Airsoft Action - Issue 180

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER TO MOA 2025 & IWA OUTDOORCLASSICS 2026

#STANDWITHUKRAINE

ISSUE 180

ISSN 2634-9515

TAP/CLICK IMAGES TO HEAD OVER TO THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO


SMART

AIRSOFT

GUN

DESIGNED IN ITALY

SMART

AIRSOFT

GUN

DESIGNED IN ITALY

www.evolutioninternational.it

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER TO MOA 2025 & IWA OUTDOORCLASSICS 2026

8 ARMOURY: GHK DANIEL DEFENSE DDM4 PDW GBBR

When it comes to his own “AR ARMOURY” then anyone that knows Bill

will also know he has a “bit of a thing” about Daniel Defense replicas,

and when it comes to getting things right in airsoft-form he’s quite

particular about how these are put together! Having loved the ICS AEG

take on the DDM4 PDW he now turns his eagle-eyed attention to the

latest gas version of this platform from GHK!

#STANDWITHUKRAINE

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer

Deputy Editor (USA): Dan Whedon

Deputy Editor (EU): Miguel Oliveira

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing

Ad Design: Deadshot Design

Publisher: Calibre Publishing Limited

ISSUE 180

ISSN 2634-9515

18 ARMOURY: TOKYO MARUI FEST REVEAL

Rai sensei is back with sudden breaking news on a surprise reveal from

Tokyo Marui in Tokyo at the exclusive Tokyo Marui Festival 2025! The

brand new, cutting edge, Tokyo Marui EVOLT premium AEG series was

revealed, and Rai sensei and his team were there to witness this, and

can now break down the EVOLT and its technical details!

Web: www.airsoftaction.net

©Calibre Publishing Limited 2025

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.

26 ARMOURY: PROJECT STACATTO P1

Sometimes we like to return to specific AEGs and GBBs and give them

a little bit of the “AA Magic” to see just what performance and utility we

can really get from them, and our love for STI/STACATTO pistols “IRL”

means that the airsoft version is a prime contender! Boycie heads up

a new project with L’il Stu, our old RS friend and airsoft veteran Tim

Criddle, and Trampas Swanson from ARMED LIFESTYLE magazine.

Find us on our Socials...

42 RED CELL: DMR UPDATE 2025

Hopefully the “final shot” of RED CELL will be one that’s heard around

the world by airsofters everywhere, and we thought to finish up this epic

journey by circling back to a category that continues to cause debate

amongst players and site operators alike… yup, we’re talking about

Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs), that are awesome to build and

own, but cause both joy and concern in equal measure!

04

AIRSOFT ACTION - ISSUE 180

CONTENTS

ISSUE 180

34 TECH: DRONES HOVER AIR X1

Last month in AIRSOFT ACTION we had a very special report from Ratty

and Rich detailing the very latest in drone technology, but how can we

apply the same technology in an affordable way to our airsoft games?

After wowing many a player down at the NAF in August, Ben now shares

his thoughts on how this can be achieved!

62 TECH: GOOD NITE GEAR NVG50

Continuing his deep dive into all things technical, and specifically night

vision gear that’s tailor-made for airsoft use this month Bruno gets into

the GOOD NITE GEAR brand and check out their NVG50 to see just how

it perfroms!

68 GEAR: SAFE ZONE KIT

As the months turn wetter and colder Bill believes it’s time again to

check out gear specifically for keeping switched on in the Safe Zone

when the temperature plummets and the sleet and snow (or more likely

heavy rain in our case at AAHQ!) drive in, gear that will let you “adapt

and overcome” and make the most of even the harshest winter gameday!

76 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL

The members of the AA Legion in Portugal are well and truly back on the

airsoft battlefield, and their game tempo is certainly one that we believe

many will be slightly jealous of! In addition to small-team games the

Portuguese community is becoming well-known and respected for their

larger events, and Miguel brings us his report now of the latest iteration

of the exciting and inclusive INTERIOR series!

84 AA LEGION: TAIWAN

The inaugural “Highland Target Challenge” was held in late July n

Ji’an Township, Hualien, on the picturesque eastern coast of Taiwan;

the local “Highland Group” spent a month and a half organising the

event, promising the most exciting and thrilling competitive shooting

experience for people of all backgrounds and ages, and our own

‘Military’ Anny Wu made the trip out to cover the event, so now we get

to see what her experiences and those of the shooters were!

92 AA LEGION TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

TADTE is a biennial trade show that gives both native and international

exhibitors an opportunity to show off their latest wares as well as being

open to the public, which gives the local populace another opportunity

to interface with the national defence apparatus and the tools and

technologies being developed and fielded with their tax dollars.

Stewbacca took the time to visit the show again and see what’s on

offer in general, and also how airsoft is becoming an increasing part of

training for legitimate forces worldwide.

www.airsoftaction.net 05

Innovation Competition Pistol

‧ Fixed Outer & Inner Barrel Design

‧ Slide Integrates with RMR Mount

‧ Switchable Semi Auto/Full Auto Mode

‧ TDC Hop Up Chamber

‧ Low Resistance Slide Design

‧ Rock Textured Anti-Slip Pattern

‧ Ambidextrous Thumb Rest

‧ Ambidextrous Slide with Quick Pulling Bump

‧ Side-changeable Magazine Release Button

‧ Extended Magazine (TM G17/18 Compatible)

‧ Luminous Sights (TM G17/18 Compatible)

‧ Detachable Magwell (Compatible with TM G19

mag while removing)

Facebook (Global):

ICSBBAirsoft

Twitter (Global):

icsbbairsoft

Youtube:

ICS AIRSOFT

Instagram:

icsbbairsoft

CLICK/TAP ON IMAGES OR LOGOS TO VISIT THE WEBSITE

ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

CQB COOL!

8


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

WHEN IT COMES TO HIS OWN “AR ARMOURY” THEN ANYONE THAT KNOWS BILL

WILL ALSO KNOW HE HAS A “BIT OF A THING” ABOUT DANIEL DEFENSE REPLICAS,

AND WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING THINGS RIGHT IN AIRSOFT-FORM HE’S QUITE

PARTICULAR ABOUT HOW THESE ARE PUT TOGETHER! HAVING LOVED THE ICS

AEG TAKE ON THE DDM4 PDW HE NOW TURNS HIS EAGLE-EYED ATTENTION TO

THE LATEST GAS VERSION OF THIS PLATFORM FROM GHK!

I

make zero bones about the fact that it comes

to my ARs, be they AEG or GBBR, I am a bit

of a Daniel Defense “fanboi”, and whenever I

get the opportunity to visit their stand at a show

you can bet I’m all over it! My personal collection

continues to grow, and back in Issue 141 I had the

pleasure of reviewing the first ICS/EMG-licenced

version of their Daniel Defense MK18 AEG, and

that’s become a firm, all-round skirmish-day

favourite.

Roll on to the beginning of this year, and ICS

wow’d me yet again by releasing not only an

“GIVEN THAT I TRULY LOVE THE LITTLE ICS PDW YOU CAN IMAGINE MY JOY WHEN

I LEARNED THAT GHK, GAS-MEISTERS THAT THEY ARE, WOULD BE RELEASING A

LICENCED GBB VERSION OF THE DANIEL DEFENSE DDM4 PDW, AND THAT MOST

DEFINITELY GOT MY ATTENTION!”


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

updated version

of the MK18, the

DD4 MK18 RIII S3, but

also the DDM4 PDW S3!

Now I’m not usually a fan of

super-shorty PDW ARs given

my own sheer size, but that

PDW S3… I loved it, and I still do as

the ICS version looks spot-on, works

brilliantly, the stock holds a good size LiPo that’s

easy to change out in the wild, and as I said at the

time IS ACTUALLY LONG ENOUGH FOR ME when

fully deployed! I concluded in that particular

review that:

“In my opinion ICS have got everything 100%

right with these new models… If you’re an out-and

out CQB monster then the PDW will undoubtedly

be the one for you, but with the two new models I

truly believe that you’ll be spoiled for choice!”

Given that I truly love the little ICS PDW you

can imagine my joy when I learned that GHK,

gas-meisters that they are, would be releasing

a licenced GBB version of the Daniel Defense

DDM4 PDW, and THAT most definitely got my

attention! Thus far given that I already have a

fair armoury of WE and VFC gassers I’ve always

shied away from GHK a little as it means yet more

expensive magazines (the V2s are iro UK£40+ a

pop!), and although I do have a couple for testing

purposes that’s been a reason not to invest in yet

another platform with specific feeding needs.

However, every GHK model that I’ve had

the pleasure to test and evaluate has pleased

me greatly in terms of fit, finish, range and

performance; okay, nearly every GBBR needs a

little extra love and attention to truly get the best

from it, and you have to understand your gases,

but GHK have always made a solid product which

I know many fellow gas-gunners

love with a vengeance. I do still

have questions about the entire

“GHK/Glock episode”, but that’s

a conversation for another day…

Back at MOA in 2023 GHK

suggested that it was time

to update their AR platforms

to “V3”, and showed visitors

to the Taipei show some new twists on

their existing gas tech, potentially increasing

performance and upping the felt recoil yet again

, and it appears that they’ve achieved both with

their amped-up V3 gas system which has now

appeared in the DD PDW GBBR V3 which is fully

licensed by EMG and Daniel Defense… yup,

same profile as the ICS AEG, but now a version

powered along by an improved gas system and

peripherals… how could I not possibly want one

to shoot?

Thanks to my mates at IWHOLESALES in the

UK as soon as one of the new GHK’s appeared

in their stock list they were kind enough to get

one out to me to try, and I’ve been enjoying this

diminutive little AR on the woods range for a

while… suffice to say, without giving the game

away, that I love it, and there’s some very good

reasons why!

SUPER-COOL INSIDE AND OUT

As I said when I looked at the ICS AEG, the real

DDM4 PDW SBR comes in 300 Blackout, with a

7-inch 300 Blackout Cold Hammer Forged barrel

that provides “great ballistics for such a short

barrel using subsonic loads”, or so I discovered

when I first researched the ICS AEG version.

The real PDW SBR comes with a Maxim

“IT WOULD APPEAR THAT GHK HAVE CERTAINLY MANAGED TO PULL THE V2 TO V3

UPGRADE OFF, UPDATING FROM THE V2 SYSTEM WITH INCREASED AIR VOLUME (THEY

CLAIM 20%), AN UPDATED NOZZLE, STAINLESS STEEL BUFFER, AN UPDATED HOP-UP

UNIT, AND AN UPDATED 35 BB V3 GHK GMAG GAS MAGAZINE”

10


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

Defense CQB Gen 7

stock and 6 inch MFR XL front

rail for fast handling in tight

spaces, and Daniel Defense say

“compact and easy to transport,

the Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW

Short Barrel Rifle is the kind of

AR15 style firearm you can

rely on for home and personal

defense...plus it’s a ton of fun

to shoot”, which is actually totally

true of the airsoft version too!

And just like the ICS AEG replica of this

superb little PDW, the GHK GBBR version looks

completely righteous! From what I can see, just

like ICS, GHK have got this right too and obviously

fully complied with the licence requirements.

What you get with the new PDW is EMG-Licensed

Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW with “official” trades/

markings on a CERAKOTED receiver set and boltside,

once again faithfully replicating “the real” in

airsoft-form.

You also get a superb replication of the

EMG-Licensed Daniel Defense M4 MFR XL 6”

Handguard, but rather than the EMG ZETA motorgrip

you get a rather plain A2 grip… I can see that

most potential gas-owners would soon change

that out, and for me it would have to be one of

the real Daniel Defense grips… jeez, I mean, the

“real deal” is only 37 bucks, so why would you

(and also, why didn’t GHK?)! Another difference

between the AEG and the GBBR is of course the

sliding PDW stock, as with the DDM4 AEG you get

an ICS PDW stock rather than the Maxim one. The

GHK stock is a real doppleganger for the Maxim

stock though, and although it’s some 60mm

shorter than the AEG version, the five-position

slider is still comfortable even for my ape-arms

when fully deployed.

As with the AEG another

cool feature is the Linear

Compensator fitted as

standard, which again is a

REALLY nice touch and looks

properly cool; if you’re a fellow “gun-bunny” then

you’ll know a typical muzzle brake vents gases

out to the side, whilst the Linear Compensator

directs blast force forward, both reducing the

lateral signature (a good thing for a CQB tool!) and

helping to reduce perceived recoil (probably also

a good thing for such a short-barrelled platform

using 300 BLK!).

So, externally everything is 100% tight… if I

can find anything that I’d like different it’s the

pistol grip, and a little bit the charging handle

which is a pretty standard AR design too; the “real

deal” comes with a CNC “GRIP-N-RIP” charging

handle, and it feels to me like GHK have saved a

few production-bucks in this area. But I’m being

super-picky now, and I feel a perhaps a little

harsh in respect of what is actually a very coollooking,

easily-manipulated little AR.

But as always, what are good looks without

performance? GHK promised a lot with their

updated V3 system, their focus apparently on

further increasing operating efficiency and gas

usage, while upping the felt recoil.

It would appear that GHK have certainly

managed to pull the V2 to V3 upgrade off,

updating from the V2 system with increased air

volume (they claim 20%), an updated nozzle,

stainless steel buffer, an updated Hop-up

unit, and an updated 35 BB V3 GHK GMAG gas

magazine; again I’m told that the PDW could be

“I TOOK THE PDW GBBR TO MY 30M WOODLAND RANGE, AND ALSO TO THE INDOOR

10M RANGE TO CHRONO AND TEST, AND IN TERMS OF POWER I GOT A CONSISTENT

1.12 JOULE/348FPS ON A .20G BB USING LOW-TEMPERATURE SMART GAS ON THE

STANDARD SPRING AS FITTED WHICH OFFERS INCREASED GAS EFFICIENCY”


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

12


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

dual-powered just like older versions, making use

of both green gas with V3 CO2 magazines too. The

V3 magazine has been modified structurally in

terms of the magazine lip shape, to improve the

impact and wear due to bolt operate, the internal

reservoir compartment has been optimised to

improve gas volume and efficiency, and a new

follower design enhances the empty position to

make the bolt catch function more stable. I can

tell you though that my GHK V2 test-magazines

appear to work just fine in terms of feeding,

although I did notice that the bolt didn’t lock back

on empty on a couple of occasions.

