepts were
turned into pre-production samples, the final versions
of which are now available in stores worldwide. Their
assets are the right people combining to create one
of the most innovative design teams in the industry.
The Guardian Chest Rig is a universal carry platform
built to accommodate a basic ammunition load
and personal equipment. Designed to work along
with a backpack and belt kit, it can optimise the
configuration of your “shoot gear”. Depending on
the number and size of magazines the height of the
fixed pouch flaps can be adjusted (think STANAG v
AK) and exchangeable
magazine/handgun inserts
can be rearranged swiftly
and easily.
The Guardian has a
universal, removable and
adjustable X- or H-harness,
channels on straps for
wiring, antenna, hydration
tubes, exchangeable
inserts (included), double
pistol magazine pouches,
double rifle/carbine (AR/
AK) magazine pouches and
three fixed double rifle/carbine magazine pouches
(AK/AR). There are height-adjustable magazine pouch
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FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
CHEST RIGS
flaps, two spacious cargo pockets (USGI canteen
compatible) and multiple PALS/MOLLE panels for
additional pouches/accessories. All in all, it’s a well
thought out bit of kit and the bonus is that the
lightly padded shoulder harness actually makes it
comfortable for extended periods!
The Tasmanian Tiger Chest Rig MK II PC is another
fave of mine. This is a real quality chest rig made in
500D Cordura and it comes with four integrated
magazine pouches and two utility pouches and, on
top of that, you can attach an infinite number of
additional MOLLE compatible pouches to meet your
own personal requirements. The four integrated
magazine pouches with adjustable velcro flaps, can
hold the majority of magazines currently in use (I use
mine mostly with my “.308” ARs and DMRs) and the
two utility pouches on the sides can each handle a
one litre water bottle. The rig is designed with the
option to carry ballistic side plates and is covered
with MOLLE webbing for attaching extra pouches
(Tasmanian Tiger offer an extensive range of different
pouches to go with the rig). There’s a large map
pouch on the inside, a removable bib with a small
document pouch on the inside and the whole thing
is lined with 3D mesh. The H-style shoulder straps
feature quick release buckles on both ends and there’s
a generous amount of adjustment in both height and
width.
My “got to” though, is the Hurricane from the
guys at Direct Action in Poland. So what makes
the Hurricane so desirable in my eyes? Simply put,
it’s a low profile, adjustable rig made from lasercut
laminated 500D Cordura, so it’s tough enough
to endure an awful lot of abuse. It has a softshell
interior construction that makes it a comfortable rig
to wear for extended periods of time. The harness
is well constructed and feels sturdy even when the
rig is loaded up and it has a reinforced drag handle
incorporated into the design, along with the ability to
be attached to one of the Direct Action Body Armour
systems. The “Hurricane” has nine PALS slots on the
sides of the rig which are perfect for radio, medical,
utility pockets and horizontal PALS slots under the
ammo pouches for items such as tourniquets, pistol
mag pouches and 40mm pouches - so you aren’t just
limited to the pouches on the rig itself should you
wish to upgrade it. If you choose to run comms, the
fixed pouches are a great size for most radio PRRs and
the rig has routing channels to keep everything tidy
and to prevent wires getting caught.
Not only is it comfortable and solidly put together
but it comes as standard with integrated, adjustable
magazine pouches
with paracord
retention, that
adjust to fit a
combination of
eight AR, four
AK, or even
four 7.62mm
magazines. It also
features a number
of fixed external
pouches for other
essentials including
two adjustable pouches, a sealed zipper pouch and a
Velcro flap pouch for when you need to access items
quickly. The harness is completely adjustable thanks
to a secure harness design, and to keep the excess
material tidy it has Velcro wraparound “tidys”. It
has a split front- zipper design as well, so you don’t
need to adjust it every time you remove it, which
is very neat indeed. The Hurricane is available in
Adaptive (foliage/ranger) Green, Black, Coyote Brown,
MultiCam, Pencott Badlands, Pencott Greenzone
and Urban Grey so there is a camo option for every
environment. At €239 this isn’t the cheapest model of
chest rig on the market by a long shot, but if you’re
after excellent design along with superlative fabrics
and workmanship, then it’s really a bit of kit that you
should seriously consider parting with cash for!
This is a broad overview but it boils the designs
down to their essence. Super-light and basic, light yet
versatile and then full-on “I’m out for a rumble” style
…basically the choice is yours! I’ve listed a few of my
personal favourites to give an idea of what you can
be looking for if you’re in the market from your own
rig but as always, be sure to “try before you buy” to
make sure you get the one that fits right and suits
your style of play best. AA
www.airsoftaction.net 27

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KIT & GEAR
HARDSHELLS & MAINTENANCE
GOOD
GEAR
TO GO!
AS SOME OF US ARE STILL IN OUR
ENFORCED “STAY AT HOME” TIME,
IT REALLY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
TO ENSURE THAT ALL YOUR KIT IS
SQUARED AWAY AND PREPARED FOR
THE DAY WE CAN GET BACK OUT TO
OUR FAVOURITE SITES AGAIN! BILL
GIVES THE BENEFIT OF HIS MANY
YEARS AS AN OUTDOORSMAN TO
SHOW YOU WHAT YOU CAN BE
ACHIEVING POSITIVELY IN YOUR
DOWNTIME.
If you’re spending a lot of money on your gear, then
you really want to get the best out of it don’t you?
Just like changing tyres or the oil in a car, all of your
gear will really, really benefit from some regular “TLC”
…a bit of a service if you like. Although the guidelines
for staying safe in “The Time of Covid” varies from
country to country - and indeed place to place - the
fact is that, like it or not, our normal activities have
been necessarily curtailed; but that doesn’t mean we
should be sitting on our hands, thumbs up behinds
and brains in reverse, now does it?
Whilst many of us are looking at new ways to
complete our routine training at home, and coming
up with some unique, interesting, and novel ways to
make that happen, there is ALWAYS something you
can be doing in “prep” for the change of seasons, so
I’ll try to give you an idea of what I’m up to personally
when it comes to looking after my tactical clothing
and kit.
First up is clothing. I truly believe that there is a
far better understanding of the fabric technology
used in our clothing systems than ever before, and
it’s a subject that is a bit of a “holy grail” for me. To
recap from a more detailed article I wrote on clothing
maintenance some while back, all too often I’m out
on the range with my mates and when we get back
in the car their “Gucci” waterproof shell gear just
gets dumped unceremoniously in a pile in the trunk
or even in the footwell underfoot! These are usually
the self-same people that I will see at a later date
bemoaning the fact that their expensive waterproof
jacket “isn’t working”, complaining to all and sundry
that somehow the technology has failed and that they
are wet and uncomfortable.
The most common gripe I hear is that “this funking
thing is leaking” when actually it’s still perfectly fine
and the fact is, it just isn’t “breathing” anymore!
Like all performance items, top-end shell gear needs
maintaining regularly to get the best from it. You
might only change the tyres on your car infrequently
(probably when the MOT or insurance inspection rolls
around!) but on a Formula One car they may change
the tyres during a single race (sometimes more then
once) to get the very best performance.
When you buy a Gore-Tex (or similar) jacket you’re
investing in a high-performance item and as such,
it needs treating like one! Over time things like the
hydrophobic (water-hating) Durable Water Repellent
(DWR, think a microscopic “film”) on the outer face
fabric of the garment will begin to wear and crack
“ALTHOUGH THE GUIDELINES FOR STAYING SAFE IN “THE TIME OF COVID” VARIES FROM
COUNTRY TO COUNTRY - AND INDEED PLACE TO PLACE - THE FACT IS THAT, LIKE IT OR NOT,
OUR NORMAL ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN NECESSARILY CURTAILED; BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE
SHOULD BE SITTING ON OUR HANDS, THUMBS UP BEHINDS AND BRAINS IN REVERSE, NOW
DOES IT?”
30
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
HARDSHELLS & MAINTENANCE
and the fabric will start to hold the water that’s now
allowed through to it. As new, water droplets will be
held on the DWR layer, simply rolling off the fabric
before they penetrate. You’ll notice after a while that
this “beading” process will start to lessen and that
the water is being absorbed into the fabric itself; this
is usually noticeable first in areas like the shoulders
where pack straps or a plate carrier rub and abrade
the DWR, or on cuff ends where the fabric rubs
against itself.
Internally over time, body oils, grease and general
dirt will also build up and the net result is that
your jacket will stop “breathing” as well as it did
when it was new. You won’t really notice this until
it becomes obvious and water vapour that was
previously being transferred out of the system stays
inside and re-condenses. You’ll feel cold, clammy and
uncomfortable, put your hand inside your jacket, feel
“water” and of course your quite natural conclusion
will be that the jacket is leaking! A re-proofer will
restore the waterproof performance of your gear to
ensure it continues to keep you dry and protected.
To combat the degradation of performance you
simply need to give your jacket (or pants) a bit of
care and invest in a maintenance product. There are
many of them on the market these days and most
can be ordered easily online, so check out brands like
Grangers, Nikwax, Storm, Rockin’ Green and Gear
Aid.
These brands create environmentally sustainable
treatments used to clean, waterproof and care for
fabrics and the majority can be used in the same wash
cycle in your washing machine at home. You’ll also
find bespoke products for down, merino and base
layer care products to keep all of your gear tip-top.
These products offer high performance cleaning,
water proofing and after-care treatments that let you
refresh and restore the performance of your gear,
ensuring your kit delivers the same protection it did
when you bought it.
The first step is obviously to clean your garments
and to do this, you need to ensure that first and
foremost you follow the manufacturer’s care guidance
that’s given on the label you’ll no-doubt find inside
the garment. Most garments, including hard shell, can
be popped in the washing machine (check the care
label!) and by using a dedicated wash product you can
make certain that no harm is going to come to your
beloved gear, so it comes out all sparkly and fresh!
Once your garment has been cleaned, you should
clean out your washing machine’s detergent tray.
This is a similar step for washing but you’ll want to
clear out any remnants of your washing product. Get
yourself some wash-in proofer (unless your garment
has a hydrophilic (water-loving) lining which is used
sometimes to help transfer internal moisture, in
which case use a spray-on proofer to the outer face
as directed!), then simply follow the instructions for
volume and temperature settings before setting the
washer. Let the cycle run with the proofer and once
completed, allow the cycle to repeat and remove
excess moisture. Re-proofers usually activate with
heat so if your garment allows you to tumble dry it
the heat will help activate the replenished coating and
then you’re good to go all over again.
All of your clothing system will benefit from a
good wash and clean and again, cleaning products
like sock, base and mid-layer washes will help your
clothing system in its entirety. These wash products
are specially formulated to work with both natural
and synthetic “thermal layering and next to skin”
garments to retain and improve performance and aid
in effective moisture wicking, enhancing the overall
effectiveness of your entire clothing system.
BOOTS ON THE GROUND
There are places where you can skimp and save a bit
of money with your gear but footwear is NOT one
of them! Choosing the wrong boots, or failing to
maintain them properly, can make all the difference
to having a superb day on the range or going home
early!
Just like your clothing system, your footwear
choice is all-important year-round but especially so
when the weather turns wet, cold and even snowy!
A good desert boot will inherently be made with less
insulation than a winter, or indeed even a temperate
model, so as much as a good waterproof technology
will keep your feet dry, the boot overall will leave
you with cold feet, or worse! On an icy morning
waterproof socks can help if you have an unlined
summer boot but do bear in mind that these will fill
up the inner volume of the boot more than your usual
socks - and that can lead to heat loss via transmission
so your feet will be dry but still feel cold. Cuff height
may also differ, as in general a winter boot will have
a higher cuff to keep out snow and spindrift. I was
at a range just not so long ago where I stepped into
a water-filled pothole deeper than the height of my
desert boot cuff and although they’re membranelined,
water does tend to get in through the big hole
on the top where your foot goes in!
So why not just wear wellies or rubber boots?
Well, two things here really: Firstly, wellies are pretty
much always not going to be breathable, so although
www.airsoftaction.net 31

KIT & GEAR
HARDSHELLS & MAINTENANCE
they will keep water out and with specialist socks
be warm, they will also keep moisture in. Someone
once told me that we have more than 250,000 sweat
glands in each foot, making them the most perspiring
parts of your body. Your body can produce as much
as a pint of sweat per day per foot and if you’re
wearing wellies most of that will stay inside the boot!
Secondly, most basic wellies offer very little support.
You’ve also got to build into this equation that
boot manufacturers make different outsole units for
different conditions. This may not (on the face of it)
be a major concern but if the tread pattern of the
outsole has been designed for warm, dry conditions
how will it fare in wet grass, or on wet, leaf-covered
rock? Let me tell you… Not very well at all and you’re
seriously asking for a slip which could lead to a turned
ankle or worse.
A waterproof exterior or membrane is a crucial boot
feature to keep you protected from the elements.
By using breathable technologies, waterproof boots
prevent moisture from building up and potentially
forming harmful bacteria and blisters but also
allow for perspiration to get out. For even greater
protection in the winter months, look for boots that
are both waterproof and insulated. Insulated linings
keep warmth inside the boot so that you can stay
comfortable and protected during cold weather
activities.
Winter boots go through a lot. They are subjected
to rain, snow, mud, slush, salt and a whole range
of crud. By the end of a winter season, poorly cared
for boots will repay your lack of care by failing to
maintain waterproofness, looking like “sh1t” or even
falling apart completely! Even the best boots, leather
or synthetic, will put up with plenty of muck and
water during use but mud can ruin your boot’s outer
if it stays on too long, so when you get home stick
your boots under the tap and then scrub with a stiff
brush. Dry them with a boot dryer or in a warm room
but never put boots next to the fire or on top of a
radiator, as too much heat can crack the leather and
melt the soles!
Remove the insoles (if you can) at the same
time you scrub your boots clean (ish!). Insoles hold
moisture and will start to get soft and start to rot if
you leave them in for an extended period of time. The
same goes for boots made from synthetic materials;
wet insoles can also become smelly and full of
bacteria if they’re allowed to sit in the boot. Just let
them dry overnight and they should be fine again.
Water will ruin leather, so you’ll need to reapply a
Durable Water Repellant treatment once in a while
and you also want nylon and Cordura tactical models
to keep water out once the DWR coating wears off. I
use items from the Nikwax Footwear Care Kit because
it’s easy to use (and PFC-free). You should reapply a
waterproofing agent whenever you notice that the
outer materials, leather or synthetic, are becoming
saturated and holding water. You don’t need to use
much, just coat the entire boot with one thin layer,
let that dry and you’ll be good to go again in no
time. We may all face a range of weather conditions
through the year, so don’t let your boots hold you
back from getting the most out of your training time!
GOOD GEAR TO GO
Whilst at this time of year it’s 100% important to
ensure that your clothing and footwear is ready for
the Winter months, this “pause” we find ourselves
in is also a great time to give your fighting rig, load
bearing kit, and sustainment gear the once-over.
Belt setups, chest rigs and plate carriers are your allimportant
“tools of the trade” that you’re going to
be using whether you’re in short and sharp training
situation, or indeed something more serious, so it’s
important to make sure that all this kit is completely
ready for action! Empty your gear of all equipment,
remove comms setups and have a close look at seams,
straps and closures. Check them all thoroughly for
any signs of degradation or excessive wear and make
repairs where you need to! If closures like buckles are
starting to feel loose, then it’s worth replacing these.
If you’re using MOLLE/PALS then check the fitment of
all your pouches to make sure that the closures are
secure - and it may also be the time to make those
positioning changes you’ve been thinking about!
Packs and load carriers are just like your other
“nylon kit” and you need to go over your packs
carefully and once again check all the straps and
closures, replacing where necessary. Particularly
32
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
HARDSHELLS & MAINTENANCE
important with packs is the main harness/carry straps.
One common point of failure on a load bearing pack
is the point where the bottom of the shoulder strap
meets the base of the pack body, and if you see that
starting to wear or separate, it’s time for a serious
repair to avoid your pack falling off you when you
most need it not to! Also check the water-tightness of
any dry-bags you use to store gear inside your pack,
paying attention to the seam-sealing tape runs!
When looking to what you carry for longer duration
training in the field, it’s worth spending some time on
your “snivel gear”! If you store your sleeping bag or
lofted (down or synthetic) jacket compressed in a stuff
bag, take them out, give them a wash (use a specialist
product for this, my favourites are
from the Nikwax range of cleaning
products) and then hang them
somewhere warm to dry naturally. If
possible leave them hanging or laid
out so that the fill doesn’t become
overly compressed during longer-term
storage. Do not store your sleeping
bag compressed in its stuff sack as
this will eventually damage the fill and
watertight storage bags are also a bad
idea as condensation can build up
inside and result in mildew. If you use
a bivvy bag, again it’s worth checking
all the seam tape and then giving
it a wash and re-proof like you would your other
waterproof gear and of course, if you carry a selfinflating
sleep-pad then also check this for wear and
punctures. If you use a foam version, ensure that this
is not completely compressed and if it is, replace it.
Clean and sterilise your hydration systems and/
or water bottles (most outdoor stores/outfitters
can sell you “steri-tabs” for this), especially paying
attention to the hoses if you use a Camelbak, Source,
or Platypus system. Pull out your cooking gear, mess
tins, plates, KFS and your stove and make sure that
these are all spotless! If you carry a gas cooker with a
hose connector then make sure that the connection
is sound, and
that the gas
tube itself is free
from wear and
cracks… Don’t
forget to check
gas canisters if
you use them, to
make sure these
are full! The same
goes for batteries for any flashlights you may carry.
If you store ration packs or long-life food items with
your sustainment kit, make sure that this is all in date!
Also, if you store your kit in a garage, outbuilding or
loft then make sure even pre-packed foodstuffs are in
sealed containers… It’s my experience that mice and
tree rats love a good ration pack (and bizarrely also
rubber hoses in your vehicle engine compartment…
Just sayin’…)!
Finally, check your personal First Aid Kit. Items
like disinfectant creams can go out of date and even
simple plasters and blister pads can lose their adhesive
properties over time. If you don’t carry a personal FAK
I would thoroughly recommend that you do and if
you’re unsure of what to include then you’ll find some
great articles about this over on the UF PRO Blog,
written by an SF medic, to give you some pointers
(https://ufpro.com/blog)!
Fact is we all (sadly) have time to really get all these
vital small jobs done at the moment, so use your time
wisely and prepare! Don’t be “that guy” that’s always
messing around with their kit when they should be
“eyes on”. Instead, be “THE GUY” that everyone
looks to as the one that always has their personal
admin dialled and is ready and good to go each and
every time! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 33

