Airsoft Action

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE 

ISSUE 150 - JUNE 2023 

ISSN 2634-9515

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CONTENTS 

8 ARMOURY: ROSSI NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 

Last month we introduced ROSSI AIRSOFT and commented on the 

fact that there was obviously an inspiration from the USN SEALs. 

However, there is one AEG in their range that shouts out to us as 

UK ‘softers as a “must have”, and that’s the NEPTUNE SAS 10.5! 

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE 

ISSUE 150 - JUNE 2023 

ISSN 2634-9515 

18 ARMOURY: LCT LC3 MODULAR AEG 

Our friends at LCT have been sending out goodie packs to various 

media partners! Bella sent Stewbacca a big pack full of accessories 

along with their LC3A3 AEG to test out the modularity of the 

classic progenitor of all HK platforms, their take on the mighty G3! 

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas 

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer 

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing 

Ad Design: Deadshot Design 

Publisher: Calibre Publishing 

26 ARMOURY: DOUBLE EAGLE M920A AEROKNOX AX//15 

DOUBLE EAGLE really appear to have found their place in the AEG 

world! Taking on their latest AX//15 Bill has spent some serious 

time with it and now delivers his verdict on an AEG that genuinely 

takes things to a new level! 

Web: www.airsoftaction.net 

©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023 

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 publication. 

FIND US ON… 

32 ARMOURY: DELTA ARMORY 

Every so often we come across companies that really have a true 

passion for what they produce, and this month we introduce a new 

friend of Airsoft Action that truly shares our belief in the mantra 

“guns for the players, by the players”! 

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 

Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, or talk to 

us on Twitter or Facebook. 

58 ARMOURY: ICS BLE ICP 

As we’ve had a bit of a focus on G-SERIES pistols in this issue it 

seems only apt to introduce the very latest model to be added to 

the long-term test pool, and it comes in the shape of the the allnew 

BLE ICP pistol from our old and trusted friends at ICS!

Contents 

JUNE 2023 

38 KIT & GEAR: READY TACTICAL 

SLING 

We take our time to test both RIFs and 

gear fully before we report back and 

give something our recommendation, 

and in this issue Boycie starts reporting 

back on some of the great innovations 

that he and the team saw at SHOT 

back in January. The first of these 

comes in the shape of the READY 

TACTICAL SLING and he reports 

back that after thorough testing this 

invaluable item! 

72 TECH: GATE LATEST 

You may well remember couple of 

issues ago we reported on the Airsoft 

Action yearly pilgrimage to IWA in 

Nuremburg. For Jimmy it marked not 

only his first major trade show but 

also his first ever trip abroad and from 

what he’s told us all about his meeting 

with the team from GATE the road-trip 

certainly didn’t disappoint, and now 

he starts to tell all about their very 

latest products! 

44 THE CAGE: BASIC COMP GEAR 

It’s time to move things along again 

in THE CAGE, the place where the 

members of the AA LEGION talk 

about the gear they use, have used, 

and want to use in the future! 

This month we start a slightly new 

direction as we start to look at kit 

setups for very specific situations! Bill 

sets the scene… 

76 GETTING PERSONAL 

Stewbacca “sat down” online with 

the man of the hour himself Marck 

West: hot on the heels of personally 

taking the Popular Airsoft Player’s 

Choice Award 2023 for “Special 

Airsoft Player Award: Male”, along 

with his new found home with our 

friends at Laylax who won the award 

for “Best Airsoft Podcast or Video 

Channel” as well as once again 

that for “Best Airsoft Upgrade/Parts 

Manufacturer”! 

48 RED CELL: GLOCK/EU SERIES 

UPDATE 

Red Cell are rolling on with their 

updates on the platforms that they 

have been using now for over two 

years, and although new models 

are constantly being added to the 

long-term test pool, we hope that the 

information we’re putting together 

will be of use to you when it comes to 

buying a new GBB! This month they 

return to the “Glock” or “G-SERIES” 

pistols that have been put through the 

mill! 

84 AA LEGION: ITALY 

We’re very proud to have Airsoft 

Action Legionnaires in many countries 

and the message we share is that 

wherever you may be in this great 

wide world of airsoft, and however 

you enjoy YOUR game, we are all part 

of a wonderful global community 

that should share our passion for all 

things 6mm! Bill was contacted by 

Alex, from the “ASD 3/5 Marines”, 

to talk about how living history has 

influenced this unique Italian team! 

62 TRAINING: PTS BARRICADE 

Continuing his evaluation of “good 

gear to go” that he and the crew saw 

in the USA airsoft veteran Boycie now 

looks to a superb training device that 

he’s been trialling on the range to 

improve the dynamics and efficacy of 

his shooting skills… standing still to 

shoot when training is all very well, 

but when you need to train to hit 

the target when being more dynamic 

then you need the PTS BARRICADE! 

92 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL 

When you’ve been playing airsoft 

for a while you need to mark certain 

“anniversaries”, and in Portugal it is 

the teams themselves that institute 

and run games, so it’s an extra special 

event when it happens at your “Home 

Field”! Miguel and The GHOSTS 

recently put on a very special game to 

celebrate FIFTEEN years of airsoft, and 

now he tells us all about it! 

68 KIT & GEAR: LAYLAX BITE MAG 

CARRIERS 

Continuing in his ever-brutal and 

blunt fashion of reviewing guns and 

gear Stewbacca has been recently 

“getting his teeth” into some of 

the gear from Laylax following their 

Krytac Owner’s meeting back in 

November 22… and now he can 

“bite the bullet” and talk again about 

one of their greatest gear innovations 

to date, the BiteMag. 

96 RELOADED: VORSK CS 

DEFENDER PRO 

Back in Issue 124 Bill got his hands on 

the then-new VORSK CS DEFENDER 

PRO GBB pistol and fell in love with 

the classic MEU-style 1911 all over 

again… but now we’re on Issue 150 

so how has this classic design stood 

the test of time? Pretty darn well it 

would seem…

Facebook (Global): 

ICSBBAirsoft 

Twitter (Global): 

icsbbairsoft 

Youtube: 

ICS AIRSOFT 

Instagram: 

icsbbairsoft

ARMOURY 

ROSSI NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 

UKSF TO GO! 

8 

JUNE 2023

ARMOURY 


LAST MONTH WE INTRODUCED THE ROSSI AIRSOFT BRAND AND COMMENTED ON THE FACT THAT 

THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY AN INSPIRATION FROM THE USN SEALS WHEN IT CAME TO THE NAMING 

OF THEIR REPLICAS; HOWEVER THERE IS ONE AEG IN THEIR RANGE THAT SHOUTS OUT TO US AS UK 

‘SOFTERS AS A “MUST HAVE”, AND THAT’S THE NEPTUNE SAS 10.5! 

I’ve been really impressed so far with the dealings 

I’ve had so far with the team at ROSSI EUROPE, 

and it’s become quite obvious to me that they are 

genuinely interested in seeing their brand flourish and 

grow! Each and every time I’ve approached them for 

information my request has been dealt with lightningfast 

and beyond expectation… a simple question is 

replied to with professionalism and great courtesy… 

which used to be a rare thing in relation to airsoft 

companies, and sometimes still is! 

It’s also been made quite clear to me that ROSSI 

EUROPE are quite prepared to back up their claims 

that their AEGs, GBB pistols and spring carbines 

are ready to rock from the box, as in my initial 

conversations with them I requested a test sample of 

one of their AEGs so we could really get into it, and 

courtesy of Dave T and Dave’s Custom Airsoft who’d 

already placed an order with them we piggy-backed 

on his initial order and a shiny new ROSSI AEG duly 

turned up at AAHQ for me to get to grips with. 

And what an AEG it is, one that anyone with a 

desire to create a “modern UKSF” loadout would 

want to own, as the ROSSI NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 is 

obviously inspired by the L119A2! UKSF 

have used the 

Canadian-made 

C8 SFW 

(L119A1/A2) as its primary for a significant period 

because it has met all their operational requirements 

and is incredibly well-liked by everyone who uses 

it. What we all still refer to as “The Diemaco” (now 

manufactured by Colt Canada, formerly Diemaco 

prior to 2005) was designated the “L119A1 Special 

Forces Individual Weapon (SFIW)” within the UK 

military; UKSF started to use the L119 in the late 

1990s, and it was subsequently rolled out to other 

units such as the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), 

Pathfinder Platoon, 43 Commando Royal Marines and 

the Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit. 

Two versions are known to have been in service, 

the L119 SFIW which featured a heavy, high accuracy, 

16.1-inch-long cold-hammer-forged barrel that was 

designed for operation in arctic conditions and set up 

to mate with the HK AG-C grenade launcher, and the 

L119A1 CQB Carbine which was a shortened version 

with a 10 inch barrel and associated upper, 

known commercially as 

the C8 CQB; 

the CQB’s shorter 

length 

made it 

suitable 

for close 

protection work and room 

clearing, and it was often seen fitted with 

a Surefire can in the wild. 

But of course every platform has its “best before” 

date, especially those that see as many rounds down 

the barrels as the one’s used by specialist units, and 

it’s believed that in 2013/14 procurement began for 

a replacement to those venerable A1. Once again all 

eyes turned to Colt Canada, and the L119A2 was 

eventually issued with 10” and 15.7” barrel lengths. 

“AND WHAT AN AEG IT IS, 

ONE THAT ANYONE WITH A DESIRE TO 

CREATE A “MODERN UKSF” 

LOADOUT WOULD WANT TO OWN, AS THE 

ROSSI NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 IS OBVIOUSLY INSPIRED BY THE L119A2!” 

www.airsoftaction.net 9

ARMOURY 


But the L119A2 was a very different beast to 

the A1, with a purpose-designed monolithic upper 

capable of holding true when fitted with LAMs and 

associated aiming devices which were by the time 

much more “the norm”, especially for SF operators. 

This upper was licenced from Lewis Machine and Tool 

(LMT, they of L129A1 rifle fame), and the finished A2 

came with a MagPul CTR stock, Geissele trigger, and 

were often first seen with Gen3 Magpul P-Mags. It’s 

believed that Surefire suppressors and optics were 

often carried over from older platforms, but more on 

that shortly… 

Of course “them in the know” knew all about the 

A2, but like the MP5 with “Operation NIMROD” the 

updated carbine really hit the limelight in January 

2019 in the hands of Christian Craighead, AKA “Obi 

wan Nairobi”! 

I remember at the time that airsoft chat groups 

were suddenly awash with discussion as to “that 

gun”, while those of us that were already dedicated 

“A1 users” simply smiled and grabbed a brew while 

we broke down all the goodies that were fitted… but 

there’ll be more to come on that in a future article! 

6MM REPLICATION 

Although there are some absolutely great “SF” style 

carbines on the market in both AEG and GBBR form, 

if you do want to take the “UKSF high ground” then 

frankly nothing but a “Diemaco” will do! Once the 

territory of uber-expensive body kits and custommade 

add-ons there’s now a thriving market for both 

“L119” A1 and A2 parts, and with a decent donor 

RIF you can have yourself a tidy A1, right down to the 

Image from Public Domain source 

“OF COURSE “THEM IN THE KNOW” KNEW ALL ABOUT THE A2, BUT LIKE THE MP5 

WITH “OPERATION NIMROD” THE UPDATED CARBINE REALLY HIT THE LIMELIGHT IN 

JANUARY 2019 IN THE HANDS OF CHRISTIAN CRAIGHEAD, AKA “OBI WAN NAIROBI”!” 

10 


ARMOURY 


“ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME ABSOLUTELY GREAT “SF” STYLE CARBINES ON THE 

MARKET IN BOTH AEG AND GBBR FORM, IF YOU DO WANT TO TAKE THE “UKSF HIGH 

GROUND” THEN FRANKLY NOTHING BUT A “DIEMACO” WILL DO!” 


ARMOURY 


heavy barrel of the original and the riser wing-mount 

for your ACOG! 

However, when it comes to an A2, then things are 

still a little different! Yes, we have seen aftermarket 

“A2” style rails” and 

most of the 

associated 

accessories are 

obviously pretty 

straightforward 

to get hold of. Kits like 

that from HAO for the likes of 

GHK and the TM MWS have arrived, and I’ve 

seen some awesome “A2 Customs” both in the wild 

and most certainly on the airsoft L119 Owners Club 

social media pages. ARCHWICK of course produce an 

awesome “A2” which is frankly bloody gorgeous, and 

their monolithic upper is a piece of absolute airsoft 

art! 

Two things to pick out right there; firstly, although 

a thing of beauty the ARCHWICK is a GBBR and that 

doesn’t suit everyone, and sadly neither does the 

price-tag although it is, in my opinion, 100% worth 

every penny! The other fact there is that “A2” AEG 

creations to date have indeed been (usually expensive) 

custom jobs and again, although individually they are 

works of art, they are beyond both the pocket and the 

desire of many users. 

And this my lovelies is where ROSSI come into the 

picture, as their NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 is a sub UK£300 

off-the-shelf, good-to-go AEG that is totally inspired 

by the “A2”, and whilst not accurate in every respect 

as a “replica”, it will be close enough to the real-deal 

once accessorised and given a rattle-can job that it will 

most certainly pass the rule-of-cool for most players! 

Externally the “SAS” looks totally bad-ass, and 

although the upper receiver/rail is not monolithic, it 

most certainly fits together beautifully with hardly 

a seam, and I believe that once it’s painted up this 

discrepancy will be minimal from any distance. There 

is a very, very slight differnce in the height of the rail 

to the separate upper receiver, but again, you’ll only 

see this if you’re a complete stitch-bitch! The finish of 

the all-metal parts is generally excellent though, the 

same matte black throughout, and even after a good 

few days on the range this appears to be holding up 

well so far… that said, it will be painted in due course 

so this is largely unimportant to me! 

The upper and lower receivers in fairness 

appear to be pretty standard AR 

fare but work and look 

just fine, 

and as 

standard the ROSSI 

comes with a three prong 

flash-hider (easily upped to the later/ 

current SF style or a Surefire-style can given 

the 14mm CCW fitting), lo-profile flipup 

front and rear sights, a singlepoint 

sling plate, CTR-Style sliding stock, and a 

P-MAG-style 120 BB middy. It’s a tidy wee 

package, that’s for certain! 

Internally there’s a fair bit going on 

too! First up you get a 300mm 6.02 

precision inner barrel in a one-piece 

outer barrel with a reasonable 

rotary hop unit; I’ve not yet been 

inside the ROSSI but Dave tells 

me that the carbine comes 

with a Maple Leaf 60º Super 

Macaron Bucking twinned 

with Maple Leaf Omega 

Nub, so it’s probably better 

than I first thought, and the 

performance would appear to 

back this up! The overall parts specs 

are pretty darn nice to be honest, as you 

get a programmable MOSFET/V2 electronic trigger, 

“THE THING FOR ME THAT REALLY GIVES THIS AEG THE EDGE ON MY OLD “119A1S” 

THOUGH IS THE SHEER QUALITY, FIT AND FINISH OF PARTS, AND THE IMMEDIATE 

PERFORMANCE AS STOCK. THE “SAS” LOOKS GREAT, IS IMPECCABLY FINISHED AND 

PUT TOGETHER, AND HAS FUNCTIONED FLAWLESSLY DURING TESTING” 

12 


ARMOURY 


which combined with 16:1 CNC gears allows for a 

solid and sustained ROF. It also offers active brake, 

semi, auto, binary and 2, 3, 4 or 5 BB burst fire modes 

out the box! There are 8mm bearings, and the piston 

has steel teeth and a bearing piston head, the spring 

guide is metal with bearings, and there’s a nice CNC 

alloy nozzle with o-ring as well… again, nothing earth 

shattering but all good quality, very serviceable and 

durable. This is a setup that should keep you in the 

game for a good, long while. 

DOWNRANGE 

Now to the all-important shooty bit, as if you’re 

running “all UKSF opr8r” then you’re going to be 

putting a LOT of BBs through the NEPTUNE SAS! 

The 

carbine chrono’d as new 

at a perfectly 

acceptable 

mean 

of 1.0 

prior to release and in my opinion this AEG shows that 

ROSSI don’t mess around when it comes to putting an 

AEG together. 

What you will get with a ROSSI NEPTUNE SAS 

10.5 is a great quality “119 inspired” AEG that could 

well become a trusted companion for the majority of 

your “airsoft life” if you look after it, and want the 

proper carbine to work with your “UKSF” loadout! 

I’ve used this AEGs extensively now, and with care 

and maintenance I believe it will probably outlast me, 

although right now I’m still happy to roll out with 

a “119” and continue to “fly the flag” given the 

chance! 

My sincere thanks go to Rafa and the team at 

ROSSI EUROPE for supplying the NEPTUNE SAS 10.5 

test sample; I’ve still got some things planned with 

it so watch this space, but it will now enter the Red 

Cell Test Pool for longer term evaluation. If you like 

the look of what you see then please do check out 

www.rossieurope.com for the very latest news on 

their products, and if you’re in the UK keep an eye 

on www.davescustomairsoft.co.uk for information 

on when the “SAS” is available in store… 

These carbines sell out FAST! AA 

Joule/330fps 

on a 

.20g BB and 

has stayed 

there after iro 

3300 BBs downrange 

thus far. 

Pushing up 

to .28g and 

resetting 

the hop, with 

targets out 

at 30 metres 

I’ve been 

able to get very 

solid prone 

groupings on 

semi-auto, 

and had great fun clanging the plates at 

the same range on the move when I’ve switched the 

selector up to full; I’ve not mucked about with the 

programming to be honest as I’m more than happy 

with the performance in “classic” mode! 

The thing for me that REALLY gives this AEG the 

edge on my old “119A1s” though is the sheer quality, 

fit and finish of parts, and the immediate performance 

as stock. The “SAS” looks great, is impeccably finished 

and put together, and has functioned flawlessly 

during testing. The technology inside has been refined 


ARMOURY 


14 


ARMOURY 

LCT LC3 MODULAR AEG 

PROG3NITOR: 

COLD WAR... 

HOT TICKET! 

BACKGROUND IMAGE FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN 

18 


ARMOURY 


WITH THE IMMINENT RELEASE OF THEIR LC3K ‘SAS’ SHORTENED G3 AEG VARIANT WHICH 

STEWBACCA GOT HANDS ON WITH THE PROTOTYPE OF BACK IN APRIL 2022 DURING HIS SITE VISIT 

TO LCT AIRSOFT’S HEADQUARTERS IN CHANGHUA (AS COVERED IN JUNE 2022’S ISSUE NO.138), 

OUR FRIENDS AT LCT HAVE BEEN SENDING OUT GOODIE PACKS TO VARIOUS MEDIA PARTNERS 

INCLUDING OURSELVES AND SOME OF OUR FRIENDS IN EUROPE AS WELL! BELLA SENT STEWBACCA 

A BIG PACK FULL OF ACCESSORIES ALONG WITH THEIR LC3A3 AEG TO TEST OUT THE MODULARITY 

OF THE CLASSIC PROGENITOR OF ALL HK PLATFORMS, THEIR TAKE ON THE MIGHTY G3! 


ARMOURY 


I’m sure everybody is well aware of my love for all 

things German, and particularly Heckler & Koch in 

origin when it comes to firearms. With the recent 

MP5k and upcoming HK53 replica releases keeping 

me busy and happy, what of the origin story of all the 

stamped steel, roller delayed blowback goodness that 

fills our lives? 

I’ve not had much experience in the full scale 

battle rifle category, besides the L1A1/FAL and 

replicas thereof, but the G3 is an absolutely iconic 

platform and somewhat the German progenitor of the 

technology derived from the Spanish CETME program 

by the ex Mauser works folks post WW2 which would 

eventually drive the majority of H&K’s platforms until 

the tail end of the 20th century when gas operation 

became more ubiquitous in their own products. 

Many of my European friends from secondary 

school and university have shared fond memories with 

me since we moved on in life and I got deeper into 

my lifestyle immersed in firearms and replicas thereof, 

having been lucky enough to make use of the G3 

battle rifle as their standard service individual weapon 

in the intervening years. indeed it still sees widespread 

use despite its age; my Norwegian friend was a chef 

on a minesweeper during his national service in their 

Navy, and shared many gleeful stories of laying down 

rounds from the rear of his boat with all manner of 

weapons including the G3 during his training, while 

my Greek-Cypriot university course-mate maintains 

one at home along with a box of ammunition for the 

purposes of militia defence in case things on their 

island ever heat up again and he’s forced to hold the 

line with his compatriots. 

But why should they have all the fun? While I 

obviously can’t get hands on live versions here in 

Taiwan, LCT were good enough to send me their 

LC3A3 AEG battle rifle, along with a box load of 

additional goodies to swap out on it, including 

basically all of the buttstock options you can think 

of like fixed, fixed with cheek piece riser, telescopic, 

AR buffer tube and CQB style PK308 separate stock, 

the Picatinny optics mounting rail, bipod, the narrow 

“I’VE NOT HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE IN THE FULL SCALE BATTLE RIFLE CATEGORY, 

BESIDES THE L1A1/FAL AND REPLICAS THEREOF, BUT THE G3 IS AN ABSOLUTELY 

ICONIC PLATFORM AND SOMEWHAT THE GERMAN PROGENITOR OF THE TECHNOLOGY 

DERIVED FROM THE SPANISH CETME PROGRAM” 

20 


ARMOURY 


early version handguard, and the chunkier broad 

handguard that became standard in intermediate 

age mainstream production, as well as the Picatinny 

rail front handguard that sought to modernise the 

platform and increase its capability to add increasingly 

typical tactical accessories such as grips, illumination, 

aiming and other such things. 