The new V3 Hop Up unit I like a lot, as this

now allows you to adjust things much more

straightforwardly; it’s still an adjustment via the

ejection port into the chamber, but thankfully

GHK have developed a cool little hop-adjustment

tool (similar to that seen for the latest VFC

system) that actually comes with the platform as

standard. This is really, REALLY easy to use, easier

than anything to date other than the muzzle hop

adjusters that we’ve seen in recent years, and

very, VERY precise.

DOWNRANGE

I took the PDW GBBR to my 30m woodland range,

and also to the indoor 10m range to chrono and

test, and in terms of power I got a consistent 1.12

Joule/348fps on a .20g BB using low-temperature

SMART GAS on the standard spring as fitted which

offers increased gas efficiency (you also get a Bolt

Carrier Counterweight and “strong” Recoil Spring

in the box which I’ve yet to try…). Easily adjusting

the hop to .30g BBs the accuracy was amazing at

that both short and medium range.

The 35 BB V3 magazine is easy to load thanks

to the inclusion of a very sturdy BB-loading tube,

and fits and feeds perfectly… again, I’ll reiterate

that the PDW worked just fine with my older GHK

AR mags, apart from the odd failure to lock on

last, so if you already own some of the V2 40 BB

metals then you’re quids in.

Measuring out 30m in the woods I secured one

of my sandbag targets and popped though half

a dozen mags prone and supported, and the bag

was thumping more than not with every carefully

placed .30g BB. On the 10m “short range”

the PDW really excelled, and target to target

manipulation was excellent! On semi the trigger

was crisp and light with minimal reset, and the

felt-recoil from that all-new system is very, very

cool indeed.

So, the DDM4 PDW GBBR… I love the design

aesthetic from the linear compensator at the

sharp-end through to the minimalist stock at the

rear, and onto that distinctive, stubby M-LOK rail;

once again I’ve added my usual stunty foregrip

and RDS so it feels comfortable for me, and the

overall length of 640mm (stock fully extended,

530mm fully closed) and weight of 2600g is

absolutely perfect in my mind for a fast-mover

CQB-focused tool.

I’ve now managed to get in some quality

rangetime with the PDW, and the added sense of

realism that the gas operation brings to a platform

I’ve already fallen in love with just adds to the

feeling that you’ve got something just a little bit

different, and a little bit special in your hands

rather than a plain airsoft platform; having now

shot the PDW on a regular basis over the last

couple of months I can tell you that GHK really do

appear to have lived up to all the promises that

were hinted at back at MOA 2023!

What GHK have done in my opinion is take the

very elements of the systems and magazines

that they have created over recent years, and put

everything into one single package. Yes, it’s a

short-ass gasser, and yes, it’s not cheap, but with

the amount of coolness this offers we should all

be prepared to invest in a gas platform that will

actually let us use it year round… my most recent

outdoor range sessions have been on the coldest

“WHAT GHK HAVE DONE IS TAKE THE VERY ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEMS AND

MAGAZINES THAT THEY HAVE CREATED OVER RECENT YEARS, AND PUT EVERYTHING

INTO ONE SINGLE PACKAGE. YES, IT’S A SHORT-ASS GASSER, AND YES, IT’S NOT

CHEAP, BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF COOLNESS THIS OFFERS WE SHOULD ALL BE

PREPARED TO INVEST IN A GAS PLATFORM THAT WILL ACTUALLY LET US USE IT”


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

14


ARMOURY

GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR

days of 2025 so far, and the PDW had performed

admirably at all times.

As GHK have licence agreements obviously

available to them via EMG I would love to see

them put their V3 gas-OS into a more militarystyle

carbine or rifle which would be a “MilSim

and training win”, but who knows what the future

holds, and what Stewbacca, Anny and I will see

at MOA 2025? When it comes to the DDM4 PDW

GBBR I believe it has been created for players,

shooters and training-users, people that want

a 6mm BB shorty that not only looks and feels

stunning in operation, but one which operates

exactly like the “real deal”, and with highefficiency

too.

My advice to you? If you want a pukka Daniel

Defense PDW replica and prefer an AEG then

100% buy the ICS version of this platform, but

if you’re a fellow “gas-head” undoubtedly go

for the GHK version, and if you’re getting into

gas platforms for the first time then the latest

V3 GHK DDM4 PDW GBBR could very well be a

GREAT place to start!

My sincere thanks go to the guys at www.

iwholesales.biz for sending over the GHK DDM4

PDW GBBR for evaluation; forewarning that this

one might be getting bought and paid for! AA


ARMOURY

TOKYO MARUI FEST REVEAL

EVOLT-

LUTION OF

THE AEG!

RAI SENSEI IS BACK WITH US ONCE AGAIN WITH SUDDEN BREAKING NEWS ON

A SURPRISE REVEAL FROM TOKYO MARUI IN TOKYO AT THE EXCLUSIVE TOKYO

MARUI FESTIVAL 2025! THE BRAND NEW, CUTTING EDGE, TOKYO MARUI EVOLT

PREMIUM AEG SERIES WAS REVEALED, AND RAI SENSEI AND HIS TEAM WERE

THERE TO WITNESS THIS, AND CAN NOW BREAK DOWN THE EVOLT AND ITS

TECHNICAL DETAILS FOR YOU TO GIVE THE FULL PICTURE OF THIS NEXT AEG

EVOLUTION FROM THE JAPANESE AIRSOFT MASTERS!

18


ARMOURY



ARMOURY


Saturday, November, 8th at Tokyo Marui

Festival 2025, the new EVOLT series was

revealed with a mix of completely new

technology as well as improved technology seen

in the TM NGRS and Systema PTW series. The

EVOLT is the next evolution of the AEG following

the Next Generation Recoil Series or NGRS from

2007!

Tokyo Marui was the original creator of the

automatic electric gun, or AEG as we know it

with their famed (or infamous!) FAMAS sporting

the Version 1 gearbox from 1991. The late 90s

presented us with the standard AEG series of

Version 2, 3 and subsequent gearboxes. In the

early 2000s the high cycle series was introduced

as an improvement over the original AEG.

Following this was the NGRS series in 2007

through the 2010s, and now in 2025, the EVOLT

series.

The EVOLT series will released in the near

future at a “to be determined date”. The first

model will be the M4A1 Carbine with the RS FPR

Geissele Mk4 model following a fear month after

the M4A1. The M4A1 Carbine will feature the 14.5

inch shockless model of EVOLT. All EVOLT models

will feature an M-System Type II MOSFET; this new

FET contains a micro controller unit with multiple

sensors to regulate the EVOLT system. Everything

from firing modes, battery voltage, malfunction

emergency stopping, and motor regulation for

overall system safety. Players can fully customize

their builds with swapable uppers that feature the

shockless and recoil shock systems built in.

Externally, the EVOLT series will all feature

realistic upper and lower takedowns, and all

uppers and lowers will be compatible with each

other for maximum customization. The upper and

lower receivers will also be 1:1 scale to real steel

rifles meaning compatibility with multiple real

steel parts and furniture. The upper receivers will

feature the barrel, bucking, chamber, charging

handle, and recoil weight systems. The recoil

weight system will come with a default 300g recoil

weight for a more turbulent and realistic recoil

impulse compared to previous NGRS systems.

There is also speculation for after market recoil

weights for even greater recoil in the future.

Please note that the first model, the M4A1 will be

a “Shockless” model without the recoil feature,

and the subsequent models starting with the RS

FPR Mk4 or “Recoil Shock Federal Patrol Rifle

Mk4” will have recoil weight uppers compatible

with all lowers should you want to swap them out.

Tokyo Marui also plans on manufacturing “a la

carte” uppers and lowers in the future for players

to construction their own custom rifles to their

liking.

FEATURE LED

A few additional features of the upper receiver

include the charging handle, improved hop up

chamber and compression unit, and pitch thread

of the receiver. First, the charging handle is now

fully functional and required to load the first BB

into the chamber, and this also means with the

real sizing of the receivers, real steel charging

handles are now drop in compatible with the

EVOLT replicas.

Next, the newly design hop up chamber

provides multiple improvements over past

models; the chamber now features a spring

loaded and flexible nozzle that should reduce

misfeeds and jams tremendously, increasing

reliability and air seal. This improved accuracy

furthers the notion of the “Tokyo Marui magic

dust” that is famed with all Marui AEGs for their

exceptional range and accuracy. This dynamic

nozzle and chamber system also works in

conjunction with the new magazines that we will

touch on later, but essentially ensures that every

BB is fed into the chamber, meaning no more

wasted BBs. The system also allows for a fully

functional bolt lock system. Lastly is the thread

pitch of the upper receiver which will feature an

“THE EVOLT SERIES WILL RELEASED IN THE NEAR FUTURE AT A “TO BE DETERMINED

DATE”. THE FIRST MODEL WILL BE THE M4A1 CARBINE WITH THE RS FPR GEISSELE

MK4 MODEL FOLLOWING A FEAR MONTH AFTER THE M4A1. THE M4A1 CARBINE WILL

FEATURE THE 14.5 INCH SHOCKLESS MODEL OF EVOLT”

20


ARMOURY



ARMOURY


inch and millimeter dual pitched thread for use

with real steel and airsoft handguards and barrel

nuts of your choosing.

The lower receiver will be compatible with all

upper receivers of the same platform, and will

feature a real steel pitched buffer tube meaning

you can use any combination of stocks you wish.

The lower will host the new EVOLT gearbox which

allows for the upper and lower to be taken down

similar to Systema PTWs and ICS split gearbox

replicas. The unique design of the lower however

allows for a more compact and simple gearbox

design which will lead to a more reliable and

durable overall system; less moving parts will

equate to less potential failure points. All models

will also allow for ambidextrous controls and

potential for full modification.

Next is the buffer tube setup; with previous

NGRS models the recoil unit was located in

the buffer tube for many models, however, the

recoil system has been completely moved to the

upper leaving the lower to the electronics. The

buffer tube will now allow a battery to be loaded

from the inside of the lower and plugged into the

gearbox directly. This means in order to plug in

your battery, you must first take down the upper

and lower, then plug the battery directly into the

gearbox box, and finally sliding in the 7.4v lipo

into the buffer tube from the inside of the lower

receiver. No more wires being caught up in the

butt stock, leading to increased realism and

durability.

MOTIVE FORCE

Moving on the rest of the replica, we now see

a brand new motor, coined the EG 1000 BR or

bearing reversed motor. This means that the

gearbox no longer relies on an anti-reversal latch

to stop the bevel gear, and instead has the ARL

built into the pinion gear of the motor. From the

on-stage presentation we witnessed a much

quieter operation with almost no gear or motor

squeak.

The built in ARL is similar to many brushless

motors on the market, working in conjunction

with the new M-System MOFEST for cycle

detection and sharp trigger response. It has not

been confirmed however as to whether the motor

and grip have been resized for real steel sizing.

Moving on the dynamic nozzle and magazine,

we now see a completely revamped system that

ensures greater air seal, increased accuracy and

every BB being fed. The nozzle, hop up chamber

and magazine are now a singular unit as opposed

to separate components working together. The

nozzle now fully locks into the chamber between

every shot with its fixed wing design and springloaded

shutter. This shutter now opens and

closes between every shot, meaning no more

jams or misfeeds as the shutter regulates the

precise timing of BB loading.

Until now, nearly all AEGs relied solely on the

tappet plate and sector delayer chip for timing.

Now that the MOSFET and new chamber, nozzle,

magazine unit are functioning in tandem, most of

this problem areas are now eliminated.

A few other new design changes we see involve

the gearbox. The gearbox as mentioned in now

compact similar to a System PTW in that many

of the traditional parts of a Version 2 gearbox are

now obsolete. The piston is now proprietary and

built with a slightly different shape and number of

teeth.

The trigger is now modeled after a real steel

trigger providing for a more tactile feel and

realistic trigger pull. The gearbox now features

all steel bearings made in Japan for a much

smoother operation of the gear train. The

gearbox still features the traditional bevel, spur,

and sector gear with the additional of a new

unnamed gear that tracks the piston and BBs

simultaneously providing for a bolt hold open

when the magazine is empty.

“EXTERNALLY, THE EVOLT SERIES WILL ALL FEATURE REALISTIC UPPER AND LOWER

TAKEDOWNS, AND ALL UPPERS AND LOWERS WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER

FOR MAXIMUM CUSTOMIZATION. THE UPPER AND LOWER RECEIVERS WILL ALSO BE 1:1

SCALE TO REAL STEEL RIFLES MEANING COMPATIBILITY WITH MULTIPLE REAL STEEL

PARTS AND FURNITURE”

22


ARMOURY


“THE LOWER WILL HOST THE NEW EVOLT GEARBOX WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE UPPER

AND LOWER TO BE TAKEN DOWN SIMILAR TO SYSTEMA PTWS AND ICS SPLIT

GEARBOX REPLICAS. THE UNIQUE DESIGN OF THE LOWER HOWEVER ALLOWS FOR

A MORE COMPACT AND SIMPLE GEARBOX DESIGN WHICH WILL LEAD TO A MORE

RELIABLE AND DURABLE OVERALL SYSTEM”


ARMOURY


FUTURE MOVES

Now that the system mechanically relies on a

charging handle and bolt lock, the replica will

now function like their real steel counterparts as

opposed to a simulated bolt lock and charging

handle of times past.

Finally, you can sit easy with Tokyo Marui’s

latest development of materials used in their

replicas. Starting with their 5th Generation of

Glocks, Marui has developed a highly durable

and flexible new carbon polymer hybrid material

for many of its latest replicas, this same “carbon

infused polymer” is utilized in all of the EVOLT

series. The metals used in the EVOLT replicas

are now of much higher quality over their NGRS

cousins which still utilized zinc alloys. The

company has now shifted to aluminum alloys for

lighter and more durable receivers.

The new EVOLT series is an exciting leap

forward as Tokyo Marui continues to innovate and

lead the entire airsoft industry. Tokyo Marui was

suspiciously quiet for the past two years working

on revamping their high cycle series into the PLUS

series while developing multiple new handguns

such as the 5th generation of GLOCKS and the

P320 series.

However, it is now clear that Tokyo Marui have

been hard at work at revolutionizing the entire

airsoft game yet again with their latest EVOLT

series. It promises a high level of customizability

along with the token Marui performance and

durability. As in the past, we can expect Marui

to further innovate as well as other companies

putting their own twist on the new EVOLT system

as we move forward. Expect exciting new models

and features to pop up!