KIT & GEAR
LOCKDOWN LOADOUTS
©2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
AT LAST, WE’RE ALL SERIOUSLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HEADING OUT TO
GAMES AGAIN IN 2021 AND IT’S A GOOD THING THAT WE ARE, AS SOME
OF THE AIRSOFT ACTION CREW ARE GETTING SOME SERIOUS LEVELS OF
“CABIN FEVER”, WITH SOME AWESOME LOADOUT IDEAS FOLLOWING ON
FROM BILL’S TAKE ON “THE LAST SHIP”. THIS TIME, IT’S BOYCIE’S TURN,
AS HE HEADS TO “CHICAGO PD” TO CREATE A LOADOUT THAT COULD
LEAD TO GIVING “LOCKDOWN” A WHOLE NEW MEANING!
The chat group where we discuss all things
post-apocalypse has now grown into a whole
range of new directions, with the conversation
spreading even further afield, to encompass movies
and TV series that we could all watch while we had
a little enforced downtime. Inspiration came to me in
the form of another “LE Loadout”; NBC’s “Chicago
PD” TV show first aired in the USA on January 8th
2014 and the UK premier was 22nd October 2014.
It showed the uniformed officers of, and the Elite
Intelligence unit of, the fictional “21st District” of
the Chicago Police Department, headed by Sergeant
Henry “Hank” Voight.
THE BASICS
I’ve been a fan of the show since it first aired in the
UK and whilst we’ve been living under the Covid19
restrictions in one form or another, having got bored
with the “generic” Multicam setups out on sites, I
decided that I would, like Bill, put together a loadout
to mimic one of my favourite TV shows. Although in
a lot of the show the characters wear plain clothes,
©2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
sometimes, when they go on pre-planned raids
and operations, they wear the Chicago PD body
armour and also wear tactical black uniform on some
occasions. The plan would be to use the badges of
“Sgt Hank Voight”, my sidearm would be my Umarex/
VFC Glock 17, as used by three characters including
“Detective Jay Halstead”. Being a left hander, the only
left-handed character in the show is “Detective Haley
Upton”, so this would give me a good mix of parts of
each of the main characters.
The belt kit worn by the characters varies
depending on the “job” that they are going on but
essentials that are carried are their side arm (must
be worn on belt not on their vest), spare magazines
and cuffs. Usually, their radio will be worn on the
vest along with spare side arm, magazines and
ammunition for their rifle, usually an M4 variant or
shotgun, if needed.
To start with I would work on the armour vest. I’ve
been making vests and tactical equipment carriers for
about 8 years but for this I wanted to have something
authentic, so I got in touch with Fitore Duma, of
Fitore Uniforms, based in Chicago and one of the
official suppliers to officers of the Chicago PD. She is
also the mother of a serving Chicago PD Officer and
health care professional. The vest follows one of the
standard patterns used by Chicago PD and carries
the “officer’s” badge, name and unit on the front,
with “POLICE” across the back. Fitore makes her vest
covers with 500D Cordura. The armour pockets are
held closed by zips rather than velcro closures. The
lower part of the vest has 6 rows of 8 MOLLE loops
to allow the end user to customise the position of the
equipment that they carry. Also, on the top of the vest
34
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
LOCKDOWN LOADOUTS
there are two pockets for pens and a notebook etc..
Fitore has been making and altering uniforms and
equipment for 20 years and on 12th April 2017 she
took the huge step of opening her own uniform and
equipment store, to service and support the Chicago
Police Department Officers. After passing on some
measurements of the genuine soft armour that I was
going to use to Fitore and a discussion about what I
needed, the manufacturing began in her store. Ten
days later Fitore contacted me to say that the vest
was ready to ship and would I like the “correct” radio
carrier for the vest? I added that to the order. On the
same day, after I had paid the invoice, the vest cover
was on its way over to the UK. I gave the shipment a
few days then started to check the tracking number
to see when it was due to arrive. A week later the
tracking check told me that it was in the UK and
being assessed by Customs for VAT charging. This
was completed and the vest was then held at my local
depot until the customs charge had been paid. Not
wanting to wait a few more days I went, in person, to
the depot and collected the carrier.
I was really happy to have my nickname and
“Intelligence” tabs already on the vest, to look as
close to the vest worn on the show. Obviously, as I
am not a serving Chicago PD officer, I wasn’t able to
buy the vest with all the appropriate patches but with
some careful searching I was able to find a replica
Chicago PD “Detective” star. These don’t come with
a badge number, which the real ones do, but that
wasn’t a problem for me at this point. Initially the vest
had a Chicago PD Bomb Squad star (with Explosives
Tech over the top) which I’ll be able to use as part of
my in-game pyrotechnics business. On the back of
the vest I would need a “POLICE” patch, which I was
made to my specifications, by Nicola and Simon at
Stitch Me Up.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
I grabbed a cup of coffee and began to fit my
soft armour and then checked the fit of the vest.
Considering that there were only basic measurements
given to Fitore on photos of the soft armour, the
panels slipped in and fitted perfectly. Of all the armour
vests and carriers I have worn over the years, this is
a fantastically comfortable vest to wear, as it would
have to be for those who have to wear one for a long
shift on duty. To see just how comfortable the vest
is to wear I wore it for a number of hours around
the house and it’s definitely easy to do all sorts of
domestic tasks in, so I am sure it would be great for
operational use. Now, on to the tactical clothing.
In some episodes the characters wear black tactical
clothing. For this I again got in touch with Fitore,
to get accurate information on what is used. The
current issue clothing to CPD is black and made by
Propper International, based in St Louis, Missouri.
They have been making clothing and equipment
for Military, Police and Civilians for over 50 years.
During that time, Propper International have made
over 120 million garments …and counting! What
started in 1967 as a single contract to make the
iconic white Dixie Cup hats for the Navy, turned into
five decades of dedication and hard work as they
grew to become one of the largest single providers
of US military apparel in the country. Along the way,
Propper branched out to serve the needs of the law
enforcement and public safety communities, as well.
Again, I sourced this tactical clothing from Fitore
so the kit build could be as accurate as possible. I
www.airsoftaction.net 35

KIT & GEAR
LOCKDOWN LOADOUTS
was also able to get the Sgt stripes, name tapes and
Chicago Flag from her. Understandably the sale of
official CPD Patches and shields is restricted to serving
members of the Police Department, so for the Chicago
PD shoulder/arm badge and a badge that was
accurate to that which Jason Beghe (Voight) wears in
the show, number 32419, I went to the internet and
I would like to say a huge thank you to Fitore, for
making the vest exactly how I wanted it from minimal
information and also for the amount of advice she
has given over the time I’ve been building this set up.
Her store is located at 527 North Ashland Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60622 and is well stocked with products.
The store can also order in specific items that the
Officers would use both on and off duty. If you need
to get in touch, Fitore’s store can be called on +1
(USA) 312-391-8569, or emailed on fitoreuniforms@
gmail.com, with their website at www.fitoreuniforms.
com. My thanks also go to Nicola and Simon at Stitch
Me Up for their ongoing help in making patches and
other bits to help me round off the look to a number
of kit set ups.
Unfortunately, at the time that the photos were
taken I was still waiting on the delivery of a couple of
pouches and the star (badge) for the belt. Due to all
the restrictions due to Covid, things have been taking
quite a bit longer to arrive! AA
found what I needed. Already I had a plain detective
badge without a number, so I got hold of a set of
name tapes to also match that under the character
Jay Halstead’s name and badge number of 51163.
Generally, the characters also wear a metal badge,
known as a “Star” on their belt or on a chain around
the neck. To get this part of the loadout I contacted
Coinsouvenir.com. They supply replica badges but
unfortunately I couldn’t get the badge with Voight’s
number on it, so I went for plain (no number) and I’ll
engrave and colour the number myself.
For the boots, a popular choice for CPD officers
is the Propper series 100(r) waterproof boot with
side zip, but officers are permitted to wear any black
“tactical” type boot. For my kit (and the photos in
this article) I am wearing my First Tactical Operator
boot. There are a number of options for holster and
belt that real officers use. For this particular set up
I chose to use my Safariland holster. For pouches
the “tactical” officers have more leeway on the
equipment that they can use and are usually in “plain
clothes” in normal duty. They are not restricted to
pouches with flaps like the majority of patrol officers.
They are known to use open top pouches, such
as the Taco and similar types. For this loadout, as
there are differences in each episode of the show,
I’ll be using open pouches and have taken my own
“artistic licence” with the belt kit as there is no
fixed requirement of what is used, that and I am not
replicating any one specific photo from the show.
Please Note: This photoshoot was carried out
in a controlled and Covid-secure environment
(thanks to my dear wife for taking the pictures!),
with batteries and BBs removed from RIFs, so
safety glasses are not worn to fit with the overall
“theme”. The vest itself is also only for use on
sites and for photography in suitable locations. If
you do wear a vest or clothing like this, make sure
you don’t wear any patches in public which could
lead to you being mistaken for a Police Officer.
While travelling to and from sites the vest is stored
in a bag with the patches kept out of sight in the
pockets and the patches on the clothing are also
kept in a bag so not on public display.
www.airsoftaction.net 37

EVENT REPORT
TAIWAN CHARITY GAME
REBELS
WITH
A CAUSE!
AS A COMPLETE AIRSOFT ADDICT, OUR “LEGIONNAIRE IN TAIWAN”, STEWBACCA, WENT STRAIGHT FROM
MOA IN TAIWAN TO A GAME THE VERY NEXT DAY – BUT IT WAS ALL IN A VERY GOOD CAUSE.
As a continued glutton for punishment and running
myself ragged in the name of my airsoft addiction (and
experiencing as much as I can) and having bumped into
our friend Steven Lin from Taichung while we were walking
around MOA2020 on the Saturday, who told us about an event
the next day, I decided to skip the last day of my planned MOA
coverage. I had managed to get all of the information and
photos required in the first day or so and realised I could travel
down to Taichung with my teammates the next day and share
news of another positive impact of airsoft in Taiwan - and Asia in
general.
Thus we awoke early on the morning of Sunday the 29th of
November and travelled down to Hill Fox Tactical Centre on the
hill tops overlooking the West side of Taichung - my first and
long overdue visit to this excellent outdoor airsoft site - to join
in with the Taiwan Pinoy Airsofters mass meetup game. This
was a chance for all the players in Taiwan who hail from the
Philippines to coalesce and enjoy a great day’s gaming, while also
making a huge positive impact for their compatriots back home.
The Philippines was recently blighted by the disruption and
destruction caused by Typhoon Ulysses passing through during
early November; a category four tropical cyclone that caused the
worst flooding in over a decade to Manila and Luzon, before
moving on to wreak further havoc in the likes of Vietnam.
Taiwan has very good relations with the Philippines and a
huge proportion of the very skilled technical workforce in Taiwan
- particularly in the microelectronics and machining related
industries that are core to the Taiwanese economy and global
microprocessor dominance - are composed of Filipinos. The same
is also true of the airsoft related demography here too. Airsoft is
wildly popular back in the Philippines as well with many people
enjoying it very seriously and spending a great deal of time and
money on their equipment and events.
ONE BIG FAMILY
Thus, teams from the major cities and their leadership saw an
opportunity to not only bring a large proportion of their locally
based players together – most likely for the first time - and
share in their own airsoft subculture (as well as the ubiquitous
awesome cuisine that accompanies any large gathering of this
extended family like group of very warm hearted folks), as well
as raise money and awareness to send support back to their
homeland during a time of crisis.
My TaiWan Anglophone Team-mates from the Philippines
drove down in convoy, along with me and my South African
colleague, Kiran (who I’ve indoctrinated into airsoft since my
arrival and working with him), to Taichung while players from
other cities or major teams organised multiple charter coaches
to bus well in excess of one hundred players, plus many of their
partners or family along to enjoy the event and contribute to the
efforts to help back home.
Arriving at the ridge-top Hill Fox site in the mid-morning, the
38
FEBRUARY 2021

EVENT REPORT
TAIWAN CHARITY GAME
sun was always already climbing overhead and the temperature
was a little higher than the chill we’d left in Taipei. The site has
an undeniably epic setting, when you are confronted with the
panoramic view of Taichung - Taiwan’s second and central city
- sprawling out to the East below and all the way to the distant
central mountain ranges of Taipei further away to its rear, while
the multiple structures and palm trees and shrubs provide a great
outdoor playing environment with lots of cover in the shadow of
the radar tower to the South end of it.
Players from the various teams - Task Force 141 (Hsinchu &
Taichung squads), Team SAF - Special Airsoft Force (Hsinchu/
Taoyuan), Team Changhua & Team RFAT - Ranging Force
Airsoft Team (Taichung) and PUTA - Philippines Untouchable
Team Airsoft (Tainan) as well as the Angels (a Filipina/all-female
airsoft team similar to Kelly’s efforts with the National Airsoft
Girls and Femme Fatale Airsoft in the UK to promote the hobby
with women) arrived in force and began debussing, registering
and preparing their equipment and readying themselves for the
afternoon heat and shooting.
Once all the formalities were dealt with, everyone amassed in
the open plan part of the safe zone for briefing and dividing the
players and teams into “North v South” squads by city of origin
and the map of the site was introduced, along with objectives
and structures in the middle ground to be fought over - all of
which are actually very helpfully spray paint tagged with the
same markers as the provided large format canvas map on the
site. That certainly helped direct fire or mark out enemy positions
or movements in the middle of a firefight!
With everyone familiarised with the layout and objectives we
all broke formation and got to the start points for each team and
readied ourselves for the starting air horn. Even with the teams
having in the region of fifty players aside, the topography of the
site allowed for everyone to find somewhere to effectively stalk
around or take cover and fight it out with the opposition force
without it feeling too crowded - although it often sounded like
equal enjoyment and chaos with the prevalence of gas blowback
guns hammering away at each other across the middle ground!
Everyone seemed to be giving it their all and working very
effectively in their squads as part of the larger teams, after the
first round it seemed that the Southern teams had managed to
hold more ground in the capture the flag/ king of the hill.
With that first massive firefight dealt with everyone broke
for lunch in the customary manner - thankfully the Filipino
players are well known for their appetites and cuisine as well as
their ferocity of play and as I was invited over to partake in the
substantial spread of their national dishes. I quipped that I’m
never sure whether I gain more friends or pounds when I attend
their games! There were a few birthdays to celebrate on site
and the feeling of a huge extended family atmosphere is always
prevalent at their games, it’s impossible to go away hungry or
feel left out with their continued hospitality and friendly nature.
With the harshest hour of the sunlight passed everyone
returned to gear up and no doubt had to loosen off their plate
carriers and tactical gear for the post lunch assault, with the
reversal of the divide and us Northern players taking the long
walk to the Southernmost spawn point. However, before that
we managed to get everyone into their city-based teams and
squads for a huge group photo with the rolling countryside and
Taichung cityscape providing a suitably awesome backdrop!
Back in “game mode”, I had elected to stretch the legs of
my recently purchased WE Tech T91 GBBR, a replica of the
current Taiwan national military service rifle that I purchased
back in October just before the local national day celebrations
but haven’t had much opportunity to use given my recent
commitments. Suffice to say, the ambient heat, longer barrel
length and five full magazines on my belt ensured I didn’t feel
too outgunned despite using a gas gun outdoors, with the
rounds finding their mark well enough and managing some
great actions with my squad-mates. The Northerners managed to
rally after a bit of a stalemate earlier in the round and eventually
displaced the Southerner team and took over the objectives
with a final mad push that saw us running our primary weapons
dry and charging the last few metres with pistols and colourful
language - albeit in good spirits - having been beaten back in the
initial round before the break for lunch.
After the dust settled and we returned to the safezone, I
unfortunately had to drop out and prepare for the return journey
back to Taipei. With some of us having evening commitments
and the traffic on a Sunday night being notorious in Taiwan,
as everyone tends to return to their families or hometowns at
the weekends, then commute back to their working environs
before the advent of a new week. In the aftermath of all the
photo and video editing, I was informed that together everyone
had managed to raise 22,000NT - around £600 British pounds
- from all the players and other donors, all of which was used
to buy essential supplies for those left worst off back home.
Videos surfaced a few weeks later of endless bag loads of goods
being delivered to those in need by vans sporting banners of
the game event and teams involved. It’s a really great feeling
to see our community locally and internationally raising the
game and giving back and hopefully espousing a more positive
connotation for an otherwise embattled past time. In particular
I’d like to thank Steven for inviting us along, Ryan and Rick for
providing transport for our convoy and Harumi and her team
for organising what will hopefully be the first of many excellent
events - everyone’s enthusiasm and efforts really paid off well.
Also, many thanks to the staff and photographers of Hill Fox
Tactical Centre for hosting and providing the drone footage and
action shots (I was too busy shooting behind a rifle to get behind
the camera!). AA
www.airsoftaction.net 39