In late March a long and conspicuous parcel and 

its additional goodie box landed with my concierges 

(they probably wonder what I do with my spare time 

on occasion with all these odd packages from our 

friends and partners in Taiwan arriving, or my long 

bags or cases and camouflage clad adventures!) 

and I gleefully unboxed all the carefully wrapped 

attachments to figure out exactly what Bella had sent 

me to test, and begin planning what I would use and 

how I would tailor the LC3A3 AEG best to suit the 

upcoming gaming environments Team Taiji would be 

playing at over the April weekends. 

MODULARITY FTW! 

The inherent modularity of the H&K product line 

was always an excellent selling point of the real 

steel systems, and indeed Heckler & Koch were 

somewhat ahead of the curve in many ways with 

their modern manufacturing methodologies, internal 

operating mechanisms and tailoring of platforms to 

meet user needs. Being some of the first to make 

such modularity, adaptability and field stripping or 

changing of key components so easy with their now 

ubiquitous push-pin-retention system for unitised fire 

control and pistol grip groups, handguards, stocks, 

and other additional components it really is the 

original “Barbie for Bois” to my mind, even before all 

these whipper snappers and their SOPMOD Armalites 

came on the scene. 

During my factory tour last April I enjoyed putting 

my engineering hat back on and geeking out over the 

somewhat heavy industrial processes that Li Cheng 

Technologies built their original business and resulting 

airsoft sub-brand on, moving from more household 

goods related work to sub-contracting for the likes 

of Inokatsu and more recently GHK as well as moving 

into producing their own homegrown AK furniture 

kits and then full blown assembled finished guns, 

replicating basically every variant you can imagine 

in the process before moving onto the H&K family 

among others. 

As a result of all this manufacturing expertise, LCT 

Airsoft have unquestionably some of - if not THE 

- best external quality and realism in their replicas, 

working to real steel samples of components or 

accurate dimensions and data packs where they can 

source them, ensuring that real steel accessories will 

also fit on their products, alongside their ever growing 

range of myriad attachments. The weight, heft 

general handling and complete lack of any yielding 

in the realistically manufactured stamped and welded 

H&K receivers and main barrel assemblies inspire 

confidence in the durability of LCT’s products; I have 

run enough guns into the ground in my time to know 

what I’m capable of bending or breaking, and I’m not 

at all worried about throwing these things around. 

The consistency and aesthetic quality of the 

products is also maintained to a level that likely 

exceeds some of the older real steel versions in reality, 

given modern advancements in robotic welding which 

LCT Airsoft have taken full advantage of to make neat 

welds in a highly repeatable and stress-free fashion, 

which makes their H&K and AK product lines look 

the part as well as damn near indestructible by even 

the most blunt instrument in your team. The weight 

“AS A RESULT OF ALL THIS MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE, LCT AIRSOFT HAVE 

UNQUESTIONABLY SOME OF - IF NOT THE - BEST EXTERNAL QUALITY AND REALISM IN 

THEIR REPLICAS, WORKING TO REAL STEEL SAMPLES OF COMPONENTS OR ACCURATE 

DIMENSIONS AND DATA PACKS WHERE THEY CAN SOURCE THEM” 


ARMOURY 


can be off-putting to some of the more slight end 

users, but that being said I’ve even seen some guys 

half my size out here lugging around LCT’s legendary 

beautifully finished M60 or PKM LMGs; if you have 

the passion I guess you’ll overcome the encumbrance 

to be ‘that guy’ who turns up with a piece of history 

or pop culture, that also boasts ridiculous firepower 

and magazine capacity to dominate the field with. 

Among my team there are already more than a few 

guys who trust LCT’s AEGs as their primary platforms, 

ranging from modernised AK rifles, carbines and SMG 

variants, as well as Big Mike who shares my passion 

for cold war battle rifles and has his own longer 

serving LCT LC3 / G3 AEG and was good enough to 

partner up with me for some pictures; he’s had his for 

most of the time they have been on the market and 

speaks highly of his own example, relying on it often 

as a dependable AEG that just works and brings a 

smile to his face. 

While some may see the basic (albeit hard-wearing) 

internals as a drawback in terms of a lack of focus 

toward on-board electronics or similar advances 

as standard, the second generation batch of SVDs 

should be incorporating one of LCT’s electronic trigger 

systems, which are also available separately with 

MOSFETs in either front or rear wiring loom variants; 

for the most part they are a more than adequate 

starting point for any enthusiastic player. 

NAILING IT WITH THE LC3 

The 515mm long internal barrel of the LC3A3, 

genuinely half the overall length of the rifle, and 

tactile clicking HOP drum accessible through the 

ejection port when the charging handle is locked 

back certainly allowed me to throw 0.3g BLS BBs out 

to respectable ranges, especially when we recently 

played a site new to myself that the team hadn’t been 

permitted to use since just before I joined a couple 

of years back. Working from the ground level and 

rooftops with my teammates and looking through 

a 4x ACOG replica mounted atop the 8.5 inch long 

Picatinny optics rail (LK034) I was easily able to 

throw BBs into doorways on an adjacent building’s 

rooftop 30m away with enough precision to keep one 

opponent pinned in the very corner of the doorway 

while my teammates worked their way around; the 

wind picked up occasionally and threw BBs off or spun 

them in vortices shedding off the roof edge, but I was 

effective in suppressing them regardless, and despite 

the lack of electronic trigger the responsiveness 

is certainly snappier that anything AEG related I 

remember using back in the UK. 

The wide version front handguard (LC003 - 

supplied as standard with the LC3A3W ‘w’ for ‘wide’ 

variant) allows for a slim nunchuck style LiPo battery 

to be installed around the outer barrel and connecting 

into the front wired gearbox, although you’ll need 

to use a rear-wired solution with the fixed (LC030) 

or AR style stock (LC036) if you want to make use of 

the slimline original production style front handguard 

(LC001) due to its very slender cross section; even 

the front wiring loom can be a challenge to route 

through the confined space between it and the outer 

barrel while setting it up; I was using the telescopic 

stock at the same time during my CQB usage of the 

LC3A3, so managed to connect the LiPo battery and 

route the wiring out of the very front opening of the 

slimline handguard and then routed it into a small 

battery bag velcroed around the front end which 

meant I could still access the charging handle fine and 

get a C-Clamp grip on the main rear portion of the 

handguard. 

At least when using the picatinny tri-rail 

modernised handguard (LC038) it allows for mounting 

a PEQ box, foregrip or similar external battery storage 

unit should you want to leave it front wired, which 

would also allow you to change the stock for the 

telescopic collapsible variant (LC035) which I’ve 

happily used the equivalent of on my LK53 to date, 

making it an excellent compact backpack gun. 

The ability to tailor the profile and format of the 

platform with all these accessories allowed me to 

change the handling and capabilities between game 

days, and using the wide handguard in conjunction 

with the folding bipod (LK010) allowed me to use 

the LC3A3 as an effective DMR in longer distance 

and duration engagements. I made use of a pair of 

the 140 BB midcaps (LC012) which extended my 

capabilities beyond my usual gas rifle loadouts in 

terms of suppressing fire over having to pick my shots; 

during the second outing I also elected to switch out 

the fixed cheek riser stock (LC028) for the telescopic 

PK308 LTS stock mounted to the AR buffer tube 

adaptor which allows for some adjustment in length 

“THE ABILITY TO TAILOR THE PROFILE AND FORMAT OF THE PLATFORM WITH ALL 

THESE ACCESSORIES ALLOWED ME TO CHANGE THE HANDLING AND CAPABILITIES 

BETWEEN GAME DAYS, AND USING THE WIDE HANDGUARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 

FOLDING BIPOD (LK010) ALLOWED ME TO USE THE LC3A3 AS AN EFFECTIVE DMR” 

22 


ARMOURY 



ARMOURY 


of pull, great for my longer arms, although you have 

to be aware of the eye-box on your optics if you are 

using any. In the end I left it mostly collapsed to get 

my eye behind the ACOG effectively, whereas the 

fixed stock with cheek riser I used the first game day 

felt a lot more natural for that setup and situation, but 

with plentiful space left on the Picatinny rail adaptor 

you can no doubt make use of a larger, longer scope 

with deeper eye relief should you wish. 

The PKS308 does allow you to control the back end 

of the rifle better when making use of the bipod to 

take the load of the front end at least, allowing your 

support arm and hand to wrap around and grab the 

lower part of the buttpad and really pull the whole 

thing in tight in an LMG gunner’s style to allow you to 

pan your point of aim around without it slipping out 

of your shoulder. The AR tube adaptor also has the 

added benefit of internal battery storage space, and 

an integral QD sling socket on the rear left shoulder 

of it making it easier to field and make compatible 

with more modern load bearing or sling solutions than 

the typical basic sling loops of the fixed or telescopic 

stocks. 

SWITCHING IT OUT 

Switching between all of these different options 

was also very easy given the prevalence of the 

aforementioned push pins, two of which are also 

included with each additional stock variant so you’re 

never short of spares if you manage to lose one. 

Removing the stock also allows the charging handle 

spring retainer to pop out of the rear, as well as 

opening up access to the quick change spring base 

plate which can easily be rotated and unlocked using 

a large flat-head tool to rapidly change the mainspring 

without the need for further disassembly, making 

adaptation to local field or national power restrictions 

a painless exercise compared to many earlier 

counterparts I’ve sworn at in my time! Out of the 

box my example was throwing out a fairly consistent 

muzzle velocity of 95m/s to within 1m/s variance 

using 0.3g BLS BBs (which works out to 1.3 Joules 

and 380 FPS on a 0.2g BB), a little too toasty for the 

UK and some other areas, but fine for Taiwan’s native 

lawlessness! 

Besides the wide range of extras Bella was good 

enough to send me for testing, LCT’s website also has 

a further range of high cap and mid cap magazines 

with either plain or waffle surface texture styles, spare 

buttplates, internal springs, charging handles, barrels, 

body pins and ergonomic pistol grip options available 

in green or black to allow users to further customise 

their LC3A3 to achieve a certain look or represent 

various eras in the development or fielding of its 

real steel counterpart which has seen adoption by in 

excess of 40 countries, for the most part any NATO or 

allied cold war nation not using an FAL or derivative 

was more than likely fielding these instead! 

If for some reason the LC3A3 isn’t long enough for 

your liking, the muzzle device can even be removed 

to reveal an industry standard 14mm CCW thread for 

mounting mock suppressors or tracer units should you 

feel the need to, and among the other accessories on 

LCT’s website there’s even the LC006 bayonet adaptor 

to help attach a stabby thing over the muzzle and to 

the front end of the charging handle tube above the 

barrel. 

I’d like to thank Bella and the LCT Airsoft team 

(www.lctairsoft.com) for their continued support of 

my blunt instrument testing efforts and entrusting 

me with yet another excellently build replica and all 

its accessories, and I look forward to seeing the LC3K 

SAS variant and further H&K based models hitting the 

market soon! AA 

“THE AR TUBE ADAPTOR ALSO HAS THE ADDED BENEFIT OF INTERNAL BATTERY 

STORAGE SPACE, AND AN INTEGRAL QD SLING SOCKET ON THE REAR LEFT SHOULDER 

OF IT MAKING IT EASIER TO FIELD AND MAKE COMPATIBLE WITH MORE MODERN LOAD 

BEARING OR SLING SOLUTIONS” 

24 


ARMOURY 

DE M920A AEROKNOX AX//15 

TARGET 

CONNECTION 

DOUBLE EAGLE REALLY APPEAR TO HAVE FOUND THEIR PLACE IN THE AEG WORLD OF LATE, WITH 

SOME THOROUGHLY UNIQUE MODELS HITTING THE MARKET AND UPPING CAPABILITY LEVELS AT 

THE SAME TIME! TAKING ON THEIR LATEST AX//15 BILL HAS SPENT SOME SERIOUS TIME WITH IT AND 

NOW DELIVERS HIS VERDICT ON AN AEG THAT GENUINELY TAKES THINGS TO A NEW LEVEL! 

“AEGS BY THEIR VERY NATURE HAVE BEEN FICKLE BEASTS, ABSOLUTE MARVELS OF 

ENGINEERING REALLY WITH A MYRIAD OF SOMETIMES QUITE DELICATE COMPONENTS 

THAT GO TOGETHER TO CREATE A FUNCTIONAL WHOLE… AND ONE THAT THEN GETS 

DRAGGED THROUGH THE RAIN, SHINE, MUD, AND DUST OF GAMEDAYS” 

26 


ARMOURY 


In December last year I had the chance to get 

some rangetime in with the DE SR47 UTR and I 

have to admit that it was a carbine that I really 

quite came to like, one that took all the best bits 

of AR ergonomics and added an AK magazine for 

“OPFOR Shenanigans”. At the time I said that I liked 

it because it was shorter in comparison to my other 

SR47s and “its modern styling makes it unique in a 

good way! With a price of just under UK£200 at the 

time of writing this, as far as AR/AK hybrids go this 

is a great little AEG and one that deserves a rightful 

place in my OPFOR armoury”. 

I’ll stand by those initial comments as I move on to 

the latest model that’s come my way, via iWholesales 

here in the UK, from Double Eagle as although the 

M920A AEROKNOX AX//15 goes firmly back into 

the AR camp it does so with some shared features 

with the SR47 that I believe are quite unique, as well 

as adding something more to the party again in the 

form of wireless connectivity for programming the 

operating functions! 

This seems to be all the rage right now and as 

Jimmy will illustrate later in his TECH article this 

month having wireless connectivity when it comes 

to programming does bring with it a number of 

benefits… it’s true when he says though, as I’ve 

experienced the same thing, that hardwiring the 

programming function can lead to connectivity issues, 

especially if you mislay the dedicated cable! 

This in turn leads me back to the question of 

“over-engineering” for its own sake; are we simply 

adding too much to AEGs these days, and just 

because something CAN be done, SHOULD it be? 

Fundamentally AEGs by their very nature have 

been fickle beasts, absolute marvels of engineering 

really with a myriad of sometimes quite delicate 

components that go together to create a functional 

whole… and one that then gets dragged through 

the rain, shine, mud, and dust of gamedays with very 

little care and attention in the hands of many! 

The fact is that we expect our AEGs to perform 

without giving them much of a second look when 

the game is over and we store our gear away for 

another day; okay, I believe that more and more 

players understand that their AEGs need a little 

more than a simple wipe-down to keep them in full 

fighting fettle for an extended service life, but by 

adding more and more to the base gun are we just 

asking for trouble? More to go wrong inevitably will 

go wrong… 

I am somewhat of a “techno-luddite” when it 

comes to airsoft platforms, and whilst I understand 

fully that technical upgrades at source can lead to 

you getting both protection for the AEG system and 

access to absolute peak performance from it, I am 

still a little uneasy as I’m definitely a less-is-more kind 

of guy. That said, having experienced a few systems 

now that allow you to hone the performance of your 

AEG, especially via a Bluetooth, I am beginning to 

second-guess myself on this! 

The M920A AEROKNOX AX//15 has the excellent 

new Falcon gearbox that I started to talk about first 

back in 2022, but this time the V2 which has already 

proved to be a solid and reliable setup, and to this 

Double Eagle have added the Kestrel V2 ETU which 

moves things on yet another step; this adds the 

wireless programming connectivity that I’ve been 

talking about, and it’s a system that even a sad old 

airsofter like me can get into and navigate easily! 

UNIQUE STYLING 

Double Eagle have obviously hit on a bit of a winner 

when it comes to the styling of their latest flagship 

carbines; they certainly look “bang on trend” and the 

AX//15 is no exception with CNC high-grade alloy 

construction throughout! You get a very unique, 

almost “billet-like” receiver pairing that’s beautifully 

finished and well put together; the lower also has 

a slightly over-sized trigger guard that’s ideal for 

use with even bulkier gloves protecting a flat-face 

“A” trigger. The upper melds neatly and solidly into 

an excellent ¾ length contiguous top rail 

licensed by Aeroknox 

“DOUBLE EAGLE HAVE OBVIOUSLY HIT ON A 

BIT OF A 

WINNER WHEN IT COMES TO THE STYLING OF THEIR LATEST FLAGSHIP 

CARBINES; THEY CERTAINLY LOOK “BANG ON TREND” AND THE AX//15 IS NO 

EXCEPTION WITH CNC HIGH-GRADE ALLOY CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT!” 


ARMOURY 


LLC Firearms (a firearms company from Texas that 

provides cutting-edge and revolutionary products to 

the defence industry!), while at 3,6, and 9 0’clock 

you have full-length M-LOK compatibility meaning 

you can set it up with your favoured optics 

and cool-guy accessories; the AX//15 

comes with a little box of 

goodies that also 

includes a pair 

of Aeroknoxstyle 

rail 

grips 

too! 

Rounding 

out the externals 

you have an ergonomic, 

canted pistol grip (the Aeroknox 

ORION) and six-position sliding battery stock 

that again look almost futuristic, and a unique muzzle 

brake, again a really nice Aeroknox design, this time 

mimicking their “Butterfly” on a 14mm CCW thread 

so the AEG is suppressor/tracer-ready although I don’t 

know why you’d want to change out the brake that 

comes with it as standard! It’s very cool throughout, 

a very good replication of the Aeroknox designs 

that fulfils all the licence obligations as far as I can 

ascertain, and the AX//15 is also lightweight at 2560g 

but very sturdy indeed! Control-wise you have a really 

well set-up and uniquely-styled ambidextrous selector 

lever and charging handle, along with an oversized 

paddle magazine release making everything slick 

when it comes to drills and mag changes. To top 

things off, quite 

inside things are equally interesting! I’ve talked before 

in depth about the Falcon system, but suffice to say 

the latest AX//15 V2 gearbox has the quick change 

spring function, and steel gears mounted on 8mm 

bearings. Also as mentioned earlier the AEG is prefitted 

with the Kestrel V2 ETU by ESHOOTER, which 

is easily controlled via a smartphone app for iOS and 

Android that is easily found and downloaded from 

either the APPSTORE on GOOGLE PLAY; on the end 

of the box and in the instruction manual there’s also 

a QR code to scan that will lead you direct to the 

ESHOOTER App, so very neat again. You need to 

calibrate the system to your liking before you use your 

new AEG, but it really is very straightforward, and 

there’s a good video on Youtube that can help you 

with this, just search out “Function Introduction for 

Kestrel V2”. 

Once the app is downloaded and set up (even 

I could manage it, but the iOS Siri voice-control 

function was a step to far even for me!) the Kestrel 

system really lets you get into the nitty-gritty of 

operation, and you can easily program a faster trigger 

literally, 

there are 

some neat, 

lo-profile 

polymer 

flip-up sights front and rear; it’s a very tidy and solid 

package throughout. 

So the AX//15 externally is really quite unique 

thanks to the well-used licence with Aeroknox, and 

“THE AEG IS PRE-FITTED WITH THE KESTREL V2 ETU BY ESHOOTER, WHICH IS EASILY 

CONTROLLED VIA A SMARTPHONE APP FOR IOS AND ANDROID THAT IS EASILY FOUND 

AND DOWNLOADED FROM EITHER THE APPSTORE ON GOOGLE PLAY” 

28 


ARMOURY 


response/sensitivity or a higher ROF, fire modes 

(BINARY/ BURST 3-10 BBS/ AUG-progressive Mode/ 

Sniper Mode), active brake, and pre-cocking (3 levels). 

One new feature I personally love is that of “Real 

Magazine” function which cleverly simulates a real 

30-round magazine in operation; after firing 30 BBs, 

the carbine cuts out and you need to change the mag 

to get back in the fight! 

The EHOOTER app also keeps an eye on, and 

displays messages about the performance of your 

gearbox; this does help to prevent damage from 

overheating, overloading the system in any way, or 

potential short-circuits. The ETU also has a “Sleep 

Mode”, so if your gun is put away with a battery still 

connected in error it will “sleep” and stop the battery 

from discharging which of course can lead to some 

unpleasant and costly outcomes! 

DOWNRANGE 

I programmed the AX//15 the way I like it; I just 

adjusted the trigger sensitivity, set it to3 BB burst on 

semi, and added the “Real magazine” function… 

yup, I did that, and all on my old phone so it would 

appear that an old shooter can learn new tricks after 

all! There is a physical button inside the magwell for 

the “Real magazine” function that detects when a 

magazine is inserted, and after 30 BBs the AEG does 

stop… you need to remove and reinsert a magazine 

(it can be the same one) so that the AEG recognises 

a magazine change and resets so you can carry on 

shooting, although like some other systems there’s 

no need to hit the bolt release to complete the 

procedure. 

Now the AX//15 like other Double Eagle models I’ve 

tested in the past was pretty warm when it arrived, 

but with the quick change spring function it was a 

simple job to change this out, resulting in a power 

level through the chrono of 1.06 Joule/338fps on a 

.20g BB, bang-on for most sites! Now, most good 

retailers will change the spring to comply with local 

site restrictions, but make sure it’s been done before 

you take it home if you’re in the UK as the original 

power will put you into dodgy legal territory! 

As I’m a midcap player I was delighted with the 

polymer “bullet-style” model as standard, and this fed 

flawlessly throughout testing, although I did test with 

a variety of different mags and had good results with 

all, realcap, mid, and hi. On the 30m “woods range” 

once the hop settled in (rotary adjustment, very 

simple!) I was getting solid hits time and again on the 

300x300mm steels. As I’d set the trigger pretty light it 

was easy to get semi-shots away swiftly, with followups 

equally fast, and the 3 BB burst… well, suffice to 

say I like that a lot! I actually caught myself out at first 

with the “Real Magazine” function as I’d forgotten 

that I’d set that up, but it really came into its own as 

I had to keep my mind on BB expenditure once I’d 

remembered that I only had limited ammo, a “real” 

function that I personally enjoy! 

After very much enjoying the SR47 UTR I have 

to say that I really like the AX//15 version of this 

cracking little carbine, especially with the increased 

functionality that’s so easy to use wirelessly! The 

unique and thoroughly up-to-the-moment Aeroknox 

design pleases me greatly, and it’s a great weight and 

length to carry all day, in all situations! As much as I 

like, and admire, the programming side of things from 

an engineering perspective though I still have minor 

misgivings about the sheer amount of electronics in 

this AEG, but I believe that may just be me being an 

old fart! 