Stay tuned for further developments of the

EVOLT series and future models to come!

Rai sensei out… AA

RELEASE DATE: TBD

COST: M4A1 CARBINE SHOCKLESS - ¥90,000

($590)/(€ 500)

Recoil Shock FPR Mk4 - ¥120,000 ($775)/(€ 670)

81 Round Mid-cap STANAG Magazines ¥3,800

($25)/(€ 21)

Image credit to the Tokyo Marui website for

additional images, some of which are shown

here for information purposes. More information

on the EVOLT program can also be found

on the Tokyo Marui website, https://www.

tokyomaruiairsoft.com/post/evolt-the-newstandard-in-automatic-electric-guns

“IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT TOKYO MARUI HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK AT

REVOLUTIONIZING THE ENTIRE AIRSOFT GAME YET AGAIN WITH THEIR LATEST EVOLT

SERIES. IT PROMISES A HIGH LEVEL OF CUSTOMIZABILITY ALONG WITH THE TOKEN

MARUI PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY”

24


TOKYO MARUI

L119A2 CUSTOM BUILD

NEXT GEN RECOIL SHOCK CONTACT US FOR DETAILS

THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR

EXAMPLE OF OUR CURRENT RECOIL

MODELS, BASED ON TOKYO MARUI’S

FANTASTIC SYSTEM - FITTED WITH

THE ANGRY GUN RAIL SYSTEM AND

REAL STEEL MAGPUL FURNITURE

ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

PROJECT

STACATTO!

SOMETIMES WE LIKE TO RETURN TO SPECIFIC AEGS AND GBBS AND GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT

OF THE “AA MAGIC” TO SEE JUST WHAT PERFORMANCE AND UTILITY WE CAN REALLY GET

FROM THEM, AND OUR LOVE FOR STI/STACATTO PISTOLS “IRL” MEANS THAT THE AIRSOFT

VERSION IS A PRIME CONTENDER! BOYCIE HEADS UP A NEW PROJECT WITH L’IL STU, OUR

OLD RS FRIEND AND AIRSOFT VETERAN TIM CRIDDLE, AND TRAMPAS SWANSON FROM

ARMED LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE IN THE USA TO CREATE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL USING THE

STACATTO P AS A BASE!

26


ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

It seems a long time ago that myself, Li’l Stu,

Steve and Dan had the opportunity to get our

hands on the range of Staccato pistols whilst

at Shot Show 24. Being at SHOT Show gives us

the opportunity to not only handle real firearms

which are not legal in the UK, but also to have the

opportunity to get hands on and live-fire test them

too!

Last year we also had hands on with the fully

licensed Staccato replica on the Evike stand,

coming from the EMG/Army Armament program.

As some may remember, I also had the chance

to talk with Michelle Viscusi, one of the Team

Staccato shooters, and as the lads will likely

attest, that became one of my highlights of the

2023 SHOT Show!

Having had the opportunity to handle the real

versions of the Staccato line, this gives me a

more unique perspective over others who may

only have the chance to handle and use only

the 6mm replicas. Onwards to 2025 and again,

we had the opportunity to see and handle both

RS and replica models. I’m hopeful that in 2026

when we return to Vegas for SHOT Show 26, that

we may just be lucky enough to be able to make a

trip out to the newly named Staccato Vegas range

to do some testing, along with our good friend

and owner/editor of Armed Lifestyle Magazine,

Trampas Swanson.

Bill provided an overview of the new Stacatto

airsoft pistol line last year in ISSUE 165 (available

in Back Issues on the AA website), and said of the

initial models:

“In summation my time on the range with

the P COMP SOC 2011 has been a highly

pleasurable experience; I know that the real

Stacatto handguns have an excellent reputation,

and now I’ve had the chance to shoot with one

of the replicas I can completely understand why

in relation to ergonomics, balance and ease of

manipulation. When you shoot a Stacatto airsoft

pistol you can feel that it has been crafted by

skilled hands to perform every time.”

This time though we’re going to focus on

another specific model in more detail, and there

are good reasons why.

The model we have got hold of is the fully

licensed Staccato P, and the OEM of the Staccato

replicas is Army Armament; some years ago when

Army Armament started producing replicas, they

were seen as part of the “cheapsoft” ranges with

not great performance and as someone once

said “shonky build quality”. That the Tokyo Marui

range of replicas seem to have some “fairy dust”

sprinkled on them as their performance is almost

a thing of legend, I have to say that now with the

performance of the OEM of the Staccato range

of pistols, Army Armament have improved, in all

“HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HANDLE THE REAL VERSIONS OF THE STACCATO

LINE, THIS GIVES ME A MORE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OVER OTHERS WHO MAY ONLY

HAVE THE CHANCE TO HANDLE AND USE ONLY THE 6MM REPLICAS”


ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

respects, so much that I would say that Tokyo

Marui have some serious competition in highperforming

replicas, and I don’t say this lightly!

BOX FRESH

Our test model, the P variant, came in a cleanlooking

white box with the Staccato branding on it

and some clear “warnings” on one edge. Opening

the box you find the instruction booklet or as we

sometimes jokingly call it “the manufacturer’s

opinion”.

Also inside is a test card showing the model

number, ours being R611-3, calibre, serial

number and the tested power level. We’re not

sure what gas is used for the test, I presume it is

green gas and that the BB is a .20; our test unit

serial number 00679 was recorded as 343 fps.

Also included in the box is a cool credit card-sized

certificate of authenticity with the Staccato logo

alongside EMG International’s logo.

Having been lucky enough to handle the real

Staccato P at SHOT Show in 2024 and 2025, both

L’il Stu and myself said how close it was to the

real thing. Our friend Trampas, over in Florida,

owns two real Staccato P’s and also the same

model of replica which he uses for training. We’ve

been discussing the P for a while and he told

me “It’s a very well made replica in my opinion. I

would say it’s on a par with my SIG226 for weight

and realism”, it’s a dead ringer for the real version.

I’ve sent you some comparison pictures of my

real Staccato P alongside my airsoft replica and

there is little difference between them.” Check

out the comparison pictures for yourself and see

just how close they are!

With the airsoft replica there’s not much to

set up before testing to be honest. Charge the

magazine with your desired gas (I used HFC

Green Gas), and load it up with BB’s. We decided

“AN OPTIC WILL ALSO ADD SOME DEGREE OF BULK AND WEIGHT TO YOUR SIDE ARM

AND MAY DICTATE A CHANGE IN HOLSTER IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE IT. HOWEVER,

THERE ARE NOW MANY HOLSTER MANUFACTURERS THAT NOW OFFER A VERY WIDE

COMBINATION OF PISTOL AND OPTICS”

28


ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

on using the ASG Devil .28’s as those were easily

to hand. For the test we used the standard iron

sights initially, then thought about fitting an optic;

more detail on this new optical sight to come in

the second article in this multi-part series.

The iron sights on the P are crisp and really

clear. The first test was at 10m and L’il Stu

commented that “This thing is a nail driver!” I

can say that I had the same feeling when I put

the second mag through it as we both could

consistently hit the target, approximately the size

of the top of a soft drinks can. We then wanted

to see how it performed at further distance so we

moved back to 25m and were really impressed

with the performance in hitting an A6-sized

aiming point for almost every shot we took.

Being lucky to be using a live fire range that

gave good shelter, we didn’t have any breeze to

blow the BBs off course. Stu jokingly set up a line

of used 12G cases at the end of the range tests

and said “Go on then bertie, bet you can’t hit

them”. Challenge accepted and after a couple of

ranging shots, I took three cases off in a row and it

took a further ten shots to remove the remaining

four cases, all using the Iron sights. We’d like to

thank my friend Jono for allowing us to test the P

at the range normally used for live fire.

Next was fitting the optic sight and then taking

some photos. We were that taken with the P’s

performance that we forgot to take pics before

fitting the sight, although Bill was able to provide

some stock versions that he had on file from his

overview article. Before we get to the article on

the optical sight, our colleague Tim has a look at

the argument between irons and optics.

TIM’S TAKE

The addition of optics to pistols in airsoft is now

commonplace. There are a plethora of replica

and real steel options at various price points

“OUR TEST MODEL, THE P VARIANT, CAME IN A CLEAN-LOOKING WHITE BOX WITH THE

STACCATO BRANDING ON IT AND SOME CLEAR “WARNINGS” ON ONE EDGE. OPENING

THE BOX YOU FIND THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET OR AS WE SOMETIMES JOKINGLY

CALL IT “THE MANUFACTURER’S OPINION”…”


ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

to choose from, depending on the look and

functionality that is required. So, what comes to

mind when considering if your side arm would

work better for you with iron sights or if it’s time to

look at an optic?

Iron sights or “irons” are reliable and fairly

robust, in other words, they are “Always Ready”.

There’s no need to turn them on, adjust the

brightness, or replace the batteries, making them

the traditional or entry level choice for many

airsofters, although times are changing. For those

looking for an authentic load out, the addition of

an optic may not be appropriate, WW2 or Vietnam

War era would fall into that category. Many would

agree that there is still something very ironic

about a classic, standard single-stack 1911,

which would obviously have just irons.

In contrast, optics like red dot sights can have

significant advantages for the user that can

improve the effectiveness of their pistol; they

offer faster target acquisition, ease of use, and

better performance in low-light conditions, but

they can be more prone to failure and require

battery power.

In addition, there is the risk of damage, a BB

hitting an iron sight won’t be an issue, however

a BB at close range into glass of an optic

(particularly one with lower quality glass) could

well mean that it’s beyond repair. An optic will

also add some degree of bulk and weight to your

side arm and may dictate a change in holster in

order to accommodate it. However, there are now

many holster manufacturers that now offer a very

wide combination of pistol and optics.

Irrespective of which option is decided on it’s

important to get proficient with whatever you

have fitted to your pistol. Some airsoft sites run

training courses and where space permits people

have targets set up at home, but in any case,

the old adage still rings true...”practice makes

perfect…!”

We’ll have more from Tim in the next article

in the series which will look at the sight in more

depth. That’s about it for the initial impressions

and test of the Army Armament OEM EMG

licensed Staccato P. I’ll leave the last word to L’il

Stu...

“I have to say that I am speechless having seen

and experienced the performance of the Staccato

P. It’s phenomenal for an out of the box replica,

I wonder how much better it could be made to

perform.”

One step at a time Stu, but a good idea for

another future “TECH” article perhaps… AA

“THE IRON SIGHTS ON THE P ARE CRISP AND REALLY CLEAR. THE FIRST TEST WAS

AT 10M AND L’IL STU COMMENTED THAT “THIS THING IS A NAIL DRIVER!” I CAN SAY

THAT I HAD THE SAME FEELING WHEN I PUT THE SECOND MAG THROUGH IT AS WE

BOTH COULD CONSISTENTLY HIT THE TARGET”

30


ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO P1

“IT’S A VERY WELL MADE REPLICA IN MY OPINION. I WOULD SAY IT’S ON A PAR WITH

MY SIG226 FOR WEIGHT AND REALISM”, IT’S A DEAD RINGER FOR THE REAL VERSION.

I’VE SENT YOU SOME COMPARISON PICTURES OF MY REAL STACCATO P ALONGSIDE

MY AIRSOFT REPLICA AND THERE IS LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM”


PRRIIM

OORR

Brrrrruuusssssshhhhllleeeeeeeessssssssssss mmmmooo tttttooorrrrr EEnnnhhhhaaannncccceeeeeeeed PRIMEE pppnnneeeeeeeeuuummmmaaatttttiicccc ssssssyyssssss ttttteeeeeeeemmmm

Ennnnnnnnssssssssuuurrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssssss ssssssssmmmmmooooooooooooooootttttttth ggggeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrbbbooooooooxx ooooooooppppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrraaaaaaaattttttttiiiiiiiioooooooonnnnnnnn,,,

fffffffaaaaaaaasssssssstttttttt ttttttttrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiggggggggeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr rrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssssssppppppoooooooonnnnnnnnsssssssseeeeeeee,,, aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd eeeeeeeexxtttttttteeeeeeeennnnnnnnddddddddeeeeeeeedddddddd

dddddddduuurrrrrrrraaaaaaaabbbiiiiiiiilllliiiiiiiitttttttty....

Immmmmpppppprrrrrrrroooooooovveeeeeeeedddddddd aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiirrrrrrrr sssssssseeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallll aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd eeeeeeeefffffff fffffffiiiiiiiiccccciiiiiiiieeeeeeeennnnnnnncccccy

fffffffoooooooorrrrrrrr cccccoooooooonnnnnnnnssssssssiiiiiiiisssssssstttttttteeeeeeeennnnnnnntttttttt glc aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd ssssssssuuuppppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrriiiiiiiiooooooook

ppppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr fffffffoooooooorrrrrrrrmmmmmaaaaaaaannnnnnnnccccceeeeeeee....

NN

WANT TO KNOW MORE? TAP OR CLICK THE IMAGE TO FIND OUT!

E

OOTHIINNG

SS tttteeeeeeeeeeeeeell

rrrreeeeeeecccceeeeeeei>eeeeeeerrrr

TDC---sssssss ttttyy lleeeeeee hhhhooopppp---uuupppp cccchhhhaaaammmmmbeeeeeeerrrr

Exxcceeeeeeeeppppttttttttiiiiiiiioooooooonnnnnnnnaaaaaaaalllllly ssssssssttttttttrrrrrrrroooooooonnnnnnnngggg aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd iiiiiiiimmmppppaaaaaaaacctttttttttrrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssssssiiiiiiiissssssssttttttttaaaaaaaannnnnnnntttttttt,,,

ddddddddeeeeeeeessssssssiiiiiiiiggggnnnnnnnneeeeeeeedddddddd ffffoooooooorrrrrrrr rrrrrrrreeeeeeeellliiiiiiiiaaaaaaaabbbllleeeeeeee ppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr ffffoooooooorrrrrrrrmmmaaaaaaaannnnnnnncceeeeeeee iiiiiiiinnnnnnnn haaaaaaaarrrrrrrrssssssssh

eeeeeeeennnnnnnnviiiiiiiirrrrrrrroooooooonnnnnnnnmmmeeeeeeeennnnnnnnttttttttssssssss...