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE
2020 “ARs”
JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THE RED CELL CREW HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE LOCKDOWN IN THE UK AND
HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MEET THIS MONTH. WITH A HUGE PILE OF PDW-STYLE AEGS WAITING FOR
EVALUATION IT’S BEEN A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT BUT, AS ALWAYS, THE RESILIENCE OF THE TEAM HAS
COME TO THE FORE AND THIS TIME THEY TAKE A LOOK AT THE AEGS THAT HAVE CAUGHT THEIR EYE
AND SERVED THEM WELL DURING 2020!
They say that even the best plan will fail to survive
first contact with the enemy, and in the last
month (again…) our “enemy” had been the
implacable coronavirus. As many of you reading this
have been waiting to get together at your local site,
so we have been waiting to head to “Warehouse 51”
to carry out our group shoot.
This month we had planned to bring you the
lowdown on the “PDW” models that thanks to the
support of both manufacturers and distributors we
had managed to bring together in one place, at one
time, but unfortunately the “C-Virus” had other plans
for us, and we ended up in “Tier 4” the day before
our meeting!
Although we could have easily called this “work” as
we prepare our reports for a commercial publication,
once again the Red Cell “Chinese Parliament” got
our heads together and on the afternoon of the
announcement, we jointly made the decision that it
was unwise, and morally wrong to meet as a group
to effectively “just shoot airsoft guns”, as much as
we would all have loved to do just that; meeting as a
big group could of course have the potential for us to
spread the virus to a much wider than just those that
gathered together, and this is something that in good
conscience we were unprepared to do, and we are
certain that you’ll understand why.
Such is the strength and flexibility of the group
though that we soon found a solution as to how
to bring you something interesting between us this
month! We decided that we’d take a look at the AR
AEG models that had really hit a chord with us, that
had excited us or been steadfast partners-in-crime
over the last year, be they new models, or rifles/
carbines that we’d had for a while.
In fairness 2020 was not a bad year at all for
new AEGs, and collectively we’ve seen and tested a
great number (some of course more than others!)
of different models, makes and variants, and it’s
been an interesting exercise to find out what is
important to who, and what makes a great AR AEG
for them. Therefore the selection from the team is
understandably diverse, as we all want something
different from our favourite “American Rifle”.
What of course we all truly want though is an AEG
that is reliable, robust, and performs well from the
get go, and all the models we’ve chosen have been
tried, tested, and found not to be wanting! We will
endeavour to get back to “business as usual” with
the PDWs next time, but that of course is largely out
of our hands if we are to fully embrace the current
health and safety guidelines as we should.
Once again sadly, our Red Cell “Christmas Dinner”
will have to wait as well, but we’re already talking
about a post-rangeday BBQ in the Summer… now
THAT is something for us all to look forward to!
RUNNING AND GUNNING 2020 STYLE!
So, without further ado let’s get straight into things
and see what came to the forefront for Red Cell
during 2020!
Boycie: For some time now I have been a huge fan
of the KWA 2.5 and 3.0 AR based rifles. With the
advent of the 3.0+ this really opened up options
40
FEBRUARY 2021

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
for those who wanted to be able to fit a Mosfet
internally to their rifle. Their 2.5 variant is the 3.0
version but without recoil, but that does have a really
good feature which is the VPS, or Variable Power
System. This is a variable length spring guide which
enables the user to accurately ‘tune’ their FPS which
is something you can’t do with the majority of other
AEGs on the market. The 2.5 also keeps the last round
bolt stop function which a lot of people who like to
be more realistic in their drills consider a “must have”.
The 3.0 variant is the type that carries the KWA KFS,
Kinetic Feedback System. This also has the last round
bolt stop function.
Recently KWA have updated their gearbox design
to be able to use a standard V2 trigger block, this now
means that the user can fit an internal Mosfet like the
Gate Titan, Jefftron Leviathan etc. The downside with
this change is that the last round bolt stop is now no
longer a feature of the system.
There is a lot that I really like about the KWAs.
Firstly they are solid, the designers have clearly taken
time to ensure that the rifles don’t rattle. When I
say rattle I mean when you hold a lot of AEGs by the
pistol grip and shake you get a rattle from the illfitting
upper to lower receiver interface. Secondly is
the weight; the KWAs are far from the lightest rifles
out there but due to their balance they don’t feel
unwieldy. Next is their robustness; a number of people
who I have sold ERGs to have commented on how
they’ve outlived other makes, this meaning that others
have broken or failed once, or more times, while their
KWA has kept on running. The majority of the KWA
2.5, 3.0 and 3.0+ systems are interchangeable other
than, in some cases, their upper and lower receivers.
They are also equally very happy running on 7.4v or
11.1v LiPo batteries.
The two biggest advantages, for me, of the KWAs
are that they don’t require ‘upgrades’ from the box.
Simply fit a battery and feed them BBs. In the UK
we find that the hop rubber compound is too hard
for our climate so a change to a 50 degree rubber is
usually advised to get top performance at usual UK
site FPS limits. The other thing is their cost. Compared
to some other brands which have a large and loyal
following, the KWA is substantially cheaper but to me
is superior due to the reasons I have mentioned. Also
the KWAs will use either their own types of magazines
but will also easily use a large number of other ‘off
the shelf’ magazines, when other brands either need
an adaptor or a quite expensive proprietary magazine.
Some feel that they have to throw £500 plus worth
of ‘upgrades’ onto other platforms to get them to
“perform properly”, this is just not needed with the
KWAs.
When I am asked what rifle I would recommend
to a new player, I tell them to look at what is
within their budget. There are a large number of
recommendations I make that will work within the
buyers budget but if you want an awesome AEG
for around UK£350, or less, then my go to choice is
one of the KWA range. For those looking at a lower
budget level then I would recommend that they look
at the KWA 2GX AEGs which can usually be found for
around UK£200.
Jon: 2020 has been a funny old year. Things are most
definitely not “normal” any more and that got me to
thinking about “normal”. There’s a plethora of M4/
AR variant rifles available from budget and beginner
www.airsoftaction.net 41

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
Model: KWA T6
Price: iro £340
Age: 1 year
Weight: 2700g
Length: Retracted 552mm,
Extended 673mm
Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.02J/332fps
Hot Chrono: 1.02J/330fps
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From: All KWA
stockists
Model: BO Dynamics LK595
CQB
Price: £180
Age: New
Weight: 2335g
Length: 775mm
Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.04 J/335fps
Hot Chrono: 1.04 J/335fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.targetzoneuk.simpl.com
Model: Valken ASL Kilo
Price: iro £150
Age: New
Weight: 2500g
Length: (stock collapsed) 67cm
Magazine Capacity: 300rnds
Cold Chrono: 337-356fps
Hot Chrono: 340-352fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility:
Comes with suppressor fitted,
14mm CCW
Available From: All Valken
stockists
Model: G&G Armament Cobalt
Kinetics BAMF
Price: iro £600
Age: 18 Months
Weight: 3690g
Length: 940mm
Magazine Capacity: 90 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.95 J/320fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 J/315fps
Taclite Compatibility:M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From: www.nuprol.
com
Model: KWA RM4 Scout
Price: iro £380
Age: 6years!
Weight: 3400g
Length: 90mm
Magazine Capacity: 30/60 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.13J/350fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: MOE as
Standard
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From: Originally from
J-Tac Custom
Model: CYMA 097 B
Price: iro £195
Age: 1 Year
Weight: 2770g
Length: 730mm (min)
Magazine Capacity: 160 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07 J/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.taiwangun.com
42
FEBRUARY 2021

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
Model: CYMA 098A E-Edition
(.308)
Price: iro £198
Age: 1 Year
Weight: 3200g
Length: 880mm (min)
Magazine Capacity: 500 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.taiwangun.com
Model: BOLT B4 LRP
Price: iro £400
Age: New
Weight: 3100g
Length: 855mm (min)
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.95J/320fps
Hot Chrono: 0.89J/310fps
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.nuprol.com
Model: Specna Arms MK18 SA-
E19 EDGE
Price: iro £235
Age: New
Weight: 2675g
Length: 700mm (min)
Magazine Capacity: 190 BBs x 2
Cold Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.gunfire.com
Model: Specna Arms RRA SA-
E14 EDGE (Aster V2 Eval Model)
Price: TBC!
Age: New
Weight: 2630g
Length: 800mm (min)
Magazine Capacity: 190 BBs x 2
Cold Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07J/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm
CCW
Available From:
www.gunfire.com
friendly AEG’s to some top end offerings that cost
more than my car. The one thing they all have in
common is that they’re all a bit same/same.
Sure, internal and external components are often
better the higher (or deeper into your pocket) you
climb but add an optic, PEQ, fancy flash hider and
from 6 feet away they all look the same. This isn’t a
bad thing, it allows for folks to realize a vision where
budgets are tight, but what it does do is make the
market kinda vanilla. AK’s are the same too, classic or
tacticool. Nothing really stands out for me any more
apart from one offering in the AR family.
Enter the Cobalt Kinetics BAMF licensed by G&G!
It started making a bit of a buzz in 2018 when
it showcased at IWA and a somewhat excited BPT
reported back to me saying there was something I
would love brewing in the AR world. Cobalt Kinetics
are a passionate and meticulous company in the US
that focus on Race or Competition systems. I’m not
joking here, each component is inspected FIVE times
to ensure perfect fit and operation. FIVE TIMES... I
don’t do that when rebuilding my car’s brakes. The
pedigree comes from the competition shooting world
and it really shows.
Three things stand out from the crowd with the
CK/G&G collaboration from all other AR rifles. Firstly
the CNC machined upper, lower, M-LOK rail and solid
stock (honestly it’s a work of art - credit to the G&G
boffins for replicating this). It’s strangely ergonomic
too, everything being well within reach. Secondly
it’s non-military/law enforcement look. The bulk of
the rifle is a suave grey colour and highlighted with
accents of electric anodised blue. It really does stand
firmly and proudly away from the vanilla crew. The
www.airsoftaction.net 43

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
third and final part is the replication of the CARS
(Cobalt Advantage Reload System) that G&G have
renamed ADAM (Auto Drop Advanced Magazine).
There’s your clue to the best bit.
The BAMF ejects the magazine when it’s empty
and utilizing some clever trickery, it will stop firing
until a new magazine is loaded, thus eliminating dry
fire. I absolutely love this feature. Coupled with the
very flared magwell, it makes fast mag changes an
absolute breeze. Seriously, you’ve only got to have a
rough idea where the well and fresh magazine are,
and you’re off slinging plastic again in lightening time!
The system works with some clever engineering in
the proprietary magazine. Long story short, when the
follower ejects the last BB a spring loaded door pops
up (roughly where the fill cap would be on a High-
Cap) and sets it free from the rifle. With that in mind,
the “ejecto-seato” feature doesn’t work with standard
magazines but the rifle works just as well with them.
It’s a beautiful bit of engineering that I absolutely
adore. I love this as much as the APS Shell ejecting
shotguns.
There are a few drawbacks however.
I’ve a fair bit of experience with G&G
magazines and they DO NOT like meeting
the floor from a few feet high and these
mags are not cheap. Not cheap at all,
neither is the BAMF, rattling in still at circa
UK£600, although you can find them
cheaper if you’re lucky! All that aside the
wife and I would both run one happily on
the circuit and on the field in a Mr & Mrs
Smith-esque way!
Jase: So here in the UK Covid 2.0 has
hit us here in and our second cancelled
‘Cell’ meeting means I have to pull out
my trusted KWA RM4 for my review.
Now I’m not the typical airsofter that has
an arsenal that one doesn’t use, I own
two pistols and three AEG’s. More than
enough. I’ve owned this peach for SIX
years now and it has NEVER let me down,
which makes it a perfect example for a
Cell review.
I would often pop to Bill’s for a coffee,
chat and to see what’s new. On this
occasion there sat a KWA RM4 Scout.
At first I was very much, meh, another
AEG. This was until I fired off a mag,
recoil.....in an AEG......then it stopped.
As I handed it back to Bill in a sheepish
manner, he laughed loudly in my face. It
stopped working because it had a bolt
stop function. My tiny mind was blown, hahaha. Back
then Systema rifles where the only AEG on the market
that had this function, but they also had a hefty price
tag. This KWA was only UK£350. Magazines where
three for UK£45. I was sold! Within weeks I had my
very own with seven mags. I never looked back.
When my rifle turned up it was clad in the finest
Magpul furniture and the lower body had full Magpul
logo’s and serial number. Back then I was a slag for
Magpul kit. I used it in that guise for about a year
before I changed the front end for a quad rail to
mount my DBAL and taclite. The only upgrade is a 50’’
Maple Leaf rubber, as the standard one is a bit hard
for UK climates
Now even after all these years playing with this
AEG the FPS has only really dropped about 10fps; to
me, that’s impressive as it’s my go to faithful, and I’d
hate to think how many rounds have been through
it. My RM4 can easily hit a target at 45/50m, and that
for me is more than enough. If I had one negative it
would be that it’s a bit on the heavy side but because
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RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
of its reliability, hard recoil and bolt stop function, I’ll
cut it some slack. The paintwork has been amazing,
no real wear marks or chips. It’s testimony to the
brands quality. The cherry on this cake are the
magazines. The earlier magazines where not only
great value but they’re changeable from either 30 or
60 BBs and now you can buy them in 30/120 rounds
and made from quality DuPont polymer.
Bill W-R: So, I have been airsofting for a fair few
years now and had a few wild and whacky RIF’s over
the years and as fellow team members will testify to
it’s usually a different AEG maxed to be the best it
can for a given role. So summer 2019 comes and my
eldest son MJ aka EAT-05 BOO, aged 12 comes down
to the glorious garden of England and decides he
wants to have a play with daddy’s pew pew toys…
So with gloves, eye pro and a tin-can alley style
set up on a table in the garden he is shown the basic
operation and trigger discipline. Within minutes he
is single shooting soft drink cans off the table with
ease. Mag empty he instinctively lifts up the rif with
his finger off the trigger, drops the mag and looks
round with the biggest grin imaginable. I have created
a monster…
Suffice to say I promised him his own AEG as a
Christmas present but this leaves dad with a quandary.
1. I need something that fits him. This is most
important as there is no point a 13yr old lumbering
around a m249. 2. It needs to look good (according
to him). 3. It must be reliable and in an ideal world 4.
must be good value as it may get easily broken or just
be a phase in his life. So what did I choose?
The Valken ASL Kilo. With an average bundle deal
price of UK£235 for the AEG, li-ion battery, charger
and a bag of BB’s it is priced at the entry level market
and comes with a 12 month no quibble guarantee.
We have on a standard M4 platform a good quality
V2 all metal gearbox with 6mm bushings and full
metal gears married to a 6.05mm barrel at 255mm
long. Full polymer/nylon fiber construction makes
it light yet robust, a 6 stage vented crane stock will
allow a multitude of battery options to be contained
and a 9” M-LOK front rail will accommodate a
majority of accessories you may desire to hang from
your rail. Fitted to MJ’s is a sloped front hand guard.
Suitable for righties and lefties alike you will find an
ambidextrous fire selector and mag release that will
make life easier whichever side you shoot from. It also
comes with front and rear hi-vis flip up sights which
work well even in lower light conditions. The trigger is
a flat match-style trigger giving accurate response for
a non mosfet system.
Now for the important numbers; The AEG was
tested on team-standard RZR 0.2g bb’s using a Nuprol
2000mAh Li-Ion 7.4v battery. Cold straight from box
over 20 rounds it ranged from 337fps to 356fps.
After a few magazines this then converted to a min
of 340fps and max 352. I am sure once it beds in
the fps will drop a little more over time. Rate of fire
was straight out the box an average of 11.2 rounds
per second. So we have found a reliable, reasonably
priced AEG.
Having spoken with my local stockists, it is
apparent that more and more people are choosing
Valken because of its value for money, reliability, the
bulletproof 12-month warranty and its upgradability,
with the ASL Tango, Kilo and Mod 0 being some of his
top sellers in 2020; however as with all things airsoft
in 2020 and into 2021 no one can rest on their laurels
with the likes of Specna and their core range now
snapping at their heels it won’t be long before they
are outgunned and Valken and other manufacturers
have to innovate to survive. As for MJ, well he is one
very happy boy and a new addition to the airsofting
family and I’m sure we all wish him the best in his
journey through our great sport, as he and thousands
like him are the future of airsoft!
Jimmy: The LK595 CQB (yes, my Christmas present!)
in Urban Grey is a new release from BO Manufacture
and certainly new to myself having never come
across them before until recently. At UK£180 it will
be thought of as a budget rifle, price-wise yes, but
what you get for your money says otherwise. This is
a cracking package and sports what I believe to be
some premium features such like a 6.02mm prescision
tight bore barrel, mock bolt lock, EBB (electric blow
back), solid rotary hop unit, and a full Lonex gearbox.
When I think Lonex I think aftermarket upgrades, so
the gearbox you know is already great quality and if
you look at the price of a complete Lonex gearbox you
are looking at well over UK£100 already! The main
body of the rifle is made from a very solid, quality
polymer and there is no flex or wobble between any
of the sections and it has a near perfect finish. The
pistol grip is an ergonomic style giving the user a firm
grip and is quite comfortable, fitting nicely in my large
hands. The UTG stock is exclusive to BO and I must
say it is a great stock; it allows you to use a selection
of batteries be it CRANE-style nunchuk or stick, the
rear plate swivels on a bolt which is loosened by a
small wheel making battery fitting very easy, which
shows thought when designing. Also, on the stock is
a metal QD sling attachment and on the buffer a sling
plate, giving you options…
He first test shoot left me highly impressed
especially with the fact it has an EBB function (I’m a
www.airsoftaction.net 45