Overall the DE M920A AEROKNOX AX//15 is a fine 

little AEG, and one that in honesty I can find no fault 

with; in fact I like it a lot! If you’re in the market for 

an AEG that can be as individual as you are, and that 

will deliver BBs to target in just the way you like, then 

I would recommend that you give the AX//15 some 

serious consideration, and you can check it out by 

visiting www.iwholesales.co.uk. AA 

“I PROGRAMMED THE AX//15 THE WAY I LIKE IT; I JUST ADJUSTED THE TRIGGER 

SENSITIVITY, SET IT TO3 BB BURST ON SEMI, AND ADDED THE “REAL MAGAZINE” 

FUNCTION… YUP, I DID THAT, AND ALL ON MY OLD PHONE SO IT WOULD APPEAR THAT 

AN OLD SHOOTER CAN LEARN NEW TRICKS AFTER ALL!” 


FOR MORE INFORMATION TAP/CLICK THE "SHOP NOW" BUTTON

Available at all good retailers

ARMOURY 

DELTA ARMORY 

PUTTING 

DELTA IN THE 

ARMORY! 

EVERY SO OFTEN WE COME ACROSS COMPANIES THAT REALLY HAVE A TRUE PASSION FOR WHAT 

THEY PRODUCE, AND THIS MONTH WE INTRODUCE A NEW FRIEND OF AIRSOFT ACTION THAT TRULY 

SHARES OUR BELIEF IN THE MANTRA “GUNS FOR THE PLAYERS, BY THE PLAYERS”. AFTER FINALLY 

MEETING IN PERSON AT IWA, BILL GOT TOGETHER WITH THE TEAM FROM DELTA ARMORY TO TALK 

ABOUT AIRSOFT, THEIR WAY! 

IWA 2023 was a very busy show for the AA Crew, 

and it really gave us a chance to connect with 

companies that we’ve been speaking to for some 

considerable time but hadn’t met in person, and I 

have to admit I was keen to finally get the opportunity 

to speak to Peter from DELTA ARMORY (DA). Peter, 

from the Czech Republic, and I have been exchanging 

messages and emails for nearly three years now about 

the AEGs that DA have been quietly producing, and as 

these are now entering my “home market” in the UK 

then I thought it was high time that we should meet 

in person to talk about their latest developments, 

and to talk about cementing an ongoing relationship 

between DA and AA for the future! 

Founded in 2019, DELTA ARMORY have been 

quietly but assuredly creating their AEGs for the 

mainland Euro player community, and reports from 

numerous friends have given me confidence that the 

brand is well-liked, respected by users, and here to 

stay! With production that like many started in Hong 

Kong, DA AEGs are now made in China and Taiwan, 

and as some of the very best AEGs are currently 

coming out of “airsoft central” this is a huge positive 

in my mind. But I wanted to really get my teeth into 

what, for me personally at least, is a new brand 

that’s skirmishing its way forward in a very crowded 

marketplace! I wanted to find out what exactly made 

the guys at DA tick, and how they are working with 

the technologies that they’ve developed and that are 

available to them to create something that stands out, 

something that’s unique and different and that will 

excite players young and old! 

32 


ARMOURY 

DELTA ARMORY 

“FOUNDED 2019, DELTA ARMORY HAVE BEEN QUIETLY BUT ASSUREDLY CREATING 

THEIR AEGS FOR THE MAINLAND EURO PLAYER COMMUNITY, AND REPORTS FROM 

NUMEROUS FRIENDS HAVE GIVEN ME CONFIDENCE THAT THE BRAND IS WELL-LIKED, 

RESPECTED BY USERS, AND HERE TO STAY!” 


ARMOURY 

DELTA ARMORY 

I’ll put this straight out there… DELTA ARMORY, like 

virtually every airsoft manufacturer out there, make 

ARs! But they also do a bit more than that, and I’ll 

come onto that in more detail later! 

So what makes them different, what drives them? I 

asked Peter this directly and he told me: 

“From airsofters to airsofters is our philosophy, just 

like yours! We have been airsoft players for many 

years ourselves, and we have, and are, developing 

products which we want to use on the field. At the 

same time our background is in the airsoft business 

so we know how big players treat the small; most 

of time small and family-owned airsoft shops have 

struggled and we wanted to change this, to offer a 

fair B2B policy to shops with very good products and 

a good quality/price ratio to players.” 

I have to say that this was a refreshing approach to 

me, one that I very much liked. Airsoft intrinsically is 

a “hobby business” for many, and whilst it’s true that 

we do need the “big industry hitters” we also need 

the passion, dedication and innovation that comes 

from smaller companies dealing with smaller specialist 

retailers to keep the groundswell of airsoft moving 

ever forwards! And this comes down, ultimately, to 

the people involved and I very much get the feeling 

from Peter that this matters to DA as well; I asked 

him who the key people in DA were and he told me 

very directly “the key people in DELTA ARMORY are 

all our distributors; our distributors are part of DELTA 

ARMORY, we are similar-minded people and we are 

helping each other grow!” 

And grow? They most assuredly are, but of course 

to grow needs not only the friendly and inclusive 

approach I’ve seen thus far from DA, but the products 

to back this up, and I’m pleased to say that there is 

something for everyone in the line-up that’s on offer, 

from solid entry-level ARs in the all-polymer CHARLIE 

Series, through polymer/metal-handguard BRAVOs 

to full-metal APLHAs for the more advanced player 

looking for a well-priced backup, project AEG, or solid 

skirmish tool. 

BREAKING IT DOWN 

The BRAVO and CHARLIE series are all about 

getting a durable and reliable AEG into the hands of 

players that don’t want to break the bank, and the 

two series are characterised by durable ABS polymer 

construction and high-quality internal parts; my 

local airsoft store has started stocking these and so 

I’ve been able to get my hands on a number of the 

different models. They’re all solid designs that range 

from some absolute classics like the “AR15 RIS” and 

“AR15 CQB” that replicate early “Block” style military 

BRAVO 

CHARLIE 

ARs well, through to more up-to-the-minute designs 

like the “AR15 KeyMod 8 Inch” and the “AR15 URX 

3 12 Inch”. There’s even a few quirky models that 

will undoubtedly appeal to the more general skirmish 

market such as the “Silent Ops” carbines… 

ALPHA takes things up a notch with some nicelyachieved 

full metal models, and in this range we 

start to see more specialist designs like DA’s take on 

the Mk18, a model that is a favourite with us and 

will undoubtedly please many CQB-focused players 

out there, as well as starting to interest those with a 

more MilSim orientation! The “AR15 MK18 ALPHA” 

actually looks great, and is the latest generation AR 

from DELTA ARMORY; with full metal construction 

(handguard, body, trigger, stock tube, outer barrel, 

flash-hider and so on) the rail system is CNC machined 

aluminium, and internally you’ll can find high-quality 

parts like an SHS piston with full metal teeth, SHS 

delayer, rotary Hop-up chamber, a durable reinforced 

gearbox that will accommodate a 120-130 spring, 

6.03mm precision inner barrel, and a metal modern 

A-type flat-face trigger. Many of these internal parts 

are common to the DA range, and the UK distributors, 

ALPHA 

www.deltaarmory.co.uk, have kindly sent us one of 

the latest Mk18s to test so we’ll be reporting back on 

that soon! 

34 


ARMOURY 

DELTA ARMORY 

MOVING IT UP! 

All of the above begins to explain why DELTA 

ARMORY AEGs have a solid fanbase in Europe, but 

I’m pleased to report that there’s more, a whole lot 

more! When I met with Peter, along with Scott and 

Chris from DAUK, at IWA their big news was the 

introduction of the new DELTA ARMORY ETU SERIES! 

This has taken their existing range of AEGs and taken 

selected models forward with even more functionality. 

Again I asked Peter how he saw the new ETU Series 

moving forward, and it was an important step and he 

told me: 

“The ETU series is big success! We call the new ETU 

series “Fully upgraded - No compromises” and the 

range is characterized by a complete upgrade and an 

ETU unit (Electronic Trigger Unit) as standard! Just a 

couple of months after the launch during IWA, we 

sold most of the stock which we had prepared for this 

year, but a new batch is already on the way. We are 

very happy and honoured how shops and players have 

appreciated the quality of internals and price of our 

ETU line.” 

So what does this offer to the player beyond the 

already respectable parts included in the basic AEGs 

you may ask, and the new functions include: 

• Pre-cocking -spring preload - faster response 

when pressing the trigger 

• Binary trigger - double shot - when the trigger 

is pressed, the AEG fires once and when the 

trigger is released, it fires a second time 

• Burst mode – when the trigger is pressed you 

get a tri-shot Burst! 

Peter also told me that “thanks to the processor, 

the ETU response has an improved cadence and the 

trigger is much better than with classic mechanical 

trigger contacts. At the same time, the ETU series is 

equipped with a Deans/T-plug connector, which has 

replaced the small Tamiya connector, and thanks to 

the high-quality internal parts we can recommend 

using 11.1V LiPo batteries!” 

So, quite the tidy, thoroughly modern package, all 

wrapped up in some really solid internals! This bodes 

well for the future of DELTA ARMORY, but again… 

THERE’S MORE! 

to the line as a whole! There is some discussion for 

the future to add a GBB pistol range, but as Peter says 

“it must good, the same as our AR15s, and for this we 

are looking for good partner to work with!” 

At present the DA distributors, and through them 

the growing number of retail partners stocking DA, 

have been mostly in the European Union (EU) and the 

United Kingdom, but that appears to be changing as 

there are now plans for DELTA ARMORY to enter the 

market in the USA! Peter commented to me that “we 

are still not sure if we will open our own company 

there or we will find good distributor who will join our 

DA “family” team but we will open DELTA ARMORY 

USA when the time is right for everyone!” 

The bottom line is that I am very glad that I took 

the time at IWA to meet with the guys from DELTA 

ARMORY, and it’s quite obvious to after first speaking 

to Peter some time ago me that their initial plans have 

now been fulfilled; DELTA ARMORY has pretty much 

come from nowhere and built a reputation on the 

quality of their products alone, with little fanfare until 

relatively recently. 

Not only have they done what they said they 

would do from the beginning, but they’ve done so 

in a friendly and professional way that is making 

them more and more friends, and gaining them more 

users in the player community as they move forward. 

The new ETU models move them into new territory 

again, and with the plans that I’ve been able to share 

with you here it’s again obvious that their ability is 

matched, and indeed exceeded, by their dreams. 

I for one look forward to working closely with 

Peter and the guys behind the DELTA ARMORY 

brand around the globe, and to seeing an airsoft 

manufacturer with huge heart fulfil their own airsoft 

dreams as they help players around the world create 

and live their own dreams of glory in-game! 

My thanks go to Peter for speaking to me at length 

and helping with images for this article; if you’d like 

to know more simply head on over to www.deltaarmory.com, 

or if you’re in the UK then visit www. 

deltaarmory.co.uk AA 

THE DA FUTURE! 

Where will DELTA ARMORY head in the future? What 

are the company goals and dreams? As well as the 

obvious DA brand itself Peter and his colleagues now 

hold three important licences from real fire arms 

manufacturers, Czech Small Arms, Grandpower and 

Proarms, and Peter tells me that they would like to 

add to this collection to bring more unique products 


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38 


KIT & GEAR 


REGULAR READERS OF AIRSOFT ACTION UNDERSTAND THAT WE TAKE OUR TIME TO TEST BOTH RIFS 

AND GEAR FULLY BEFORE WE REPORT BACK AND GIVE SOMETHING OUR RECOMMENDATION, AND 

IN THIS ISSUE BOYCIE STARTS REPORTING BACK ON SOME OF THE GREAT INNOVATIONS THAT HE 

AND THE TEAM SAW AT SHOT BACK IN JANUARY. THE FIRST OF THESE COMES IN THE SHAPE OF THE 

READY TACTICAL SLING AND HE REPORTS BACK THAT AFTER THOROUGH TESTING THIS INVALUABLE 

ITEM SHOULD BE IN EVERYONE’S GEAR LOCKER! 

We all know what a sling is, in fact most of us 

use one for our primary AEG or GBBR. As 

with most things there are many different 

options out there from the type and design of sling, 

and there are then a multitude of options of how they 

attach to the rifle, along with adjustment methods. 

Many are variations on a theme and rarely do we 

see much in the way of innovation. Well that was 

until Chad and Tressa Spriggs launched their “Ready 

Tactical Sling” or RTS, from their home base of Ball 

Ground, Georgia in the USA. 

Neither Chad or Tressa are native Georgians. 

Chad is originally from the “Motor City” of Detroit, 

Michigan and Tressa hails from Benton, Illinois. Chad’s 

background isn’t in the Military or Law Enforcement, 

he actually started out as a mechanic and then over 

thirty years he owned a couple of auto repair shops 

in the Atlanta, GA area before forming the business 

which is now Ready Tactical Slings. 

But Chad shot his first gun at the age of three 

and has been an outdoors enthusiast for many years 

enjoying hunting, hiking and camping. He also enjoys 

a number of shooting sports including airsoft and 

paintball. In the US, the gun laws are different as we 

know and Chad had been trying out a large number 

of slings to see which would allow him to climb when 

hiking and retain his rifle and leave his hands free. 

A man of faith, Chad was getting frustrated with 

the ‘traditional’ slings and designs thus far on the 

market, so he started to think in a new direction. Not 

long after the hike, the inspiration that was to be the 

Ready Tactical Sling came to him and he started to 

develop it. 

From the humble beginnings of the RTS sling, back 

in the spring of 2016, it has become hugely popular 

and so far Chad tells me that they have sold over 

15,000 units. “As time passes”, he says, “we find 

more things that the Ready Tactical Sling offers to 

meet everyone’s needs”. RTS count amongst their 

many clients a number of United States Government 

Agencies, Military Units including US Special Forces 

and Law Enforcement Departments and Agencies. RTS 

also sell to the civilian market and you’d find the sling 

in gun ranges, gun stores, outfitters, outdoor stores 

and via their website. New stockists are being added 

almost every day, Chad mentioned when we spoke at 

SHOT. 

READY FOR YOU 

Currently the Ready Tactical Sling is offered in a range 

of FIFTEEN colours with more in the pipeline which 

means that you can tailor your sling to your specific 

loadout if you so desire! They also offer multiple 

attachment options from tie on, to HK Snaps and QD 

Sling Loops. These can be mixed and matched to the 

rifle(s) and with the Fastex type buckle the sling can 

quickly be changed between a number of different 

platforms by having each fitted with the attachment 

points. 

I had first made contact with Tressa, around SIX 

months before the world was plunged into the 

nightmare of the Covid Pandemic, after being told 

about the sling by a brother from another mother and 

Editor of Armed Lifestyle Magazine (formerly PMCI 

Magazine) Trampas Swanson. 

Trampas uses the slings on his firearms when he 

trains clients around Florida and all over the US, 

including Military, Law Enforcement and civilians. I 

really liked the sling and made contact with Tressa to 

see if they would be willing to supply me with a sling, 

in left handed format. Within three weeks, they had 

made and shipped the sling which had QD attachment 

points to me. I immediately started to use the sling on 

“CHAD HAD BEEN TRYING OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF SLINGS TO SEE WHICH WOULD ALLOW 

HIM TO CLIMB WHEN HIKING AND RETAIN HIS RIFLE AND LEAVE HIS HANDS FREE… CHAD 

WAS GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH THE ‘TRADITIONAL’ SLINGS AND DESIGNS THUS FAR ON 

THE MARKET, SO HE STARTED TO THINK IN A NEW DIRECTION” 


KIT & GEAR 


my airsoft rifles and after a bit of time to get used to 

the way that the sling functions I was fielding it during 

a number of skirmish days at the now sadly closed 

Camp Sparta. Being an urban site, Camp Sparta had 

a large number of buildings to navigate and staircases 

to climb/descend. I really liked how the sling pulled my 

primary close to the body to allow easy access to my 

secondary, but also if needed allowed the rifle to be 

punched out and put into action with the minimum of 

fuss. I have also tested it when using scaling ladders 

and it gave me total confidence in the “weapon 

retention” when doing this and I am sure it would 

also be a huge asset when abseiling/rapelling. 

Made from milspec webbing and elastic and high 

grade QD, HK Snaps and other attachment devices, 

I had a lot of confidence in the sling. I’ve now been 

using my first Ready Tactical Sling for over three years 

on both airsoft, T4E Training Rifles and RS rifles and 

it’s still as good as the day I received it. 

SHOW AND TELL READY! 

Chad now takes over the description of the slings 

operation which in “Show Mode”; at full tilt he 

can deliver a full demonstration of exactly how the 

system can be used in around one minute! When I 

was chatting to Chad at SHOT Show 23 in Las Vegas, 

Nevada USA, he told me that he must deliver the 

demonstration some 50-100 times a day and from the 

demonstration he gave to me and colleagues, Lil Stu 

and Dan, it is obviously a well-polished routine. 

“In two point use, the sling allows you to go 

hands free, you can go for your sidearm or your main 

weapon. You can adjust it high or low, you can shoot 

around corners, even 180 degrees. You can go to 

your back and also hands free (retention) by lifting the 

sling over your pistol grip. This is ideal when riding 

either a motorcycle, ATV or horse. Also it can be used 

in centre carry, high or low, to the side again high or 

“CURRENTLY THE READY TACTICAL SLING IS OFFERED IN A RANGE OF FIFTEEN COLOURS 

WITH MORE IN THE PIPELINE WHICH MEANS THAT YOU CAN TAILOR YOUR SLING TO YOUR 

SPECIFIC LOADOUT IF YOU SO DESIRE! THEY ALSO OFFER MULTIPLE ATTACHMENT OPTIONS 

FROM TIE ON, TO HK SNAPS AND QD SLING LOOPS” 

40 


KIT & GEAR 


is fantastic and I find that the elastic gives you a little 

more stability when taking a longer shot. 

I’ve demonstrated the sling to my colleagues at the 

range where I work and they were that impressed that 

they immediately placed an order with me for their 

own Ready Tactical Sling! Boss Bill has also seen the 

slings and has now one of his own (specially made in 

Ranger Green!) which I am sure he will put through its 

paces as we get into the spring and summer skirmish 

season here in the UK and report back too. 

My sincere thanks go to Chad and Tressa for their 

input to this article; it really has been a pleasure to 

speak with them both via messages and especially in 

person! If you’d like to know even more about the 

READY TACTICAL SLING system then don’t hesitate to 

visit www.readytacticalslings.net AA 

low, and the last option is side carry, which is great for 

security or low profile use. If you need to get in or out 

of a vehicle and stow your rifle you a simply detach it 

using the quick release buckle, leaving the attachment 

point on your rifle.” 

If you want to see the full demonstration delivered 

by Chad at Shot Show, then we have the video on the 

Airsoft Action website so check it out there! 

During the times I skirmished before the covid 

lockdowns, I used the sling regularly and had been 

comparing it to the large number of other slings that 

I have used over the past forty years. I’ve been really 

impressed by how easy, once you get the hang of it, 

that the sling is to use. It does feel a little alien initially 

as other slings have to be manually adjusted to hug 

the rifle to the body, whereas the RTS does it for you. 

The speed in which the rifle can be lifted into the aim 

“IT DOES FEEL A LITTLE ALIEN INITIALLY AS OTHER SLINGS HAVE TO BE MANUALLY ADJUSTED 

TO HUG THE RIFLE TO THE BODY, WHEREAS THE RTS DOES IT FOR YOU. THE SPEED IN WHICH 

THE RIFLE CAN BE LIFTED INTO THE AIM IS FANTASTIC AND I FIND THAT THE ELASTIC GIVES 

YOU A LITTLE MORE STABILITY WHEN TAKING A LONGER SHOT” 


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44 


THE CAGE 


IT’S TIME TO MOVE THINGS ALONG AGAIN IN THE CAGE, THE PLACE WHERE THE MEMBERS OF THE 

AA LEGION TALK ABOUT THE GEAR THEY USE, HAVE USED, AND WANT TO USE IN THE FUTURE! 

THIS MONTH WE START A SLIGHTLY NEW DIRECTION AS WE START TO LOOK AT KIT SETUPS FOR 

VERY SPECIFIC SITUATIONS! BILL SETS THE SCENE… 

So, over the past few months the AA Legionnaires 

and I have been slowly but surely bringing our 

combined experience to bear on the kit and 

gear that we all use, all the time when we’re heading 

to a game or event. We’ve built things up step by 

step to give a rudimentary “template” for the sort 

of thing to get you started, extending this month by 

month in a full “3 Line” setup that will let you get 

the best from any game you might possibly encounter 

without getting into the realms of historical or heavilythemed 

scenarios. All this information of course 

will stay available in the BACK ISSUES area of www. 

airsoftaction.net so feel free to dip back in when you 

fancy it! 

To move things on I thought it might be fun to look 

at one of those more “specific” areas where your gear 

might need to come together in a slightly different 

way than it would for a normal skirmish day, but then 

I thought “would it really?” 

Here I’m talking about starting in on the fun and 

excitement of competition airsoft shooting, and once 

again it struck me that through our own, in-house 

“Practical Airsoft Multi-Gun (PAMG)” program we’ve 

learned that your usual skirmish-day belt setup can 

stand in just perfectly for a little light competition! 

Obviously there are very specific setups for more 

dedicated competition use, and thankfully we have 

a number of practitioners amongst the AA LEGION 

who can speak pretty knowledgeably on this topic, 

but for now what I wanted the crew to look at was 

something simpler, something that would be easily 

attainable by virtually every airsofter out there without 

any additional spend. 