Offff ffffeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrssssssss ssssssssttttttttaaaaaaaabbbllleeeeeeee aaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddddd pppprrrrrrrreeeeeeeecciiiiiiiisssssssseeeeeeee BBBB ssssssssppppiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn

aaaaaaaaddddddddjuuussssssssttttttttmmmeeeeeeeennnnnnnntttttttt,,, rrrrrrrreeeeeeeeggggaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrddddddddllleeeeeeeessssssssssssssss ooooooooffff ccoooooooonnnnnnnnddddddddiiiiiiiittttttttiiiiiiiioooooooonnnnnnnnssssssss...

SS pppp eeeeeee cccc nnnn aaaa AA rrrr mmmmm sssssss SS AA --- PPP J 0 2 PPP RR II MM EEE

J - SS EE R I EE SS

WANT TO KNOW MORE? TAP OR CLICK THE IMAGE TO FIND OUT!

AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

DRONE

WARFARE...

AIRSOFT

STYLE!

LAST MONTH IN AIRSOFT ACTION WE HAD A VERY SPECIAL REPORT FROM RATTY

AND RICH DETAILING THE VERY LATEST IN DRONE TECHNOLOGY, BUT HOW CAN

WE APPLY THE SAME TECHNOLOGY IN AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO OUR AIRSOFT

GAMES? AFTER WOWING MANY A PLAYER DOWN AT THE NAF IN AUGUST, BEN

NOW SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON HOW THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED!

34


AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

Let’s talk drones in airsoft; now it has become far more

popular using drones to one’s advantage not only in the real

world driven by their adoption in conflicts such as that in

Ukraine and Gaza but in airsoft too.

Mostly I’ve seen drones used on the MilSim frontier as the

recon tool gathering intel for a teams strategic plans of attack or

intercepting an attack, and the most common drone outside of

real warfare and in airsoft is the DJI mini models as far as I can

see.


AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

These are understandably the most ideal and

practical drones for this purpose, but there does

come a slight snag with these drones as the

majority of them need an operator with a remote

and take up to about two minutes to set up which

in all fairness isn’t too bad. Some of the latest

models do have some features like “follow me

tracking” but still take an operator to set that up

via the remote first.

With this style of drone they do have quite

the advantage; they can go higher, move faster

zoom in and out with camera, withstand higher

winds and travel further, and they have sensors

to detect collisions and last a bit longer flying...

compared to my drone the Hover Air X1...however

with my model of drone it is a quick deploy, 30

seconds or so (pull out of your pocket or pouch

and unfold wings) self-tracking selfie drone which

can also be manually controlled via a mobile app

or remote!

This little drone, that takes off from the palm of

your hand with a push of a button and lands back

in it with either a reach out suggestion of your

hand or crossing your forearms over your head,

is quite perfect for a one man or small squad

“eye in the sky”, quickly deployed to scout your

close surroundings for possible enemy forces or

compounds in either a skirmish or milslim game.

I mostly use it to capture third person in-game

clips or photos as I enjoy making my videos for my

YouTube channel, but it’s very versatile!

HOVER AIR X1

The Hover Air X1 comes with pre-built-in fastdeploy

tracking modes such as “hover” where

it will hover in place and track the user in a 360

degree pivot, “follow” where it locks on to the

user and follows at whatever range or height

preset, “birds eye” where it again locks onto

the user and goes straight up in the air up to 15

metres depending on presets, “zoom out” where

the drone will fly away from you up to 9 metres

and come back.

You can also pre-set height and distance, and

in “orbit” it will circle you from 90 degrees to a

full 360 or 900 degrees with different heights

and ranges, “dolly” which is a following mode

of the drone in front locked onto you flying

“THIS LITTLE DRONE THAT TAKES OFF FROM THE PALM OF YOUR HAND WITH A PUSH

OF A BUTTON AND LANDS BACK IN IT WITH EITHER A REACH OUT SUGGESTION OF

YOUR HAND OR CROSSING YOUR FOREARMS OVER YOUR HEAD IS QUITE PERFECT FOR

A ONE MAN OR SMALL SQUAD “EYE IN THE SKY””

36


AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

itself backwards with heights and distance you

choose...

Then you come to the custom set-up mode with

a couple more features like, side track, manual

mode (live feed to mobile app), snap shot (takes

photos), indoor follow and smart control where

you can control the drone with hand gestures to

perform a couple of the pre-built in modes all in

one flight and continuous recording!

The Hover Air X1 is a neat little drone that slides

into your pocket or admin pouch, weighs no more

than 129 grams and is just a pucker little tool to

add some modern-style warfare to your game.

The first edition model I have has a 2.7k camera

and is very impressive, but the latest models can

come with a 4k up to 8k camera and is considered

more the sports line as it travels faster and tracks

better plus has the rear collision sensor. These

drones were mostly built for capturing some

extreme sports that people like to do like downhill

mountain-biking, skiing, skating or just to even

capture memorable moments and places you

come across in life, so for me it fits in with all that

in our world of airsoft.

IN-GAME

I always get asked about it whenever I use it

in games; yes, there’s a chance it might get shot

down... but that’s where we just hope that we

are among respectful players and of course, it’s

always wise to have a word with the Marshals

before any games start and have it mentioned

in the briefing so you stand a better chance

of people respecting you’ve got a relatively

expensive tool that can’t do any harm, but can

add a more unique game for both team’s, either

to avoid being detected or to take as much

advantage of the info this tool can provide.

However, for me, I just enjoy getting my small

clips to spice up my videos; if it’s something

you’re looking into then don’t ignore the Hover

Air X1, but be sure to get your licence and public

cover and check with the sites you play at that

it’s ok to fly. Once you’ve done this simply get out

there and make whatever use of it you see fit…

happy droning players!

“THE HOVER AIR X1 IS A NEAT LITTLE DRONE THAT SLIDES INTO YOUR POCKET OR

ADMIN POUCH, WEIGHS NO MORE THAN 129 GRAMS AND IS JUST A PUCKER LITTLE

TOOL TO ADD SOME MODERN-STYLE WARFARE TO YOUR GAME. THE FIRST EDITION

MODEL I HAVE HAS A 2.7K CAMERA AND IS VERY IMPRESSIVE”


AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

SPECS

Aircraft

• Dimensions: 127mm (L) * 145mm (W) * 30mm

(H) (unfolded), 127mm (L) * 86mm (W) *

31mm (H) (folded)

• Weight: 125g (including battery)

• Max Flight Time: 11.5 minutes. Each battery

can perform approximately 20 intelligent

shots continuously.

• Storage Capacity: 32GB

• Flight Modes: Hover, Follow, Side track, Dolly

track, Zoom out, Bird’s eye, Orbit, Snapshot,

Smart control, Manual.

• Gimbal Controllable Range (Pitch): -90° to 15°

• Connectivity: WIFI (2.4GHz, 5.8GHz)

• Maximum Speed: 7m/s horizontally, 1.5m/s

ascending, 1.5m/s descending

• Maximum Wind Resistance Speed: 7.9m/s

(Level 4)

• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32° to

104° F)

• Maximum Flight Height: Maximum flight

altitude is 10 meters. In Bird’s eye mode, it

can be set up to 15 meters.

• Maximum Take-off Altitude: 2000m, max

5000m (fly carefully)

• Real-Time Image Transmission Distance: Up to

30m

• Effective Working Environment for Positioning

System: Ground height from 0.5m to 15m,

with diffuse reflective surface, discernible

texture, reflectivity greater than 20%, and

sufficient lighting conditions (greater than

15 lux, normal indoor fluorescent light

conditions)

Camera

• Photo Modes: Standard mode, Burst mode

• Video Modes: 2704*1520@30fps,

1920*1080@60fps, 1920*1080@30fps (HDR)

• HDR: Supported

• Vertical Mode: Supported

• Photo Resolution: 4000*3000 (12MP)

• Image Format: JPEG

• Video Format: MP4

• Image Stabilization: Mechanical (pitch axis) +

Electronic (EIS) hybrid stabilization technology

• Field of View (FOV): 90°

• Positioning System: VIO

• 35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 19mm

• Aperture: f/2.4

• Focus Mode: FF

• Focus Range: 0.75m to infinity

• Video Exposure Mode: Automatic

• Photo Exposure Mode: Automatic

• Video Encoding: H.264

• Maximum Video Bitrate: 32Mbps

• White Balance: Automatic

Battery

• Capacity: 1050mAh

• Standard Voltage: 7.7V

• Weight: 42g

• Charging Limit Voltage: 8.8V

• Charging Temperature: 0°C to 40°C

• Charging Speed: 35 minutes to 100% (using

charging hub), 55 minutes to 100% (charging

X1 while inside)

• Recommended Charging Adapter: PD 18W

adapter

App

• App Name: Hover X1

• Mobile System Requirements: iOS 12.1 or

above, Android 9.0 or above

For more information on the Hover Air X1, and

other drone options, please do check out https://

uk.hoverair.com

Many thanks, as always, to Josh and everyopne

at Krios Photography for the awesome imagery

that supports this article! AA

“I ALWAYS GET ASKED ABOUT IT WHENEVER I USE IT IN GAMES; YES, THERE’S A

CHANCE IT MIGHT GET SHOT DOWN...BUT THAT’S WHERE WE JUST HOPE THAT WE

ARE AMONG RESPECTFUL PLAYERS AND OF COURSE IT’S ALWAYS WISE TO HAVE A

WORD WITH THE MARSHALS BEFORE ANY GAMES START”

38


AIRSOFT TECH

DRONES HOVER AIR X1

“DON’T IGNORE THE HOVER AIR X1, BUT BE SURE TO GET YOUR LICENCE AND PUBLIC

COVER AND CHECK WITH THE SITES YOU PLAY AT THAT IT’S OK TO FLY. ONCE YOU’VE

DONE THIS SIMPLY GET OUT THERE AND MAKE WHATEVER USE OF IT YOU SEE FIT…

HAPPY DRONING PLAYERS!”


_;.

'"j

·· ... ,

:t?);/i:/·i\':?:,t/'i};; J;::: ,,

- . .

-• ,.

'

.

.,, ..·, . ,,.,:-

:

..:-;t\:

-,>

' ;, ,, r •. -•,•

\tl1:.1\( /\;:;;)

:,

till

RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

RED CELL

42


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

HOPEFULLY THE “FINAL SHOT” OF RED CELL WILL BE ONE THAT’S HEARD

AROUND THE WORLD BY AIRSOFTERS EVERYWHERE, AND WE THOUGHT

TO FINISH UP THIS EPIC JOURNEY BY CIRCLING BACK TO A CATEGORY THAT

CONTINUES TO CAUSE DEBATE AMONGST PLAYERS AND SITE OPERATORS ALIKE…

YUP, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT DESIGNATED MARKSMAN RIFLES (DMRS), THAT ARE

AWESOME TO BUILD AND OWN, BUT CAUSE BOTH JOY AND CONCERN IN EQUAL

MEASURE!

FINAL

SHOTS…


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

Ah, the “Designated Marksman Rifle” or

“DMR”! What a joy it is to own one of these

big boi specials, especially if you have it set

up right and you’re able to reach out and touch a

fellow player in the best possible way… but what

a bone of contention these mid-range ass-kickers

have been over the years!

When I was running games in the USA we saw

things like the M14 EBR appearing “in theatre”,

and almost immediately the conversation started

about how this could be nest represented in

airsoft terms, a debate that still seems to drag on

although most of us have made our peace with

the concept, and indeed have fielded a “DMR”

ourselves at some point, in my case my beloved

WE ACE SVD that’s been with me now for nigh on

eight years. It would also appear that this is again

prime territory for technology advancement, as

once again a good semi-auto only

HPA setup is perfect for the role if

tucked away in a suitable body.

What you’ll find listed here this

month are all models that sit in our

personal armouries, and although

we talk about a couple of new and

different models for the DMR role,

the ones in the list have seen action

over an extended period. At this

stage though, I asked the guys not

to comment on specific platforms

per se (although Stewbacca

wanted to update the PSG-1 and

FAL specifically), but rather to talk

about the DMR, and how it works as

a concept.

No doubt the debate on what

constitutes a “DMR” and how it

should be fielded will rage on and

on, but to kick things off here I’m

going to hand things over to our

returning “Tech Viking” Jimmy,

who’s slowly making his way back

to as normal as he ever gets, and bringing his own

brand of airsoft magic back into AA! With a wealth

of DMRs both upgraded for fellow players, and

built for his own enjoyment, he knows a thing or

ten about this topic…

Jimmy: A Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR)

in airsoft is a specialized platform designed

to bridge the gap between a standard assault

rifle and a bolt-action sniper rifle. In real-world

military terms, a designated marksman is a

trained shooter who provides accurate fire at

ranges beyond those of standard infantry rifles,

but not as far as a sniper. The same concept

applies to airsoft, where a DMR serves as a midto-long-range

precision platform, capable of

engaging targets with improved range, accuracy,

power, and consistency compared to a typical

automatic electric gun (AEG) or a GBBR.

“WE SAW THINGS LIKE THE M14 EBR APPEARING “IN THEATRE”, AND ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY THE CONVERSATION STARTED ABOUT HOW THIS COULD BE NEST

REPRESENTED IN AIRSOFT TERMS, A DEBATE THAT STILL SEEMS TO DRAG ON

ALTHOUGH MOST OF US HAVE MADE OUR PEACE WITH THE CONCEPT”

44


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

In airsoft, a DMR is almost always a semiautomatic

rifle that has been tuned for greater

range and accuracy. Most fields require DMRs

to be locked to semi-auto fire only, meaning

the player can fire one shot per trigger pull,

with no full-auto capability. This rule maintains

balance and prevents a high-powered DMR

from becoming overpowering in close-range

engagements. The trade-off for the higher

velocity and longer range is typically a minimum

engagement distance (MED) often around 30

meters (UK) below which the player cannot

shoot opponents and often carry a sidearm for

those closer engagements. This ensures safety,

as DMRs usually fire at higher velocities than

standard rifles.

The performance specifications of a DMR vary

by field rules, but they typically shoot between

400 and 450 feet per second (FPS) with a 0.20-

gram BB. In contrast, standard rifles are often

capped at 350 FPS, while sniper rifles may

exceed 500 FPS. Because of this increased

power, DMR players can reach out to targets

at greater distances,

often using heavier BBs

such as 0.30g to 0.40g

for better stability and

wind resistance. The

combination of power,

accuracy, and heavier

ammunition allows DMR

users to deliver precise

shots that can change

the tide of a match.