RED CELL
OUR FAVOURITE 2020 “ARS”
big fan of EBB); using a 7.4v li-on battery it was very
responsive and was shooting a respectable power
at 335fps consistently while holding accuracy up to
around 60 meters, hopping a 0.30g RZR BB with ease.
At 13rps it isn’t the fastest ROF but it is very reliable
and using the polymer 120rd midcap magazine
supplied it didn’t miss oneshot.
The magazine fit is one of the best I’ve seen on an
AEG and I’ve seen a lot! It clicked in without the need
to force it and once clicked in, not one bit of wobble,
quite frankly a flawless fit (I wish I could say that
about more AEGs!). So if you are on the lookout for a
rifle with a budget price but which offers you so much
more, this would be one to have a look at; I wasn’t
even looking for a new rifle but at that price and the
fact it’s got a full Lonex gearbox I couldn’t resist and
I’m glad didn’t!
Bill P-T: So, you may wonder what I like from 2020
given the fact that I get to range test on average 5-10
AEGs a month, each and every month? You might
think that it would be some “uber-AR” with a Lamboesque
price-tag that you couldn’t access yourself, but
that whole “elite” bollocks “look at me” approach
has never been, and never will be, my way. Yes, I’m
quite happy to drop some of my hard-earned pennies
on something unique IF it is warranted (my G&P
Stoner for example), but when it comes to regular
use-at-a-skirmish AEG then I’m quite happy with the
exact same thing that most of you will be using!
So what really took my fancy in 2020? Four models
really made me sit up and take stock of just how far
the airsoft industry has come recently, and most of
them are sub-UK£250! The CYMA 097 and 098 series
prove that we really do need to put the past behind
us and look at what is in the here and now. Many
retailers are getting directly involved in producing
AEGs in collaboration with an established OEM, and
from what I’m seeing this is a very good thing as the
player is getting exactly what they are asking the
frontline retailers for. At the end of the day these
are models that you can currently buy for well under
UK£200 that look utterly superb, feel so solid that
you could use them to hammer nails, and are more
(way more!) than adequate in terms of performance.
If you’re in need of a cheeky new AR then the CYMA
097 and 098 models are most definitely worth a look
if you’re on a budget, and even if you aren’t!
BOLT had a great 2020 with a number of new
models hitting the stores, and amongst them was
the B4 LRP, which is the one more expensive model
I’ll include here, but it’s a proper “fighting AR” in my
mind, and all the better for that! I really do like this
mid-length carbine, and it strikes me that since I tried
my very first BOLT AR several years ago they really
have refined the BRSS recoil system as it functions
flawlessly and smoothly, and given the quality of
parts and finish overall it just feels “right”. Whilst a
BOLT AEG is never going to be the cheapest option
I can assure that in this case you are very much
getting what you pay for both in build quality and
performance with the B4 LRP, but then again I don’t
think that Tomy at BOLT would sell this to a fellow
airsofter if it wasn’t 100% fully up to the job!
With my “milsim brain” fully engaged then the
Specna Arms/EMG collaboration Daniel Defense
MK18 SA-E19 EDGE that I recently reviewed has to
be on my list! As I said in my review of this super
AEG, it has definitely rekindled my love for all things
NSW, and with a sub-£250 price tag here in the UK
it really provides some serious bang for your buck.
It looks great, feels great, and shoots excellently, so
as far as I can see Specna Arms and EMG have got
this very, very right. I really do like the E19 as it’s an
exceptionally tight package both inside and out, and
care has obviously been taken to provide something
in AEG form that’s fully worthy of carrying that Daniel
Defense name without breaking the bank!
Lastly it’s the Specna Arms RRA SA-E14 EDGE, but
specifically the new evaluation model I was sent with
the ESA-2, SOLAR Trigger, and the programmeable
ASTER V2 fitted; I have to say that as someone not
known for their love of “tech” that everything I have
found on and in this test model has been exemplary
and to me this MUST be included in my list (although
I feel this model may n up being a little over that
UK£250 mark when it becomes fully available!)
because it shows admirably the direction of the future
when it comes to what you will get as “standard” in
an affordable AEG in the not-so-distant future!
As always, our thanks go to Red Cell partners NUPROL
(www.nuprol.com), VIPER (www.viperkit.co.uk),
Attack Sense Smart Targets (www.attacksense.com)
and Invader Gear (www.invadergear.com).
46
FEBRUARY 2021

FEATURE
NEW MODELS FROM VEGAFORCECOMPANY
NEW YEAR...
NEW
MODELS!
ON NOVEMBER 28TH 2020, BILL AND OUR “LEGIONNAIRE” IN TAIWAN, STU “STEWBACCA”
MORTIMER, GOT A CHANCE TO “SIT IN” WITH RAY FROM VEGAFORCECOMPANY TO TAKE A LOOK AT
THE NEW MODELS THAT WILL BE COMING FROM THEM LATER THIS YEAR. NOW WE PULL TOGETHER A
MORE DETAILED LOOK AT THE NEW AEGS AND GBBS TO SHOW EXACTLY WHAT WILL BE ON OFFER!
It’s always very exciting to get a “heads up” on
new models of AEG and GBB that will be hitting
the market in the future and, thanks to the
excellent relationships Airsoft Action has with some
of the industry leaders in innovation, design and
manufacturing, it’s something we are pleased to
report is happening more and more!
We’ve worked long and hard to establish
partnerships with these industry giants, relationships
that are based on trust, integrity and a shared
passion for seeing new models emerge that are sure
to give players around that world that big “Wow!”
factor. Like many of you, we’re 100% fed up with
the “naysayers” out there, who immediately draw a
conclusion on every new model without having even
seen it for real and have absolutely no comprehension
of the development process that has gone into
creating a whole new design.
Luckily, WE actually speak direct to the great people
in the industry that create the wonderful pistols,
carbines and rifles that we take to the airsoft site
or field each weekend and they, in turn, trust us to
report accurately and factually on what they send us
for testing. Like any establishment of trust this takes
time, time that results not only in great business
relationships, but also in true and lasting individual
friendships.
If you watched the video presentation from MOA
in Taiwan last November, it’s patently clear that our
relationship with VegaForceCompany (VFC) (especially
between Ray and Bill) goes far beyond “business”
and there’s a friendship there that has grown over a
number of years based yes, on a shared passion for
airsoft but also in a much broader sense! Perhaps it’s
an example that many could learn from and take time
to develop similar friendly, trusting relationships with
others in our wonderful community, rather than being
so quick to find the negative.
That aside, we’re pleased to be able to bring you
the lowdown on these super new models from VFC
and it is fast looking like 2021 is going to hold some
real gems when it comes to new models!
FULLY LICENCED TO THRILL!
VFC have been making superb strides ahead with
the GBB platforms, both in pistols such as the “1911
Tactical” and rifles like the stunning SR25 ECC, so it
was great to see at MOA that they were flag-shipping
their 2021 line with a superb new licencing agreement
with Bravo Company USA (BCM)!
BCM started in the garage of a veteran United
States Marine in Hartland Wisconsin, shortly after
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Founded to support
the needs of Private Security Professionals working
48
FEBRUARY 2021

FEATURE
NEW MODELS FROM VEGAFORCECOMPANY
in theatres where
military components
for their weapon
systems
were not readily
available,
BCM (Bravo Company
MFG,
Inc.) started to create
professional
grade weaponry manufactured, reinforced and
tested to meet the unforgiving needs of the
professional – and to be frank, they haven’t looked
back!
They’ve earned a great reputation amongst
professional users worldwide and it’s fabulous to
see VFC joining forces with them to create some
stunning looking airsoft carbines! The BCM MCMR
(GBBR) benefits from a World-First BCM Full License,
with a full authorised accessories setup that includes
the BCM MCMR (M-LOK®) handguard! Internally
the MCMR benefits from steel parts and a steel bolt
carrier, along with VFC’s own patented “GuideHOP”
adjusting design. This looks to be a VERY tight
package and specs are:
• Length: 716/790 mm
• Inner Barrel: 275 mm
• Weight: 1,958 g
• Energy: Max 2 Joule
• Material: Steel, Alloy, Polymer
• Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs
Next up is another great “US-driven” design in GBB
guise, the M110K1!
The Knight’s Armament website tells us: “Winner
of the U.S. Army award as one of the “Best 10
Inventions” of 2007, the M-110 Semi-Automatic
Sniper System (M-110 SASS) is a precision 7.62mm
NATO caliber, gas-operated rifle that is highly
acclaimed for its battlefield performance. The rifle’s
inherent accuracy, quick-change 20-round magazine,
ambidextrous controls, abundant MIL-STD-1913 rail
mounting capabilities, and highly effective sound
suppressor system all contribute to the system’s
combat success. Like the Mk11, the heart of the
M-110 system is a 20” Chromoly 5R Cut rifled barrel.
To meet Army requirements for service in the
current theater of operation, a durable flat dark
earth colored coating is applied over standard
protective finishes.”
This superb-looking GBBR is no doubt going
to please “NSW” players out there too, as we’ve
read that the Department of the Navy Office:
Naval Sea Systems Command is looking to buy
MK110K1 uppers from Knight’s Armament and
it’s said that Knights Armament Company has offered
them an improved, capability upgrade to the upper
receiver assembly for the M110K1 SASS. The new
upper receiver is for 6.5mm Creedmoor rather than
7.62mm and allegedly provides longer distance shots
and increased range. Benefitting from similar internal
features, VFC have done a bang-on job of replicating
this up-to-the-minute rifle, with the specs being:
• Length: 904/989 mm
• Inner Barrel: 420mm
• Weight: 3,614 g
• Energy: Max 2 Joule
• Material: Steel, Alloy, Polymer
• Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs
If you are more an AEG player though, then VFC
have you covered here too!
Their MK48 “Maximi” will no doubt become a firm
favourite with many players, as it offers something
different to the support gun area and benefits from
being a practical, ultra-lightweight design. It’s also
interesting in that it has an all-new AEG gearbox
design, feeding from either a detachable 5,500 BB
box mag OR an internal 1,000 BB reservoir! We think
this is an awesome advance for the airsoft support
gunner, offering great versatility while removing the
need to have an external box if you desire! Specs here
are:
• Length: 1,000 mm
• Inner Barrel: 465 mm
• Weight: 3690 g
• Energy: Max 2 Joule
• Material: Alloy, Polymer
• Magazine Capacity: 1,000 BBs (plus!)
Also on the AEG front is the striking Avalon SPR
“BCM STARTED IN THE GARAGE OF A VETERAN UNITED STATES MARINE IN HARTLAND
WISCONSIN, SHORTLY AFTER OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM IN 2003. FOUNDED TO
SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF PRIVATE SECURITY PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THEATRES
WHERE MILITARY COMPONENTS FOR THEIR WEAPON SYSTEMS WERE NOT READILY
AVAILABLE…”
www.airsoftaction.net 49

COVERT
BOOT
BLACK / BROWN / TITANIUM
/ SRP: £49.95

FEATURE
NEW MODELS FROM VEGAFORCECOMPANY
which we’ll
be taking a look
at in detail soon
there’s more
“Old Skool”
GBB PSG-1!
This
but
to come for the
amongst us, in the form of a
stunning rifle, the
“Präzisionsschützengewehr”, or
precision shooting rifle was a semiautomatic
sniper rifle designed and produced
by Heckler & Koch and much beloved of special
police and military units during the 70’s and 80’s.
It holds a special place in hearts of many airsofters
and Stewbacca was obviously very taken with it “in
the flesh”! Its widely acknowledged that a certain
Japanese manufacturer dropped the ball for once
when they replicated this rifle in 6mm AEG form but,
knowing VFC as we do, there’s a lot to look forward
to with their version.
The VFC HK PSG-1 faithfully replicates the
appearance of the PSG-1, making use of steel
stamping in the upper and lower receivers, along with
a reinforced steel charging handle latch assembly. It
also replicates the PSG-1 Style adjustable cheek rest
stock, along with that unique PSG-1 style dedicated
pistol grip with adjustable palm shelf. Specs here are:
• Length: 1,220/1,280 mm
• Inner Barrel: 650 mm
• Weight: 5,200 g
• Energy: Max 2 Joule
• Material: Steel, Alloy, Polymer
• Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs
And sticking with “old skool”, there’s one more
GBBR that has been causing quite a stir, not only for
the rifle in question but for the many derivatives of
the original design (including the L1A1 SLR!) and, of
course, the rifle is the LAR, AKA “FN FAL” (GBBR)!
VFC have been teasing us with the LAR for some
considerable time and it is a thing of absolute
beauty that stuns all who see it. As the world’s first
“FAL” GBBR, the early model style is completely and
accurately reproduced, with steel front and rear sights,
steel gas
tube, steel
outer barrel
and of
course, steel lower and
top cover!
Inside there’s a steel
7.62 style realistic bolt carrier assembly, so for living
history/airsoft crossover this should take down in a
very similar fashion to the real deal! Specs are:
• Length: 1,095 mm
• Inner Barrel: 491 mm
• Weight: 3,949 g
• Energy: Max 2 Joule
• Material: Steel, Alloy, Polymer
• Capacity: 20 BBs
We understand that the LAR will come in two
“levels”, with a “collector” variant and one that is
more keenly priced for the skirmish market. We are
100% looking forward to seeing both soon!
Of course, this is not all that VFC have up their
sleeves for 2021, as undoubtedly their pistol program
will move on apace and the glimpse we were given of
the “1911 Ultra Carry” had a certain member of the
Airsoft Action team getting all a’flustered as soon as
it appeared at the end of the video presentation from
MOA! This super-short 1911 (we are told) is based on
their “1911 Tactical” that was released in 2020 - and
this was a pistol that we reviewed VERY positively - so
we have high hopes for its “little bro” too!
Undoubtedly there will be more from VFC as the
year progresses and we look forward to featuring as
many as possible of their new offerings in more detail
but for now, we’d like to express our sincere thanks to
Ray, both for the video presentation from MOA and
for providing more information to us for this article!
Do be sure to check out the VegaForceCompany
Youtube channel and www.vegaforce.com for the
latest updates as they appear. We are certainly looking
forward to working with them as things move on! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 51

armoury
G&G CMF16 AEG
AEG
TEMPTATION
IT IS NO SECRET THAT AA’S LEGIONNAIRE IN TAIWAN, STEWBACCA, IS NO GREAT AEG FAN,
PREFERRING INSTEAD THE THUNDER AND FIRE OF USING A GBB, SO WHAT DID HE MAKE OF G&G’S
CMF16? READ ON TO FIND OUT…
Since arriving in Taiwan most of my efforts have
focused on building my own Gas BlowBack
pistol, SMG/PDW and rifle collection, having
not had as much opportunity to do so in my previous
years in the UK, due to the much higher cost of
acquiring them there and the poorer weather
conditions for using them effectively in gaming
scenarios. I haven’t even bothered to acquire any
AEGs until very recently and still need to get my own
batteries and charger, as well as midcap magazines to
help me evaluate them when I get samples or access
to them.
Despite this aversion towards electric guns over
recent years and love for all things loud and heavily
recoiling, nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised when
I got to handle the CMF16 series during my visit to
G&G Armament in Changhua county, during the
research for my feature back in the September 2020
issue. I was even more pleased when Rick and Apple
sent me a shiny new model to evaluate following its
very recent release and addition to their product line.
The CMF16 and CMF16K are M-Lok foregrip
variants clearly modelled after the wildly popular
Heckler & Koch HK416 Armalite derivative, albeit
without claiming any officialdom or licensing in their
naming or markings. The CMF16K being the shorter
of the two variants with a CRS style telescopic CQB
stock and shortened fore-end and barrel assembly,
while the standard CMF16 I received is the slightly
longer of the two, with a more traditional Crane-style
stock and plenty of space for nunchuck batteries in
the rear.
Of course, being a total H&K fanboy I was more
than happy to add this to my collection and was
immediately impressed by the attention to detail.
Despite the Combat Machine series being aimed
at general users, or perhaps being viewed as the
“sportline” or more economical or conventional
range of AEGs, G&G have packed a lot of features in
as standard that you tend to find only in the higher
echelons of many of their competitor’s product
offerings.
AMBI-EVERYTHING
The CMF16 represents the latest HK416A5 incarnation
and accurately replicates the ambidextrous controls.
The fire selectors are very positive in their movement
and easily accessed and operated on both sides of
the receiver but do not cut into the trigger finger of
your firing hand (as can be the complaint with some
other platforms which make use of ambi-selectors),
while the magazine release is present not only in
its standard right trigger finger release position but
also with the typical left side flapper button setup,
allowing operation by either the trigger finger of your
52
FEBRUARY 2021

armoury
G&G CMF16 AEG
firing hand, or the thumb of the support
hand, regardless of which your strong hand
is. Similarly, the bolt release controls are also
faithful in their operation.
Even though this is an AEG and thus
the bolt catches have limited realistic use,
G&G took the time to make both releases
on either side operative and they allow the
release of the fake bolt carrier group in the
ejection port. Retracing the charging handle
locks this to the rear to open the ejection
port and allow access to the hop up unit
control wheel (in a fashion now typical
for AR AEGs) and actuating either release
than drops this fake bolt assembly or shell
forwards to close the ejection port and once
again conceal the hop unit control wheel.
The flip-up iron sights are also of
excellent quality, made of metal and with
the appropriate adjustment controls for
the rear peep sight which can be raised or lowered
for elevation shifts with the serrated sleeve around its
main body pillar, as well as featuring a windage dial
knob on the right side of its mounting base. The front
sight also has an adjustment wheel for elevation of
the central post and both the iron sights are bolted
onto the continuous picatinny accessory rail along
the top of the upper receiver and front handguard,
so can be easily removed if they are surplus to your
requirements. However, given the 400mm of rail space
available, they should be able to remain installed but
kept out of the way and deployed in the hopefully
unlikely case you have an optics failure. These are
perfect and the point of impact was smack bang in
the middle of the sight picture for my first tentative
shots straight out of the box! I was extremely happy
with this, given my past experiences of playing around
with both sights ad nauseum trying to set them.
COMFORT HANDLING
The general handling of the CMF16 is extremely
comfortable. It weighs in at exactly 2.5kg, with the
supplied high capacity magazine fitted but without
ammunition or a battery present. Given the size and
profile of the rifle, this is quite noticeable and makes
it very easy to wield. The overall extended length is
825mm, 300mm of which is taken up by the midlength
front handguard that replicates the popular
short-barreled rifle setups of many AR platforms. This
itself is a surprisingly strong and lightweight structure,
with 5 M-Lok bays on the sides and bottom and a
reasonably open skeletal structure of the intervening
faces. It also features QD Sling loop mount sockets
on both sides of its rear end, either side of the top
picatinny rail, allowing for lots of slinging options in
conjunction with the aforementioned wire style buffer
plate, as well as the more traditional sling slots present
in the Crane style buttstock.
The handguard is also very comfortable, especially
compared to the older quad rail style and without
the bulk or serrated edges of these more outdated
setups. The M-Lok stretches out to the perfect length
even for my considerably long arms; my hand just
reaches the end of the handguard itself and adding
a vertical foregrip or similar angle grip to the bottom
surface would make for a very easily controlled front
end, along with its light weight and relatively slender
profile. The pistol grip has a pleasantly bulbous profile
that fits in the palm of the hand nicely, giving a very
positive grip, as well as featuring ridges on the front
strap and a mottled surface on the side surfaces for
added controllability in both bare, or gloved hands,
while the downward bowed trigger guard also allows
more space for comfortably inserting a gloved trigger
finger too.
All of this adds up to a platform that just points
and shoots exactly where you want it to, with great
ease and negligible bulk or discomfort. But it’s what’s
inside that counts, right? On that front I was also very
pleasantly surprised!
Having never had anything to do with MOSFETs or
other electronics, given my departure from AEG use
just as these were becoming more of a normalised
trend and increasingly prevalent in stock guns out
of the box. G&G’s on board ETU gives an excellent
level of responsiveness and effortless and enjoyable
shooting, it allows for very rapid semi-auto followwww.airsoftaction.net
53