I’ve long been working on my own “PAMG Gear” 

both in terms of the Springers, AEGs and GBBs that 

I’ll need, and also in relation to the gear that I REALLY 

need when I’m off to shoot targets, and honestly, it’s 

pretty much identical to what I’d use in-game. I’ve 

two sets of gear for game use, one Multicam (WAS) 

and one in PenCott GreeZone (Direct Action) that 

have served me well, and I have pretty much the same 

setup for range use in Adaptive Green (Direct Action) 

and Black (Helikon-Tex). 

All the belts have pretty much everything that I’ve 

learned through many years of use that I need, and 

not a lot else! All of them will serve well with bungeestyle 

AR/AK primary mag pouches (possibly with one 

changed out for a WAS AR/SG Shell combo pouch), 

with a greater or lesser number of pistol mag pouches 

(dependant on specific uses), so the pattern goes, L to 

R: two primary mag pouches, one or two pistol mag 

pouches, fold-away dump pouch, TQT/FAK pouch (a 

small multi-toll lives in this pouch too), holster, usually 

a platform-specific Kydex Customs model these 

days… annnnd… DONE! 

“I’VE LONG BEEN WORKING ON MY OWN “PAMG GEAR” BOTH IN TERMS OF THE 

SPRINGERS, AEGS AND GBBS THAT I’LL NEED, AND ALSO IN RELATION TO THE GEAR 

THAT I REALLY NEED WHEN I’M OFF TO SHOOT TARGETS, AND HONESTLY, IT’S PRETTY 

MUCH IDENTICAL TO WHAT I’D USE IN-GAME” 


THE CAGE 


You may question the inclusion of the TQT/FAK 

pouches, but as I also shoot on real steel ranges 

overseas with the exact same setup it’s important to 

me to have that as part of my standard rig; hopefully 

I’m not going to need it in an airsoft setting, but a 

few plasters do come in handy sometimes! 

TEAM TALK 

So that’s me! However, I thought I’d throw a question 

at the AA Legionnaires “YOU’VE BEEN INVITED TO 

A FRIENDLY COMPETITIVE 2/3-GUN SHOOT (Pistol, 

Carbine/Rifle, Shotgun (Tri Barrel, single shell)) WITH 

YOUR MATES AT YOUR LOCAL SITE IN THE WOODS 

AND NEED TO RUN WITH JUST A SET OF BELT GEAR... 

WHAT WOULD BE ON YOUR BELT AND WHY?” 

Stewbacca: Most of the pistol and/or rifle 

competitions I’ve done (especially looking at you, 

Kaohsiung level 3) have been short enough stages to 

accomplish in 30-40 BBs respectively. So a spare rifle 

mag and two spare pistol mags should be sufficient 

(plus initial magazines for each carried somehow of 

course), plus anything you’re using for the shotgun. 

Pistol and holster in the appropriate position 

depending on your model and rule set, and a lanyard 

retained chamber flag/round ejector would be my 

standard setup. I tend to use rigid plastic magazine 

carriers for the most part for competitive purposes, 

but fabric or rubberised fast mag or KYWI style should 

be good too. I don’t carry an IFAK as a matter of 

course, but probably should, however I can’t recall 

anyone adding it to their belt kit for competition 

purposes as you’re on stages for a matter of minutes 

at most, and surrounded by other people who can 

and will provide assistance if you get injured. Having 

one in your range bag is not a bad idea though. Along 

with hydration and Haribo… 

Boycie: With the capacities of shotguns in airsoft, 

most being TM style shells holding 30 x BBs, I would 

still carry a number of shells, likely around six-ten, 

along with two rifle mags and two pistol mags. If I 

were using an APS then I would likely carry a similar 

amount (up to twenty) as they are one shot from each 

shell. For me it’s more about muscle memory so if I 

keep changing things it may affect performance in a 

competition, whether it be informal or formal. As we 

can carry a bag with a speedloader and more gas it’s 

easy to top up after each “stage”. 

So my setup is pretty much the same as Bill’s, 

although for me it’s pistol mags at the front and rifle 

more on the side. The shot shells held in an AR pouch 

on a card holding six. If I were using an APS then I 

would use one of my Magload shell holders at the 

front (appendix) position, then pistol and then rifle 

mags. Oh, and mirrored as I am a south paw! 

Robbie: I have two sets, my range/casual set 

and my full kit that I simply remove or add to. My 

preference for the base is a High Speed Gear HSGI 

Cobra 1.75 Operator /With Velcro Inner Belt for my 

kit and four point suspenders (shock corded to the 

belt for give). I’m a BIG fan of HSGI taco pouches for 

magazines, and I run on my left; three rifle HSGI tacos, 

a HSGI taco pistol pouch (for a light or multitool) 

and a dump pouch (rollable type). On my right; two 

pistol HSGI tacos, a kydex G17 holster, an empty 

space behind that, and then an accessory pouch 

(usually another HSGI rifle pouch with speedloader if 

airsofting). Centre back is my blowout and boo-boo 

med kit. 

Miguel: Shooting competition is not really my 

thing, but if I had to build a belt for it I would have 

the normal items, like mag pouches, holster and 

maybe a small carry pouch. But the most important 

aspect would be having it well-balanced in weight. 

Dan: So for this scenario, I would just scale up 

my usual belt platform, which is a two-piece Ronin 

Shuto that carries a G-Code RTI optimal drop platform 

and a Kydex Customs holster (soon to be testing the 

Milwaukee Custom Kydex AlphaLB). Normally I run 

this belt relatively unadorned owing to my vest setup. 

But if not carrying anything up top, then I’d add on a 

pair of my T.REX Arms MARS pistol mag carriers. 

I’m admittedly a bit unfamiliar with airsoft shotguns 

and if they can be dual or quad loaded. If so, I might 

also add on one or two Taccom Duelin Duece shell 

holders, which is what I use for my real steel Benelli 

M3. If not, then I might opt for something like Esstac’s 

shotshell cards instead. If we’re adding on a carbine, 

then I’d use a G-Code Scorpion, which is “peak” AK 

magazine pouch in my humble opinion. And yes, I 

would rock an AK for competition (good man… Bill)! 

If that carbine happened to be of the pistol calibre 

“I HAVE TWO SETS, MY RANGE/CASUAL SET AND MY FULL KIT THAT I SIMPLY RE- 

MOVE OR ADD TO. MY PREFERENCE FOR THE BASE IS A HIGH SPEED GEAR HSGI CO- 

BRA 1.75 OPERATOR /WITH VELCRO INNER BELT FOR MY KIT AND FOUR POINT SUS- 

PENDERS (SHOCK CORDED TO THE BELT FOR GIVE)” 

46 


THE CAGE 


variety, then I’ve been hard pressed to find a pouch 

as versatile as the HSGI extended pistol TACO’s. These 

will work with anything from an EVO, to a UMP, MP5, 

Vityaz, MP7 and everything in between. 

Aside from that, I’d probably just try to keep it as 

minimalist and light as possible, with consideration to 

what the competition allows and requires. The more 

weight you stack on the belt-line, the more it’ll slow 

you down and then you’re having to consider things 

like suspenders to distribute the load better. 

The only other thing I’d also add on 

is a dump pouch. My preference 

is for the Tactical Tailor Fight 

Light roll-up pouch. This is a 

really durable pouch that 

can hold a boat anchor, 

but mainly I’d run this 

because I’m not a fan 

of tossing my spent 

mags in the dirt to 

get contaminated 

or to break the 

otherwise fragile 

feed lips. Losing 

floor plates kind of 

sucks too! AA 


RED CELL 

SPECIAL GLOCK/EU REPORT SERIES UPDATE 

RED CELL 

ROCK YOUR 

GLOCK! 

RED CELL ARE ROLLING ON WITH THEIR UPDATES ON THE PLATFORMS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN 

USING NOW FOR OVER TWO YEARS, AND ALTHOUGH NEW MODELS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING 

ADDED TO THE LONG-TERM TEST POOL, WE HOPE THAT THE INFORMATION WE’RE PUTTING 

TOGETHER WILL BE OF USE TO YOU WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING A NEW GBB! THIS MONTH THEY 

RETURN TO THE “GLOCK” OR “G-SERIES” PISTOLS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT THROUGH THE MILL! 

48 


RED CELL 

GLOCK/EU SPECIAL SERIES UPDATE REPORT 

I 

sometimes wonder when I have a new airsoft 

pistol to look at why this is such an emotive area; 

fundamentally we all want a pistol that looks cool 

and accentuates our individuality of loadout and 

play style, but why are pistols imbued with such an 

emotional response when frankly up until relatively 

recently they actually haven’t been that effective in 

game! 

Sure, I’ve known a number of very talented airsoftsmiths 

over the years (Robbie in this very group 

among them) who have been able to take a GBB 

sidearm and REALLY make in sing in terms of range 

and reliability of performance, but I’m absolutely 

certain that players that have been in the game for 

a good few years like me have had some real dogs 

over the years… lack of range, the inability to cycle or 

feed properly, half-cock, no-cocks, hangfires and the 

dreaded cold-morning-venting of gas… these are all 

familiar events in the annals of old-skool GBB pistol 

users without doubt… 

But things, well, they move on and now we’re 

seeing half-decent pistols come out of the box pretty 

much ready to use, with magazines that only need a 

modicum of regular maintenance, actions that work 

smoothly and efficiently, and new gases that let you 

actually tailor what you pump through the system to 

account for varying climatic conditions. 

We’ve also seen a “rise and rise” of competitionstyle 

airsoft pistol shooting, and just like in many areas 

of life, the specialist advances required by top-level 

practical pistol shooters have filtered down into 

the realm of the skirmisher too. New developments 

internally have seen airsoft pistols become more 

usable as dependable tools, and as the “real steel” 

world has now finally taken full notice of airsoft as 

a potential training aid has meant that even more 

money has been pushed into the “handgun arena”. 

Okay, some of these models we will never see for 

skirmish and game use as they’ve been designed 

for military and police training use (with price-tags 

to match!) only, but they ARE out there, and as the 

development has largely been carried out by existing 

airsoft OEMs it had filtered through into what we as 

players carry in game. 

But there’s one manufacturer that although 

vehemently protective of their design is yet to produce 

an airsoft pistol of their own, and that’s Glock! Of 

course there are now numerous licenced “Glocks” out 

there, and I own a good few of them, and the airsoft 

world is awash with “G-SERIES” replicas that mimic 

the classic, blocky, fighting pistol design without being 

an out and out copy… let’s not forget that Glock are 

pretty vociferous when it comes to protecting their 

name and products, and in many ways I would have 

to agree that this is just “business being done”, much 

as I dislike the concept in principle. 

Until relatively recently again an airsoft pistol would, 

by many “real shooters”, have been laughed off the 

range. However, with other firearms manufacturers 

now getting more seriously involved in the “6mm 

Training” arena Glock must be looking towards 

GBBs as an untapped market, and with quite literally 

MILLIONS of Glocks now in the hands of US shooters 

the idea of a “Glock Safe Training Pistol” as a revenue 

source must be increasingly attractive for a company 

that’s known to love maximising their bottom line! 

The fact is that although we all love different airsoft 

gas pistol platforms that are as individual as we are, 

if you want to put together a loadout that has even 

the most minimal nod towards MIL or LE then you’re 

probably going to need a “G-SERIES” replica of 

some description. It’s why I personally love them, and 

why it’s the one GBB model that I really want to see 

succeed in every way possible, and be the best it can 

possibly be! 

GOING G-SERIES 

But that’s quite enough from me! Now it’s time to 

hand things over to the members of THE CELL and see 

what they have to say about the “G-SERIES” and the 

models that they’ve been using and that have been 

under long-term test… 

Jase: The WE Europe EU-Series EU17 Gen4 is an 

airsoft pistol that replicates the look and feel of the 

Glock 17 Gen4, a popular real-life firearm. I have had 

mine for a good number of years and it has been 

my only side arm up until recently. The WE Europe 

G17 Gen4 is constructed with high-quality polymer 

materials that make it lightweight and durable. The 

pistol also features a metal slide and barrel for added 

“NEW DEVELOPMENTS INTERNALLY HAVE SEEN AIRSOFT PISTOLS BECOME MORE 

USABLE AS DEPENDABLE TOOLS, AND AS THE “REAL STEEL” WORLD HAS NOW 

FINALLY TAKEN FULL NOTICE OF AIRSOFT AS A POTENTIAL TRAINING AID HAS MEANT 

THAT EVEN MORE MONEY HAS BEEN PUSHED INTO THE “HANDGUN ARENA”.” 


RED CELL 

GLOCK/EU SERIES UPDATE 

TOKYO MARUI G17 GEN4 

Price: iro £150.00 

Age: Two Years 

Weight: 709g 

Length: 202 mm 

Magazine Capacity: 25+1 

Cold Chrono:0.89 Joule/310fps 

Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps 

Holster Compatibility: Good 

Taclite Compatibility: Good 

Suppressor Compatibilty: No 

Available From: www.fire-support.co.uk 

RAVEN EU17 


Age: Four Years 

Weight: 700g 

Length: 200mm 


Cold Chrono: 0.75 Joule/285fps 




Suppressor Compatibilty: Good 

Available From: www.rvnairsoft.com 

RAVEN EU18 (SELECT FIRE) 


Age: Four Years 

Weight: 790g 

Length: 200mm 


Cold Chrono:0.78 Joule/290fps 




Suppressor Compatibilty: Good 

Available From: www.rvnairsoft.com 

VORSK EU17 VENTED 


Age: Three Years 

Weight: 500g 

Length: 220mm 




Holster Compatibility: Okay (See Tester Notes) 


Suppressor Compatibilty: Good, Adaptor fitted as standard 

Available From: www.vorskairsoft.com 

VORSK EU18 VENTED 


Age: Three Years 

Weight: 550g 

Length: 220mm 




Holster Compatibility: Okay (See Tester Notes) 


Suppressor Compatibilty: Good, Adaptor fitted as standard 

Available From: www.vorskairsoft.com 

50 


RED CELL 


realism. The blowback system on the WE G17 Gen4 

provides a realistic recoil experience that simulates 

the feel of firing a real firearm. Magazine capacity of 

the WE features a 24-BB magazine capacity, providing 

plenty of ammunition for airsoft games. The hop-up 

system is adjustable, allowing players to fine-tune the 

trajectory of their shots for increased accuracy. The 

pistol also replicates the features of a real-life Glock 

17, such as the textured grip and interchangeable 

backstraps, making it a popular choice for airsoft 

players who appreciate realism. Over time I have 

had to upgrade my bucking through wear and tear 

but other than that it’s solid and dependable. I have 

recently started using a Raven EU17 as I fancied a tan 

frame but as I have not had enough time out in the 

fiend with it to pass judgement just yet. 

Stewbacca: I have a variety of Glocks I’ve 

accumulated as of late, largely Archwick’s fault as 

I work in a gun cage full of them at times when 

there so they’ve grown on me, so now I have a VFC/ 

Umarex G17 Gen4 which I find has a pretty snappy 

recoil and general feel of reliability, certainly compared 

to my older G18C which has admittedly seen some 

wear. I think as a workhorse vanilla sidearm that just 

works you can’t really go wrong with VFC’s line up, 

most of my teammates favour the peanut butter 

G19X for its slightly more compact format, and 

while I can comfortably use them I tend to go for full 

frame pistols because bear-mitt reasons. The later 

generations with the guide HOP adjustment are a nice 

feature, but even the standard style aren’t a total pain 

to adjust as such, and tend to hold position once set. 

I use my G17 in my USW-G chassis now as the G18C 

was causing too many problems and firing full-auto 

when I didn’t want it to. Honestly full-auto pistols are 

a bit of a gimmick to me at times, I’m far happier with 

the stock G17 and its reliable cycling and reasonable 

out of the box accuracy. 

Dan: I’ve done a lot with the Gen3 Umarex G19 

and G17, and to a lesser extent the Gen4 models. 

While the TM fanboys really like to rag on these 

and claim they can’t be upgraded, I’m here to say 

that is gobbledygook gibberish. Personally, I actually 

prefer these over the Tokyo Marui versions as they 

have better recoil, nicer frames, and they accept 

upgrades with minimal hassle. The only real fault I 

find with them is some of the older models can be 

a little rough to cycle out of the box. On the Gen3 

versions in particular this is usually because the locking 

block sits too high and causes excess drag on the 

slide. If you spend a little sweat-equity and polish 

the slide rails and modify the locking block, you can 

increase the efficiency of the pistol immensely. The 

newest examples I have seen from Umarex appear to 

have had some product improvements and changes 

that make them internally nicer in the fit and finish 

department than the previous releases. 

With regard to the aftermarket side, the myriad 

of parts manufacturers have stepped in and now 

essentially every single part (with exception to the 

piston lid, I believe) can be replaced or upgraded on 

these. This includes frames and slides too. Despite 

what the naysayers will have you believe, a lot of 

TM spec parts will also fit or can be fitted little fuss. 

That being said, you don’t really need to do much 

to get good performance out of these pistols; a lot 

of aftermarket parts are really just for the ‘window 

dressing’ side of things and don’t necessarily increase 

performance so much as they do a good job of 

lightening your wallet. If anything, a good quality 

bucking and nice polish of the rails will largely suffice. 

Beyond that, you’re primarily looking at parts that will 

be a little more durable than their OEM analogs and 

those which may slightly increase efficiency and recoil. 

Past that you’re diving into the weeds of cosmetics; 

some of which do have utility such as Optics Ready 

slides which allow you to mount a red dot sight. 

Overall, I really like this series of pistols and consider 

it to have solid place amongst the pantheon of what 

I consider the most reliable GBB pistol models, those 

being the TM Hi-Capa 5.1 and 1911 MEU, and the 

KWA H&K USP NS2 and MK23. I’m sure there’s a few 

others that could be added to that list... but I haven’t 

shot them all yet! 

Elvis: About my licenced Umarex G19, a review 

would be simple. Savage recoil (green gas and red gas 

tested), markings precisely done, gas consumption 

better than my previous WE and older gen Umarex 

and KJW replicas (one fill, two magazines easily). In 

hand, beautiful feeling, non-slippery, and the colour 

“I’VE DONE A LOT WITH THE GEN3 UMAREX G19 AND G17, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT 

THE GEN4 MODELS. WHILE THE TM FANBOYS REALLY LIKE TO RAG ON THESE AND 

CLAIM THEY CAN’T BE UPGRADED, I’M HERE TO SAY THAT IS GOBBLEDYGOOK 

GIBBERISH.” 


RED CELL 


UMAREX GLOCK 17 GEN4 


Age: Two Years 7 Months 

Weight: 665g 

Length: 210mm 







Available From: www.landwarriorairsoft.com 

ARMY ARMAMENT R17 V3 



Weight: 700g 

Length: 200mm 







Available From: www.allagesairsoft.com 

WE G17 GEN 5 MOS 


Age: Two Years Three Months 

Weight: 770g 

Length: 186mm 







Available From: www.weairsoft.com 

UMAREX GLOCK 19X 



Weight: 641grams 

Length: 185mm 

Magazine Capacity: 20 + 1 





Suppressor Compatibility: No 

Available From: www.landwarriorairsoft.com 

WE G19X 



Weight: 690g 

Length: 180mm 






Suppressor Compatibility: Good 

Available From: www.weairsoft.com 

52 


RED CELL 


finish matte with a great grip while pulling slide. My 

19 shows no signs of wear after the second year and I 

use it pretty much all the time, if not playing, then for 

target shooting. It’s accurate with 0.30 BBs to 25m, 

but beyond that range it is impossible to set the hop 

up correctly as I’d want heavier BBs. For longer range, 

you can use 0.25g BBs, but you get too many flyers 

out at 30+m so I’m using it more on dead close range, 

not up to 20m. I’ve played down to 5°C and already 

used it with red gas to get one and a half mags out. 

Overall though I am really, really happy with this one 

and the internals are still in great shape (my tech said 

so and I believe that!). 

Boycie: Glock! Well, where do I start…. Going 

back to KSC & KWA versions around 25 years ago 

right up to the present day and the Umarex (VFC) 

G19X, G43 and G17, plus all the RS ones in the 

middle, I might just be a Glock Fanboi. Like Dudley 

Moore’s advert for Volvo in the movie “Crazy People”, 

“Buy Glock, they’re boxy but they’re good!” and for 

me this is absolutely true. In the world where the 

majority are cack-handed righties, us normal lefthanders 

have a few challenges with other pistols 

with things like safety catches, slide locks etc. Glock 

however solve all this for me with their trigger safety. 

Easy to carry ‘cocked and locked’ but super quick to 

deploy and get BBs down without the faff of a safety 

catch. 

Also their boxy design and rounded edges for 

me meant it was easy to carry “concealed”. No 

sharp edges to catch on holster, clothing etc. The 

rail underneath on the Glock means we can mount 

torches and aiming devices, and they did this waaaay 

before other firearms manufacturers jumped on 

the band wagon. With each variant there are slight 

changes like on the Gen 5, I really like the ambi 

controls, but with all the time using controls on the 

wrong side I am so used to them it feels counterintuitive 

to even think about using the new features. I 

have recently had hands on the GHK Glock and I must 

say I am impressed. Whilst the VFC’s (Umarex) ones 

are good, the GHK just hits another level and I can see 

one coming into my collection soon as I train for RS 

competition in other countries. 

Ben: Ah the Glock... Now unfortunately I don’t 

own a Glock but I have fired many now! For me when 

I think of a Glock or someone mentions it, the first 

image that comes to mind is Morpheus in Matrix 2 

when he takes out the vehicle with his samurai sword 

whips round the 18c with extended mag and let’s 

rip, killing the twin ghost brothers! However, of all 

the Glocks I have had my hands on the Umarex G19 

has been the most lovely to grasp, the feel from the 

slide and trigger action are of top quality, and it’s 

recoil gives a kick like no other, it really is a pleasure 

to shoot Do I personally think it’s worth the price? 