Building or upgrading

a DMR often involves

several internal and

external modifications.

Internally, players focus

on creating a consistent

air seal, improving hopup

performance, and

ensuring stable FPS readings. Common upgrades

include a tightbore inner barrel (6.03mm or

smaller), I tend to settle at 6.03mm, a highquality

hop-up rubber, a reinforced gearbox, and

an upgraded spring to achieve the higher FPS

limit; however raw FPS is not key when it comes

to range and accuracy. A BB that carries kinetic

energy for longer will always be more accurate

(this is known as joules) and better joulage can be

achieved by BB weight. A good ETU will ensure no

mechanical lock up which is something most if

not all users have suffered from.

Externally, DMRs often feature longer barrels,

bipods, and magnified optics like low-power

variable optics (LPVOs) or scopes to help players

identify and engage distant targets. The goal of

these upgrades is to maximize accuracy and

consistency rather than sheer rate of fire.

On the field, the role of the Designated

Marksman is a tactical one. The DMR player

supports the squad by providing overwatch,

covering open areas, and eliminating threats that

standard riflemen might struggle to reach. They

“A DESIGNATED MARKSMAN RIFLE (DMR) IN AIRSOFT IS A SPECIALIZED PLATFORM

DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN A STANDARD ASSAULT RIFLE AND A BOLT-

ACTION SNIPER RIFLE. IN REAL-WORLD MILITARY TERMS, A DESIGNATED MARKSMAN

IS A TRAINED SHOOTER WHO PROVIDES ACCURATE FIRE AT RANGES BEYOND THOSE

OF STANDARD INFANTRY RIFLES, BUT NOT AS FAR AS A SNIPER”


TAP ANYWHERE TO VISIT AIRSOFTMANIA.EU AND CLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT!

EXCLUSIVE

DISCOUNT CODE

AA2025

FOR AIRSOFT ACTION

READERS

WWW.AIRSOFTMANIA.EU | 30 DAYS RETURN | FREE SHIPPING

RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

G&G ARMAMMENT GR25 (SR25) AEG

Price: iro UK£425.00

Age: Four Years

Weight: 2730g

Length: 1010mm

Magazine Capacity: 50 BBs

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps

Hot Chrono: 1.08 Joule/342fps

Accessory Compatibility: Railed

Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW

Supplied by: www.nuprol.com

CYMA CM.032 M14 EBR AEG


Age: Five Years

Weight: 4342g

Length: 950/1030mm

Magazine Capacity: 400 BBs (Mid Caps available)





Supplied by: www.iwholesales.biz

UMAREX H&K G28 AEG


Age: Six Years

Weight: 5130g

Length: 970/1040 mm






Supplied by: www.fire-support.co.uk

VFC/UMAREX PSG-1 GBBR


Age: Four Years

Weight: 4700g

Length: 1220mm




Accessory Compatibility: Dedicated

Suppressor Compatibilty: Dedicated

Supplied by: www.vegaforce.com

G&G SBR 308 MKII


Age: Five Years

Weight: 2400g

Length: 705mm



Hot Chrono: 1.06Joule/339fps

Accessory Compatibility: M-LOK


Supplied by: www.guay2.com

48


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

often operate at the edge of the engagement

range, between the frontline riflemen and the

sniper. This position requires patience, good

field awareness, and excellent marksmanship. A

good DMR player doesn’t just rely on their gun’s

power… they use positioning, camouflage, and

timing to dominate mid-range engagements.

In summary, the DMR in airsoft represents a

blend of power, precision, and strategy. It is not

simply a high-FPS rifle but a specialized tool

for players who value accuracy and tactical

play. Whether built from an AR, SCAR, or SR-25

platform (or the OPFOR equivalent), a welltuned

DMR can be one of the most effective and

rewarding roles on the airsoft field.

The more purist airsofter does believe that

a DMR should be of a specific criteria and

insist on absolute adherence to tradition, rules

and structure, with some sites actually laying

down rules stating it should look a certain

way. I am very much of the belief that if it can

be locked to semi-auto only and comes under

the sites recommended power limits then it

can be used as a DMR. We are all using a 6mm

spherical ball of plastic for ammunition and the

platform doesn’t need to mimic its real world

counterpart, although when done right it is very

cool. I personally enjoy the use of a DMR and I’m

constantly in search of that perfect long shot, and

speaking from experience the feeling you get from

that one single shot is better than dumping half

a mag at close range. I pride myself on my game

and I like to show respect for the opposition and

you can show that respect in how you treat them

on the field… one shot is far more friendly than

laying into them with half a mag on full auto!

Boycie: For me a proper DMR needs to be a few

things. First is to be able to deliver more velocity

than a standard AEG/GBBR. Second it has to be

semi-only, and third tweaked for accuracy and

swift follow up shots. For me there’s none of this

run a standard “M4” with a scope on and be a

DMR. You only need look at the differences in the

British Army’s L85/L403A1 “individual weapons”

and the L129A1. Whilst the L85 and L403 can do

the job at reasonable distances, the L129’s larger

round and accuracy gives better performance

at longer ranges. It’s almost three times heavier

projectile is more stable over distance and

despite airsoft projectiles starting at .20g I used

to work on .36 for DMR use

when I was running my A&K

SR25. It would chrono at 450

fps with a .20 and that gave

it a bit of an edge over the

standard AEG/GBBR. I’ve

seen some players using

their ‘DMR’ at close range

and indoors which for me

would be done in the real

world of combat but this is

a game and we have to have

rules. Usually the rule when I

ran DMR was no use indoors

and a minimum of 25/30m

engagement range. This

would mean carrying either a

“BUILDING OR UPGRADING A DMR OFTEN INVOLVES SEVERAL INTERNAL AND

EXTERNAL MODIFICATIONS. INTERNALLY, PLAYERS FOCUS ON CREATING A

CONSISTENT AIR SEAL, IMPROVING HOP-UP PERFORMANCE, AND ENSURING STABLE

FPS READINGS”


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

VFC M110K1 GBBR


Age: Three Years

Weight: 3550g

Length: 908-990mm





Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW


VFC SR25 ECC GBBR


Age: Five Years

Weight: 3090g

Length: 908-990mm




Accessory Compatibility: Partially Railed



CM0.98A E-EDITION


Age: Six Years

Weight: 3200g

Length: 980/1070mm (Max)






Available From: www.taiwangun.com

TOKYO MARUI SCAR H NGRS


Age: Two Years

Weight: 3350g

Length: 902mm/965mm




Accessory Compatibility: Partially Railed


Available From: www.redwolfairsoft.com

ARES X AMOEBA AR308 AEG


Age: Three Years

Weight: 3070g

Length: 810/875mm






Supplied by: www.iwholesales.biz

50


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

standrad AEG/SMG or GBBP as a secondary.

It also meant that I had to be more canny

indoors and could really get some fun pistol and

pyro ‘kills’, not to mention using the rubber knife

to make some silent ‘kills’. I’ll be honest in that

I really enjoyed the DMR role as I’d usually hang

back a bit from the initial fury of “GAME ON!”

and my team would call me forward to help take

out problematic players who were dug in. It also

helped as I got older and not feeling like keeping

up with the banzai charges of the under 20’s!

My first DMR was a TM SG-1 running back when

we had ‘big boys rules’ and as the sport took off,

I went to the SR-25 which was the basis of my

‘L129A1 ish’ replica. Nowadays I’m more a high

speed (Ha! said L’il Stu) low drag player. I tend

to carry an SMG, a secondary and maybe half

a dozen lo caps but just occasionally the DMR

calls.

Dan: Of any role on the field, I would say the

DMR has certainly enjoyed the most controversy.

Here in the USA, I have seen the role run the

gamut from full-on bans to “anything goes” to

much more nuanced

selection. Lately,

it seems to have

(temporarily, at least)

settled into the latter

category.

Our local field had

for many years banned

the role on the basis

that it simply made no

sense and streamlining

the rules adhered to the

golden axiom of K.I.S.S.

It has only been in the

last few years that they

opened it back up again

with some caveats.

Since the reintroduction,

I would feel comfortable

in saying it hasn’t made a significant impact on

the games themselves, nor has it been a widely

adopted role inasmuch as a mechanism to get

guns through chrono that would have otherwise

been considered “too hot” before.

In some effort to police things, the bulk of

fields in the USA have limited this class of rifles

to specific models based around the 7.62mm

cartridge or larger, thusly nixing anyone who is

wanting to rock up with their MP5 fitted with a

heavier spring or the AR-15 SPR variant camp

entirely. Locally, this holds true here too, with

some additional rules being that it must have

a magnified optic equipped and you also must

carry a sidearm for engagements within your

MED. And of course, be semi-auto only too.

Beyond that, it’s up to you how you want to dress

it out, and there’s nothing really preventing you

from rocking a short-barrelled SCAR-H and

popping in a drum mag to boot, for example.

Technically speaking, the DMR platform is

supposed to bridge the gap between carbines

capped at 1.5J and sniper rifles running up to 2.8J.

“FOR ME A PROPER DMR NEEDS TO BE A FEW THINGS. FIRST IS TO BE ABLE TO

DELIVER MORE VELOCITY THAN A STANDARD AEG/GBBR. SECOND IT HAS TO BE

SEMI-ONLY, AND THIRD TWEAKED FOR ACCURACY AND SWIFT FOLLOW UP SHOTS”


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

SECUTOR RAPAX M6


Age: Four Years

Weight: 3000g

Length: 900-980mm






Available From: www.iwholesales.biz

WE ACE VD GBBR


Age: Eight Years

Weight: 2900g

Length: 1215mm




Accessory Compatibility: It’s WOOD!

Suppressor Compatibility: Nope

Supplied by: www.nuprol.com

LCT SVD AEG (OLD STYLE)


Age: Four Years

Weight: 3900g

Length: 1225mm



Hot Chrono: Joule/fps

Accessory Compatibility: Nyet!

Suppressor Compatibility: Dedicated

Available From: New ETU models now available

CYMA CM.057S SVDS

Price: iro UK£290.00 (often available second hand now!)

Age: Old… like “Bill Old”!

Weight: 3715g

Length: 1095mm




Accessory Compatibility: Nope!

Suppressor Compatibility: Still Nope

Supplied by: Bill

LCT SVDS ETU

Price: iro UK£780.00 (Estimated)

Age: Two Years

Weight: 4100g

Length: 875/1135mm

Magazine Capacity: 55BBs



Accessory Compatibility: Ha… NO!

Suppressor Compatibility: Dedicated

Supplied by: www.lctairsoft.com

54


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

In theory this makes some sense, but in practice,

the waters are a bit muddy as there is often a lot

of overlap with the LMG class - and sometimes

overlap with the sniper class too. For example, it

is not uncommon to encounter fields that have

both LMG and DMR capped at the same velocity

limits. But the difference is the LMG can fire full

auto, while the DMR is restricted to semi-auto…

and both share the same MED restrictions. Given

this legal oddity, it sometimes makes more sense

to select the LMG on the merits of “quantity has a

quality all its own.”

Indeed, with all the advancements afforded

to us in the teching department these days,

the LMG can be built to run very accurately. In

many respects, I personally feel the accurized

LMG renders the DMR class obsolete, especially

if you’re not putting up the extremely artificial

limitations that an LMG simply be used for

spread and suppression. And with many fields

also allowing for semi-auto snipers running up to

2.7 - 2.8J, it often just makes more sense to build

your gun out for that. Obviously, one should pay

heed to what their local fields allow as well as

any sites they may wish to visit in the future as

this will be the hard standard you have to follow.

Usually when I am approached for a DMR build, I

first ask the prospective party what their field(s)

allow for, at which point they often go “Oh!” and

have to make adjustments, sometimes selecting

an entirely different platform from what they had

initially envisioned.

All that being said, the choice of whether to

run DMR or not often boils down to personal

preference. Most fellows who select a DMR are

looking more for a change of pace from their

usual BB hose and want the challenge of adopting

themselves and their gear to that role too. Yes,

there is a bit of theatrics to it, but after all...

dressing up is also part of the appeal in airsoft!

Stewbacca: While most MilSim games and

site operations will determine DMRs by specific

platform or profile, typically a semi auto only

locked 762 format system for the ‘bigger boollets’

and related encumbrance that real marksman

systems tend to follow for the sake of realism

and form a barrier to entry, in Taiwan at least our

power limits are higher to begin with, and all our

games are semi-only with some exceptions for

machine gunners, which do have to be the usual

belt fed variants in most

cases and fired only from

static stances and positions.

Personally I’ve obviously

got the VFC HK PSG-1 which

has been used extensively

in my time with it here as

a DMR or sniper platform,

easily being the heaviest and

most cumbersome of the

platforms I own and run, at

1.23m long and 6.5 kilos with

the bipod, scope, magazine

and general bulk of the base

gun included and is semi

only from the factory as with

the real deal. I might also

“MOST FELLOWS WHO SELECT A DMR ARE LOOKING MORE FOR A CHANGE OF PACE

FROM THEIR USUAL BB HOSE AND WANT THE CHALLENGE OF ADOPTING THEMSELVES

AND THEIR GEAR TO THAT ROLE TOO. YES, THERE IS A BIT OF THEATRICS TO IT, BUT

AFTER ALL... DRESSING UP IS ALSO PART OF THE APPEAL IN AIRSOFT!”


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

argue that my VFC FAL now fills the role quite well

too, again being a big boi calibre rifle and a cold

war classic, but having had so much work done to

it by this point it’s somewhat of a ‘ship of Theseus’

or ‘trigger’s broom’ in terms of modifications or

replacement parts - nonetheless its capabilities

certainly make it fit the bill for a gas gun, and

I’ve also added my own CAD designed and 3D

printed components to limit it internally to semi

auto only, as well as help upgrade the mounting

rail top cover to make it more like the more recent

improved OSW variant.