armoury
G&G CMF16 AEG
up shots. Having made use of it in-game a few times
recently at action bunker and their SpeedQB oriented
bottom floor setup; at my most recent game day
switching to using the CMF16 AEG immediately
levelled the playing field for me compared to the
previous rounds trying to use my HK416 GBB against
the more dedicated speedsoft players. The ability to
lay follow-up shots almost instantly led to me wiping
the field on the first round I employed it in - especially
with the accurate iron sights and the easy addition of
my tracer unit to the front muzzle thanks to its easily
removed birdcage flash hider and the thread under it.
BATTERY SPACE
The battery space is fairly reasonable, with both side
pods of the crane stock being accessible by twisting
the end caps inwards once the butt stock is removed
from the buffer tube. The ETU components also
reside in their heat shrink wrapping within the slightly
skeletonised buffer tube, with the side slots in it
allowing for the ETU and wiring to be maneuvered
and oriented for reassembly once the battery is
installed.
I recently took the CMF16 to the Police/SWAT team
training centre at Linkou CQB Club, where airsofters
make use of the same room entry and killing house
setup as the local security services (when the more
official guys with real guns aren’t training there!).
With a much wider space to play in I was able to
really stretch the legs of the AEG and was pleasantly
surprised by the overall effective range. Making use
of BLS 0.3g tracer rounds and the XCortech XT301
as usual, I was managing to consistently get rounds
through narrow gaps or windows with ease, all in the
same responsive double tap style I had used in the
more enclosed environments before.
Thus far I have been very happy with the
performance and sheer ease of handling and use
that the CMF16 presents, the only downfall I have
experienced is magazine related. The supplied highcapacity
manual winding wheel magazine seems to
feed fine on the initial winding but occasionally it will
jam up during more extended games, or on successive
windings of its mechanism. Likely due to the same
issues that plagued P90 high caps in the past, the flow
of pellets moving into the “bases” or spaces between
the teeth of the main feeding wheel likely gets
impacted or disrupted.
I’ve found the best remedy is to remove the
magazine from the gun, invert it to take the “load”
of the rounds in the main chamber off the feeding
wheel and give it a short, sharp whack on the spine
of the magazine against a wall or door to unseat
whatever loose BB round has jammed the wheel. You
can hear it freewheel a little and refill the front tube
that the rounds are pushed up from the reservoir. This
is the only issue I have encountered and judging by
the trends and shifts in the airsoft market these days,
the prevalence of increasingly high-capacity sprung
loaded/mid-cap style magazines that operate by a
simple spring and follower but offer nearly the same
capacity of a more conventional winding high-cap
mag, this problem can no doubt be entirely avoided
with the use of suitable mid-cap magazines without a
detriment to capacity.
Overall I’ve been really pleased to see the features
and performance G&G have managed to cram into
such a good value for money product. Despite never
owning one of their guns before, I’m more than
happy to recommend their latest products and their
clearly advanced features to new or experienced
players - and keep the CMF16 on hand for CQB or
SpeedQB gameplay alike.
I’d once again like to extend my thanks to G&G for
providing one of their latest releases - and particularly
for choosing a Heckler & Koch themed one which fits
nicely within my existing collection! I look forward to
seeing more from them in the future and what they
bring to market and offer to players. AA
www.airsoftaction.net 55

RELOADED
UMAREX KWA H&K MP7 GBB
THE OBERNDORF
TYPEWRITER
AS A SELF-CONFESSED H&K FANBOY, OUR “LEGIONNAIRE” IN TAIWAN, STU “STEWBACCA”
MORTIMER, WAS DELIGHTED WHEN HE FIRST GOT HIS HANDS ON THIS ICONIC REPLICA. NOW HE
LOOKS BACK AT HOW THINGS HAVE GONE SINCE THEN.
The MP7 has become somewhat of an iconic
firearm of its era - with very distinctive aesthetics
that make it seem like the natural progression
of the Uzi or other pistol grip magazine submachine
guns or true machine pistols. It has featured so
prevalently in video games, films and other media
as well as finding widespread adoption with many
security services - I’ve personally seen them in the
hands of train station police operatives while visiting
Europe after the Paris attacks, as well as their use by
the UK MoD Police for defending nuclear sites, among
countless other high profile deployments.
It truly is an all-round winning platform that
really defines the Personal Defence Weapon (PDW)
classification of weapon, as well as representing the
pinnacle of submachine guns or small calibre select
firepower in an ultra-compact form. Thompson
coined the original Submachine gun “SMG”
moniker to describe his creation, which later became
known as “The Chicago Typewriter” for its use in
the gangsterism of the US prohibition era and its
eponymous “rat-tat-tat-tat” muzzle report. Now the
MP7 must surely be its most modern successor to
the throne, “The Obendorf Typewriter” - a smooth
cycling, accurate, lower recoil, high capacity platform
that levels the playing field and squeezes so much into
such a small and handy package.
If I could only have just one of my guns, this would
probably be it!
KWA/KSC MP7 REPLICA
The KWA/KSC GBB replica of the MP7 is largely based
off the Tokyo Marui and thus suffers the same issue
regarding it being undersized compared to the real
steel version, at around 80% of real size. Basically,
Marui rushed to be first to market with an MP7
variant just as the real steel ones were being released
to market and were therefore still somewhat elusive
and very difficult to source reference material for.
Unfortunately, in their haste they (allegedly) scaled
their drawings and dimensions of the real gun to work
from, with a photo where it was being held by an
atypically large gent demonstrating it, so they ended
up with a somewhat mismatched weapon basing the
overall sizes on an incorrect dimension.
Despite this somewhat atypical inaccuracy on the
part of the Marui and this KWA offering with overall
dimensions, the MP7 GBB is nonetheless an excellent
replica in terms of its operation, out of the box
accuracy and consistency, reliability and aftermarket
optional extras or spares and availability. It is easily
field stripped and the bolt carrier group can be
maintained with relative simplicity. However, I have
avoided detail stripping my own wherever possible, as
having had to break down everything aside from the
fire control mechanism, as it looks like a pain in the
backside to deal with and is retained within the lower
section of the inner cassette that pulls out of the rear
of the main body once the trigger and selector levers
are removed.
IN USE
In terms of my usage thus far, having bought mine
second hand (albeit not so heavily used) from a
teammate back in early 2018, after running just my
KWA HK45 for my first few months of playing in
Taiwan. I have had exceedingly positive experiences
for the most part, the hop unit and internal barrel
coupled with the short stroke of the internal bolt
mechanism and large gas and ammunition capacity
56
FEBRUARY 2021

RELOADED
UMAREX KWA H&K MP7 GBB
magazines, make for a very sharp kicking action
that delivers very accurate fire within CQB distances
of up to 30m. I have run a clone Aimpoint T1 red/
green dot sight on mine since getting it and have
rarely had to re-zero the sight and it maintains the
ability to hit a 4-inch IPSC plate from 15-20 metres
with ease and repeatability. I’ve even managed single
shot eliminations in some games where all I could
see of the exposed opponent was an elbow! The
noise is pretty epic - although occasionally somewhat
deafening in prolonged usage - a distinctive ear
splitting “bark” that lets you know where and when
one is being fired in game. On some days at Action
Bunker in Taipei I’ve seen as many of eight players at
once running the KWA MP7, so its popularity must
extend beyond my praise for it!
LONGEVITY & WEAR
Over the time I have used the KWA MP7 I have put
countless magazine loads through it, carrying four
40 round real capacity magazines on my plate carrier
and sometimes managing to expend all 160 rounds
in some longer games. Even when using single or
double taps for eliminations, the gaming intensity in
Taiwan can ensure a real Agoge for any gun used.
Some of the earliest failures I encountered were the
typical sealing or maintenance issues regarding the
magazines.
This isn’t particularly detrimental or unexpected to
my mind and is somewhat par for the course for most
of my GBB pistols or PDWs, but it is something to be
aware of. In the longer term, the top edges of the
magazine followers and the bolt hold open arm they
interact with inside the main body of the gun, seem to
have all worn down to a point where they no longer
work to hold the bolt open on empty for three of my
magazines anymore. So I recently replaced these as
well as acquiring a spare bolt hold open arm, although
the follower replacements alone have resolved the
issue for the time being and all my magazines now
lock open again on empty.
In terms of internals, however, I have had the bolt
carrier out and apart a few times and had to replace
it entirely once already. The downside of such a short
and violent - but enjoyable - recoil action, is the stress
imparted on the piston and the front retaining face
of the bolt itself. The telescoping gas nozzle is held
in place with a front block, that is held into the main
bolt carrier unit with four small screws - two each side
– and this tends to be the main failure point for the
stock bolt carrier groups. The relatively thin front wall
sections tend to break away after a few thousand (or
maybe tens of thousands) rounds - I lose track of just
how much I put downrange at times! But even my
replacement bolt carrier is once again starting to show
signs of this wear and, although you can continue to
run the bolt in this state without too much trouble, it
obviously isn’t ideal.
One minor thing I would mention is perhaps the
left-hand side bolt release catch. Situated forward of
the trigger and fire selector (and in a similar manner as
with some ambidextrous Glock model issues I’ve heard
about), the whole unit seems to flex across the gun’s
axis too much. Trying to use the left-hand bolt release
when dropping the bolt with an empty magazine
fitted (if for some reason you want to, rather than
a fresh magazine with rounds in) is difficult (if at
all possible), as it doesn’t disengage as positively as
the right-handed one, which sits directly atop the
magazine follower and bolt release.
IN SUMMARY
These really are a perfect CQB weapons platform, with
all of the compact, “point-ability” and ease of carry of
something like a pistol but having the shoulder-firing
capability and inherent accuracy and repeatability that
brings, as well as plenty of real estate for mounting
optics.
To round things off, I really can’t recommend the
Umarex KWA H&K MP7 GBB enough to people! I
haven’t had a huge amount of experience (or heard
much about) the VFC or WE Tech GBB models thus far
but I’m very interested to run a comparison of them
all if I get the chance. Suffice to say other members of
my team and many other players at the sites I frequent
seem to be happy having invested in them. AA
www.airsoftaction.net 57

KIT & GEAR
THE GREY MAN
THE
GREY
MAN
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE SUBJECT OF A (YET TO BE
RELEASED) FILM ON NETFLIX,
THE “GREY MAN” HAS BECOME
WIDELY (AND WILDLY) POPULAR
ACROSS AIRSOFT, WITH MANY KIT
MANUFACTURERS PRODUCING THEIR
OWN VERSION OF “GREY GEAR”.
HAVING CHECKED OUT THE REST OF
HIS KIT, BILL TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO
HIS OWN PERSONAL “GREY”.
Being the “Grey Man” is all about operating in
a way that won’t draw attention to yourself,
blending into your environment and hiding
in plain sight. It allows you to move unnoticed and
combines, not only certain tactical skills but also kit
that will help you achieve your end! Combined with
a “direct action” mindset, “Grey Man” skills can
give you the edge in any setting but especially in the
modern-day urban maze!
One thing that being largely “off duty” has allowed
me to do is look at certain areas of my personal kit
and the money that I’ve saved by not getting out
to site, has now been invested in upgrading my old
“Grey Man” gear in readiness for the moment that I
can get back out to play in earnest again. Although
I do love a huge “woodland” site, like many of you I
also love a bit of fast and furious CQB/CQC action, so
as the rest of my kit is up to snuff, I decided to revisit
my personal “grey gear” for that setting.
Every so often something just catches your eye and
sends you in a completely different direction. A lot of
my friends have been heavily influenced recently by
LE/CTSFO loadouts, decked out in “grey kit”, with Ops
Core lids and some fancy tricked out SIG rifles and
carbines. Although I personally don’t want to head
down that specific route, the idea of bringing my
own gear bang up to date inspired by those loadouts
struck me as a good one.
The whole “Grey Thing” has been another of those
trends in the tactical world that has just caught on,
and virtually every manufacturer out there has their
“Wolf, Slate, Storm, Frost” or simply put, grey. This
has particularly come into focus in the UK, as our
CTSFO teams initially made grey their uniform “colour
of choice”.
The idea behind this is a straightforward one; in
today’s modern urban environment we have a LOT
of concrete and tarmac so grey is an obvious choice
to “blend in” to the background. Previously, tactical
teams would inevitably be drawn the traditional
“black gear” although, in reality, black actually sticks
out like a sore thumb in most urban situations as
black is not a naturally occurring colour. Are shadows
black? Is it black at night? You could argue that in
both cases the answer would be “yes” but in reality, if
you’ll pardon the expression, it’s all shades of grey.
Arc’teryx LEAF in fairness were probably the first
of the “Big Names” to drive this forward in any
meaningful way, but others were lightning fast to
follow their lead and numerous manufacturers came
together to create mutually supportive and compatible
clothing and tactical gear that all worked well
“NO CORNERS ARE CUT IN TERMS OF FABRICS, MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION, SO WHEN
YOU BUY INTO A BIG BRAND YOU REALLY ARE GETTING THE RIGHT STUFF, NOT A SUB-
STANDARD COPY THAT’S GOING TO COME APART JUST BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT IT!”
58
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
THE GREY MAN
together. Many of the “names”, though, took their
time about things and the “big boys” of the tacticool
world are huge international companies that have the
luxury of being able to really work things through,
rather than just jumping on the bandwagon for the
sake of a quick buck. “Real deal” gear has always
been popular with airsofters, as manufacturers really
do build for the “real world” so every single thing that
they make has to be 100% fit for purpose. No corners
are cut in terms of fabrics, materials and construction,
so when you buy into a big brand you really are
getting the right stuff, not a sub-standard copy that’s
going to come apart just because you look at it! As I
always say, spend your money wisely! Yes, you’ll pay a
little more for gear from brands but in the long term it
will wear much, much better than cheap copies.
These days we are seeing brands that make gear
specifically for airsofters and whilst some of these
“airsoft brands” are not cheap, they’re not into
the big-buck territory and are actually 100% fit for
purpose and good to go every bit as much as those
“names”! Over the past year or so I’ve been working
more directly with the guys over at Invader Gear and
have come to both like and trust what they produce
in terms of clothing and gear. Invader Gear provide
tactical gear, clothing and accessories that are created
specifically for airsoft; providing a range of UBACs,
shirts and trouser models as well as gloves, pouches
and vests at competitive prices in a range of colours
and camouflage patterns they can pretty much give
you a full-spectrum gear solution without you having
to break the bank doing so!
FADE TO GREY
I wanted to create a modular set of kit based on one
“core” set of gear, so the first choice I had to make
was the basic uniform and it all had to be grey… in
this case Invader Gear “Wolf”. Invader Gear offer
a considerable range of shirts and trousers and
personally I wanted the option of both a “duty”
shirt and a UBACS and the Revenger shirt is a classic
Tactical Duty Uniform (TDU) top but with thoroughly
modern features. With two breast pockets, two
angled arm pockets, all of which feature “stress part”
reinforcement, plus there’s also a pencil pocket on left
forearm make the design complete. The shirt has a
velcro and button front closure, with a mandarin collar
that can be worn up or down to ventilate, or indeed
to protect the neck from BB strikes. The fabric here is
a tough-as-old-boots mix, 35/65 ripstop polycotton.
If you favour more of a UBACS style shirt, the
Invader Gear Combat Shirt features high quality
standard fabrics and components and, as the shirt
is usually worn under body armour, it is designed to
avoid pressure marks and to provide good moisture
wicking properties. The modern cut is well balanced
for a not too tight (but also not too loose) fit which
keeps it comfortable and the collar has a quality zip
by YKK, which can be worn open or closed to avoid
intrusion of debris. Large upper-arm pockets provide
quick and convenient storage and the elbows are
reinforced with an additional layer of fabric, which is
also intended as a compartment for elbow pads. The
sleeves, collar and shoulder area of this shirt are made
of a sturdy 65% cotton/35% polyester rip-stop woven
fabric for great comfort and fast drying properties,
www.airsoftaction.net 59