Actually no, not for such minor features but if you 

can afford it then why not, as individuals we of course 

have our own opinions but we should focus more on 

the positives and how we can achieve about bringing 

these more desirable features to other manufacturers 

so it’s more affordable for the bigger market which in 

turn keeps all us players happy! 

Jimmy: Pistols from the “G-SERIES” are a very 

common platform among the airsoft community and 

one that is quite rugged! We started our journey 

in Red Cell looking at a variety of “Glocks” and all 

performed rather well as new, all offering something 

slightly different be it styling, performance or price. 

Since then the Glock has somewhat grown on me 

although I wouldn’t say it is my favourite choice of 

pistol. Being a Marui fanboi they would come top of 

my list and at one point I did own a TM G18C AEP 

which I had a lot of fun using and even though the 

velocity was pretty low I was amazed at the range 

it had and due to it being electric it was an all year 

round pistol and didn’t suffer cold fatigue. 

“G-SERIES” pistols just work and rarely need any 

repairs or any upgrades to be good. I have worked on 

a few but only to replace certain parts due to wear 

which was the result of heavy prolonged use. I did 

purchase a Gen4 VFC 19X but it felt very gritty and it 

had a habit of only half cycling, a problem I couldn’t 

put my finger on so shortly after buying I sold it on 

and used that money to buy an Army SAI G7 which is 

a lovely looking pistol and for under UK£100 so you 

can’t complain. While it did the job it soon became 

apparent that the ability to lift a decent weight BB 

was lacking and at times it could be inefficient and 

vented a lot of gas rearward, but due to the design it 

“IN THE WORLD WHERE THE MAJORITY ARE CACK-HANDED RIGHTIES, US NORMAL 

LEFT-HANDERS HAVE A FEW CHALLENGES WITH OTHER PISTOLS WITH THINGS LIKE 

SAFETY CATCHES, SLIDE LOCKS ETC. GLOCK HOWEVER SOLVE ALL THIS FOR ME WITH 

THEIR TRIGGER SAFETY.” 


RED CELL 


HUNTSMAN H17 


Age: New 

Weight: 784g 

Length: 182mm 







Available From: www.iwholesales.co.uk 

EVOLUTION EO17 


Age: New 

Weight: 776g 

Length: 198mm 







Available From: www.store.evolutioninternational.it 

SECUTOR GLADIUS MAGNA VI 


Age: New 

Weight: 730g 

Length: 182mm 








ARMORER WORKS VX301 


Age: New 

Weight: 735g 

Length: 198mm 

Magazine Capacity: 27+ 1 







ICS BLE ICP 

Price: iro £TBC 

Age: New 

Weight: 800g 

Length: 204 mm 


Cold Chrono: 0.78Joule/290fps 

Hot Chrono: 0.82Joule/298fps 




Available From: www.icsbb.com 

54 


RED CELL 


was easy to upgrade and make better so I persevered. 

There are a plethora of parts to choose from, from 

many different manufacturers. I opted for a Cow 

Cow Guide Rod with 140% recoil spring and a Cow 

Cow short-stroke buffer kit, Waldo Custom snap 

nozzle spring, PTS MEC R type piston head, Maple 

Leaf Autobot 60 degree hop rubber, Maple Leaf I-key, 

Poseidon 6.05mm steel barrel, Nineball gas routers 

and router shims. All these came together quite nicely 

and transformed the efficiency, accuracy, range, 

velocity and gave it a much snappier response; I feel 

I could do with a better feeling trigger one with a 

shorter pull and maybe some high flow bullet valves 

from Laylax, but now it will compete easily with many 

rifles. I do like the Army “G-SERIES” I must admit 

and even the cheap standard Army G17 we tested 

had most of us impressed, and for UK£70 out if the 

box it held its own. If I were asked to recommend a 

“G-SERIES” I think I would have to go with the Army 

range. 

Bill: As an out and out “G-SERIES” fanboi, 

something I have been for many a moon, I have to 

go, along to a high degree with the findings of my 

team-mates here. Whilst the original TM “17” set a 

benchmark for me, and this pistol still works brilliantly 

I find myself coming back to a couple of models for 

different reasons the Umarex/VFC Glock 17 Gen4 

is still my favourite when it comes to “the look” as 

its pretty much bob-on, and this is from someone 

that once shot a real G17 on a very regular basis! 

In airsoft form this pistol for me is everything that a 

proper “replica” should be; well made, beautifully 

finished, a proper weight and size to fit into any 

“real-deal” holsters, and ultimately it shoots really 

well, even after 3000 logged BBs. And then there’s 

the trademarks that any self-respecting “gun bunny” 

will drool over… I’ve never been the biggest TM fan 

and although the old G17 still rolls well (3,100+ BBs) 

the fact that I know the “trades” are hooky and the 

slide is a “plastic fantastic” puts me off when I have 

other, cheaper, options like the cheeky little Army 

R17 available for a fraction of the cost, although I 

have heard reports now that “Batch 2” into the UK 

has had a few problems… suffice to say that our test 

model was “Batch 1” and we’re still to see any issues 

developing although it’s now past 3000 BBs! 

The WE G17 Gen5 MOS allows you to have a RDS 

(I use one full-time on this pistol from SHIELD) while 

keeping the iron sights as a co-witness option, or 

indeed you have the option to run the pistol “clean” 

if you so desire by simply leaving the cover plate in 

place. Whichever way you like to run your pistol it’s 

always nice to have options, and on that front alone, 

Red Cell is supported by: 

as on many others, the MOS sings to me! 3000 BBs 

in this has proved to be a great little pistol, never 

missing a beat with just simple maintenance, although 

I long ago ditched the original “vent as you view it” 

magazine! Thankfully it’s compatible with just about 

every other “G-SERIES” mag I own… 

Looking to the Raven and VORSK models, they’ve 

all had upwards of 4000 BBs through them; the Raven 

EU17 is still very much my “go to Game-G” and I’ve 

used it effectively in games both home and abroad for 

a creditable “service life” already; it’s well-priced and 

has shown great durability, and now the other models 

have “loosened up” over time it is very obvious that 

they are cut from the same quality of cloth! 

This has also proven to me what I think about 

VORSK; they are unique and striking GBB pistols, but 

the simple models are most definitely your “down and 

dirty fighting pistols” whilst the unique outer design 

of the VORSKs makes them pistols to cherish and 

use on the range, and the VORSK EU18 still rocks the 

giggle factor with the extended mag and the selectfire 

function! Don’t get me wrong, a VORSK will serve 

you well on gameday just as well as any of the other 

models featured, but do so with some style thrown in! 

To complete this month’s update I’ll just give a 

mention to the new models that we’ve added since 

the inception of THE CELL testing program, and I 

won’t go into detail yet on these as we’re playing 

“BB-count-catch-up” with them, and until they’ve 

had a similar amount of BBs downrange as the older 

models it would be unfair to comment “on par”. 

However, thus far the HUNTSMAN H17, EVOLUTION 

EO17, Secutor Gladius MAGNA VI, and the Armorer 

Works VX7301 are all performing well, and we’ll 

update on all these models again as we land our final 

finding on the “MIGHTY G” in due course… and my 

initial report of the brand-new ICS BLE ICP follows on 

directly so be sure to check that out! AA 


FOR MORE INFORMATION TAP/CLICK THE "SHOP NOW" BUTTON

ARMOURY 

ICS BLE ICP 

G-MAX! 

AS WE’VE HAD A BIT OF A FOCUS ON G-SERIES PISTOLS IN THIS ISSUE IT SEEMS ONLY APT TO TAKE 

THIS SPACE TO INTRODUCE THE VERY LATEST MODEL TO BE ADDED TO THE LONG-TERM TEST POOL, 

AND IT COMES IN THE SHAPE OF THE ALL-NEW BLE ICP PISTOL FROM OUR OLD AND TRUSTED 

FRIENDS AT ICS! BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST ADDITION TO THEIR HANDGUN PROGRAM AND 

AS A BIG G-SERIES USER DEFINITELY LIKES WHAT HE’S SEEN SO FAR! 

During my long and occasionally distinguished 

airsoft “career” there have been a small number 

of manufacturers that I have returned to for my 

personal armoury needs time and again, and 

although new creators have entered 

the market (and in some 

cases have already 

disappeared again!) during the last nighon 

thirty years, some have remained everconstant… 

I Chi Shivan (ICS) most definitely 

sit in the “brands with staying power” for me, and they continue to 

innovate and develop forwards! 

I believe that I purchased my first ICS AEG around 2007, and I’ve owned 

or looked at (and shot!) virtually every model in their extensive range of 

rifles, carbines and pistols in the intervening years so you could say I have a 

“ALTHOUGH NEW CREATORS HAVE ENTERED THE MARKET 

...DURING THE LAST NIGH-ON THIRTY YEARS, SOME HAVE 

REMAINED EVER-CONSTANT… I CHI SHIVAN (ICS) MOST 

DEFINITELY SIT IN THE “BRANDS WITH STAYING POWER”” 

58 


ARMOURY 

ICS BLE ICP 

little insight into what they create. My relationship 

with the brand is a very valued and personal one 

which led to them making me an “ICS Captain” back 

in 2015; this was purely an honorary 

have been, and are, creating. 

Whilst I loved their PM2 and the KORTH replica 

for what they were, both of these had some inherent 

“gremlins” when I first saw them prior 

title reflecting 

my long 

association with 

ICS as I explained 

to them at the time 

that my position as 

a reviewer precluded 

me from acting on 

behalf of just one 

single brand, but I was 

humbled and honoured 

nonetheless… 

It’s a fact that we all 

love a little recognition in 

our chosen field, and that 

field for me has been that of 

airsoft! I have come to know 

what I like in terms of gear, and 

most especially the AEG and GBB platforms that I 

favour, and although these days I prefer gas rifles 

and carbines there has been, and always will be at 

least one ICS AEG in my armoury! However, ICS 

have been venturing further and further down the 

GBB handgun road for a while now, and it’s been my 

huge pleasure to have worked on pretty much each 

and every release to date in this respect, and it does 

give me somewhat of a rare overview of what they 

to release, but in fairness 

to ICS they took my small criticisms 

on the chin and worked to rectify the 

issues noted before they released the 

models to market. The BLE VULRURE 

was actually a very serviceable pistol, 

and in my opinion (and that of others) ICS really hit 

their stride with the CHALLENGER. 

But while ICS have already made some fine 

“replicas” they have also very much concentrated 

on their own designs under that “Black Leopard 

Eye” (BLE) program, and when they go their OWN 

way this is to me where they REALLY stand out, as 

in many years of working with ICS, their best work, 

both internally with their original split gearbox and 

externally with some brilliant “in house” designs for 

parts and accessories has been exemplary, and it’s 

been my pleasure to see their new projects coming to 

successful fruition time and again! 

NEW, UNIQUE, AND MAXED OUT! 

All of this leads me neatly onto their very latest 

creation, the BLE Innovation Competition Pistol, or 

ICP! The ICP is a whole new direction for ICS as the 

pistol integrates all the advantages of their current 

technology into a single, maxed out, and exciting 

platform that’s actually designed for all players and 

not just those who shoot BBs to compete! Designed 

with a very serious nod towards the iconic Glock 

platform (and with a very famliar fire control group 

and magazine compatibility with TM- spec G-SERIES 

models), the ICP has at its heart a fixed outer and 

“THE ICP IS A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION FOR ICS AS THE PISTOL INTEGRATES ALL THE 

ADVANTAGES OF THEIR CURRENT TECHNOLOGY INTO A SINGLE, MAXED OUT, AND 

EXCITING PLATFORM THAT’S ACTUALLY DESIGNED FOR ALL PLAYERS AND NOT JUST 

THOSE WHO SHOOT BBS TO COMPETE!” 


ARMOURY 

ICS BLE ICP 

6.03mm precision inner barrel and TDC Hop Up 

chamber that help turn in some pretty darn tidy range 

results, but more on this later! 

Looking in detail at the design of the ICP, at the 

front end you get a very square profile as the cutaway 

alloy slide marries up to an equally 

function more smoothly and more reliably, a neat 

design, and well achieved! The ICP is very carefully 

and precisely put together throughout, finished an 

even matte/satin black, and ICS even includes a CCW 

14mm Barrel Adapter in the package if you want to 

run a suppressor. 

squared-off polymer frame featuring 

a three slot lower rail that’s just 

perfect for a taclite. Moving back 

along the high-standard polymer 

frame the trigger guard is shaped 

perfectly with a lower spur to snugly accommodate an 

X300 or similar, and the trigger itself is “safety style” 

with a very obvious red Loaded Indicator. The pistol 

grip is distinctly “G-SERIES” but with a unique twist in 

that it features a neat “rock pattern” (more a “wave 

pattern” to me) for extremely positive retention; the 

rake angle of the pistol grip and the position of the 

controls will feel immediately comfortable to anyone 

that owns a “G-SERIES” already; weighing 800g the 

ICP has some real heft to it, which I personally like, 

and at 204mm from muzzle to rear it settles in your 

hand perfectly. 

Sights as standard are a very easily-acquired 

three point-luminous rear notch and front post 

(again compatible with aftermarket parts!), but the 

ICP slide does also feature pre-drilled integration 

points for an RMR Mount should you wish to fit 

one. The attractively cutaway low resistance slide 

design is in fact a very clever one, keeping weight 

down for increased efficiency of cycling, and when 

locked back to the rear you can actually access the 

internal mechanism to switch things over to gain 

full-auto functionality; it also Integrates a springpowered 

hammer-contact design which I’m told 

reduces interference between the cylinder housing 

and hammer guide wheel, making the whole system 

DOWNRANGE 

On the range the ICP 

is an exciting pistol to 

shoot! In terms of those 

familiar controls you get 

a positive slide release 

which is exactly where you’d find it on any “G”, along 

with a slightly enlarged magazine release that can be 

easily switched from left to right (Boycie, looking at 

ya!). The magazine that comes with the ICP is also 

enlarged to hold 30BBs, and has greater gas capacity 

than usual for this type of pistol; ICS tell me that this 

results in “an increase of 20% in gas efficiency”, 

and my testing would indicate that this is true! The 

“THE ICP IS VERY CAREFULLY AND PRECISELY PUT TOGETHER THROUGHOUT, FINISHED 

AN EVEN MATTE/SATIN BLACK, AND ICS EVEN INCLUDES A CCW 14MM BARREL 

ADAPTER IN THE PACKAGE IF YOU WANT TO RUN A SUPPRESSOR” 

60 


ARMOURY 

ICS BLE ICP 

enlarged magwell is compatible with pretty much 

every G-SERIES (G17/18) magazine I own, and the 

magwell-base is detachable if you want to run G19 

magazines too! 

The cutaway slide is extremely smooth when you 

release it forward (although it definitely benefits from 

de-greasing out of the box!), and this lighter slide 

also seems to make a real difference in the operation 

of the pistol, as over the course of a morning on the 

Short Range (10m) it happily sent .20g 

BBs downrange with a very 

that moves ICS further along that “development 

fast-track” that I’ve noted before when it comes to 

their GBB pistols; the operation of the ICP is supersmooth, 

the gas efficiency excellent, and the design 

very striking and 

I also believe 

appealing. 

that with 

the BLE ICP 

ICS have 

created 

a very 

assured 

and 

mature 

“G-SERIES” 

pistol model 

from the get-go, 

one that gives 

a firm nod to 

consistent reading through the 

chrono of 0.78 Joule/290fps, although 

once warmed up fully I recorded a max 

of 0.82Joule/298fps. Moving up to .28g BBs the 

TDC (Top-Dead-Center) hop that ICS have created 

handles these with ease, as the design stabilises 

the BB trajectory minutely for some very impressive 

results, allowing tight groupings for even my tired old 

shooters eyes! 

In terms of performance the ICP is right up there! 

Once you’ve dialled in the hop to get things nice and 

flat it terms of BB-flight, then you can crank away to 

your hearts delight, and the 30BB mag has enough 

capacity to keep you going for a good while! In terms 

of accuracy the ICP is again right where you want it, 

and at 10m you’ll be hitting your target with ease, 

and again I’d say that the consistency of power and 

those excellent sights really help with this. Unlike 

other pistols in the ICS BLE line you won’t be needing 

a bespoke holster for the ICP either as the pistol fits 

perfectly in all my existing G-SERIES Kydex Customs 

holsters, both light-bearing and non! 

After a few weeks with the ICP and numerous 

range sessions I believe that this will be a pistol 

“best 

practice” and 

developments 

in the real world 

of shooting sports 

whilst providing 

the very best of 

their continuous 

excellence of inhouse 

design and 

performance. It strikes 

me that this is a pistol 

that “G-SERIES” fans like 

me will most 

certainly want in their collection, but one which they 

will use not only to compete if that is their thing, but 

also carry in-game with confidence that the ICP won’t 

let them down when they need it most! 

My sincere thanks go to the super team at ICS for 

once again providing this early test model for Airsoft 

Action, and be sure to keep an eye on their website, 

www.icsbb.com, and their busy social media platforms 

for regular updates of what they have coming next! 

AA 

“ICS HAVE CREATED A VERY ASSURED AND MATURE “G-SERIES” PISTOL MODEL FROM 

THE GET-GO, ONE THAT GIVES A FIRM NOD TO “BEST PRACTICE” AND DEVELOPMENTS 

IN THE REAL WORLD OF SHOOTING SPORTS WHILST PROVIDING THE VERY BEST OF 

THEIR CONTINUOUS EXCELLENCE OF IN-HOUSE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE” 


TRAINING 

PTS BARRICADE 

DYNAMIC 

TRAINING 

CONTINUING HIS EVALUATION OF “GOOD GEAR TO GO” THAT HE AND THE CREW SAW IN THE USA AIRSOFT 

VETERAN BOYCIE NOW LOOKS TO A SUPERB TRAINING DEVICE THAT HE’S BEEN TRIALLING ON THE RANGE 

TO IMPROVE THE DYNAMICS AND EFFICACY OF HIS SHOOTING SKILLS… STANDING STILL TO SHOOT WHEN 

TRAINING IS ALL VERY WELL, BUT WHEN YOU NEED TO TRAIN TO HIT THE TARGET WHEN BEING MORE 

DYNAMIC THEN YOU NEED THE PTS BARRICADE! 

How many of us train/practice away from the 

skirmish field? The AA Crew certainly do. 

As the years slowly stack up, I find myself 

needing to increase the exercise that I do and after 

seeing a number of different methods used in gyms 

on Youtube, IG, FB and other media, I thought that 

I could combine both exercise and airsoft-related 

training to make it more fun. I already have to drive to 

the Muay Thai gym to train but I needed something 

closer to home that I could do without having to 

drive around twenty miles to get to and home again 

afterwards! 

Most of us will admit to having put on a plate 

carrier and “clearing the house” (there’s some 

entertaining memes online for this!) at one time or 

another, obviously with curtains closed so as not to 

panic the neighbours or the public. I tended to use the 

garage for practice as it has no windows, and if I am 

practicing drills then BB’s won’t break anything. 

During my watching various reels and videos on 

the media over the years, including the Magpul videos 

by Travis Haley and Chris Costa, I saw a number of 

people using a barricade to assist with practising 

different firing positions. Chatting with my colleagues 

from the US shooting fraternity I was shown the PTS 

Barricade and I quickly made contact via email to 

ask about their training platform. Soon after I sent 

the email I made contact with 

the owner and designer of 

PTS Barricade, Franz, and we 

“MOST OF US WILL ADMIT TO HAVING PUT ON A PLATE CARRIER AND “CLEARING 

THE HOUSE” (THERE’S SOME ENTERTAINING MEMES ONLINE FOR THIS!) AT ONE 

TIME OR ANOTHER, OBVIOUSLY WITH CURTAINS CLOSED SO AS NOT TO PANIC THE 

NEIGHBOURS OR THE PUBLIC” 

62 


TRAINING 

PTS BARRICADE 

discussed his training platform at length over the next 

few weeks. 

I was chatting to Franz whilst he was on holiday 

in Jamaica and we made arrangements to get a 

barricade to me. Soon after his return, Franz made 

the arrangements and in under a week, my barricade 

was delivered to my home all the way from New York 

State, USA. Excellent job DHL! A LARGE package 

weighing over 18lb, door to door in FIVE DAYS days, 

putting UPS to shame as it took them twenty-five days 

to get a parcel, weighing 5lb containing just jeans and 

t-shirts to me from the supplier in Austria! 

table. Well packed in cardboard, I opened the box and 

took out the two sections. The first is the base, which 

has a hinged ‘foot’ that locks into place and provides 

a very stable base to the main barricade. The top 

section slides into a channel and can be set at a large 

number of positions with a captive pin. I had a good 

look over the barricade at home and incurred a funny 

look (we that are married know those looks!) from my 

wife who asked me “how long is that staying there?” 

NEVER STOP MOVING FORWARD! 

Franz, the owner and designer of the Portable 

Tactical Simulated Barricade (PTSB), was born and 

raised around three miles east of Negril in Jamaica. 

When he was 18 he emigrated to the United States 

and with the incredible support from his parents, 

Franz was sent to college in New York with a view to 

studying and fulfilling his childhood dream of being 

a pilot. Disappointed after his first flight and learning 

of the huge cost of such an endeavour, he decided 

on a slight change of tack and achieved a degree 

in aircraft design, but when he graduated in 1984, 

Lockheed Martin and the big hitters in aviation were 

laying off staff due to an economic slowdown. Franz, 

undeterred, bought his first computer and formed a 

business which would last some twenty plus years. 

Then the covid pandemic struck and everything 

stopped… 

As the world was plunged into the pandemic, a 

concept that Franz had been working on was brought 

up and it became the ideal remedy to the boredom of 

lockdowns and restrictions. The PTSB was born and a 

patent was filed. Franz told me that “...the day, 3rd 

November 2020, my patent was granted was day one 

of one of the most momentous presidential elections 

in America’s history!”. He spent the next three years 

refining the tooling and manufacturing process to 

produce more than five different PTSB models; “I 

believe the journey has really only started and the 

PTSB could have a big future in the firearms and 

training industry”. 