All that being said, I might also argue the likes

of my VFC M16A1/A2 could both fit the bill, given

their longer overall length as somewhat classic

rifles, and with the G&P replica of the 4x ‘toobscope’

mounted atop the carry handle. I’ve

certainly stretched their legs for very long range

shots and indeed outranged a bunch of OpFor

moving up at me on the beach last year at POLK

4 - with their full auto AEG fire being power limited

lower than my gas blowback semi auto, I wasn’t

even aware they were firing on me as their rounds

were falling so short, indeed it was only after

seeing their own headcam videos after the fact

that I realised they’d recognised me personally

and then started hosing my general direction

before I took them out from comfortably outside

their own effective range.

Ultimately, I think the role and equipment

should fulfil the appearance and character of the

game to justify its use. While 762 platforms tend

to be preferable, the likes of the longer-barrelled

556 ARs or even the likes of my VFC FNC with an

ELCAN replica up top are also very effective

systems in airsoft terms, and have real world

counterparts in terms of use case - particularly

with one of the guys on Heavy Recoil Club

seeing my FNC setup and then showing me

photos of him carrying the same but in real

steel format during service with Belgian forces

in African deployment - indeed they were used

as both standard individual weapons and DMRs

alongside F2000s for grenadiers in Belgian

forces deployment in mechanised formations

according to a ‘Battle Order’ channel video

I watched recently on youtube. So it could

be argued that a heftier/longer barreled

platform could fit the bill regardless of real life

calibre, certainly something scoped and more

encumbering and more noticeable in silhouette

than a standard infantry AR or whatever flavour

should be acceptable to my mind - a 500-

650mm internal tightbore barrel and 0.4-0.45g

BB certainly seems to get the job done well in

my experience.

Umarex VFC Heckler & Koch PSG-1 - Now

I’m reaching the four year mark with my VFC

HK PSG-1 it’s seen plenty of use over the

“MOST MILSIM GAMES AND SITE OPERATIONS WILL DETERMINE DMRS BY SPECIFIC

PLATFORM OR PROFILE, TYPICALLY A SEMI-AUTO ONLY LOCKED 762 FORMAT SYSTEM

FOR THE ‘BIGGER BOOLLETS’ AND RELATED ENCUMBRANCE THAT REAL MARKSMAN

SYSTEMS TEND TO FOLLOW FOR THE SAKE OF REALISM AND FORM A BARRIER TO

ENTRY”

56


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

years, particularly at our Xindian forest site in the

mountains in the south of Taipei where its range

and capabilities have certainly made it very useful

at eliminating OpFor at 40-60m from the brows of

hills overlooking positions, or hiding among the

large roots of trees.

Recently all but one of my four long 20 round

magazines (and the stubby custom 5 round

one I got largely for display purposes) have all

developed leaks on the main baseplate seals;

these are the now typical VFC specialised shaped

gasket seals which do work more reliably and for

longer than a deformed standard o-ring. However,

it seems they’re finally due a proper service so

I’ll have to take them over to the Pentagon Centre

for new seals and perhaps fasteners too… I have

tightened them up in the past to alleviate small

leaks, but it seems eventually you reach a limit of

how much you can do that, and it even looks as if

some of the countersinks have deformed slightly

as a result, so might need some work done on

them to rectify their internal geometry for proper

sealing with fresh gaskets - the 4UAD smartairsoft

4uantum seal grease

is nonetheless a very

useful and effective

go-to for prolonging

the seals and delaying

the need for deeper

servicing.

Other than that, I’ve

had the mainspring

of the fire control

group changed

out for a stronger,

shorter example at

the Pentagon Service

Centre a few years

back due to the

original snapping a

coil and collapsing in

on itself, the sears had

also worn a little so I had a rework done of the

whole fire control cassette. Sometimes the trigger

reset is not as reliable now due to asymmetric

loading of the sears and springs, so I may have to

push the trigger forward occasionally to reset it

fully, besides that I’ve had a few issues with the

main cylinder rear plug loosening up on the bolt

carrier group having had it apart to fit an NPAS

valve for the sake of adjusting the power output to

keep things sensible once I installed the Unicorn

Airsoft 6.03mm tightbore 650mm replacement

barrel from the stock one - which halved the

group sizes and increased consistency of the

muzzle energy.

I tend to run it on 0.48g BLS BBs to help

carry the energy out to longer ranges and keep

the groupings tight. You can also remove the

magazine limiters from the bottom of the BB

channels while you have them open for servicing

the seals (something I’ve done to allow me to

upload the four large mags to 28 rounds like the

FAL ones if I choose to, just to improve usefulness

in game at the slight expense of realism). Only

“PERSONALLY I’VE OBVIOUSLY GOT THE VFC HK PSG-1 WHICH HAS BEEN USED

EXTENSIVELY IN MY TIME WITH IT HERE AS A DMR OR SNIPER PLATFORM, EASILY

BEING THE HEAVIEST AND MOST CUMBERSOME OF THE PLATFORMS I OWN AND RUN,

AT 1.23M LONG AND 6.5 KILOS WITH THE BIPOD, SCOPE, MAGAZINE”


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

having four magazines at present means I have

to carry additional BBs and a loader into the field

as well as a small can of gas. Coupled with the

much greater bulk and weight overall that does

sometimes make me want to field the FAL instead

as it is approaching the same performance at this

point, but I have twice as many magazines and it’s

a lot lighter and more nimble and less front heavy

by comparison.

VFC FN FAL - As I mentioned earlier, at this

point my VFC FN FAL GBBR has seen so much

action at longer ranges and been scoped up with

at least a 4x optic for most of its use with me - it

offers a lighter and more wieldy alternative to the

admittedly awesome PSG-1 which makes me

more inclined to deploy it in game, as well as the

sheer aesthetic and wow factor of it as well as

having eight magazines and it just being easier to

run in general.

Having previously detailed some of my trials

and tribulations back in my ‘FALure point’s’

reloaded article in Issue 174, I have since had

even more work done to the FAL; a whole new

steel receiver was installed back in June just

after I submitted the article the previous month

for that issue. The aluminium rear underside of

the main receiver that interfaces with the locking

latch peeled open and the whole thing was very

loose and I wondered what the hell was wrong

on its previous outing until I noticed the cracks.

Apparently this is not uncommon on early version

standard receivers before they were amended to

strengthen them in later batches.

At this point it’s had the top rail adapter unit

(which caused some splaying out of the upper

receiver rails and the design has been amended

on the OSW to avoid this) and I have used 3D

printed spacers to create the same effect now in

my own FAL unit. It’s had a new rear sight after

it flew off under recoil, a new rearsight receiver

rear block after it broke due to running it without

the plastic spacer unit, a one piece steel outer

barrel, a new steel upper receiver after the

cracking as mentioned, a new HOP unit cage

after the pressure blade broke off the previous

one and I didn’t realise during my year or so of

messing around with it trying to get it to work with

the 500mm x 6.03mm Unicorn Tightbore barrel

which I finally re-installed successfully after the

previous service and returning it to the original

stock configuration and resolving the broken HOP

problem, and an NPAS unit to avoid the longer

barrel making it ridiculously over-powered, and

most recently a new ‘rat’s tail’ after the last one

broke off the rear of the bolt carrier group.

Evidently it’s seen a lot of wear and tear in

games, a rifle competition, as something I

reached to more than once for MilSims and

longer range games, and it’s just one of the few

‘top tier’ emotionally significant purchases I’ve

made like the PSG-1 and FNC which are excellent

performers and things I just reach for when I’m

not actively reviewing something and just want to

enjoy a shoot for myself. I’ve run it with either a

4x ACOG replica (as in POLK 3) and other games

around the same timeframe, and more recently

with the longer 4-16x zoom scope I tend to slap on

various longer range platforms.

Bill: So there we have it… nearly five years on

from where we initially started RED CELL as a

testing program is now complete. It’s been one

hell of a journey, and it’s allowed all concerned

to dig deep on specific areas of airsoft platforms,

increasing our joint knowledge and understanding

of them along the way.

All that remains now is to pull ALL the reports

together in one place at one time, but obviously

this will take a while! Meanwhile, our thanks go

out to all the manufacturers and distributors that

have got on board with RED CELL, and we look

forward to publishing our complete test results in

due course!! AA

“NEARLY FIVE YEARS ON FROM WHERE WE INITIALLY STARTED RED CELL AS A

TESTING PROGRAM IS NOW COMPLETE. IT’S BEEN ONE HELL OF A JOURNEY, AND IT’S

ALLOWED ALL CONCERNED TO DIG DEEP ON SPECIFIC AREAS OF AIRSOFT PLATFORMS,

INCREASING OUR JOINT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THEM ALONG THE

WAY”

58


RED CELL

DMR UPDATE 2025

Red Cell is supported by:


TAP/CLICK THE PAGE FOR MORE INFO

AIRSOFT TECH

GOOD NITE GEAR NVG50

BRIGHT

FUTURE TECH

CONTINUING HIS DEEP DIVE INTO ALL THINGS TECHNICAL, AND SPECIFICALLY

NIGHT VISION GEAR THAT’S TAILOR-MADE FOR AIRSOFT USE, THIS MONTH

BRUNO GETS INTO THE GOOD NITE GEAR BRAND AND CHECKS OUT THEIR NVG50

TO SEE JUST HOW IT PERFORMS!

62


AIRSOFT TECH


Welcome to an in-depth exploration of a

brand that’s swiftly becoming a major

player in the nocturnal optics space!

For years, night vision was a domain governed

by analog technology, specifically the image

intensifier tube. It provided that signature

green-hued clarity and near-zero latency, which

made it the gold standard for professionals

and enthusiasts alike. However, this superior

performance always came with a significant price

tag and a key vulnerability… exposure to bright

light could permanently damage the core of the

device!

But the world of digital technology never stands

still, and a new era is dawning. Digital night

vision has been evolving at a breathtaking pace.

The advances in sensor technology, processing

power, and low-light algorithms are closing the

performance gap with every new generation. It’s

no longer a question of if, but when digital night

vision will stand on equal footing with its analog

counterparts, offering a more versatile, durable,

and accessible solution, and leading this charge

is a brand that truly understands this potential,

Good Nite Gear.

Founded in 2022 by content creator Kyle

Moran, the brand was built on the core mission

of making powerful night vision and thermal gear

accessible to everyone.

From its base in California, the company has

seen explosive growth, shipping thousands of

units to a wide spectrum of users, from airsoft

players to hunters, and even

law

enforcement personnel. Their

rapid success and stellar

reputation are a direct

result of their commitment

to delivering exceptional

performance without the

prohibitive cost. They

are democratizing the

night, opening up a world

previously reserved for a

select few.

HANDS ON

Today, I’m going to share my experience with their

most compelling offering yet, the NVG50 digital

night vision monocular.

Unlike traditional image-intensifier-based

devices, the NVG50 uses a cutting-edge Ultralow

illumination CMOS sensor. This isn’t just

a marketing term, it’s the heart of the device’s

technical superiority, making it completely

immune to bright light exposure. For someone

like me, who operates in dynamic environments

with fluctuating light sources, this is a massive

advantage.

The visual experience is driven by a stunning

OLED display with a native resolution of 2560 x

1440 pixels. This high-resolution screen provides

an incredibly crisp, detailed image, which is

crucial for target identification and navigation.

The monocular can be set to either 30 or 40

frames per second (Hz) at 2K resolution, or up

to 60 frames per second at FHD, which offers

remarkable fluidity and reduces motion blur in

fast-moving scenarios.

From an optical standpoint, the NVG50 is

meticulously designed. It features a 20mm

objective lens and a 23mm eyepiece, delivering a

40° field of

view.

“DIGITAL NIGHT VISION HAS BEEN EVOLVING AT A BREATHTAKING PACE.

THE ADVANCES IN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY, PROCESSING POWER, AND LOW-LIGHT

ALGORITHMS ARE CLOSING THE PERFORMANCE GAP WITH EVERY NEW GENERATION”


AIRSOFT TECH


While the basic optical magnification is 1X, the

device boasts a powerful digital magnification

with four settings, 1x, 2x, 3x, and 4x, allowing you

to get a closer look at distant objects. The viewing

distance is impressive, ranging from 0.2 meters

to infinity. In starlight conditions, without any

external light source, it can detect objects up to

300-400 meters away, which is a testament to the

sensitivity of its CMOS sensor.

The NVG50 comes equipped with a built-in

940nm IR light. For those in the know, a 940nm IR

wavelength is completely invisible to the naked

eye, making it a powerful tool for clandestine

operations or simply for observing wildlife without

being detected. The monocular is also built to

endure, constructed from a strengthened ABS

shell and boasting an IPX7 waterproof rating,

which means it can withstand immersion in

water. It operates flawlessly in temperatures

ranging from -25°C to +50°C, making it suitable

for almost any climate.

One of my favorite technical features is the

NVG50’s versatility in colour modes. It offers

four distinct options: a full-color mode, a classic

black and white mode for high contrast, and

two-night vision classics, a vibrant fluorescent

green and a crisp white phosphorus. This level

of customization allows you to adapt the display

to your personal preference and the specific

environment, whether you’re prioritizing detail

or simply reducing eye strain, adding to this,

on the settings, a really useful compass can be

activated, once ON, while you using the night

vision you can also check the bearings in degrees

and the cardinal direction, I say that this is super

useful because in a situation of giving your

“THEIR RAPID SUCCESS AND STELLAR REPUTATION ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF

THEIR COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE WITHOUT THE

PROHIBITIVE COST. THEY ARE DEMOCRATIZING THE NIGHT, OPENING UP A WORLD

PREVIOUSLY RESERVED FOR A SELECT FEW”

64


AIRSOFT TECH


colleagues information, you already have the

most important part right Infront of you

Powering the unit is straightforward. It uses two

18350 rechargeable lithium batteries, or it can be

connected to an external power bank or battery

pack via its Type-C USB interface. This flexibility is

a huge benefit in the field.

The monocular supports memory cards from

8GB to 64GB, giving you plenty of space for

video and photo capture. The list of features is

extensive, including support for nine languages,

video playback, brightness adjustments, circular

recordings, a microphone switch, automatic

shut-off, time adjustment, WIFI, Picture-in-

Picture (PIP), a crosshair, and a 180° view switch.

It even has a sport mode at 40 frames per second

for high-action scenarios and can be used with

both eyes for a more immersive experience. The

unit itself is incredibly compact, with dimensions

of 87x65x50mm and a weight of just 192g.

CHANGING THE GAME

From my perspective, what I have with the NVG50

is an absolute game-changer.