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

KIT & GEAR
THE GREY MAN
whilst the torso is made of an incredibly comfortable
80% cotton/20% polyester knit fabric with good
moisture wicking performance. This specialised
proprietary blend of mechanical stretch polyester and
cotton material works brilliantly together!
In terms of pants, I decided to move away from
my normal “classic BDU” style, instead opting for
something a little more
“Hi Speed Lo Drag”, in
the form of the Predator
Combat Pant. Made of the
same rip-stop fabric, along
with durable stretch panels
and integrated (removable)
kneepads, the Predator
Combat pant is Invader’s
“take” on the modern
combat trouser and
matches up to the Combat
Shirt perfectly. If you fancy
a more traditionally-styled
pant though, you can
check out the Revenger
TDU Pant that matches the
shirt.
FULLY LOADED
With clothing options
sorted, now it was time to
get down to business.
First up, I wanted a simple belt system so that I
could carry a secondary and affix a dump pouch. The
PLB MOLLE Belt is a strong, durable and comfortable
multi-purpose belt, which makes it ideal for tactical
wear. It’s perfect to carry a holster and sidearm
without rolling or deforming and it features a sturdy
web inner belt with a MOLLE padded cover. Of course,
this means it’s ideal for loading up with more pouches
if you need to when worn as a standalone and Invader
Gear offer an entire range of magazine and utility
pouches exactly for this reason.
Talking of holsters, Invader Gear offer a number
of solutions for these too. As well as a well-made
yet simple Belt Holster, they also offer two models
of Dropleg platform, the SOF and straightforward
Dropleg, along with a MOLLE leg platform should you
wish to carry more than just a holster. All the holsters
are available for both lefties and righties, which makes
a pleasing change!
Wanting more? No problem, as Invader Gear offer
a multitude of solutions with several different types of
plate carrier and tactical vest in their line, along with
a MOLLE compatible Cargo Pack which can be direct
fitted. To finish things off you really only need to add
some boots, lightweight gloves (the Lightweight FR
Gloves look right to me) and shooting glasses and
you’ll be good to go!
One thing that Invader Gear have - and something
I’ve wanted for ages - is a combat shirt called the
“Flannel Combat Shirt”, which is a very cool beastie
indeed! With a main body made from a block-colour,
comfortable wicking stretch fabric and the shoulders
and sleeves from a plaid, heavy-duty, soft-touch
material (which both looks and feels great), plus the
high zip collar and upper arm pockets with Velcro
give it a real “tacticool” vibe. There’s even additional
“pockets” over the elbows if you want to add
additional pads. For this loadout I chose the black/grey
plaid but after some discussion with Red Cell, we’ve
adopted the red/black version as our “team strip”, so
expect to see more of these in the future! To finish off
I already have a favourite “lucky ballcap” but Invader
Gear also offer Helmet Covers in various colours and
patterns, so a FAST cover in Wolf Grey quite literally
tops things off for me!
So, my inspiration for this loadout came from
my friends and team-mates and then I let my mind
wander to create something a little different that
would work for me. All the gear is beautifully put
together from first rate materials and even though
this is not the cheapest setup I’ve ever put together,
it’s also by no means the most expensive and I know
everything is going to last for some considerable time
- and will work in virtually any urban environment. If
you find something that inspires you then follow your
heart and go for it, no matter what it may be but as
always, I’ll say do your research, buy right and buy
once!
My sincere thanks go to the guys at www.
invadergear.com for their kind co-operation in pulling
this article together and for providing some superb
images as (of course) I’m still stuck in lockdown like
many of you reading this and can’t do my own as I
usually would. Please visit their excellent website for
all your gear needs …and much, much more! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 61

Helikon-Tex®
MCDU® Combat Shirt
Unmatched Comfort on a Mission
• Two zippered bicep
pockets
• Sleeves made of NYCO®
fabric
• Torso made of TopCool®
fabric
#Journey to Perfection

FEATURE
MAKING AIRSOFT IMMERSIVE
MAKING
AIRSOFT
IMMERSIVE
AMONGST THE AIRSOFT ACTION CREW WE’RE LUCKY TO HAVE SOME EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED
PEOPLE AND NOT JUST FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS! WHILST EVERYONE INVOLVED IN AA IS A SOLID
PLAYER, THEY ALSO LOOK AT DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE GAME TO SEE WHAT CAN REALLY MAKE
A DAY OF BB-SLINGING INTERESTING AND THIS MONTH RED CELL MEMBER, JAMES, LETS US IN ON
HIS VERY LATEST PROJECT!
What makes an airsoft event great? A very
open question which I’m sure if you asked a
group of 50 players each would have their
own different answer! Airsoft comes in many shapes
and forms, from target and competition shooting,
speedsoft and skirmish days through to Milsim, with
many other genres in-between.
Recently, myself and a few other friends played at
a site local to us, Imperium Airsoft in Kent (reviewed
in the January 2021 Airsoft Action edition) and
although one event was a Battlesim and the other a
skirmish day, one common theme that stood out to
me was my immersion into the event. To have military
vehicles roaring by as you take cover behind Hescos,
the ricochet of incoming BBs and the occasional
incoming pyro mortar round going off, along with
comms buzzing away in your ear, all added to the
“fog of war”. This got me thinking again about the
role of props in airsoft, how they can add to the player
experience and turn an everyday event into something
more memorable.
We have all probably been to “that” event, where
you have to carry an old ammo tin with “Bomb”
painted on the side, from one edge of the site to
another without being shot, or seen the cardboard
missile tube making its way to a launcher - but props
can be so much more than that! What if they could
be interactive and drive along the narrative of the
event? With this in mind, myself and Mr Bill-P-T went
in search of all things “props” and I also headed to
the workshop for a few ideas of my own. Over the
next few articles we will show you in depth what we
came up with!
GO BIG OR GO HOME!
My first idea came to me on a rainy lockdown
afternoon sat in my workshop. “Start small” was my
intention but then I thought “We could launch an
ICBM… Okay, big it is then!” After a fair amount of
Cold War research, I decided upon the classic “missile
silo and launch post approach”. This wasn’t going to
be a mobile prop and would be a fixed installation on
an airsoft site. The only other (not so small) issue was
it wasn’t something I could build inside my workshop,
“THIS WASN’T GOING TO BE A MOBILE PROP AND WOULD BE A FIXED INSTALLATION
ON AN AIRSOFT SITE. THE ONLY OTHER (NOT SO SMALL) ISSUE WAS IT WASN’T
SOMETHING I COULD BUILD INSIDE MY WORKSHOP, SO QUEUE A CONVERSATION WITH
THE LONG-SUFFERING WIFE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING IN THE
GARDEN BEGAN!”
64
FEBRUARY 2021

FEATURE
MAKING AIRSOFT IMMERSIVE
so queue a conversation with the long-suffering wife
and the construction of a new building in the garden
began!
That minor problem solved, it was on to the fitting
out stage.
The first task was the main launch control panel
and desk. The launch sequence is a multi-stage
process, with the controls wired in series, so one stage
of the process must be completed before the next is
powered and ready and so on, so that the operator
follows a linear route. Each stage operates various
controls, such as fuelling the missiles or opening the
silo blast doors ready for the final launch, which, of
course, is done by a big red button!
Although the launch position doesn’t conform to
any real-world system, I still wanted it to have that
“Cold War” era feel, which was achieved by working
period electronics and items collected. Some of the
original electronics did require rewiring or upgrading
to make them in line with today’s safety standards,
which of course has to be done by a qualified person.
Luckily/unluckily having studied electrical engineering
at college in my younger years, that person was me!
Some of the various stages require codes, or
physical tasks, to be done before the launch sequence
can be completed, which is where this system could
fit into an event. Missile fuel, launch codes and target
coordinates will have to be acquired from various
site locations and times during the event and either
radioed in via the comms system on a designated
channel, or physically brought to the launch site,
culminating (if successful) to the ICBM’s launch.
Once the launch button is pressed, a 12v signal is
sent from the position to the engine detonator, to
start the missile engine. So far, the system has been
tested with a model rocket using a C6-3 rocket motor,
which happily achieves an 800ft attitude in under two
seconds! However, after a quick chat with fellow AA
Red Cell member John “Boycie” Turrell, from Virtus
Training Systems, hopefully we will be able to come
up with something with a bit more bang!
The silo itself will be the next part to this project, so
I will update soon! AA
“SOME OF THE ORIGINAL ELECTRONICS DID REQUIRE REWIRING OR UPGRADING TO
MAKE THEM IN LINE WITH TODAY’S SAFETY STANDARDS, WHICH OF COURSE HAS TO
BE DONE BY A QUALIFIED PERSON. LUCKILY/UNLUCKILY HAVING STUDIED ELECTRICAL
ENGINEERING AT COLLEGE IN MY YOUNGER YEARS, THAT PERSON WAS ME! ”
www.airsoftaction.net 65

CHUVILLE
HOODIE// £25 .00
HOODIES & FLEECES
FALLBACK SHOOTER
HOODIE // £60 .00
ogv crew
FLEECE// £48 .00
FALLBACK crosshatch
HOODIE // £60 .00
NOW IN STOCK // ONLY AT TACTREE
VIEW ALL VIKTOS GEAR // SHOP NOW

armoury
WETECH G36C GBBR
GEWEHR’S
THE PARTY?
RECENT EVENTS IN THE “REAL” WORLD PROMPTED STEWBACCA TO PEN A
LONG-TERM REVIEW OF ONE OF HIS ALL-TIME FAVOURITE AIRSOFT PRIMARIES.
Given the recent furore in the real steel
community over the alleged replacement,
by the Haenel MK556, of the relatively longserving
Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle platform
as the individual weapon of the Bundeswehr - the
German armed forces - following controversy over its
alleged wandering zero when used in a manner not
originally intended by its design brief and in the desert
extremes of Afghanistan by German ISAF forces, I
figured this would be a good juncture to field my long
term review of one of my favourite airsoft guns of all
time. In this case, not the Marui G36C AEG that was
my first ever primary weapon, nor the JG AEG that I
bought a few years later having sold the other but the
WETech “G39” G36C GBBR I now have.
Having studied and worked in Nottingham for 14
years before I moved to Taiwan in late 2017, I’ve seen
real G36Cs up close, in the hands of the local ARUs
- Armed Response Units - of the Nottinghamshire
constabulary. This includes witnessing the “hard stop”
action of a suspect as I was passing by on a bus and
also in the hands of airport police at East Midlands
Airport, from where I would often fly to Northern
Ireland or Barcelona to see family and friends. I
wanted to create a setup in homage to the carbine
that the police carry, using an EOtech 552 replica and
at one point, a torch - although I removed that as the
bulb was shaken loose by the recoil!
I’ve always loved the somewhat aggressive aesthetic
of the G36C, with the floating upper picatinny rail
and its shark tooth zig zag underside profile, as well
as its all-round rails on the shortened handguard and
dark polymer finish.
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Always having been a fan of plastic fantastic guns,
I was very happy to find the WETech G39 replica (of
course renumbered due to licensing - or lack thereof)
available here in Taiwan at such a ridiculously low cost.
Myself and about five other teammates have since
acquired one each for 3600NT, which is the cheapest
gun I’ve bought in all my time here, even compared
to all my pistols, working out at around £90GBP! An
absolute steal when I remember meeting some guys
at the Stan in Sheffield years back, who said they
had to drop £400GBP on their setups. The economy,
aesthetics, lightweight and ease of use, wielding, let
alone maintenance make it an ideal choice for a first
GBBR for those venturing into the field.
I purchased my own back in KUI Airsoft’s Zhubei
store back when I was still living and working there,
not long after acquiring my KWA MP7 second hand
from another teammate. I had been going through a
bit of a buying spree and saw this beauty at the knock
down price while a colleague and I were shopping
for his first GHK G5 GBBR late one night after work.
Suffice to say, we dropped around 20,000NT that
night between us in buying guns, magazines, optics
and other accessories and I happily walked away with
my first ever full size carbine in GBBR form.
As it is largely composed of reinforced polymer
throughout, just like the real steel rifle. The WETech
G39 weighs in at just 3.43g and that’s my current
setup fully accessorised with twin magazines clipped
together and fitted, an EOTech 552 replica on its
top rail, as well as a vertical foregrip installed on the
front underside rail. That’s around a kilogram lighter
than my WETech MP5k PDW with a similar setup, just
68
FEBRUARY 2021

armoury
WETECH G36C GBBR
because of its use of a steel receiver. It is much more
compact than the G36C but noticeably heavier and
more tiring to throw around all day in games, plus
the G39 is comfortable to handle with its chunkier
external dimensions.
The folding butt stock is very rigid when extended
and I’ve never experienced any wobble issues with
it. Collapsing and extending it practically every game
day to make it easier to fit into the secondary smaller
bay of my gun bag, while one of my ARs will usually
take up the main compartment due to only having
telescopic stocks and the associated rigid buffer
tubes. The stock also features a deep and comfortable
rubberised butt pad, that spreads the pretty significant
recoil force into the shoulder and prevents the stock
slipping during handling or movement, providing a
stable platform and very comfortable and repeatable
cheek weld - especially when using the likes of an
EOtech or similar optical sight instead of the irons.
The stock has a simple plastic sling loop in its rear
lower section, while a sturdier loop is integrated into
its locking lug that the control button latches into on
the left side of the rear receiver. I tend to run a single
point fastex buckle off this point that clips into my
plate carrier. The other sling points are at the very
front of the handguard on both sides underneath.
The stock itself also includes the customary holes for
keeping the body pins in during take-down.
The hollow pistol grip is built into the fire control
group section held into the main receiver boy with
two of the pins, along with the removable magazine
well which shares the front of these pins and also
latches onto the front of the receiver with its hooked
protrusions. The entire field stripping procedure is
basically identical to the real steel rifle in this respect…
Remove the magazine, cycle the action to cock the
hammer, then remove these two lower body pins
and remove the fire control group and magazine
well. The stock can then be folded to the right and
latched against the case deflector built into the side of
the receiver and the retainer plug beneath it levered
backward and down out of its retention slot, pulling
the captive recoil spring and rod with it, then allowing
the bolt carrier itself to be removed through the rear.
The magazines of the G39 snap together with
retention studs and ports in the same manner as
the real steel equivalents, however, I only ever use
them in pairs. Putting three or more together puts
too much torque on the magazine well and tends
to cause stoppages due to the slowing of the bolt
carrier movement, as well as making the whole setup
too cumbersome to handle or effectively reload.
These attachment studs also tend to shear off in use,
especially if the magazine pairs are dropped during
fumbled reloads or otherwise over-stressed. I have
resorted to gluing them back on and just duct taping
my magazine pairs together more rigidly, as well as tie
wrapping fastex buckles to the bases of them to allow
them to be attached to my rig (given the difficulty in
finding magazine pouches to suit). HSGI 556 tacos
are suitable for single G36 magazines, despite the
attachment studs, given their flexible nature and
retention chords.
The magazines themselves have large internal
gas reservoirs and provide ample gas supply for as
many as four full loads of 30 rounds before requiring
recharging. Using green gas (or “12kg”, as it is
known as over here), the G39 delivers in the region
of 125m/s (1.56J) using 0.2g BLS BBs, although I run
mine on 0.3g for improved consistency. The out of the
box performance and accuracy are also surprisingly
good despite the economy of the GBBR, I’ve been
easily able to attain shots on the typical 4” round
steel plates within 15-20m ranges at Action Bunker
and regularly achieve single shot, or double tap
eliminations in games using it in conjunction with the
EOtech replica.
The trigger unit has a very short and crisp break
and reset, allowing for rapid follow up shots, the
cycle time of the full stroke action being more of a
limiting factor. It presents a comfortable and intuitive
action in conjunction with the ambidextrous selector
levers. I tend to use mine on semi-automatic only due
to the game restrictions at most CQB sites here, as
well as my preference towards well-aimed shots and
ammunition conservation, or continuing my past real
steel marksmanship training from half a lifetime ago.
IN ACTION
Fully auto can be fun, however, I’ve found that’s
where most of my issues occur.
On my first outing with the G39 I managed to
shear off the loading protrusion on the bottom of
the bolt face by firing off all my magazines on full
auto in quick succession at the end of the game day.
Cool down can still be a thing in Taiwan, especially
given the large volume of gas used in each shot due
to the bulky bolt carrier group, long travel and thus
strong gas piston powered recoil impulse required to
get it moving. This makes for an excellent gameplay
experience, sending single or double tap shots
downrange and really shakes your shoulder well but
firing lots of full auto will nonetheless cool down the
bolt group and thus makes it increasingly likely some
of the plastic will break off in the process of rapid
fire. The long stroke also makes the nozzle inherently
www.airsoftaction.net 69

armoury
WETECH G36C GBBR
unstable in its travel within the bolt carrier, which
means it is much easier to use it for a longer period
using controlled shots or bursts and not overstressing
the whole assembly. I’ve had the same breakage issue
twice in all the time I’ve had the G39 and both times
were mag-dump related. You’d think I would have
learnt after the first instance, at least now I avoid it.
RATech in Taiwan make an array of CNC machined
aluminium replacement nozzles for a variety of GBBR
platforms to avoid this issue but I have thus far been
fine replacing the nozzle system with cheaper plastic
standard parts and avoiding using full auto as I have
no practical need for it anyway. I have, however, used
their replacement parts for the valve striker assembly
(that hits the back of the magazine valves to release
gas and fire the action off), having worn the original
units down twice due to the extreme amount of use I
put the G39 through. I regularly put as many as 20 full
magazine loads through it per week, just doing target
practise at KUI on their electronic range in Zhubei
after work when I still lived there. I put a hell of a lot
of rounds through it doing that - and wore down the
original trigger sears as well in the process.
I’ve replaced the whole fire control group with a
donor unit my teammate gave me from his project
gun and then recently made another Youtube video
of me transplanting the RATech valve striker into that
from the original to return it to normal performance.
As the front face of the original stock striker wears
down you start getting shorter stroke of the magazine
valves and thus “light strike” issues, with insufficient
gas escaping into the bolt and piston system, thereby
causing short stroking of the bolt and feeding issues.
Again, bear in mind this is after an extreme amount
of use given that my G39 was my go to fun gun for
a long time before my collection further grew when I
moved to Taipei.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Aside from this (fairly standard) mechanical wear
and tear and given the massive cost savings on the
much lower initial outlay of the original purchase,
I’m extremely happy with the performance and
serviceability of the WETech G39 GBBR during the
excess of three years I’ve had it and enjoyed fielding it
at various sites around Taiwan, as a dependable and
very predictable rifle that gives an awesome gameplay
experience with its accuracy and recoil noise and force
fun factor. For the most part, however, I rarely tend
to carry all four of my magazines in interconnected
pairs, due to the cumbersome nature of them and
related difficulty in handling and reloading. I tend to
carry the 60 rounds of the two magazines in the gun
and use them up, which is usually sufficient for most
close-range games. If I run that dry, I sling the G39
across my back and draw my sidearm, which serves as
a good way to close on opponents and still get some
pistol action. In short, the WETech G39 offers a great
value for money and performance out of the box,
whether you are an avid player, or a beginner, or new
entrant into GBBR ownership. AA
70
FEBRUARY 2021