The package that arrived with me as I said was 

huge, easily around the size of a medium sized dining 

“I OPENED THE BOX AND TOOK OUT THE TWO SECTIONS. THE FIRST IS THE BASE, 

WHICH HAS A HINGED ‘FOOT’ THAT LOCKS INTO PLACE AND PROVIDES A VERY 

STABLE BASE TO THE MAIN BARRICADE. THE TOP SECTION SLIDES INTO A CHANNEL 

AND CAN BE SET AT A LARGE NUMBER OF POSITIONS WITH A CAPTIVE PIN” 


TRAINING 

PTS BARRICADE 

That evening it made its way into the garage where 

I tried it out with one of my favourite VFC Glocks 

and my M17. Over the next two weeks I was able to 

have 10-15 minutes a day working out some “drills” 

that I could do which included using a number of the 

different firing positions available on the barricade. 

MOVING TO DRILLS 

Once I had set up the PTSB, I checked that there were 

no BBs in my Glock. I have a spare magazines for the 

VFC Glock and M17 that I don’t have a follower or 

mag spring in for drills practice, so I gassed this up so 

that I could fire the GBBP, safe in the knowledge that 

there were no BBs present and the action would still 

cycle. Glasses on, sop, I then carried out some basic 

drills. 

The first practice I did was to stand with my GBBP 

holstered and ‘made ready’. When I was ready I just 

drew the GBBP and presented it through the upper 

most aperture sighted up and fired a dry shot before 

re-holstering. This drill I repeated five times. 

The next drill was to again be holstered and ready, 

before drawing and firing one shot through the next 

aperture down the PTSB, Repeating this FIVE times. 

Next drill was GBBP holstered and ready. Draw, 

kneel and fire one shot through the hole at approx. 

waist height, again repeat 

FIVE times before topping up 

the gas in the mag. 

The next was the double/ 

triple drill. Holstered and 

ready, draw and fire one shot 

through the upper aperture, 

adjust position and fire one 

through the second hole, as 

before I did this FIVE times 

before going to the triple drill; 

holstered and ready, draw and 

fire one shot through each 

aperture. This was harder as I 

was having to move through 

three positions and then rise 

to holster before starting the 

drill again. It’s almost a work 

out in itself! 

Next was “stepping it 

up”. For this set of drills I 

was using a single aluminium 

plate at about 5m from the 

barricade. This would give me 

a good audible “clang” when 

hit. The GBBP was holstered 

and ready, but I added fully 

functioning mags (loaded with gas and BBs) plus one 

of my favourite AEGs, my VFC HK416 which I prefer 

to use real caps or low caps in. On my belt I had two 

AR mags and two GBBP mags. To save damaging the 

mags unnecessarily I put a box with a blanket, at the 

base of the PTSB. With the HK416 slung on my Ready 

Tactical Sling, the drills this time started with the GBBP, 

top hole, reload, middle, reload, lower. Re-holster and 

recover the mags from the box. Stand up and repeat 

another FOUR times. This set was followed by starting 

with the rifle, and repeating the drill of top, reload, 

middle, reload and lower. Recover and replace mags 

on my belt and repeat another FOUR times. 

“Step it up again” is similar to the “step it up 

drill” but this time I started with the 416, fired one 

shot, transitioned to GBBP and again another shot. 

Reloaded the GBBP, re-holstered, reloaded the 416, 

fired another shot and then applied the safety before 

recovering and replacing the mags then settling for 

the next step; Same again but this time for the middle 

hole, then again for the lower hole. This is plenty for 

me to do, hey I am over 50 now lol! 

The thing I find with this set of drills is not only is 

it “tactically” good training but there is also a fitness 

‘kick back’ that since I started this I actually feel like I 

can move more easily and I am sure over the next few 

64 


TRAINING 

PTS BARRICADE 

months it will help me with losing 

a bit of timber. 

With the amount of apertures 

and firing points on the PTSB there 

is a huge number of options for 

which aperture(s) and also heights 

you can use when designing your 

own drills or making the drills a 

fun competition amongst friends. 

For me, the PTSB is a brilliant piece 

of kit! 

Whilst chatting to Franz he 

told me that amongst the United 

States users of the PTSB are 

the Pentagon Force Protection 

Agency, US Customs and Border 

Protection, the US Army, US 

Air Force, and Marion Military 

Institute as well as a number 

of Police and Law Enforcement 

departments and agencies 

including the FBI. He offers a 

number of types of barricade 

and layouts to suit the end users, 

from free standing to barricades 

which can be set up on a shooting 

bench. 

I’m really looking forward to a 

trip “darn sarf” to see my fellow 

Red Cell members and show them 

the PTSB. Who knows! We may 

even have a friendly competition 

or two… Again, if you want 

to see the PTSB in action then 

simply head on over to www. 

ptsbarricade.com AA 

PTSB-PRO 

Weighing only 18lbs, the 

PTSB-Pro is a solid but nimble 

barricade that is easy to setup, 

transport and store. 

Weight: 18lbs 

Materials: Wood and plywood 

Dimensions: 24” x 51 3/4”; 

Expands in height to: 72” 

Thickness: 1/2” or 3/4”[User 

Specified] 

Colour: Unpainted, Brown and 

Camouflage 

Platform: Adjustable barricade 

Applications: pistols, long-gun 


KIT & GEAR 

LAYLAX BITE MAG CARRIERS 

BITING THE 

BULLET! 

68 


KIT & GEAR 


CONTINUING IN HIS EVER-BRUTAL AND BLUNT FASHION OF REVIEWING GUNS AND GEAR 

STEWBACCA HAS BEEN RECENTLY “GETTING HIS TEETH” INTO SOME OF THE GEAR FROM LAYLAX 

FOLLOWING THEIR KRYTAC OWNER’S MEETING BACK IN NOVEMBER 22… AND NOW HE CAN “BITE 

THE BULLET” AND TALK AGAIN ABOUT ONE OF THEIR GREATEST GEAR INNOVATIONS TO DATE, THE 

BITEMAG. 

As mentioned in my previous article, the team 

at Laylax were good enough to hand out a 

myriad of their gear to us international airsoftpersonality-type 

guests during their awesome Krytac 

Owner’s Meeting Volume 5 event; with different 

loadout considerations for the platforms each of us 

were fielding both on the day, and a longer term plan 

to take their offerings home and use them with other 

compatible systems back at our home bases. 

As such I was furnished with a trio of their BiteMag 

SMG magazine carriers, which are ideal for me 

given my particular leaning towards a love of SMG/ 

PDW GBB platforms such as the WE MP5k PDW, 

WE MP5A5 and even the VFC MP5k which was the 

cover model of our April Issue No.148. While I also 

use the likes of the MP7, Vz61 and PP2000 I have 

more specific tailored solutions to deal with their odd 

magazine profiles, but if you’re fielding a double stack 

9mm or .45 cal SMG platform these are ideal. 

At the KOM I used a mix of Krytac KRISS Vector 

and P90 SMG AEGs, with the latter requiring me to 

use the sole AR magazine BiteMag on my rig to clamp 

the bottom end of the one spare odd-shaped long 50 

round magazine to. The SMG versions are nonetheless 

ideal for the Vector magazines, and a few of us were 

fielding them, including Maydaysan who had a mixed 

setup of them and the AR BiteMag variants on his 

plate carrier for the day to cover his own choices of 

airsoft gun. 

Unlike a lot of existing alternative products on the 

market, the Laylax BiteMags are attached to your 

MOLLE/PALS system, or similarly over a rigid shooting 

belt or bandoleer, by means of very rigid plastic 

straps which are bolted in place, rather than using 

velcro or interference fitting through straps or clasps; 

these do take a bit more work to assemble in the 

initial instance, but if you don’t plan on moving them 

around much this is at least an extremely permanent 

and reliable solution. Thus far I haven’t had any issues 

with them coming undone or loosening up during a 

few months of solid use; personally I’ve been primarily 

leaving them assembled and manually feeding them 

over my double alpha academy Lynx belt’s inner rigid 

velcro belt which I wear as an everyday solution in all 

walks of life. 

ONE-STOP SOLUTION 

I have various custom placard systems set up for 3x 

7.62/5.56mm TMC Scorpion FastMags, 4x pistol 

TMC Scorpion FastMags for all my SMG/PDW and 

pistol requirements, as well as a 4x PSI Gear pistol 

taco setup just for my very slim PDW magazines to 

use, and while all of these work very well with their 

intended magazines, the Laylax BiteMags are superior 

especially for the broader double stack 9mm SMG 

magazines (especially the oversized WE MP5 ones 

which are chunkier than the VFC equivalents made to 

real spec sizes). 

While the TMC FastMags have been my go to for 

my entire time in Taiwan, re-indexing the wider and 

squared off WE MP5 magazines is a challenge that 

usually requires a two handed manipulation to help 

pull the front rubberised panel away from the rear 

to get the magazine body through the mouth of the 

top opening; pistol magazines at least tend to have 

a taper that helps with this, but squared off double 

stack-double feed format mags lack that ability to 

naturally force their way in gradually and end up 

hanging up or deforming the softer material as 

you’re trying fruitlessly to reindex the thing in the top 

opening mid-firefight. 

Not so with the BiteMags! Thanks to their more 

rigid plastic shell construction and the retention 

“UNLIKE A LOT OF EXISTING ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET, THE LAYLAX 

BITEMAGS ARE ATTACHED TO YOUR MOLLE/PALS SYSTEM, OR SIMILARLY OVER A RIGID 

SHOOTING BELT OR BANDOLEER, BY MEANS OF VERY RIGID PLASTIC STRAPS WHICH ARE 

BOLTED IN PLACE” 


KIT & GEAR 


strap system that holds the individual 

components together in the typical 

‘TACO’ style, the whole assembly 

is a lot more rigid and less prone to 

deformation, as well as being naturally 

wider to accommodate double stack 

9mm or .45 magazines and their wider 

footprint. They are a bit loose to use 

with true pistol magazines, but Laylax 

have narrower offerings specific to pistol 

magazines should you need those; you 

can see everyone’s favourite Kiwi the 

lovely Nonocat modelling those on their 

promotional video and other materials 

from the KOM. 

The lack of movement or deformation 

of the rigid plastic BiteMag carriers 

makes them ideal for rapid reloads 

and re-indexing magazines, as well as 

effectively retaining them in a stable 

fashion. Even running around CQB sites 

like the overgrown airport side village and 

our Yangmei dormitories indoor/outdoor 

game site, or the killing house style Linkou 

CQB club, I haven’t had any issues even 

with the heavier GBB magazine bodies falling out or 

moving around in the BiteMag carriers at all… which 

is a great vote of confidence from me, given the 

improved accessibility and reindexing capability over 

my typically used TMC equivalents. 

I haven’t, as yet, resorted to mounting them upside 

down anywhere! I did use to do this with older 

generation FastMags on my various rigs in the UK, 

but never with the heavier GBB magazines; I think if 

you’re using them for AEG mags you can get away 

with it given their rigidity and the sheer amount of 

grip they impart upon the magazines when seated 

fully into them, and this can of course be increased or 

decreased to your preference with the typical squeeze 

button sliding chord retainers which allow you to ‘lace 

them up’ tighter and have the retainer clamp down 

on the excess paracord to keep the tension on the 

BiteMag body parts, and by extension the magazines 

held within. I’m as yet still not confident enough 

to invert mine for such purposes, but then with my 

current equipment I have no real need to, they work 

fine as a trio on my EDC belt on my left hip, ready 

for support hand reloads of the MP5, although this 

usually means running my sidearm magazines on my 

main rig in the quad pistol mag placard, or moving 

the MP5 magazines between the two solutions to suit 

the gaming situation. 

ALL GOOD THEN? 

One drawback of the slightly bulkier Laylax BiteMag 

SMG carriers is similar to that found when I tried 

to make use of rigid TMC MP7 FastMags and my 

customised variants of them for Five-seveN pistol 

magazines back in the UK in the year or two before I 

left. Due to the innate bulk of carriers, they don’t fit 

well in the standard MOLLE/PALS footprint side-byside, 

and you may find yourself having to mount them 

on alternate ladders and skip one instance between, 

as you can see on my plate carrier at the KOM; mine 

were packed in tight together and caused my MOLLE 

panel to curve outward somewhat due to the lack of 

alignment nicely within the standard MOLLE spacing. 

If, however, you run them on a belt, thigh, 

“IF YOU RUN THEM ON A BELT, THIGH, CUMMERBUND OR OTHER SIMILAR RIG WHICH IS 

NATURALLY CURVED AROUND YOUR BODY (RATHER THAN A FLAT SURFACE ACROSS YOUR 

CHEST) THEY SHOULD FIT THE CONTOURS PERFECTLY AND OFFER AN IDEAL SOLUTION” 

70 


KIT & GEAR 


cummerbund or other similar rig which is naturally 

curved around your body (rather than a flat surface 

across your chest) they should fit the contours 

perfectly and offer an ideal solution. Again this is 

why I opted to belt mine for the instances where I’m 

running an MP5, and either shift my sidearm mags 

further back or forwards, or reposition them on my 

chest to compensate, and they’ve worked excellently 

in this setup, giving a natural presentation for my 

support hand to swing down to and withdraw a 

magazine for reloading, as well as more readily 

allowing re-indexing without having to actually look at 

the magazine as with other products; it becomes a lot 

more intuitive and reliable as you get used to them! 

Occasionally if mounted loosely on a belt they may 

rock back and forth or twist on the belt a bit; due to 

my EDC belt being fairly narrow and not fully making 

use of the space available between the top and 

bottom screw points holding the retention bar on, you 

could easily pack this out or even tie-wrap the carriers 

together as I have on other products if you’re going to 

be using them in a block all the time anyway. For the 

majority of instances this hasn’t caused me any issues, 

and occasionally such flexibility can actually allow 

you to cant the magazines forward or back to avoid 

interference with other kit such as radio pouches 

mounted in similar areas of your loadout. 

So, thus far I’ve had no retention failures or 

otherwise lost or damaged magazines during all my 

time using the Laylax BiteMag SMG magazine carriers, 

and had a much improved response in terms of the 

draw and reinsertion of magazines, without worrying 

about having to break my firing hand grip or sling 

my primary platform to assist as I’ve had to in other 

instances using other products. 

Aside from the space requirements due to their 

overall width making them harder to mount as a stack 

on a standard flat MOLLE PALS panel, I’m very happy 

with them thus far, and with my continued love of the 

MP5 in its various guises you’ll no doubt see them on 

my beltline for many more games to come. 

I asked for mine in black, because black goes with 

everything, darlings, but if you fancy picking up some 

of your own Laylax offer them in an array of solid 

colours, camouflage schemes, and in variants sized 

for pistol, SMG and AR magazines, as well as offering 

additional accessories such as fabric fold-over security 

flaps and self-adhesive velcro tabs shaped specifically 

to fit over their front faces to allow for attachment 

of other velcro accessories or securing the fold over 

fabric flaps. Check out the Laylax website www.laylax. 

com or your local stockist, and with the fine ladies 

and gents having just landed in the Pacific Northwest 

of the US at time of writing, you can guarantee that 

there’ll be more of these coming to stockists near 

many more of our readers, not to mention more great 

products to follow! 

Many thanks as always to our friends at Laylax 

for furnishing me with these excellent samples for 

testing! AA 


TECHNICAL 

GATE LATEST 

GETTING TO 

KNOW GATE 

BETTER! 

YOU MAY WELL REMEMBER COUPLE OF ISSUES AGO WE REPORTED ON THE AIRSOFT ACTION YEARLY 

PILGRIMAGE TO IWA IN NUREMBURG. FOR JIMMY IT MARKED NOT ONLY HIS FIRST MAJOR TRADE SHOW 

BUT ALSO HIS FIRST EVER TRIP ABROAD AND FROM WHAT HE’S TOLD US ALL ABOUT HIS MEETING WITH 

THE TEAM FROM GATE THE ROAD-TRIP CERTAINLY DIDN’T DISAPPOINT, AND NOW HE STARTS TO TELL ALL 

ABOUT THEIR VERY LATEST PRODUCTS! 

At IWA 23 I was finally able to meet face to face 

many of the people who manufacture and 

produce some of the finest airsoft products on 

the market. 

At first, being new to the event, I was a little 

hesitant to approach people as I didn’t really know 

how they would react toward me, but on the third 

day I plucked up the courage and I managed to secure 

a meeting with a very large airsoft manufacturer, 

that manufacturer being a well-known name on the 

tongues of many airsofters around the world… GATE! 

It was a true pleasure to get the opportunity to 

meet the owner of GATE in person, the man behind 

the name, and not just the man but his core team as 

this is a company that is truly a family run business. I 

was very excited for this opportunity; the chance to 

get to talk to someone that knows everything about 

their creations is rather satisfying as sometimes you’re 

left guessing with certain products, so to get to meet 

the actual brains behind GATE was at first a little bit 

daunting, but it was a very easy meeting and my 

nervousness soon dispersed. 

Back in February a good friend of mine was 

approached by GATE and they asked him if he would 

like to receive, test and review in full the latest and 

their first ever HPA engine, the Eon Pulsar and the 

latest Titan 2 which is their most recent Titan and is 

fully Bluetooth’d. The friend in question was none 

other than someone that I feel to be a leader in airsoft 

tech and knowledge; a lot of people know him as he 

is very, very popular on many social media platforms 

and he is someone who I look up to and aspire to 

be as good as! Negative Airsoft AKA Luke Dobson; 

I feel he deserves a massive mention and the reason 

he recommended me is obviously because I have 

embarked on a journey of HPA and I’m really starting 

to enjoy it! 

At first I was a little bit dubious when it came to 

HPA and I felt it didn’t really have a place in airsoft 

as it lent itself more to the paintball world. From 

dipping my toe in the HPA world my opinion has since 

changed and I am now fully immersed, having to date 

have worked with most of the HPA equipment on 

the market. So the reason Luke recommended me is 

“IT WAS A TRUE PLEASURE TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE OWNER OF GATE 

IN PERSON, THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME, AND NOT JUST THE MAN BUT HIS CORE 

TEAM AS THIS IS A COMPANY THAT IS TRULY A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS” 

72 


TECHNICAL 

GATE LATEST 

because I am now dabbling with HPA a lot more and 

purely for the fact that his experiences with GATE 

products haven’t been all that great; he openly admits 

this and he gives his reasons as why, he’s not just one 

of these guys that instantly sacks something off, he 

has to have a good reason and some of these reasons 

are valid and if you take the time to research and 

follow Luke you’ll see that on many of his YouTube 

videos. 

Getting back into it, the meeting I had with GATE 

started at around 10:00 on the Sunday and I spent 

roughly around an hour and a half with them; in 

this time I learned a hell of a lot regarding GATE as 

a business, and then we were onto new products! 

Marcin (CEO and Founder of GATE, see how I roll!) 

was able to explain everything about their latest 

system very clearly and very precisely and at the end 

of the meeting the penny dropped… He realised 

that me, the guy in front of him, was in fact the guy 

who Luke had recommended to test their latest HPA 

equipment and after more handshakes all round I left 

with the new Pulsar engine, the Titan 2, and one of 

their new Eon hop units which saved him shipping 

them out…. And gave me a great big old grin too! 

HOME IS WHERE THE TOOLS ARE! 

Excited to get these lovely things tested, fitted, and 

out in the field I couldn’t wait to get back to the UK 

and start in on it. The problem of what to put them 

in then presented itself and I have so many different 

platforms I didn’t know what would do it justice! 

I didn’t just want to put these creations in any old 

platform, and after much deliberation all I settled on 

fitting them in my VFC sig MCX VIRTUS. 

The new Eon Pulsar Engine and Titan 2 Bluetooth 

is currently the cheapest and the smallest HPA engine 

on the market today and is also the first engine to be 

powered using a fully optical ETU. It is easily tuned 

and adjusted via the GATE GCS app; this allows for 

easy adjustment of things such like ROF control which 

is adjustable between 1 and 100 RPS and if you can 

find a magazine that will feed 100 rounds per second 

I would like to see that! Quite frankly 100 RPS is 

ludicrous, very impressive but no airsofter should be 

subject to that kind of punishment in my personal 

professional opinion! 

Trigger sensitivity offers up to 250 points of 

sensitivity, with each being up to 50 in one millimetre 

so you can have a very, very precise and very light 

trigger response. Nozzle setting is dealt with in 

milliseconds and can be infinitely tuned. Solenoid 

settings? This is a single solenoid open bolt system 

and has been designed at some point to be able to 

run a twin solenoid system allowing you to choose 

between open bolt and closed bolt. The pressure 

range is from as little as 60 PSI and as much as 140 

PSI so velocity will vary between 200FPS and 550FPS 

depending on your setup (ie barrel length and hop 

arrangement). 

The engine itself has been designed and it has 

been confirmed that it will fit in over twenty different 

gearbox casings; now I’m not 100% certain if this 

means different versions or if they mean brands. it 

was mentioned that this system does not fit and is not 

compatible with the Retro Arms range of gearbox, 

but I can confirm that it is 100% compatible with the 

VFC gearbox casings. It was mentioned in the meeting 

that the Titan 2 is compatible with both HPA and 

AEG, however the HPA version is not compatible with 

an AEG build due to the thin gauge of the wiring, 

although the AEG version is compatible with both 

HPA and AEG! 