For a price of around €475,95 or UK£412, it’s

a compelling piece of kit that has completely

changed how I approach my nighttime activities.

It’s robust, packed with high-end features,

and incredibly user-friendly. I can attest to its

durability. It’s handled everything I’ve thrown at

it. I did notice that with the built-in IR illuminator,

passive aiming with a red dot sight can be tricky

due to the bloom, but there’s a simple solution for

it, instead of having the built in IR on for passive

aiming, just have a weapon mounted IR flashlight

on and the bloom will be gone!

For anyone serious about extended use, the

NVG50 External Battery Pack is a non-negotiable

accessory. Priced at approximately €70 or UK£61,

it’s a critical piece of the ecosystem. This pack

houses two 18650 batteries and, when paired

with the NVG50, boosts the total operational time

up to 22 hours; this is a crucial technical upgrade

that transforms the monocular from a short-use

device into one capable of handling prolonged

missions. The pack also serves as a perfect

counterbalance when mounted on a helmet,

a subtle but significant feature that drastically

improves comfort.

And of course, a night vision monocular is only

as good as its mounting platform.

Good Nite Gear offers a range of robust

solutions to ensure a stable and secure setup. For

my needs, the NVG50/NVG30 Adjustable Wilcox

Mounting Arm is the perfect platform for attaching

the device to my helmet. For those looking to set

up a dual monocular system, their “NVG Mount

+ Dual Unit Binocular Bridge Mount” offers a

versatile solution, and for those who need more

illumination, any IR illuminator will be welcome.

The fact that the NVG50 can be mounted on a

standard picatinny rail or a helmet shows its

versatility.

A quick tip to those who have smartphones

with face recognition; cover the IR illuminator of

your phone if you want to use night vision… it is a

serious matter, an enemy can detect you across a

pitch-black field with ease!

The NVG50 monocular truly represents the next

phase of night vision technology. By focusing on

a direct-to-consumer model and selecting highperformance

components, Good Nite Gear is

able to deliver a powerful, reliable, and affordable

device that significantly outperforms its price

point. What I have is a product that is perfectly

suited for a wide range of applications, from

tactical training to recreational use. The future

of night vision is digital, although we may be not

there yet, with brands like Good Nite Gear leading

the charge, that future is brighter than ever.

For more information on everything that

Good Nite Gear produce, and for more

on their technologies please visit https://

goodnitegearshop.com AA

“POWERING THE UNIT IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT USES TWO 18350 RECHARGEABLE

LITHIUM BATTERIES, OR IT CAN BE CONNECTED TO AN EXTERNAL POWER BANK OR

BATTERY PACK VIA ITS TYPE-C USB INTERFACE. THIS FLEXIBILITY IS A HUGE BENEFIT

IN THE FIELD”


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

WINTER

WARMERS!

AS THE MONTHS TURN WETTER AND COLDER BILL BELIEVES IT’S TIME AGAIN TO

CHECK OUT GEAR SPECIFICALLY FOR KEEPING SWITCHED ON IN THE SAFE ZONE

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE PLUMMETS AND THE SLEET AND SNOW (OR MORE LIKELY

HEAVY RAIN IN OUR CASE AT AAHQ!) DRIVE IN, GEAR THAT WILL LET YOU “ADAPT

AND OVERCOME” AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVEN THE HARSHEST WINTER GAME-

DAY!

It’s that time of the year again that we start to

look at gear specifically for the coming winter

months, and a good “Safe Zone Jacket” is one

of the things that I place high on my personal list

of must haves!

What do I mean by a “Safe Zone Jacket”? Pretty

much exactly what the name would suggest, a

jacket that can be kept back in the Safe Zone

to throw on for immediate warmth and comfort

when I come off the field with a head of steam up,

a real “winter warmer” if you like.

I actually feel that this is a crucial piece of

gear to own for two main reasons. Firstly, after

a hard mornings skirmish you’re going to have

warmed up but when you’re out on a basic site

with no heated Safe Zone (in many cases you’ll

be operating from the back of the car or from

a shed of some sort) it’s very, very easy to chill

down quickly when you stop for lunch. This leads

to discomfort and on a cold, snowy winters day,

or especially one when it’s cold and wet, and I’ve

seen many players leave a game at lunchtime as

they’ve become too chilled to continue…

Secondly, sadly in the UK where AAHQ is based

it’s often not the cold, pretty white stuff falling

from the sky that we need to contend with but

grey rain and sleet; if you’ve ever stood in an

exposed Safe Zone with horizontal sleet driving in

you’ll totally get why I find an insulated jacket to

be and indispensable bit of kit!

In the winter months if you really need to push

up the insulation levels of your mid-layer then it’s

seriously worth considering some form of lofted

garment. Once upon a time everyone would

have been saying “get a down jacket”, and in

certain conditions I’d thoroughly agree with that.

These days though I pretty much always go for a

synthetic fill rather than down; synthetics retain

a high percentage of their insulative properties

even when wet whereas when down gets wet it

will stay wet and will actually try to use your own

core body heat to dry itself resulting in you being

even colder!

Another benefit of a synthetic fill is that you

can also compress it, and leave it compressed

for extended periods of time without causing

any damage to its structure. Most of the jackets

will come with a compression or stuff sac which

“IT’S VERY, VERY EASY TO CHILL DOWN QUICKLY WHEN YOU STOP FOR LUNCH. THIS

LEADS TO DISCOMFORT AND ON A COLD, SNOWY WINTERS DAY, OR ESPECIALLY

ONE WHEN IT’S COLD AND WET, AND I’VE SEEN MANY PLAYERS LEAVE A GAME AT

LUNCHTIME AS THEY’VE BECOME TOO CHILLED TO CONTINUE…”

68


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

can be used to minimise its size making it

easier to store and carry with you.

Hypothermia is not something to be

taken lightly and let’s face it, you really

don’t want to be “that guy” who

causes a problem for everyone

due to lack of forethought and

preparation. I know, I really do,

that you could easily look at this

and say that an insulated jacket

is just another piece of kit to

buy, just another expensive

item of clothing that won’t get

used that much. In fact once

you own such a garment

I think you’ll be shocked

actually how much you do

use it!

All the “big names” out

there will offer one if not

more insulated jackets

in their clothing range and

shopping around will get you something in

your price range. Although camouflage insulated

jackets are available think about where you’ll be

wearing it. If you buy a simple block colour rather

than camo then you’re also going to end up with

something you can wear every day which makes it

even better value for money…. just like waterproof

shell gear your “Safe Zone Jacket” will not be a

cheap buy, but to me this type of investment is

exactly what turns some who plays airsoft into an

airsofter proper!

With all that said here are my “five of the best”

for the Safe Zone; keep warm, keep switched on,

and above all else, keep playing airsoft and enjoy

your winter games!

POLISH HEAT!

HELIKON-TEX WOLFHOUND JACKET

Helikon-Tex are well known for providing solid,

well priced garments, and being Polish they

know just a little about cold weather

performance, so the first jacket on

my list is the HELIKON WOLFHOUND

HOODIE JACKET, and I’ve been using

one since 2021. Made from

lightweight and durable 100%

WindPack Nylon shell with

additional Climashield Apex

insulation, the Wolfhound

Hoodie Jacket features

hard-wearing YKK main

zipper with glove-friendly

zip pull, chin guard and

warm stand up collar and

multiple zipped pockets.

The thinner elasticated

VersaStretch

fabric in the

armpits area

improves air

circulation

and

provides

the

maximum

comfort of

wearing.

In

addition

to that,

the left

hand

loop panel allows

to attach custom

patches while the elasticated wrists and bottom

“THIS IS A GREAT CHOICE FOR SOMETHING THAT’S EASILY PACKABLE AND QUICK TO

EITHER STOW OR DEPLOY! AVAILABLE IN MALE AND FEMALE SIZES, PLAIN COLOURS

AND A WHOLE RANGE OF CAMO PATTERNS THE WOLFHOUND IS THE IDEAL THING TO

HAVE IN YOUR PACK FOR WHEN THINGS TURN CHILLY!”


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

hem ensure maximum body warmth. Highly

recommended for security and armed forces

personnel, the wolfhound hoodie Jacket is also

a fantastic choice for camping, trekking, outdoor

and hiking activities.

This is a great choice for something that’s

easily packable and quick to either stow or

deploy! Available in MALE AND FEMALE sizes,

plain colours and a whole range of camo patterns

the WOLFHOUND is the ideal thing to have in

your pack for when things turn chilly!

HELIKON-TEX YUKON JACKET

A new model that’s got my

attention is the new WINTER

YUKON JACKET which is

rated to -16/-25°C, but

as its new for this winter

season I will admit that I

haven’t yet had chance

to put it fully through

its paces in the

extreme cold,

although I have

given it a run out

on the range on

damp, chilly days

and have found

the fabrics to be

bomber-tough,

the design fully

functional, and

the feature set

solid.

The YUKON

pairs lightweight,

fast-drying

Climashield Apex

insulation with

a tough Duracanvas

shell that resists dirt, scuffs and even

campfire sparks, ideal for hard use outdoors.

Inspired by Helikon’s Wolfhound Hoodie and SAS

Smock Jacket, this durable, practical winter shell

is built for toughness and deep-winter cold, yet it

doubles up brilliantly for everyday wear too with a

choice of five muted block colours.

This is a practical insulated jacket with an

adjustable hood, a two-way front zip, efficient

ventilation and a well-thought-out pocket layout

that keeps you organised and comfortable in very

low temperatures, the YUKON is part of Helikon’s

Bushcraft line, and features include a full-length

two-way front zip with chin guard and glove

friendly pullers, two zipped chest pockets, two

zipped hand pockets, one zipped left arm pocket

with a loop panel for patches or IDs, one zipped

internal chest pocket, and two internal mesh

pockets at the waist … and there’s even a couple

of MOLLE loops on both sides at the waist for

compatible accessories and some neat hanging

loops for gloves under the chest pockets too!

This looks to be exactly what we need for

in-between games and staying warm during

range downtime and as with all things

Helikon-Tex the new YUKON is a super

jacket that has all the features you’ll ever

need along with great cold, wet-weather

performance. I got mine in Coyote Tan

so I can wear it on a daily basis as well

as on the range and on-site, and it’s also

very well priced for the performance

level indicated which means you get a

lot of “bang for your buck”; for these

reasons alone it already earns a place in

my recommendations!

BRINGING IT HOME

Of course I have to “fly the flag” a

little here when it comes to insulated

jackets, and Snugpak, the leading

British sleeping bag manufacturer,

has built upon the success of its best

known insulated jacket, the Softie, to bring

“THIS LOOKS TO BE EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED FOR IN-BETWEEN GAMES AND STAYING

WARM DURING RANGE DOWNTIME AND AS WITH ALL THINGS HELIKON-TEX THE NEW

YUKON IS A SUPER JACKET THAT HAS ALL THE FEATURES YOU’LL EVER NEED ALONG

WITH GREAT COLD, WET-WEATHER PERFORMANCE”

70


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

continued innovation to its clothing collection.

The new generation of insulated jackets from

Snugpak are British made in the company’s

factory in West Yorkshire, and are manufactured

using its exclusive Softie Premier insulation.

The Airsoft Action team and I have worked

with Snugpak a LOT over the years, and have

huge respect for what they create, and as

their gear is used, and much loved, by serving

military personnel you can rely on Snugpak to

get the job done each and every time. This is

something I know to be true, as I’ve used the

gear extensively around the globe in differing

environmental condition, and I’ve never

found Snugpak gear to be anything less than

exemplary!

SNUGPAK ARROWHEAD JACKET

Based on the Sleeka Elite jacket, the

combination of the water-repellent Paratex

outer material and the exclusive Softie

100% polyester insulation, Snugpak has

created a warm, breathable, windproof

and lightweight jacket which provides

excellent protection from the elements

with a comfort rating of 0˚C. The SNUPAK

ARROWHEAD (now available as a WTGE

model) can be worn either as a coldweather

mid-layer or outer-layer garment

and the brushed polyester lined neck

warmer and insulated zip-off detachable

hood adds valuable additional warmth,

protection and versatility.

Other features include deep hand warmer

style pockets, internal zipped pocket, hook

and loop adjustable cuffs and handy zip pockets

on the arm, chest. The jacket weighs 820g and is

supplied in a handy stuff sack with mesh bottom

for easy compact carrying. It is available in Olive,

Black and Multicam colour options in unisex sizes

S to XXL.

I’ve been really pleased to have this model in

my personal gear-cage and it’s proved to be a

real “keeper”. Over the winter months during the

past couple of years I was able to try it in various

conditions and, especially when the temperature

plummeted it

really performed,

even

under my shell

gear on

REALLY wet

and

cold days

on-site

were

when other

trying to

find

cover! If you’re

looking for a really

great winter jacket that is absolutely perfect for

wear in the Safe Zone then I’d urge you to take a

really close look at the Arrowhead as it comes

with my thorough recommendation.

SNUGPAK MML6 SOFTIE SMOCK

Given my own personal history in the outdoor

pursuits world though there’s one model that

“AS A PART OF SNUGPAK’S “VENTURE” RANGE THE MML6 SOFTIE SMOCK WAS IN MY

MIND A FLAGSHIP GARMENT. IT’S A TRI-LAYER GARMENT AND USES BOTH PARATEX

MICRO AS A FACE FABRIC, AND AN INTERNAL SOFTIE PREMIER FILL, ENCAPSULATED

WITH A PARATEX LIGHT LINING”


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

has been my favourite for some time, and

although the MML6 SOFTIE SMOCK had now been

suoperseded by the TACTICAL SOFTIE SMOCK

WGTE the originals in Multicam are still out there

if you search for them… and you should!

For years I always had an original Snugpak

“Softie” jacket

crammed into my

patrol pack for

when I

wanted a bit of instant warmth, but Snugpak

really upped the ante though, taking things to

an entirely new level, and it’s a level that I’ve

embraced as an “upgrade” fully! Developed by

Snugpak with input from professional navigators,

mountain leaders, climbing instructors,

meteorological staff, and military personnel,

the Military Mountain Leader (MML)Smock was

created to support the user in a diverse range

of operational environments, especially when

exposed to extreme cold weather.