THE CAGE
RESOLUTIONS
2021
NEW YEAR...
NEW RESOUTIONS
(AND NEW GUNS!)
AS WE ENTER 2021 THERE ARE STILL CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US DUE TO THE ONGOING DANGERS
OF THE C-VIRUS SITUATION AND OF THIS WE MUST ALL BE MINDFUL BUT, WITH HOPE ON THE
HORIZON, WE CAN ALL START TO LOOK AGAIN TO THE FUTURE AND TO GETTING BACK OUT ON THE
FIELDS AND SITES WITH OUR FRIENDS AND FELLOW PLAYERS. BILL UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS THE
MAGAZINE MADE IN 2020 AND SPOKE TO THE AA CREW TO SEE WHAT CHRISTMAS BROUGHT THEM
- AND WHAT THEY’RE HOPING FOR IN 2021!
2021 really has arrived with a complete and utter
mixed bag of emotions for me, if I‘m honest.
I’d hoped (both professionally and personally)
to be hitting a New Year firmly on the go, both in
terms of exciting new projects for Airsoft Action and
in being able to get out and get my game on with my
friends. Plans were in place for Red Cell (more on that
in this month’s Red Cell article) and in the run up to
Christmas I was having some great conversations with
members of our international “Legion” about games
and events for the coming year.
Sadly, everything ground to a shuddering (but not
wholly unexpected) halt, as the UK began to shut
down in response the latest strain of the virus that’s
ravaging many parts of the world - and our options
once again dwindled away before our very eyes…
It might seem that, in many ways, 2020 was an
absolute bust in airsoft terms and it’s all too easy to
concentrate on the negative. However, looking back
over what’s been achieved “in-house” over the last
twelve months, I can only give everyone involved with
Airsoft Action a hearty (virtual, of course!) high five
for a job very well done!
In incredibly adverse conditions the commitment of
the AA team has been unquestionable, with everyone
putting the job in hand in front of all else! It’s very
easy to slack off when things get hard, something
we see in many games if I’m honest but, as usual,
it’s those committed people who pick themselves up
and crack on; adapting, overcoming and ultimately
triumphing in spite of adversity! I’m righteously proud
of our entire team, for not only rising to the challenge
but kicking it out of the park!
Here at Airsoft Action we have not only cemented
our position at the forefront of global airsoft media
but have taken this forward with the regular, free-to-
“IT MIGHT SEEM THAT, IN MANY WAYS, 2020 WAS AN ABSOLUTE BUST IN AIRSOFT TERMS AND IT’S
ALL TOO EASY TO CONCENTRATE ON THE NEGATIVE. HOWEVER, LOOKING BACK OVER WHAT’S BEEN
ACHIEVED “IN-HOUSE” OVER THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS, I CAN ONLY GIVE EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH
AIRSOFT ACTION A HEARTY (VIRTUAL, OF COURSE!) HIGH FIVE FOR A JOB VERY WELL DONE!”
72
FEBRUARY 2021

THE CAGE
RESOLUTIONS
you-the-reader, monthly publication of the magazine
online! Not only that but with the daily updates to our
website, in the form of industry news, updates and
articles, we are now in a fabulous position to offer
even greater coverage for all our fellow players around
the world!
The decision to convert Airsoft Action into a
fully-digital publication was taken after more than
two years of planning and research, as our digital
readership continued to evolve and expand globally.
Based on this, we decided that the March, “post-
IWA 2020” edition would be our first digital-only
publication and that by going completely online,
we would also make the magazine free to read
for everyone and enable Airsoft Action to be read
anywhere, at any time!
At the heart of our decision was our “raison
d’être”… To positively and professionally promote
airsoft and provide the widest possible coverage as
efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, so that
readers, wherever they are in the world, would be
able to read every issue on any device, at any time.
But was our decision the right one?
Based on the fact that in the months from March
to December 2020 almost HALF A MILLION of you
dipped into Airsoft Action for your monthly “airsoft
fix”, I think we can say our decision was most
definitely the right one!
It strikes us that the importance of a trusted -
and trustworthy - media source who will actively
communicate with you to achieve the very best
reporting of new and existing products, bringing
clarity and honesty from us as players, to you as
players, in a professional and reliable way is now
greater than ever!
2021 may have started slow again for obvious
reasons but that “slowtime” is almost over. Until we
reach the point that we can all be together again
as one, united in our passion and love for all things
airsoft, then you can rely on Airsoft Action to be there
- and be there consistently, month in, month out - and
our thanks go out to every single one of you for your
continued support and faith in us to be “good to go”,
even when things are rough!
NEW YEAR, NEW RESOLUTIONS (AND
NEW GUNS!)
With hope in our hearts, the AA crew are champing
at the bit to get on with things, not only in terms of
what we do in the magazine but also, like you I’m
certain, in relation to our own “guns n’ gear”! So,
the CAGE question to the team to start the New Year
was an obvious one... “What airsoft goodies did you
actually get for Chrimbo? And what are your New
Year airsoft-related resolutions?”
Boycie: “Airsoft related goodies? Well, first off a
KWA T6 for the base of my “CMMG build”. I also
had the chance to do the deep laser engraving on
the lower receiver before it went off for Cerakote. I
did treat myself to a SIG Air RDS for my M17, which
is almost the same as the SIG Romeo 1 on the real
steel version, so that pretty nice. And resolution(s)?
To actually play more and to get a game day in with
fellow Red Cell members!”
Stewbacca: “I didn’t really do Xmas (as such) out
here in Taiwan but I guess you could say that I treated
myself to a bunch of bits on the leadup! I picked up
my own chrono, a bunch of MP5 mags and parts and
an EOTech 558 for my T91. As for resolutions... More
of the same in my case, I guess. I rounded out 2020
on my 50th IPSC training session, so hopefully I can at
least match that this year and get more competitions
and skirmishes done too!”
Bill W-R: “I got a British Army Deployment Bag that
was all airsoft related along with some new taclites,
a scope, a PEQ box and a gucci stainless steel bolt
handle for my Stryker, as it was also my birthday on
the 14th. Resolutions? To keep the weight loss going
for 2021!”
www.airsoftaction.net 73

Airsoft & MilSim News Blog
@AMNBOfficial
Airsoft & MilSim News Blog
@airsoftmilsimnewsblog
AWARD WINNER
WWW.AIRSOFT-MILSIM-NEWS.COM
If you have any old kit or gear tucked away in a
cupboard, garage or shed that you have thought about
sticking on eBay, or a forum to get rid of it, then why
not donate it to the Pilgrim Bandits instead and Tez will
make sure any money raised from its sale will go
towards helping even more people – and you can be
sure of the undying gratitude and thanks of those who it
helps to live again.
Please contact Tez on either his mobile: 07748 800 981
or email: terry.arnett@pilgrimbandits.org

THE CAGE
RESOLUTIONS OPTICS
Jimmy: “So, for Christmas my dear wife went all
out (chosen by me of course)! I got a BO Dynamics
LK595 CQB in a lovely shade of grey (grey is the new
black again, don’tchaknow?), a Wadsn DBAL A2, and
a Wadsn Scout Recon taclite. My New Year’s airsoft
for many reasons and a new Surefire X300 made an
appearance for my GBB pistols, along with a new
Theta Holosight/Magnifier Combo for the new MK18.
I finally got the internal upgrade parts for my “DMR
Project” (more on this in a future issue of AA!) and
I l also replaced my aging Under Armour with some
rather nifty “snakeskin” compression undergarments
for the winter months …but that’s probably just a
little too much information right there!
The overwhelming response though, from everyone
at Airsoft Action, is that we are all more than keen
to get back out and play again. In fact, like you, we
are gagging for a game! The good news is that we
only need be patient for a while longer until the
vaccination process kicks fully into gear and then it
will be full-steam-ahead once more!
With “big game” information both at home and
abroad beginning to filter in once again and with
manufacturers telling us that they have a LOT to
come in 2021, the middle and back-end of the year is
looking righteous and we are all truly looking forward
to seeing some of you at a game or event somewhere
sooner rather than later now.
Until then, keep safe, and keep it real …it’s in all
our best interests! AA
resolution is to try harder to expend less ammo…
Unless of course I’m rocking a drum mag …then I’m
bringing the heavy rain!”
Björn: “So far… Nada!”
Steve T: “Much like in every other area of life, this
chrimbo disappointed for airsoft gifts, i.e. nada! That
said, all my loved ones are still alive, so I’ll take that!
This year’s New Year’s resolution is easy… get back to
playing once the jab is more than jibber jabber…”
Bill P-T: For me it’s all about some choice little “gifts
to self” and so a “few” little goodies “may” have
made their way under the tiny tree that I have in my
home office… The biggie was the CYMA M16A1
www.airsoftaction.net 75

VORSK DIARY
ENTER HI-CAPA THE 5.1 VP-X! SPLIT SLIDE
ENTER
THE
VP-X!
REGULAR READERS OF AIRSOFT ACTION WILL KNOW THAT WE’VE BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE VORSK
TEAM AND THEIR PASSIONATE DRIVE INTO THE WORLD OF GBB PISTOLS AND AS WE ENTER A NEW YEAR IT JUST
SEEMS THAT WHAT THEY’RE OFFERING US IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER! IN HIS ONGOING “VORSK DIARY”, THIS
MONTH BILL TAKES A LONG LOOK AT THE NEW VP-X PISTOL AND GIVES IT SOME “PUNISHMENT”!
As a full-time airsoft writer and reviewer, I have to
admit that it’s very easy to become somewhat jaded
when yet another GBB or AEG is released! You may
find it hard to believe but being employed within the airsoft
industry I get to see literally hundreds of models each
and every year and sometimes, when you have a monthly
deadline it’s all too easy to receive a sample for testing and
simply place the box in the corner of the office (with all the
others), until it’s time to look at it in detail or take it to the
range.
I know, “first world airsoft privilege problems”, right?
However, I’m pleased to tell you that this is a rare
occurrence for me as I am a genuine “gun bunny” and,
much as I might have a personal preference for certain
styles, and indeed certain manufacturers, I treat each and
every model I receive to test with equal enthusiasm and
with respect for the people that have created it. There’s still
something truly wonderful about getting a package and
tearing open the wrapping to see what wonderful airsoft
magic has been delivered - and this is becoming increasingly
the case when a new model arrives with me from the guys
at Vorsk!
Since this new brand started rolling - and I’ve been
exceptionally privileged to have seen ALL the models from
the very first to arrive to the very latest to come out of
the shipping container - I’ve been consistently impressed
(as have thousands of you!) by both the high quality of
presentation and the level of “out of the box” performance
that is on offer. This is a range of pistols that started
superbly with those distinctive Hi Capas and EUs and has
continued to thrill me. In fact, I would go as far as saying
that Vorsk “1911s” have helped to rekindle my personal
love for that venerable platform, after many years of being
almost exclusively a user of “striker-fired” models.
Those initial Hi Capas and EUs are still very dear to me
but subsequent releases from Vorsk have taken things in
new and unique directions. There’s the increased efficiency
and shooting performance of the Split Slide, the “big boy”
Titan 7 is a real handful of airsoft fun to say the least, and
the sheer drop-dead gorgeousness of the VX-9 (that also
introduced that awesome extended inner barrel to the
range) showed that there was a “fun” element to Vorsk
that fully embraced one of the core tenets of airsoft itself,
that of “suspension of disbelief”.
Airsoft, to many of us, is an escape from the mundane;
a chance when gameday comes for us to shake off all
the troubles and woes of “real life” and become who we
dream of being. Over the years I’ve seen super-young “Nam
Grunts” and “Operators” who look to be fast approaching
retirement age but when “Saturday comes”, they enter the
gamezone where age, gender, colour and creed cease to
matter and itis all about the airsoft!
76
FEBRUARY 2021

VORSK DIARY
ENTER THE VP-X!
The VX-9 really played to that, with its cool “Hitman”
vibe, especially if (like me) you ended up with that superb
twin pack with the extended magazines! And the new
VP-X takes that exciting uniqueness forward, both in look
and lore! As with all their pistols, the Vorsk team don’t try
to give credence to their creations by adding any spurious
trademarks, leaving the superbly engineered bodies and
slides bare, apart from their individual serial numbers. In all
honesty, they don’t need to rely on any other name other
than their own, as the models stand up to testing and
scrutiny quite well enough, thank you.
PUNISHER LORE
The new VP-X builds on the “lore” side of things by being
quite unashamedly “Punisher”, without actually being
called that and with a twin pack available, it’s going to pick
up a huge fanbase for that reason alone!
From the mid 1970’s, the story told in Marvel
Comics (and also on-screen in both movie and serial
formats) of “Frank Castiglione AKA Castle AKA The
Punisher”, who wages a one-man war on crime using
various special weapons and tactics,
is
one that’s gripped generations of
readers and viewers. As a former Force
Recon “Nam” veteran, of course he’s
comfortable with a huge variety of
weapons and fighting styles and even
gets to use some pretty unusual ones,
but my personal vision of him is always
with an M16A1/M203 combo, an
Uzi and of undoubtedly his signature
custom black and silver 1911s!
The Vorsk VP-X nails that look
perfectly and in-house we’ve already
started calling them simply the
“Punisher Pistols”. However, looks are
not everything and as cool as the VP-X
undoubtedly looks, that’s backed up
by quality and performance.
Externally this 1911/MEU hybrid
features a bespoke Vorsk
compensator, stylised
pistol grips and a dualtone
colour scheme. As
usual with bespoke Vorsk
designs, the attention to
detail is great throughout
and little things like
the magwell
chamfer to properly accommodate a flat-baseplate singlestack
15 BB magazine, just goes to illustrate this.
Vorsk tell us regularly that “all of our pistol designs are
passion projects” and the VP-X is no exception to this rule.
A full metal construction with an anti-porous, electrostatic
finish means that the VP-X is going to put up with some
abuse and with a choice body colour complimented by a
secondary colour found on the moderator, trigger, magrelease,
hammer, slide-lock and other furniture, it’s going to
look great as it does so.
The slide features two 90° vertical slide grips, a fixed
Vorsk compensator and V-notch iron sights (standard
models), or a Vorsk RDS with a bespoke sight mounting
plate. The rear sight is one that is easy to acquire quickly
and it can be removed completely on the RDS model.
There’s also a cool-looking trigger, a uniquely flared
magwell incorporated into the backstrap assembly to aid
with quick reloads, a rounded hammer and serrations on
both the front and rear of slide. This is particularly useful
in relation to the twin-pack on offer, as you can rack the
slide against an hard surface if you’re dual-wielding! All
models have a chrome outer barrel and spring guide, while
new high-stipple pistol grips finish off
the strong look of this pistol. The small
touches of secondary colour result in a
very stylish “1911” indeed.
On the short 10m range the VP-X
performed flawlessly on NP 2.0 greenbottle
gas and using RZR .20g BBs it
chrono’d very nicely indeed with a pretty
darn consistent 0.94 Joule/319fps, even
on a chilly day! Accuracy is great too, as
it easily rang the steels at both 5 and 10
meters on .25g RZRs!
Overall, I believe that Vorsk have
another absolute winner on their
hands with the VP-X and if you need
a skirmish pistol that looks superb,
handles solidly and runs like a train,
to enable you to hand out some 6mm
“punishment” of your own, then
this is a model that you are
100% going to want in your
GBB handgun collection.
You can check out more
on the VP-X and the rest
of the extensive Vorsk GBB
pistol range by visiting
www.vorskairsoft.
com AA
www.airsoftaction.net 77

KIT & GEAR
MAXPEDITION HEAD-TO-HEAD
MAXPEDITION
HEAD-TO-HEAD
“EDITORIAL INSPIRATION” COMES IN MANY SHAPES, SIZES AND FORMS AND THIS MONTH, WHILE LOOKING
FOR A LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO QUIET HIS BOISTEROUS PUPPY, FRENCHIE SPOTTED SOMETHING THAT
GOT HIM THINKING…
The inspiration for this (and next month’s) piece
comes from Tucker Pringle. “Tucker” is a nineweek-old
Springer-Collie mix puppy with savage
little teeth! As I was casting desperately around for
something that he could chew, my attention alighted
on my Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. “That’s tough” I
thought and let the wee bu**er loose on it.
From there it was but a short step to wondering
how cheap copies of this established bag measured
up to the original. I have both the Jumbo Versipack
and the Proteus from Maxpedition from reviews I did a
lifetime ago and both are widely copied designs. I hit
Amazon and eBay to find the cheapest copies of each,
with the only conditions being low price and that they
must replicate the function of the original as closely as
possible.
A word about pricing… At present you can get
the Jumbo Versipack from Maxpedition’s website for
$69.00. Normally they’re over $100 but that reduction
isn’t reflected here in the UK so expect to pay around
£90 GBP.
The competitor in this head-to-head is the
“Seibertron Multi-functional Tactical Assault Gear
Sling Pack Range Bag Heavy Duty Shoulder Strap
Hiking EDC Messenger Molle Bag Travel Camera
Compact Utility Military Bag”. Yes... A bit of catch-all
labelling there, I think. This style of bag isn’t in my
mind strictly “military” - they’re not bail-out bags with
magazine pouches - and I use them as, well, bags, or
if you want to roll with the lingo du jour, EDC (Every
Day Carry) bags. In the USA, the large, zipped pocket
is designed for concealed carry amongst other things,
in most of the rest of the world it’s just a pocket.
The Seibertron cost £22.99 new, so significantly
less that the Maxpedition. The question to be asked is
does the Maxpedition justify its additional cost?
The Seibertron is obviously based on the Versipack
design although there are a couple of notable
differences. The side-mounted bottle holder is mesh
instead of solid nylon, there is a small, secure pouch
mounted where the Versipack has none and it lacks
the external clip (key clip?) found on the original.
78
FEBRUARY 2021