Another thing that was mentioned also was the 

fact that there is no FCU or motherboard that they 

have tested that has proven to be incompatible with 

the EON pulsar engine, meaning you are not limited 

to only using the Titan 2. When you first see the 

Pulsar engine it is clearly evident that it is much, much 

smaller than any other engine on the market and it 

is made entirely from aircraft grade aluminium and 

finished with a perfect anodising in a green and a 

burgundy colour and has one single moving part (the 

“THE NEW EON PULSAR ENGINE AND TITAN 2 BLUETOOTH IS CURRENTLY THE 

CHEAPEST AND THE SMALLEST HPA ENGINE ON THE MARKET TODAY AND IS ALSO 

THE FIRST ENGINE TO BE POWERED USING A FULLY OPTICAL ETU” 


TECHNICAL 

GATE LATEST 

nozzle) and as a result it is incredibly efficient. 

BLUETOOTH FTW! 

The new Titan 2 Looks identical to the original version 

only with a facelift and some jazzy colours with 

the exception of the new 5.2 Bluetooth system, so 

no longer will you need any cables or any separate 

attachments as it will connect directly to your phone 

or device be it Android or iOS. Now in the past I 

have had difficulty with some of the older units not 

wanting to connect to the GCS app which can be 

very frustrating at times, but with the new Bluetooth 

system I have not experienced any issues connecting 

with the app and to date it seems to run flawlessly. 

I believe the choice to go Bluetooth was a good 

move and it also makes set up for the Pulsar incredibly 

easy, and by doing so has freed up space within the 

gun due to the lack of FCU or programming board, 

so all you have to worry about is battery replacement; 

due to HPA batteries being much smaller however, 

there is no longer the need to try and cram battery 

wires or FCU’s into tight places which in turn 

eliminates the possibility for any damage to any 

components or wiring. 

Installation of this system was incredibly pain-free 

and due to the fact that the Titan 2 is only powering a 

Solenoid the only thing you have to adjust or calibrate 

is the trigger itself. GATE do offer a new trigger to 

run with the new Titan but I settled for a Maxx trigger 

which works perfectly fine and is easy adjusted. GATE 

do state that the Eon engine works best with the Eon 

hop unit or the Maxx hop unit, but unfortunately the 

MCX did not accommodate the GATE hop unit, so on 

turn I opted for the retro arms C&C hop unit which 

works incredibly well with the Pulsar engine. 

Something to note when choosing hop units is the 

fact that the Ppulsar engine uses a 21.25 millimetre 

nozzle although they are planning on creating a range 

of different sized nozzles to accommodate different 

hop units. As mentioned the only thing you have to 

calibrate on this is the trigger in the Titan itself which I 

found to be 100% accurate as an out-of-the-box unit. 

I found I didn’t have to adjust the engine settings as 

it was set at a perfect base level which was incredibly 

responsive on semi-auto at the factory setting of 30 

rounds per second. The only thing I had to set was the 

pressure from my regulator which is set to just below 

100 PSI and is giving a very consistent 345 to 347 fps 

testing on a 0.20g BB. 

Unfortunately to date I have not had any chance 

to field test the new Pulsar or the gate Titan 2 in any 

kind of game scenario as I purely have not found 

the time; however I shall be doing a follow up article 

after being able to spend some time using the system 

and getting to learn the GCS app settings a bit more 

in depth, so stay tuned for that hopefully it should be 

in the next issue. 

I would like to say a massive thank you to Airsoft 

Action for taking me out to the IWA show which 

allowed me to see another side of airsoft, and also 

allowed me the opportunity to meet the amazing 

people at GATE! Marcin and team, a massive thank 

you also for allowing me, and us, the opportunity 

to be one of the first to get hands on your latest 

offerings! I’d also like to say a massive thank you to 

Luke Dobson of Negative Airsoft for recommending 

me to GATE to test this new tech! Hopefully when 

I come back to you I can have some more in depth 

data recorded, so please do stay tuned for Part 2… 

AA 

“WHEN YOU FIRST SEE THE PULSAR ENGINE IT IS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT IT IS MUCH, 

MUCH SMALLER THAN ANY OTHER ENGINE ON THE MARKET AND IT IS MADE ENTIRELY 

FROM AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINIUM AND FINISHED WITH A PERFECT ANODISING” 

74 


GETTING PERSONAL 

MARCK WEST 

MAKING A 

MARCK! 

76 



“MILITARY” MARCK ANNY WEST WU 

IN A CONTINUATION OF HIS NEW COLUMN “GETTING PERSONAL” STEWBACCA WILL BE TAKING A 

LOOK AT PROMINENT FIGURES IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW THEY CAME TO BE WHERE THEY ARE AND 

WORKING WITH WHO THEY ARE, AND THIS TIME HE “SAT DOWN” ONLINE WITH THE MAN OF THE 

HOUR HIMSELF MARCK WEST: HOT ON THE HEELS OF PERSONALLY TAKING THE POPULAR AIRSOFT 

PLAYER’S CHOICE AWARD 2023 FOR “SPECIAL AIRSOFT PLAYER AWARD: MALE”, ALONG WITH HIS 

NEW FOUND HOME WITH OUR FRIENDS AT LAYLAX WHO WON THE AWARD FOR “BEST AIRSOFT 

PODCAST OR VIDEO CHANNEL” AS WELL AS ONCE AGAIN THAT FOR “BEST AIRSOFT UPGRADE/PARTS 

MANUFACTURER”! 

Before leaving the UK for Taiwan, I have to 

admit I never really bothered watching much 

airsoft related content online, I barely made 

my own aside from short cuts of gameplay which I 

was engaged in less frequently due to transport and 

teammate availability restrictions in our latter years 

playing, and I was still largely consuming real steel, 

scientific and political content and reading a lot on my 

commutes to work and back. 

Once I set foot here in “Airsoft Central” 

however, I left behind all my physical media and 

decided to try and keep a minimal footprint in 

terms of possessions… guns and gear aside! I also 

immediately started moving closer to the airsoft 

industry and community in general having largely 

chosen emigration to Taiwan over mainland China job 

offers due to the prevalence of manufacturers and 

far greater freedom of ownership and playing here. 

Naturally I bumped into Jonathan of Airsoftology 

fame at the first MOA in 2017 and soon my network 

was growing along with my viewership of Asia-based 

content creators. 

Thus when I started following Redwolf Airsoft’s 

video review exploits Marck West was already an 

established name in the presenter role, and I like many 

enjoyed watching his run downs of new products 

being made available, top pick videos and recaps of 

the year’s releases, as well as his increasing Instagram 

shenanigans and event coverage with many of the 

other household names in our somewhat niche and 

tight knit industry and community. 

Eventually I had the pleasure of finally meeting 

him in person with the arrival of the Krytac Owner’s 

Meeting Volume 5 in November 2022; during our 

time in Japan, with the international crew at large 

producing various content for Laylax and their own 

channels regarding the travel, events and products we 

got hands on with, and some of my long term reviews 

of which are already making their way to our very 

own pages. 

But what of the man himself, how did he come to 

be where he is today, and where does he want to find 

himself, or take us, in future? 

GETTING TO KNOW YOU 

AA: Marck, thanks for talking to me; what got you 

interested in guns/airsoft/militaria? 

Marck: I started out early at the age of 11 shooting 

real steel pump-action .22 rimfire rifles with my 

Dad in the traditional American approach but soon 

progressed to the typical crazy seat of the pants 

springer pistol ‘BB wars’ that most young guys 

inevitably end up going through before getting 

involved in gas blowback gun ownership in my late 

teens, and after that eventually maturing into full 

on skirmishing, although there was a large pause 

between the two as I ended up moving to Hong 

Kong and growing up to work in a more corporate 

environment. 

I eventually returned to the fold, dipping my toes 

back in the scene as a result of my uncle and his 

leading role in the GBBR user group in the local scene, 

as well as eventually rising through the ranks myself 

to lead the “Hong Kong Off The Grid” expat players 

group and helping to build the local community 

before finally becoming the face of Redwolf Airsoft 

TV and the opportunities it afforded me over my time 

there. 

“I STARTED OUT EARLY AT THE AGE OF 11 SHOOTING REAL STEEL PUMP-ACTION .22 RIMFIRE 

RIFLES WITH MY DAD IN THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN APPROACH BUT SOON PROGRESSED 

TO THE TYPICAL CRAZY SEAT OF THE PANTS SPRINGER PISTOL ‘BB WARS’ THAT MOST 

YOUNG GUYS INEVITABLY END UP GOING THROUGH BEFORE GETTING INVOLVED IN GAS 

BLOWBACK GUN OWNERSHIP” 

www.airsoftaction.net 

77


MARCK WEST 

time and old outdoor 

sites were inevitably 

redeveloped to make 

way for homes and 

businesses. 

AA: What were your experiences as a player earlier on 

and more recently? 

Marck: Hong Kong started out as a predominantly 

MilSim oriented scene with a strong preference 

toward outdoor environments back when land 

availability and values were more favourable to those 

kind of sites… of which 

there were many more 

back then! Obviously as 

the city developed along 

with the hobby and 

industry supporting it, 

many began switching 

over to using gas 

blowback platforms 

as a dominant form of 

gameplay and moving 

away from AEGs as the 

production quality and 

reliability of gas rifles 

improved to practical 

levels. 

More recently the HK 

scene began to move 

indoors and focus more 

towards CQB, SQB and 

competitive shooting as 

the literal landscape of 

the city changed over 

AA: How do your 

friends/family/ 

coworkers react to your 

involvement? 

Marck: Coming from 

a typical Chinese 

upbringing and family 

values in Hong Kong 

my closer family 

were understandably 

concerned when I told 

them I wanted to leave 

a more theoretically 

stable corporate 

environment to work 

in what is for all intents 

and purposes the toy 

industry! 

Some of my relatives wondered how I could 

possibly make a living out of making videos 

about “toy guns”, but all of my family have been 

nonetheless supportive of my time in the airsoft 

industry and all the opportunities it has brought me, 

managing to monetise my hobby as well as letting my 

78 



MARCK WEST 

focus toward Redwolf’s activities during COVID when 

the whole world was basically on hold also helped me 

maintain my own sanity (and no doubt many of the 

viewers!) by allowing me to spend time improving the 

content and viewer interaction. 

Leaving Redwolf in the end was more of a case 

of it being time to get out of Hong Kong and return 

to my US roots by whatever means I could, and not 

so much about leaving the company itself. I relished 

and appreciated all the opportunities I had there and 

the platform it gave me, as well as the connection 

to the community and the people who watched and 

appreciated our content. I just happened to be in 

Japan and be offered an opportunity that was already 

in line with my existing end goals and I just knew it 

was time to move on. 

AA: Have you encountered any difficulties working in 

the industry? 

Marck: Inevitably industries have their own issues, 

and ours is quite niche and theoretically a small circle; 

sometimes I had growing pains as such getting into 

the reviewing process and dealing with a variety of 

different manufacturers and their differing levels 

of information provided or openness towards the 

reviewing process and end users, knowing full well 

that more discerning members of the viewership or 

the people who really like to get inside their guns 

would want answers to questions or particular 

specifications that some airsoft companies might not 

include, or even be open to sharing so openly for 

various reasons. 

AA: Why do you do what you do; what do you enjoy 

most about it and what motivates you? 

Marck: Around 2017 with the transition from longserving 

and well-recognised Tim fronting the Redwolf 

TV channel towards me taking over I was already 

going through my own hard time; naturally people 

don’t like change when they’ve become familiar with 

a certain presenter or delivery style, and the inevitable 

negativity of the internet and Youtube comments 

section could be potentially disheartening at times 

during the transition. I even contemplated whether 

I really wanted to stay in that situation or return to 

a potentially more lucrative but stable and perhaps 

“LEAVING REDWOLF IN THE END WAS MORE OF A CASE OF IT BEING TIME TO GET OUT 

OF HONG KONG AND RETURN TO MY US ROOTS BY WHATEVER MEANS I COULD, AND 

NOT SO MUCH ABOUT LEAVING THE COMPANY ITSELF. I RELISHED AND APPRECIATED ALL 

THE OPPORTUNITIES I HAD THERE AND THE PLATFORM IT GAVE ME, AS WELL AS THE 

CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO WATCHED” 



MARCK WEST 

boring corporate job. 

Thankfully I stuck it out and learned an important 

lesson in that the content we create can have an 

immeasurable impact on others; some viewers 

reached out to tell me that our videos gave them 

some level of sanctuary or relaxing viewing time 

where they could push all their problems to the backs 

of their minds and just enjoy a more personable and 

less hard-sell-based review or conversational content 

piece that allows viewers to almost touch base or have 

a social connection. That aspect is definitely the most 

rewarding part for me, giving back to the community 

and seeing the positive impact what we do can 

have, it makes it all worthwhile and motivates me to 

connect more with a wider group of enthusiasts. 

AA: What have you achieved so far in the industry 

and as an individual shooter? 

Marck: Actually the very personal Popular Airsoft 

award was obviously humbling and I felt honoured 

to be valued by the community enough to not only 

be nominated but get the award; however in terms 

of the feeling of achievement it definitely goes to 

the award our still very new Laylax International 

channel took! It was a real milestone and sense of 

accomplishment that something I lead the charge 

for and did a lot of the groundwork for along with 

my colleagues was viewed by so many people in the 

community and recognised as something that was 

worth growing! It really made all the long hours and 

sticking to the original plan and direction despite the 

earlier doubts seem like it had all paid off, and it was a 

really nice note to move on to the next step of moving 

back to the US and opening up our new operations 

there; we’ve also seen a lot of increased interest in the 

Japanese language channel and user engagement as a 

result, so it’s really buoyed up the whole team on both 

sides of the Pacific and makes us want to do more 

and do better for everyone. 

AA: How do you feel about other players viewing you 

as a role model? 

Marck: I certainly feel like that is something you really 

can’t go out actively seeking; people who want to be 

leaders or role models tend to be the examples you 

shouldn’t follow, and tend to want it for the wrong 

reasons, or just for personal goals. 

My Dad imparted an important lesson to me early 

“THE VERY PERSONAL POPULAR AIRSOFT AWARD WAS OBVIOUSLY HUMBLING AND I FELT 

HONOURED TO BE VALUED BY THE COMMUNITY ENOUGH TO NOT ONLY BE NOMINATED BUT 

GET THE AWARD; HOWEVER IN TERMS OF THE FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT IT DEFINITELY GOES 

TO THE AWARD OUR STILL VERY NEW LAYLAX INTERNATIONAL CHANNEL TOOK!” 

80 



MARCK WEST 

on that’s stayed with me, “greatness and leadership 

are not things that are taken, but given or earned, 

and you really have to win hearts and minds instead 

of tell people what to think”. I’m always very aware 

of the responsibility that comes with being recognised 

not only in the airsoft but also real steel communities 

for the content, events and products I’ve been 

involved in, and I always strive to not just present, 

but genuinely become a better version of myself and 

make sure that what I do gives a positive effect on the 

end users, viewers or young people potentially looking 

up to me or getting involved in the community on the 

back of my exploits. 

Most importantly, I’m very aware that it’s important 

to always make time for people when I can; I enjoy 

engaging with people in general, and the community 

feedback is rewarding in terms of seeing other people 

enjoying and extolling their interests and passions for 

airsoft and the products and content we make. It’s 

really important to listen to what they have to say, 

not just from a business standpoint, but just to help 

develop everyone’s ideas and push the community as 

a whole forward. 

Similarly my personal lifestyle and social media 

is geared towards what I love doing and trying to 

motivate others to better themselves and find a 

positive path and outlook in life as well as take time 

to enjoy what’s most important to them, especially as 

everyone’s lives can be so busy these days and people 

really should make time for hobbies or personal goals 

and outlets. That would likely be my “Dad Advice” to 

people; we all have the same 24 hours a day to use, 

so make sure you manage and prioritise what really 

matters to you, and only you will truly know what that 

is, and to get the most out of the time we have and 

see the benefit to yourself and others around you. 

AA: What are your plans or goals for the future? 

Marck: The move to the USA was obviously a 

personal inevitability but was also a long mooted 

goal of Laylax in general; given the sheer size of 

the community and market in the US and the west 

in general, having a physical presence in the US is 

undoubtedly a positive step, allowing us to engage 

directly with events and the user base here, making 

face to face meetings and outreach far easier, and 

listening to what the players have to say about our 

products; what they like, how they use them, what 

they want to see more of! 

It not only helps us give people what they really 

want, but helps grow the player base and lifts 

everyone up with better equipment and gameplay 

abilities, as well as allowing us to cross-pollinate ideas 

from Japan into the US and vice versa, sharing not 

only our own products and the ways they are being 

used, but also building more positive collaborative 

efforts with other domestic manufacturers as well as 

distributors or event organisers. 

MANY THANKS 

As you can see, Marck’s not only a very well-known 

and liked member of the global airsoft community and 

industry, but a genuine people person and someone 

who loves to engage and positively impact upon the 

players, industry partners, products and places that 

bring us all together! I’d once again like to thank him 

for his time and all the support and past interactions 

we’ve had on our respective journeys through this 

hobby (or habit!) we both love, and look forward to 

seeing what he, and the wider Laylax team, still have 

to bring us in the future! AA 



MARCK WEST 

82 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

HONOURABLE 

AIRSOFT... 

...ITALIAN 

STYLE! 

84 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

WE’RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE AIRSOFT ACTION LEGIONNAIRES IN MANY COUNTRIES AND THE MESSAGE 

WE SHARE IS THAT WHEREVER YOU MAY BE IN THIS GREAT WIDE WORLD OF AIRSOFT, AND HOWEVER 

YOU ENJOY YOUR GAME, WE ARE ALL PART OF A WONDERFUL GLOBAL COMMUNITY THAT SHOULD 

SHARE OUR PASSION FOR ALL THINGS 6MM! WORD OF THE LEGION IS OBVIOUSLY SPREADING AS 

RECENTLY BILL WAS CONTACTED BY ALEX, FROM THE “ASD 3/5 MARINES”, TO TALK ABOUT HOW LIVING 

HISTORY HAS INFLUENCED THIS UNIQUE ITALIAN TEAM! 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

It has to be said that one of the areas of airsoft that 

I have also loved is the one where living history and 

skirmishing meet perfectly! 

Over the years I’ve played is some totally awesome 

historically themed games alongside some pretty 

hardcore re-enactors, and the level of immersion that 

they bring to any game is truly wonderful! Sometimes 

there are passions that run on parallel tracks destined 

to never meet, but on other occasions you can find 

the perfect balance, as in the case of the ASD 3/5 

Marines of Varedo (MB) ITALY, who have combined 

airsoft with modern military/historical re-enactment. 

Two founding members, Pietro “Pit” Figini and 

Alessandro “Small” Balconi, together with other 

enthusiasts have given life to this association which 

was founded in 2015 in Varedo, from the ashes of 

the V Marines of Gallarate and after another twoyear 

reenactment experiment, which inspired the 

founding members and outlined the basic ideas of 

the project, called “Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th 

Marines - Operative Reenactment Milsim Squad.” This 

name is abbreviated to “3/5 Marines”, that is the third 

battalion of the 5th regiment, under the first MARDIV, 

and specifically the Kilo company. 

Alex and his team-mates were kind enough to 

provide some very detailed information for me, so 

without further explanation I’ll get straight into 

things! 

AA: WHY THE 3/5? 

The President, Alessandro, answered: “We have 

chosen to re-enact this unit for its glorious history 

that begins during the First World War in Belleau 

Wood, and then moves on to the bloody clashes held 

on the Pacific islands, such as Guadalcanal, Pelelieu 

and Okinawa, then the battles in Pusan and Inchon 

in Korea and the fighting for Hue in Vietnam. The 

battalion has been deployed to Iraq several times, 

both during Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Iraqi 

Freedom; then we arrive “to the present day” with the 

deployment in Afghanistan more precisely in Sangin 

between 2010 and 2011. In particular, when we 

created the team, those guys were doing a great job 

out there in theatre and their actions arrived also on 

Italian media.” 

AA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “OPERATIVE 

REENACTMENT”? 

“3/5 is committed to replicating a Marine unit as 

faithfully and realistically as possible, using the real 

USMC manuals as sources for training material, only 

slightly adapted to airsoft. In addition, each member 

uses mandatory original equipment that above all is 

consistent with the period recalled; this as per the 

“WE HAVE CHOSEN TO RE-ENACT THIS UNIT FOR ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY THAT BEGINS 

DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN BELLEAU WOOD, AND THEN MOVES ON TO THE BLOODY 

CLASHES HELD ON THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, SUCH AS GUADALCANAL, PELELIEU AND OKINAWA, 

THEN THE BATTLES IN PUSAN AND INCHON IN KOREA AND THE FIGHTING FOR HUE IN 

VIETNAM” 

86 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

basic rules of the good re-enactor. All with the aim 

of bringing a realistic system and tactics to the Italian 

MilSim, which lacks in simulation and generally is 

more playful than its foreign counterparts, according 

to our way of thinking. 

The fact that the US military releases their training 

material online was an important push for our choice: 

we have examples and explanations of how to do 

something in the most efficient and least risky way for 

the unit. This is why we define it as an “operative or 

operational re-enactment”, not merely static.” 

AA: HOW DO YOU TRAIN TO BE REALISTIC? 

Pietro answered this one: “Airsoft, as far as they 

say, is a military simulation in all aspects. There are 

those who do it casually, with full masks, 3000 BB 

magazines and running around like hares, and those 

who, like us and a few others, do it by doing their 

utmost to be as realistic as possible on the battlefield. 

Let’s be clear, this “extremist” choice involves 

sacrifices: you have to accept the fact of spending 

Sundays trying and trying again, training, rather than 

playing the most classic of the classic attack/defence/ 

capture the flag, run away from the zombie games! 

To understand us better, start from a concept; 

according to the reports and studies of the various 

fire conflicts (Source: US Defense Ministry), in an 

urban environment the average engagement distances 

are about 35 metres, which coincidentally a range 

that is perfect for our replicas. That is why we took 

the “MOUT” (Military Urban Operation Terrain) 

manual, translated it and applied it to our training. 

By following this particular training, the guys learn 

to move like a SQUAD, thus reducing the hit and 

exponentially increasing the kills. 