KIT & GEAR
MAXPEDITION HEAD-TO-HEAD
The specifications differ considerably too, although
in fairness, the Seibertron specs could probably have
been “bigged up” a bit had the seller wished to do
so.
The nylon on both bags is PU backed to improve
water resistance. Both can be expected to shrug of
rain and mud but neither can be safely submerged!
Rather than use up acres of space describing each
design in detail I’ll add a couple of photos which show
the main features and discuss their differences in more
detail. However, I will give you a brief overview that
applies to both bags. There is a large, shaped back
panel with padded areas to cushion the wearer, to this
the main components are stitched. There is a spacious
main compartment covered by a secure top flap and
a drawstring. Beneath the top flap is a zip-secured
pouch with an internal divider and an open pocket on
the outside. The top flap is secured by a substantial
nylon clip and features a small, zipped pocket and a
larger pocket that sits atop the main section when
all is closed up. The flap can be tucked into either
the main compartment or the rear zipped pocket if
you need easy and repeated access to the pouches
beneath it.
There is a zipped pouch to the right (as you look at
the bag) and a bottle holder to the left. There is also
the zipped pocket mentioned above. The webbing
shoulder strap has a shoulder pad, on both bags I
have removed this. They work as they’re meant to; I
just don’t like them on any bag. The bag can be worn
on the left or right - if there is a “right” way I haven’t
found it!
It’s a solid utility bag and as player I went through
quite a long period of using bags rather than load
carrying equipment as I found it less encumbering and
more flexible. This wouldn’t be my main choice for a
game unless I was using a shotgun, in which case full
and empty cartridges went into pockets anyway. The
lack of quick access would be a problem in a firefight;
it’s much less of a problem on the high street and
Maxpedition always intended the Versipack as a utility
pouch. That said, with the main flap tucked out of the
way and relying on the drawstring to secure the main
compartment, it is conceivable that you could carry
several magazines and access them pretty quickly. I
think I would combine that with a separate dump
pouch for empties to avoid confusion.
Both bags have a means of securing them around
your waist. The Versipack has a 1” web belt attached
with clips, the Seibertron has a velcro’d belt loop on
the back. Since I dislike this on an EDC bag, both have
been removed.
In use, it’ll be no surprise that both bags function as
intended. I carry my prescription sunglasses in the top
pouch on the flap and small items such as business
cards, penknife, torch in the small pocket. If I were
gaming with either, I would probably leave the glasses
out and tuck the flap flat. In truth, while I understand
the pouch on top, I don’t really like it and may remove
it from the Seibertron once I have photographed it
for this piece. Both have plenty of MOLLE should
you want to add more function to an already well
specified bag.
CONCLUSIONS
I fear it will come as no surprise that there is truly
little to choose between the Maxpedition and the
Seibertron. The Maxpedition is made of heavier
nylon but the construction is similar, both are double
stitched around the seams but I question whether
the few differences that do exist are going to be
significant to most users. I actually find the slightly
lighter nylon of the Seibertron more forgiving; I’ve had
the Maxpedition for years and it is as stiff as it was
when I first got it. Now, the copy will probably wear
faster than the original but even if you had to replace
it once you are still saving money.
If you want the toughest version of this bag, go
the extra mile, and get the Maxpedition. If like me,
you want an equally useable bag, the Seibertron
is well worth the £23.00 being asked for it. Is the
Maxpedition worth £90.00? Honestly? No. I think it’s
overpriced for what it is. The current US retail price of
$69.00 if directly reflected here in the UK would give
us £51.00 and that would make the decision easier
– I would go for the Maxpedition. The truth is there
are many ‘tactical’ bags available from the £23.00
of the copy up to circa £60.00 which are great value
and well made. I have always had a suspicion that
Maxpedition trade hard on their American heritage
but their bags are made in either Taiwan or Vietnam,
just like so many others, so the price isn’t a reflection
of the cost of US labour. I have exactly zero issues with
where a product is made as long as it’s well made for
the price; for me however the Seibertron is a much
better value-for-money proposition. I really like good
quality gear and Maxpedition is definitely that but
were I buying either bag now, the copy would get my
hard-earned cash.
Next month, I’ll compare the Maxpedition Proteus
to the cheapest copy I could find on eBay! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 79

KIT & GEAR
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP
SHOP ‘TIL
YOU DROP!!
2021 APPEARS TO BE STARTING SLOWLY, WITH OUR FAVOURITE SHOPS PHYSICALLY SHUT AGAIN FOR
A WHILE AT LEAST, AND GAMES FOR MANY WILL BE OFF FOR A WHILE TOO, SO WHAT BETTER TIME TO
INVEST THAT MONEY SAVED ON SOME RIGHTEOUS GEAR IN READINESS FOR WHEN IT’S TIME AGAIN TO GET
“GAME ON!” NEW MODELS AND GEAR ARE GOING TO BE COMING THICK AND FAST IN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF MONTHS, AS AEGS AND GBBS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN FIRST AT SHOT AND IWA WILL STILL BE
COMING, BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND WE’LL BE UPDATING AS SOON AS WE HEAR ABOUT THEM!
Newly arrived with our friends over at Gunfire are
two new AEG models (both in two colour options!)
that are going to please a lot of players that favour
a “modern SF” style in their looadouts in the shape of
the SA-H11 and SA-H12 ONE carbines! Both these superlooking
“416” style AEGs benefit from striking looks with
a choice of up-to-the-minute rail systems, and are solidly
made from a mix of Alloy, Steel, and Polymer parts. Inside
each of them is the Specna Arms spring release system
the main spring, so you can set your muzzle velocity
so as to guarantee an ideal compromise between
effectiveness of fire and safety for the user himself as
well as other participants, along with local legality.
The AEGs are fully compatible with LiPo and LiFe
batteries. Due to base muzzle velocity of 430FPS
provided by the main spring installed as default
at source, the H11/H12 is perfect for operating at
called “Enter & Convert”. With this system it is possible
to rapidly and quickly adapt the power of the AEG to the
conditions expected onsite without you needing access to
a workshop or a set of special tools; once the gearbox has
been taken out of the replica’s body, the process of spring
change lasts literally seconds.
The advantages of the Enter & Convert system are
hard to overstate. In the light of the current tendency
worldwide to use legal limitations regarding the
muzzle velocity of replicas or internal regulations
inside various groups, the system guarantees the user
a varied set of possibilities and much freedom. The
Enter & Convert system minimal downtime to change
medium range. The set also includes an M90 spring,
which allows to reduce the muzzle velocity to 310FPS
immediately so that the AEGs meet local guidelines
and are perfect for close-range and indoor use. The
gearbox (which is reinforced as standard) hides a
steel main spring guide which is the crucial element
of the Enter & Convert system, along with 8mm
bearings and steel thread-wheels which are placed
on spacers. The system is secured with the use of
four anti-reversals, and there is a type 2 cylinder and
steel breaker. The AEGs are factory-fitted with an
accurate, rotary type polymer Hop-Up unit that allows
very precise and stable regulation of BBs. So, not only
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KIT & GEAR
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP
do the H11 and H12 look GREAT, but they’re also
setup to perform wherever you are in the world with
minimal fuss!
G&G Armament are also having a busy start to
the year as they are starting to drop some upgraded
models, as well as totally new ones! First up is a
new model in the GTP 9 pistol series, the Metal Slide
DST! The all-new GTP 9 MS DST features the usual
superb engineering we expect from G&G, along with
their patent-pending whirl cylinder valve which helps
reduce the frost built-up while firing and increasing
gas efficiency, an ambidextrous magazine release, and
a lower Picatinny rail to fit attachments. In addition, a
hop-up tool is located on the bottom of the backstrap
to easily adjust the hop-up inside the barrel, so as with
the other variants you will no longer need to remove
the slide to adjust. The GTP 9 MS DST comes in a
hard plastic case with a speed loader, and an extra
backstrap.
Next up is a re-release of their popular ARP 9, but
with a different twist! Now whilst it’s not a totally
new model, G&G Armament are bringing back their
Limited Edition ARP 9 Gold for 2021, but with a
couple of twists to keep things fresh and interesting!
Due to player demand, they’re bringing it back with
some changes that are sure to please even existing
owners; the all-new ARP 9 Stealth Gold Edition will
feature an SS-50 Mock Suppressor and be equipped
with a 60 round dummy round magazine.
By no means least though we’ve just been given
the “heads up” on the all-new PCC 45, and this looks
to be a cracker! This model has been talked about
online for a little while now, and many thought that
G&G would not be releasing it until much later in
2021, but they’ve just confirmed to us that a test
sample will be shipping to us direct from the factory
in Taiwan imminently for testing, so it would appear
that the wait will not be as long as expected! Whilst
there are few details as yet, what we can tell you is
that this distinctive AEG will come with a G2 Gearbox
with 8mm bearings, a Standard Motor (18000rpm/
Long), and will be a mix of metal and polymer in
construction. The G&G website is already showing
two magazine types for this new SMG, a “bulletfilled”
110 BB (the standard that will come with the
AEG by the looks of it) version, and a plain black 520
BB Hi Cap. We’re absolutely certain that this is just the
first of a whole heap of new models we’ll see from
G&G this coming year, but of course we’ll confirm
them as soon as we know!
Sticking with RIFs for now, there’s one final piece
of news that we can give you this months, and that’s
a “sneak peek” at the latest model to roll out from
VORSK! The Defender Pro is due for release soon
and looks to be VORSKs take on yet another famous
pistol, but as usual with their own distinctive styling
and unique touches thrown in. We’ve been following
this model during the development process so we
already know that there’s a few different things going
on with it (again!), and so far our favourite has to
be the black/black variant that had the development
name of “The Blackout”. Once again, we know
that this is just the tip of the iceberg in what we’re
expecting to see from Vorsk this year, and rest assured
we’ll keep you posted!
Moving on to accessories, our friends at Laylax
over in Japan have obviously been hard at it, and
they finished off 2020 with some righteous releases
including the new Picatinny Rear Stock Base for MP5
users! They tell us:
“Our newest line is aimed at changing not only the
way you attach stocks but also increasing the variety
www.airsoftaction.net 81

KIT & GEAR
SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP
of stocks available. The new Picatinny Rear Stock Base
series has been developed to allow for 20mm stock
options including pistol type braces and compact rifle
stocks. The first of this series of new picatinny stock
bases is our MP5 stock base which enables a stockless
MP5k option for any of your full sized Tokyo Marui
based MP5s. Then later you can add our 20mm buffer
tube adapter if you wish to use a M4 stock. Not only
is installation much faster and easier than traditional
stocks, its much lighter, compact, and its height is fully
adjustable. This allows for maximum customization
when it comes to various eye protection solutions
so that you can have optimal sight lines for aiming.
Shooting glasses or Dye masks, adjust it to your
liking!”
This accessory is designed to make your favourite
MP5 even more compact and lightweight, and enables
even more interfacing options. The LayLax picatinny
20mm stock base brings the highly customizable
attachment 20mm platform to the rear of the gun
for a more modern look with a variety of 1913 style
stocks and braces. The included 20mm buffer tube
adapter allows for even more stock options to attach
your favourite stocks, and allows you to pick a stock
height for the best sight lines regardless of your eye
protection!
quick and easy use. Once you transform your stylish
looking backpack into a tabletop gear container,
there’s no going back to traditional gun cases! Try
various configurations and you can transform your
container gun case to best suit your transportation
needs.
Rounding things off though we’ll go back to more
traditional transport options with the S&T Semi Hard
Gun Case; from the outside it looks very nice indeed,
the exterior being a hard-wearing fabric, but it’s what
goes on beneath this that makes it a little bit special,
as sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of
fabric is a polymer framed box which greatly increases
its durability, and offers greater protection to the
contents. Coming in at 900mm long x 300mm wide x
100mm deep it’s sized to fit a carbine/mid-length rifle
and this can be held solidly in place during transit by
In terms of gear we’ll stick with Laylax for a
moment to introduce their new Container Gun Case!
The LayLax Container Gun Case brings you a less
tactical-looking and more stylish case for not only your
guns, but for all of your gear. The case unfolds into
a container keeping all of your gear in one place for
placing the padded internal inserts exactly where you
want them (the biggest of these can also double up
a range rest if you’re zeroing your favourite optic!).
The inserts are made from foam but covered by a
quality polyester fabric, and there’s enough of them
of differing sizes to comfortably secure your primary
and secondary along with a few magazines. On
the front of there’s a nicely embroidered S&T Airsoft
patch, along with a good-sized Velcro panel for your
nametapes/team patches, whilst on one end is a
plasticised sleeve for travel documents or paperwork
you may need to access quickly. His case arrived from
iWholesales containing the L85A3 you’ll see reviewed
this month, so they obviously trust it with their
“special guns”, so we believe you can too!
Once again, until next month, keep safe, where
possible keep shooting, and enjoy your airsoft to the
full! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 83

last post
LET’S GET RUGGED
LET’S GET
RUGGED!
MOST OF US HAVE PROBABLY BEEN IN A GAME WHERE “COMMS” CONSIST OF A VARIETY OF RADIOS
SYSTEMS AND/OR “WALKIE TALKIES”, HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY CHOICE. FRENCHIE TAKES A
LOOK AT AN ALTERNATIVE THAT MIGHT JUST FIT THE BILL, WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK.
There is much talk about the use of comms on
the airsoft field and I know I have contributed
a reasonable amount myself over the years.
Nearly all of this centres on radios, however, there
are those who prefer to utilise a communications
system they already own, namely the mobile phone.
On the face of it, this is an idea with many merits…
your comms cannot be intercepted (well, not by the
average airsofter!), you can conduct silent comms by
text, squad comms via messaging apps and you could
distribute photographic reconnaissance material with
your team.
There are downsides, however. Mobile phones lack
the immediacy of radio, so initiating that ambush
might not be quite so effective if you’re huddling in a
bush furiously typing into WhatsApp… They are also
fragile …and expensive. That’s a poor combination for
peace of mind and the sanity of your bank balance
but there may be a solution - the rugged mobile
phone.
These have become more available recently and,
more importantly, these are armoured smartphones,
not older feature phones or dumb phones with a bit
of rubber attached. So, if you accept that the mobile
phone can actually be a useful skirmish tool, is this
generation of tough phones worth considering?
I like gadgets, so it follows that I’m a bit of a phone
fan. I have always protected my phones with decent
cases and screen protectors where appropriate, so the
idea of a phone that comes pre-armoured is deeply
appealing. You also don’t have to spend a fortune
on these devices – courtesy of Amazon and others
you can pick up a perfectly decent device for around
£100, new. What does that buy you and should you
click on the “Buy Now” button? As ever, the answer is
“that depends”! If you’re a bit of a sad geek like me,
the answer is “yes” …twice! Once because it’s a tank
and twice because it’s not a tank - and this apparent
contradiction will become clear shortly.
BUILT LIKE A TANK!
The more you spend, the more you get. If you need
serious performance from your phone for gaming or
suchlike, the cheapest options won’t do it for you.
If, like me you actually make calls, do a reasonable
amount of social media and handle emails, the
lower cost options are simply fine. I have two rugged
phones: the
Ulefone X7
Armor Pro and
the Oukitel
WP5. Both
run Android
10, both
have 4Gb of
RAM, 32Gb
of internal
storage and
accept Micro
SD storage
up to Loads
of Gb. The
WP5 has an
8000Mah
battery, the
Ulefone X7 Armor Pro
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LAST POST
LET’S GET RUGGED
Oukitel WP5
X7 half that.
Both will
last a day
of full use
no problem
at all. Both
are rated at
IP68 (Ingress
Protection),
meaning
that they will
withstand
1.5m of
water
immersion for
30 minutes,
are mud and
dirt resistant
and are built to cope with drops from one to two
meters. Both have Gorilla glass screens – the WP5 is
5, the X7, 3. Both companies do great videos of their
products being abused, i.e. being run over by cars,
dropped, slung down concrete steps, dumped in liquid
mud, boiled, frozen, used to crack walnuts with the
screen or hammer in a nail – again with the screen.
Seriously impressive stuff!
I do not doubt that a heavy impact at the right
(or wrong) angle could damage the screen but I
watched a video on YouTube in which the reviewer,
having looked at the various features, fired up the
video camera and launched a WP5 out of a first-floor
window onto a slabbed patio. It was utterly unfazed.
They are definitely tougher than the average phone!
Or are they? One thing that is noticeably lacking
from these videos is a comparison with a “normal”
phone equipped with a decent case and similar screen
material. Leave out the water (I accept an unprotected
phone would fail there) but what about the other
tests? I wonder. Sadly, I don’t have the phones
available to try this out for you so I will simply suggest
that your common or garden mobile is a bit tougher
than we tend to give them credit for. I also suspect
that a BB hit from close range to the screen on any of
these phones would put a hurting on them.
Additionally, you could install an application like
“Zello” which allows you to use your mobile as a
walkie talkie and apparently can map hardware as a
PTT. I haven’t tried it, so I make no claim beyond that.
Also, there are some rugged phones out there which
combine both phone & walkie talkie hardware in the
one device. They are currently around the £500 mark
and are almost certainly not PMR compliant, although
they operate across the “right” frequencies.
That said, if you want a relatively cheap but
competent phone for daily use which can cope with
the rigours of the skirmish field, I think that either
of these could be recommended. There are others
available, Blackview, Dogee and even Land Rover,
amongst many others. They all hail from China and
while the manufacturers may be unfamiliar to some of
you, all are well made and problem free.
Of the two I own, the WP5 is a bit of a handful
courtesy of that big battery and some of you (me
included) might find it too much as a daily carry
phone. That’s why I also acquired the X7. It’s much
closer in weight and thickness to a normal mobile
and easier to use for it. Beyond that there is little to
choose between them and I do swap from one to the
other as the mood takes me.
There is definitely a feel-good factor to knowing
that if your phone ends up underwater in a muddy
ditch, it’ll take no more than a rinse with clean
water to restore it to pristine condition. Likewise,
carry it with the screen towards your body and it’ll
shrug off any passing hit it encounters. You could,
with confidence I suspect, crawl up to the edge of
an enemy held trench and toss it in while shouting
“GRENADE!!” at the top of your lungs. The enemy
should panic and your phone survive… but maybe
that’s taking it just a bit too far!
Silliness aside, if you are not overly precious about
your phone or you want something that can put up
with harsher environments at work or during leisure,
I’m happy to recommend either of the phones I own.
I have no doubt that some of the others are as good
or quite possibly better. It might be that freed from
concerns about damage and the associated costs, you
could find a more prominent role for your phone in
your gaming strategies – it’s not as if military forces
world-wide aren’t constantly looking to improve and
increase the flow of information on the battlefield.
Rugged phones may just prove to be the tool that
will help you and your team mates gain that extra
advantage - and before anyone suggests that they’re
not very “tacticool”, I recommend you seek out
photos of Royal Marines using crappy PMR radios
when fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan, when
they discovered that their expensive comms didn’t
function as well as hoped. Use what works! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 85

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