Coming out of the urban world, where everything 

has a written logic and where military/airsoft 

comparisons hold up by force of physics, we enter 

the woods or 98% of Italian camps. Here too we 

have noticed that, with very few adaptations of the 

relative manual “Marine Rifle Squad”, everything 

works the same! You have to learn how to move in 

a forest, understand the difference between “fire & 

movement” and “fire & manoeuver”, know how to 

perform a “center peel” and much more. That’s fun, 

tiring but fun!” 

AA: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU ARE IN CONTACT WITH 

“REAL” MARINES? 

Alessandro told me: “Absolutely yes! You should 

know that at first we did not intend to direct our 

efforts towards Operational Re-enactment but after 

being contacted directly by a support group of the 

families of the fallen and talking and establishing 

relationships with the real veteran Marines of Sangin 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

we understood how this approach was the only 

possible way to avoid the risk of tarnishing the 

memory and honour of a fighting unit. 

We know very well that nowadays, thanks to the 

internet, our activities can reach the” real “Marines in 

a second: it’s not like re-enacting American Airborne 

during WW2 or the Roman legionaries, people who 

can’t argue back and get mad for a wrong pocket, 

oversized moustache or the wrong accessory. But 

above all they cannot criticize the fact of seeing 

themselves or their comrades re-enacted, people who 

have died inside that uniform. 

We care a lot about this aspect, and it is a 

topic that we emphasize well to the new recruits: 

seriousness, discipline and respect for the uniform 

are fundamental requisites for becoming part of our 

team. You don’t wear it just to “shoot four BBs on 

Sunday morning”! 

Recently, using social media, we have reached 

several veterans and we are carrying out a project of 

digital interviews, which you can find on our social 

media pages. Hearing stories of the deployment 

directly from them, as well as asking them for their 

opinions on our activities, is priceless…” 

AA: WHAT IS THE VETEANS’ OPINION ABOUT 

YOU? 

“As mentioned, thanks to social media we are in 

direct contact with several veterans of the battles 

of Sangin who (and we say this with a nice pinch of 

pride) talk about us understanding our commitment 

and the passion behind our business , which could 

also be seen as a farce or “stolen valor”. A team 

photo of us was even posted on the Battalion history 

Instagram page (@ 3rdbattalion5thmarineshistory: 

“You know you’ve done some cool shit when dudes 

in other countries are reenacting / milsim-ing your 

deployment. Thanks to @ 35marines. it “).” 

All the positive feedback we receive is constantly 

printed and posted on a wall at our headquarters. 

It’s always a great satisfaction to receive their praise, 

especially since we boast several haters. But you know, 

haters gonna hate! 

Finally, we can proudly share with you the fact 

that a former member of us (Italian American) is 

now in effect enlisted in the real Marine Corps. Hi 

Giampaolo!” 

AA: TELL ME ABOUT YOURUNIFORMS AND 

EQUIPMENT 

Pietro responded to this question: “As mentioned, 

all our material is original, purchased from the USA 

or from bases in Europe. As for the specifics, the 

real marine in Afghanistan always had three types 

of equipment available; light for reconnaissance or 

88 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

where no fire contact was expected, and two with 

ballistic protections and helmet to choose according 

to the environment and possible dangers. 

We opt, depending on the playing occasions, for 

the light setup (called Greenside) or for the heavy 

one, with the Scalable Plate Carrier body armour 

with helmet, which is the icon of marines today. The 

uniform is obviously the MarPat woodland or desert 

while the pockets and the equipment applied is 

chosen based on the role to be covered/ re-enacted. 

The weapon is mainly the M16A4, with its accessories, 

but it also changes according to the role, passing from 

the M4 to the M249 SAW or the dreaded M240 or 

M2 Browning (yes, we have two of them!).” 

AA: DO YOU CARRY OUT OTHER ACTIVITIES 

OUTSIDE THE AIRSOFT? 

“As public events, we use the Militalia (Novegro, 

near Milan) fair in order to introduce ourselves and 

interest any new recruits. As mentioned, we are 

currently working on a descriptive, promotional and 

obviously celebratory interviews project of the marines 

who served in Afghanistan. 

Furthermore, some time ago some of our members 

went to Rome to take part in the creation of a Sky TV 

series; we were in fact invited to shoot some scenes 

of “Devils”, appearing as extras during the funeral of 

a soldier. We also intend to try to get in touch with 

Netflix and Sky Italia, in case they need Marine extras 

in any of their TV series. 

Finally, we would like to underline that every year 

during the Boot Camp (the training period for new 

recruits), the guys take part in all day long training 

course about first aid, during which possible accidents 

that may occur in our activities, are discussed. We 

also deal with the topic of BLS-D (Basic Life Support 

& Defibrillation). Thanks to the presence in the team 

of a certified Instructor, it is possible for the members 

to receive a well-rounded training; combined with the 

practice of heart massage, it allows them to receive 

a certificate as a AED operator valid throughout the 

country. AED + Trained citizens = people who survive, 

and we speak from personal experience on the field 

...” 

AA: HOW DO NEW RECRUITS FIND AND 

POTENTIALLY JOIN THE TEAM? 

To conclude is Alessandro: “The Few the Proud”. 

This is the Corps motto that we too adopt. We do 

not aim to have a hundred associates to our team 

but rather those “few but good”, so the aspirant 

must have the right mindset as well as high physical 

and mental resilience, have a very strong sense of 

brotherhood and affiliation as well as an honourable 

character and moral rigor. 


AA LEGION 

ITALY 

Anyone interested in a “level” re-enactment in 

airsoft and with the right mentality can contact us via 

our social networks or via email at info.35marines@ 

gmail.com. You can find us also on Facebook, 

Instagram and Youtube as “35marines” 

Thank you Airsoft Action for the interest in our 

team, and I would like to conclude by also thanking all 

our guys: 

Alessandro “ Small” Balconi 

Andrea “Jackson” Pirovano 

Claudio “Doc” Lalomia 

Daniele “Drake” Rielli 

Fabio “Milligan” Alberti 

Gabriele “Texas” Cavaglieri 

Giovanni “ Perez” Matozzo 

Giuseppe “Diaz” D’Amato 

Lorenzo “Clark” Rossetti 

Luca “Collins” Gentile 

Matteo “Frost” Fumagalli 

Pietro “Pit” Figini 

Roberto “Carter” Piovani” 

In turn I, and all at Airsoft Action, would like to 

thank Alex and his team-mates for reaching out to 

us and showing another wonderful, and respectful, 

side of airsoft that perhaps many would not think of 

automatically. As well as playing our games all over 

the world, sometimes we have the opportunity to do 

something truly meaningful, and if you have a story of 

your own team to tell, well... The AA LEGION needs to 

hear from you! AA 

““THE FEW THE PROUD”. THIS IS THE CORPS MOTTO THAT WE TOO ADOPT. WE DO NOT AIM 

TO HAVE A HUNDRED ASSOCIATES TO OUR TEAM BUT RATHER THOSE “FEW BUT GOOD”, SO 

THE ASPIRANT MUST HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET AS WELL AS HIGH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL 

RESILIENCE, HAVE A VERY STRONG SENSE OF BROTHERHOOD AND AFFILIATION AS WELL AS 

AN HONOURABLE CHARACTER AND MORAL RIGOR” 

90 


ARP9 2.0 

EGC-ARP-9V2-BNB-NCM 

7” M-LOK Handguard. 

Combat Machine Airsoft Gun. 

New GOS-V9 Retractable Stock. 

170 

5 POSITIONS 

RETRACTABLE 

Stainless steel material 

RAPID DEPLOYMENT 

EXTENSION UNIT AVAILABLE 

[G-05-062] 

ARP9 2.0 ST 

EGC-ARP-9V2-SST-NCM

AA LEGION 

PORTUGAL 

OPERATION 

ONE FIVE 

92 


AA LEGION 

PORTUGAL 

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN PLAYING AIRSOFT FOR A WHILE YOU NEED TO MARK CERTAIN “ANNIVERSARIES”, 

AND IN PORTUGAL IT IS THE TEAMS THEMSELVES THAT INSTITUTE AND RUN GAMES, SO IT’S AN EXTRA 

SPECIAL EVENT WHEN IT HAPPENS AT YOUR “HOME FIELD”! MIGUEL AND THE GHOSTS RECENTLY PUT ON 

A VERY SPECIAL GAME TO CELEBRATE FIFTEEN YEARS OF AIRSOFT, AND NOW HE TELLS US ALL ABOUT IT! 

Fifteen years in airsoft, it sometimes it feels 

like an eternity ago, other times like it was 

just yesterday. Throughout this one and a half 

decade, there have been many games and events, 

adventures and memories, and we’ve seen saw a lot 

of teams come and go with the time and made many 

friendships. 

If we look at our team now, few are the same 

players from 10 or 15 years ago; there are a lot of 

new faces that joined us through our “candidate 

system” (check out Issue 147 for more about that), 

and it’s really important to have new blood, because 

I’ve seen teams fade away when a few key members 

have to step away from airsoft and no one picks 

the team up after them. So of course we had to do 

something a little special for our 15th anniversary, it’s 

an important milestone of the team. Hence, the ONE 

FIVE Operation was born, an event to commemorate 

this special date. 

The event started a couple of months before, with 

many online meetings, changing ideas, building the 

game module and mechanics, rules and all other 

aspects of the game. First, we started with a wave 

of private invitations to teams who we can consider 

friends, teams with whom we have shared the field 

many times throughout the years; we have learned 

that if you want a good event it’s imperative to 

have teams who respect airsoft as a whole, and 

everything that this means, present. We then opened 

the remaining slots to the community, and we easily 

reached the maximum for the field of 80 players as 

we had planned. It would be easy to have 100, 150 

or even more players present, but we like to organize 

events where the teams can move and flank without 

finding enemies every 10m! It’s also important to 

mention the amazing support from Viper Tactical and 

Gunfire; there are not many games nationwide here 

in Portugal with giveaways of this “calibre”, and we 

knew that the players would be thrilled with what 

we had to offer thanks to our sponsors. 

ROLLING IN 

For us, the event itself started Saturday night, 

welcoming the teams who came from further away. 

We held a small late-night BBQ AT the field itself, 

filled with drinks (local beer of course!) and good 

laughs; this is one of the aspects of airsoft that we 

love! Of course, we had to turn in relatively early for 

the night and get at least a few hours of sleep before 

getting back on the field at 06:00! 

The sun wasn’t up yet when we arrived again, but 

there was work to be done, to place the objectives 

in the right place, prepare the check in and parking 

space, hang the banners and some final touches 

in both teams’ HQs. A bit after sunrise, the players 

started to arrive and until the briefing time there was 

some time to greet the players and have a few more 

laughs. Of course, we couldn’t let time slip and at 

the scheduled time we started the briefing, and after 

that it was GAME ON! 

The One Five Operation pitted two warring 

factions who deployed forces to the region chasing 

a rumour about a device that could help tip the 

balance of this long confrontation. In the South side, 

we had the Iron Wolves, commanded by Almeida 

from the FOE team, and in the North side, the Steel 

Legion was led by Rafa from KillerBees. Both factions 

already had some work done pre-game, with a group 

chat where several representatives of each team 

were present; both commanders had also created 

small groups to make it easier to handle missions and 

orders. 

“THE ONE FIVE OPERATION PITTED TWO WARRING FACTIONS WHO DEPLOYED FORCES TO 

THE REGION CHASING A RUMOUR ABOUT A DEVICE THAT COULD HELP TIP THE BALANCE OF 

THIS LONG CONFRONTATION. IN THE SOUTH SIDE, WE HAD THE IRON WOLVES, COMMANDED 

BY ALMEIDA FROM THE FOE TEAM, AND IN THE NORTH SIDE, THE STEEL LEGION WAS LED BY 

RAFA FROM KILLERBEES” 


AA LEGION 

PORTUGAL 

The game had several timed missions that were 

handed to both commanders at the same time, and 

when the game started three missions were available 

right off the bat; find and photograph the enemy HQ 

position, find several power cells that were spread in 

the field and recover two boxes to hold said power 

cells. As soon as the green light was given, both 

factions left for the field trying to fulfil their orders, 

and each completed mission would give their faction a 

certain amount of points, and in the end the one with 

more points would win. 

The Iron Wolves took the lead, since they found 

and scouted the enemy base early on; the two other 

missions were evenly divided by both factions, with 

each completing half of those objectives. Also, when 

the fourth mission (and one of the most important) 

was released, the Steel Legion were slow and let their 

enemy get farther away in points. During the fourth 

mission, both factions had to find a code and delivery 

it to a crazy scientist capable of decoding it; here we 

had a bit of role-play, with the scientist playing a great 

role of an air-head, who was immune to the pressure 

that the players tried to place on them in order to 

continue their mission. After decoding it, the scientist 

would give the players the final coordinates where 

a device had to be activated and held until a certain 

hour. 

THE PRESSURE BUILDS! 

With half of the game gone, the 

Iron Wolves were controlling it 

when it came to points, but it 

would soon change. The fifth 

mission, where the factions had 

to find three supply boxes that 

were dropped off in the field, was 

completely dominated by the Steel 

Legion! Adding that to the fact 

that they were able to find and 

scout the enemy base as well gave 

them the lead for a few points. At 

this point, the final mission was 

launched, it was the second part 

of the device, both factions had 

to find the second piece of the 

code, getting it decoded by our 

great crazy scientist and control 

the device; the Steel Legion had 

the momentum, they were able to 

reach the device first and defend it, 

even against the advances of the 

Iron Wolves. And thus it was game 

over, with a great comeback from 

the Steel Legion! 

Of course, no game of ours is 

completed without a good BBQ 

at the end, so the players joined 

forces, friends again, to get some 

grub, drink a few cold ones and 

talk about the game. Everyone 

was also looking forward to the 

giveaways, and after everyone had 

at least a go at something to eat 

and drink, we started picking the 

winners. It was great to see big 

smiles in the face of the ones we 

called, and for that we have to 

94 


AA LEGION 

PORTUGAL 

thank Viper Tactical and Gunfire again. 

Thanks also to the commanders who both did 

an awesome job on the day, and to the players that 

made it such a memorable event; there was some 

hard fighting, but also much laughter, and we hope 

that OPERATION ONE FIVE created some new and 

wonderful memories for those that took part, and 

I look forward to the next fifteen years ahead and 

seeing our games in Portugal flourish even more! AA 


RELOADED 

VORSK CS DEFENDER PRO 

STILL 

LOVIN’ IT! 

BACK IN ISSUE 124 BILL GOT HIS HANDS ON THE THEN-NEW VORSK CS DEFENDER PRO GBB PISTOL 

AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CLASSIC MEU-STYLE 1911 ALL OVER AGAIN… BUT NOW WE’RE ON ISSUE 

150 SO HOW HAS THIS CLASSIC DESIGN STOOD THE TEST OF TIME? PRETTY DARN WELL IT WOULD 

SEEM… 

Jeez, back in March 2021 when I first got hold of 

the VORSK DEFENDER PRO 1911 I had no idea 

what lay ahead for me and for all of us; what a 

time we’ve been through! But the airsoft industry 

has survived, and although times were tough for all 

The story of VORSK is one that I’ve been intimately 

involved in right from the very beginning, and from 

this privileged position I’ve seen the brand rise, rise 

and rise yet again, consistently bringing us new things 

that excite and inspire. I’ve shot 

single 

just about every 

model in the 

VORSK 

range, 

businesses, 

let alone a 

somewhat niche industry like 

airsoft, certain companies have not only survived but 

actually thrived, and I would most definitely place 

VORSK in this category! 

All the way through the pandemic the guys at 

VORSK carried on designing and creating new pistol 

platforms and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to 

cover pretty much every single one here in the pages 

of Airsoft Action! We’ve seen new Hi Capa variants 

including the awesome Split-Slide and the mighty 

TITAN, new directions with the likes of the OSIRIS, 

VM9, and VP26X, and a whole new category being 

entered with the VMP SMG that’s due to be with us in 

final production form very soon now. 

and many of them 

have been retained 

after initial testing 

and review to find 

a home in the Red 

Cell test pool… where 

that testing continues 

to this day! When I, and 

we, say that a VORSK is 

“I’VE SHOT JUST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE MODEL IN THE VORSK RANGE, AND MANY OF 

THEM HAVE BEEN RETAINED AFTER INITIAL TESTING AND REVIEW TO FIND A HOME IN 

THE RED CELL TEST POOL… WHERE THAT TESTING CONTINUES TO THIS DAY!” 

96 


RELOADED 


a dependable skirmish partner we say it only after a 

massive amount of testing and shooting! 

But much as I love all the VORSK pistols that I’ve 

had the pleasure to shoot, there are a couple of 

“unsung heroes” in the line that I REALLY adore, and 

one of these that sees little limelight in my opinion, “a 

supporting actor” rather than the “leading man” it 

should be is the CS DEFENDER PRO. As the first of the 

“VORSK CUSTOM SHOP” models (hence “CS”) it had 

a real statement to make as it really pushed forward 

the boundaries of what the VORSK team were 

creating at the time; as I said from the off “I believe 

that this is their finest creation to date, both in terms 

of construction, and indeed performance.” 

The DEFENDER had an entirely new slide featuring 

three forward vent ports, a top slide with rippled-V 

pattern and “snakeskin” slide accents; the “V for 

VORSK” pattern along the length on top of the slide 

looked awesome, but ultimately served another 

practical purpose 

it to cock the 

in that you could use 

pistol against your leg 

“LA SWAT” style! The 

design “flow” of the 

DEFENDER continued 

with the forward 

gave it a very aggressive look, but there was quite 

literally a very clever “twist” in the design here too, 

as by depressing the guide rod you could rotate the 

compensator to one side and remove it and there 

was a spare, standard barrel bushing in the box if you 

preferred, like me, to run the DEFENDER more “old 

skool”. 

The finish throughout as new was impeccable, and 

the frame and slide married together with hardly any 

movement other than the obvious one and no rattle 

at all, something that you only find on a really highquality 

1911 replicas in my experience. Even the pistol 

grips were a really attractive mix of wood and polymer 

which led to a visually striking design and as a first in 

the VORSK range a solid trigger was used, which gave 

a more direct interface with the trigger mechanism. 

BUT THAT WAS THEN… 

We all know that when you get hold of a new pistol 

it becomes your overwhelming love, but like all loves 

over time it becomes a little care-worn and whilst not 

leading to contempt, familiarity does breed a degree 

of complacency at the very least…although we love 

our pistol, something new and shiny takes our eye 

and the old model gets relegated… sad, wrong, but 

very true. 

But the DEFENDER is 

a GBB that I keep 

returning to time and 

again 

tri-vent, 

and of 

course this also 

removed some 

weight from 

the front 

of the slide 

for more 

efficient 

cycling. 

The 

new design 

compensator 

that came as 

standard with the 

pistol immediately 

and yes, it does live on the office shelf with 

all the other test pistols, but it’s also one of the 

models that gets lifted very regularly from said shelf 

when I just want to head to the range and shoot for 

fun; in terms of performance the DEFENDER simply 

makes me smile time and again! 

I chose the “Complete Black” version of the 

DEFENDER for myself, something that Ross at VORSK 

and I refer to as “The Blackout” given both the allblack 

parts and the much darker wood grips, and my 

“THE DEFENDER HAD AN ENTIRELY NEW SLIDE FEATURING THREE FORWARD VENT 

PORTS, A TOP SLIDE WITH RIPPLED-V PATTERN AND “SNAKESKIN” SLIDE ACCENTS; 

THE “V FOR VORSK” PATTERN ALONG THE LENGTH ON TOP OF THE SLIDE LOOKED 

AWESOME” 


RELOADED 


patient wait for this pistol proved 100% worthwhile. 

Through the chrono on NP 2.0 gas and using .20g 

VORSK BBs the DEFENDER kicked out the BBs at 

0.69 Joule/273fps as new, and with just a little care 

and maintenance it still does two and a bit years 

on! Cycling is slick and smooth, with a great recoil 

impulse, and the trigger is just lovely (damn, it’s 

good!), with absolutely minimal take-up and a crisp 

reset; if you like to get your shots away quickly, then 

the DEFENDER is going to make you very happy 

indeed! 

In a world of Hi Capas there is, in my mind, still 

a place for an MEU-styled single-stack 1911, and of 

all the many that I own I have to tell you that the 

DEFENDER ranks up there at the top alongside a 

couple of others; I do still adore my old original TM 

MEU, but the fact is that it’s sadly a little “vanilla” 

when you look at it on the shelf alongside the 

DEFENDER… the DEFENDER has presence, heft, 

a truckload of attitude, and above all consistent 

performance to back all of that up. 

If you’re in the market for a “1911” then I’d urge 

you not to overlook the CS DEFENDER PRO as this is 

most definitely a “leading man” that’s just waiting 

in the wings to make their entrance, and as the 

audience we will be thoroughly entranced time and 

again by the performance delivered. 

As we expect from VORSK the CS DEFENDER 

PRO pistol is available too as an RDS option, and 

in multiple colours; Black, Chrome, and Brushed 

Aluminium, with a Dual Tone “Training Blue” 

option available. The flagship Chrome/ Black and 

Black/ Chrome design is available as a contrasting 

double pack, as is the Dual Tone Blue option, and 

it’s fabulous to see this blue variant as it means 

that new players, and indeed non-playing shooters 

of all flavours can immediately benefit from legal 

ownership from the get go! You can check them all 

out by visiting www.vorskairsoft.com AA 

“THROUGH THE CHRONO ON NP 2.0 GAS AND USING .20G VORSK BBS THE DEFENDER 

KICKED OUT THE BBS AT 0.69 JOULE/273FPS AS NEW, AND WITH JUST A LITTLE 

CARE AND MAINTENANCE IT STILL DOES TWO AND A BIT YEARS ON!” 

98 


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Airsoft Action - June 2023

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