As a part of Snugpak’s “VENTURE” range the

MML6 Softie Smock was in my mind a flagship

garment. It’s a tri-layer garment and uses both

Paratex Micro as a face fabric, and an internal

Softie Premier fill, encapsulated with a Paratex

Light lining. Designed to provide excellent

thermal protection against the cold the MML6

is rated -5C to -10C; it also provides a high

degree of wind protection. The MML6 Softie

Smock is lighter than normal expedition

style jackets, and uses water resistant YKK

zips, making it ideal when size and weight

need to be kept to an absolute minimum.

It is ideally worn with a variety of base

layers, such as the Snugpak 2nd Skinz

Coolmax base layer, to move moisture

away from the skin, keeping you dry and

regulating core temperature in extremes

of cold.

The quick drying, Paratex Micro 100%

nylon material has a Durable Water

Repellent (DWR) finish. Water repellency

can be maintained with a cool tumble

dry after washing and periodic retreatment

with suitable after care

products, such as Nikwax and Grangers.

The MML6 Softie Smock will keep

you dry in a short, light shower, giving

you time to find a safe place to stop

and put on more effective waterproof

layers. The MML6 Softie Smock can also be

worn under waterproof membrane hard shells in

severe weather, still allowing easy access to your

essential equipment.

Whilst not exactly cheap at UK£199.95 the

MML6 Softie Smock should be viewed as a

“THE MAIN JACKET ZIP AND POCKET ZIPS ALL USE YKK WEATHERPROOF ZIPS, TO

KEEP YOU PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS, AND THERE ARE ALSO UNDERARM

VENTILATION ZIPS WITH MESH COVERING, TO ALLOW YOU TO VENT AND REGULATE

AND MANAGE YOUR CORE TEMPERATURE.”

72


GEAR

SAFE ZONE KIT

long term investment, especially if you act as a

Marshal as well as a player; whilst skirmishers

can easily head back inside to warm up a Marshal

needs to be out onsite at all times that a game is

in progress. The MML6 easily lets you do this so

in my mind is an invaluable addition to your kit

locker.

SNUGPAK TORRENT WGTE JACKET

Another new addition to my gear-cage for this

winter is the waterproof and insulated Torrent

jacket, and I guess that adding this model to my

tacticool wardrobe

indicates that in

truth I spend

more time

on the range

than

in-game

these

days, and

the

gear I add now tends to be fully functional!

The Torrent WGTE jacket, as Snugpak say, “is

built to battle everything nature has to throw at

it”. Insulated with exclusive Softie insulation and

featuring fully taped seams, not only is this a very

warm jacket that’s rated to -10°C (extreme), but

it’s fully waterproof too, just perfect for winter

range days at AAHQ! This fully featured jacket

comes with a detachable insulated hood that can

be rolled away or removed when not in use, dual

adjusters on the sides and rear of the hood allow

for a perfect fit.

Deep hand pockets allow you to store

your gloves or valuables safely and thermal

linings also help to keep your hands warm and

comfortable. You will also find a deep hidden

chest pocket inside the jacket. The main jacket

zip and pocket zips all use YKK weatherproof

zips, to keep you protected from the elements,

and there are also underarm ventilation

zips with mesh covering, to allow you to

vent and regulate and manage your core

temperature. Available in Black and Forest

Green the aptly-named TORRENT really is

a great jacket.

Like the excellent HELIKON-TEX

YUKON, the SNUGPAK TORRENT WGTE

JACKET is a superb option for everyday

wear, and if you choose either then

you’re going to get some excellent

performance, and a jacket that will last

you for many years! If however you really

want to go the full airsoft hog then any

of the camo variants indicated will also

serve you very well indeed… there’s

never a reason to be uncomfortable,

but there’s EVERY reason to get the right

gear and stay in the fight, no matter what

“old Ma Nature” may throw at you!

My thanks as always go to www.

military1st.co.uk for all things Helikon-

Tex, and to www.snugpak.com for letting

me test out the new TORRENT WGTE! AA

“THERE’S NEVER A REASON TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT THERE’S EVERY REASON TO

GET THE RIGHT GEAR AND STAY IN THE FIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT “OLD MA NATURE”

MAY THROW AT YOU!”


TAP/CLICK FOR MORE INFO

AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

OP

INTERIOR III

THE MEMBERS OF THE AA LEGION IN PORTUGAL ARE WELL AND TRULY BACK

ON THE AIRSOFT BATTLEFIELD, AND THEIR GAME TEMPO IS CERTAINLY ONE

THAT WE BELIEVE MANY WILL BE SLIGHTLY JEALOUS OF! IN ADDITION TO SMALL-

TEAM GAMES THE PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY IS BECOMING WELL-KNOWN AND

RESPECTED FOR THEIR LARGER EVENTS, AND MIGUEL BRINGS US HIS REPORT

NOW OF THE LATEST ITERATION OF THE EXCITING AND INCLUSIVE INTERIOR

SERIES!

84


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

I

think that one of the main aspects that

keeps people in airsoft is the get-together,

those great periods before or after a game,

where players from different teams talk shop,

change experiences and just have some laughs,

especially over a good meal and with a cup of

coffee or a beer in hand (this last part is only for

post-game!). It’s always great to see people from

different backgrounds, different professions and

different locations, people who otherwise would

never meet, leave it all behind and talk as an

airsoft player.

And this is one of the aspects that every year

brings us to the town of Oleiros, in Castelo

Branco. Each event is filled with teams from

different locations and with the conditions that

the organizing team offers, the stage is ready for

a great event. They have a big sports complex

for the teams, with a place to sleep, WCs with

showers, kitchen and a big hall for the meals,

with some big round tables, that create great

moments. But before all that, let’s talk about the

event itself.

Every year, our friends at the USAC team

organize their yearly Operation Interior. It’s an

event that aims to bring together not only the

teams of the region, but teams from other parts

of the country (like mine). The game takes place

in a small location called Estreito, which is part of

the Oleiros town. And since this small village has

seen so much airsoft, you can walk around in full

gear, and the residents won’t even find it weird,

and will actually give you a happy “good morning”.

They will welcome you with open arms! I guess

airsoft brings a lot of new people and business to

an otherwise quiet location.

So, our adventure started Friday afternoon,

when we hit the road for the usual three hour trip.

We had three cars going at different times and

mine was the first one to hit the road. We took

the chance to have a little meeting regarding our

upcoming event that we were organizing (my

next game report!), as there were some topics to

debate, there are always a few aspects to align,

and it’s always better to talk in person, rather than

online.

The trip was smooth, and with five guys in a car,

there is always something to talk about. When

we arrived, we were greeted with a “late night”

BBQ and beer to go along… my kind of welcome!

And with so many known faces, soon we were all

enjoying some talks along with the BBQ. But, we

had a full day waiting for us, so it was time to turn

in, and get some rest…

GEAR UP AND GO!

Saturday morning we got up early and had

breakfast, courtesy of the staff, and afterwards it

was time to gear up.

We were part of the Mafia faction, the same

faction has in previous years, who normally works

as an OpFor against the other two factions, but

this year we also had our own goals. And, like it’s

normal, we were asked to use an all OD uniform.

So I was rocking my Invader Gear MKII Invader

combat pants, Viper Tactical Special Ops combat

shirt and Plate Carrier - all in OD - and my Specna

Arms J82, which has become one of my favourite

replicas in the past few months.

After having our gear ready, we stored our vests

and replicas in the trunks, got into our cars and

drove toward the field, which was just a short

drive away. There we got our first look at the

scenario site this year, an almost-abandoned

village placed in a valley, with some houses still

in good condition, good paved ways and even

a water fountain…. not only that, but all the

surrounding area, with no visible limit to where

you could go! The USAC guys have some of the

best and biggest fields in the country, no question

about it.

Now, onto the game itself! The game was

based around a fictional map which had several

territories on it, and the goal of each faction was

“EVERY YEAR BRINGS US TO THE TOWN OF OLEIROS, IN CASTELO BRANCO. EACH

EVENT IS FILLED WITH TEAMS FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND WITH THE

CONDITIONS THAT THE ORGANIZING TEAM OFFERS, THE STAGE IS READY FOR A

GREAT EVENT”


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

to “buy” as many of those. And how could you

buy them? You had to collect resources, like fuel,

ammo and manpower. You had multiple ways

of getting these resources; first, you had some

persistent capturable points around the field,

and every time you switched one of those to your

faction, you would collect.

Secondly, you had special missions, these

could be bought with the resources that you

already had, but, on completion, you would be

rewarded. So they were a high risk, high reward

options.

And lastly, you had the territories themselves,

since each one purchased would multiply the

resources that you would get from the capturable

points and missions. So the game revolved

around this, getting resources and buying

territories. You could even buy one that was

already under another faction’s control, but at a

much higher price.

But, there was another aspect of the game just

for our faction, the Mafia. Which was our vehicle!

Yes, the Mafia had a repurposed vehicle that

the USAC team has been working on, and this

was its first game. The vehicle was the Mafia’s

own objective, with the resources gathered

we could upgrade our vehicle following one of

two “technology” branches. It could either be

a medical vehicle, acting as a respawn that we

could move around, or a combat vehicle, fitted

with up to two support guns and carry five people.

We began at the Mafia’s HQ, which to be

honest was just a spot in a crossroads, there was

nothing of interest there. But as soon as the green

light was given, we moved towards two resource

points and then pushed towards the village.

My initial plan was to position the car as a

respawn at the entrance of the village, since our

faction had half the players of the other two, and

keep on turning the resource points to our side,

until we had enough to buy a mission. For a good

while, we had control of the center of the village,

with plenty of contact coming from both enemy

factions, and with our mobile respawn stationed

at one of the village’s entrances, we had a small

advantage.

MISSION 1

Little by little we were gathering

resources and after a while

we got our first mission,

the traditional pilot rescue

mission. But, to do this we had

to pull out from the village,

in order to force the enemy

factions to fight among them,

while we had a small group

look for the pilot, which was in

the outskirts.

As soon as they located

the pilot, the rest of the Mafia

moved to the East outskirt of

the village to try to create safe

passage to the guys escorting

the pilot. It was all going well,

“SATURDAY MORNING WE GOT UP EARLY AND HAD BREAKFAST, COURTESY OF

THE STAFF, AND AFTERWARDS IT WAS TIME TO GEAR UP. WE WERE PART OF THE

MAFIA FACTION, THE SAME FACTION HAS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WHO NORMALLY

WORKS AS AN OPFOR AGAINST THE OTHER TWO FACTIONS”

86


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

but one enemy sniper appeared out of nowhere,

and saw us escorting someone. So he took the

shot, eliminated the pilot and was taken out

right away. Although he knew he was in a big

disadvantage, he took the chance. Great play!

Threw a wrench right to my plan!

With the pilot eliminated, even the organization

was unaware of what to do, because this scenario

was not in the plans. So the order was to search

the pilot, and we got a set of coordinates.

Although we didn’t complete 100% of the

mission, we got part of the reward, and a hit

toward the next mission.

MISSION 2

The next mission was to recover part of the cargo

dropped by the same pilot during his crash. So

our plan was to have the majority of our faction

make a distraction in the village, while the rest

moved away from it, to recover the crates.

As my group started pulling the attention of

the enemy toward the village, the other guys

were able to find the objective that was still a bit

outside the village, in one of the many valleys.

But, on the way back they

found a few random enemies

that appeared to either be lost,

or doing their own mission. The

confrontation was not in our

favour, especially since this

was enemy territory, and more

enemies could appear from the

enemy Respawn!

With this in mind, while

some stayed behind cover, the

rest rushed into a complicated

woodland area with the crates,

towards the location of friendly

troops, who had positioned

themselves after the first radio

communication about the

enemy contacts. With the fast

pacing of the guys with the

crates and extra protection

from part of the group that

were initially fighting in the

village, we were able to carry

the objective to our vehicle,

completing the mission.

MISSION 3

At this time we stopped for a bit, the game staff

delivered a mid-game “snacks” and drinks, so

we refilled and got something to eat. Even being

October, the sun was strong and hydration was

mandatory. But, this was no time for a full stop.

Soon we got a new mission, and this one was

available for all three factions. The mission was to

“WE GOT OUR FIRST LOOK AT THE SCENARIO SITE THIS YEAR, AN ALMOST-

ABANDONED VILLAGE PLACED IN A VALLEY, WITH SOME HOUSES STILL IN GOOD

CONDITION, GOOD PAVED WAYS AND EVEN A WATER FOUNTAIN…. NOT ONLY

THAT, BUT ALL THE SURROUNDING AREA, WITH NO VISIBLE LIMIT TO WHERE YOU

COULD GO!”


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

hold a position in the village, where a laptop was

connected to an antenna and was downloading

some information. But, since we had lost all

positions in the village during our small break, we

had to push through again. And it was far from

easy.

With the other two factions fighting for control,

we had to take advantage of our respawn, that

was positioned close to the village. This because

our vehicle was having mechanical issues,

and the organization asked to have it fixed in a

position. So, every enemy eliminated had to walk

a lot more to respawn. Even having double our

numbers, we had a closer respawn. And after

some good hours in those legs, along with the hot

sun, many players were quite tired already.

Slowly we got close to the location of the

laptop, but the fighting was not only intense,

but also memorable. Being able to play in such

a scenario is nothing short of amazing. With

houses, streets, stone walls all around, and

even garbage bins! And with everyone trying

out the location for the first time, it was a great

experience! And after some effort, we finally

controlled the centre of the village, where the

laptop was located. But, we still had to hold it for

20 more minutes, before handing it to the trader.

The ending was truly cinematic, with one of my

guys running with the laptop towards the trader,

while the blue faction was pushing the centre of

the village, but he dropped the objective right in

the middle of the main crossroads! So, we had a

real standoff, with both factions unable to reach

the laptop, while the red faction was trying to

push from their entrance of

the village. But, luck (and a

closer respawn) was on our

side, and after controlling a

couple of important corners,

we got the laptop and handed

it to the trader.

As we were still fighting

in the village, I got the

information that the red

faction got a mission to

attack our vehicle, and during

this period we couldn’t use it

as a respawn. So we started

to move out from the village

centre, but the attack was

already underway, with

contacts coming from the

south side of the village,

which I was unaware of.

And here I had one of those

individual moments that was

pure luck.

As I was moving back,

avoiding the main road, due

“ONE ENEMY SNIPER APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE, AND SAW US ESCORTING

SOMEONE. SO HE TOOK THE SHOT, ELIMINATED THE PILOT AND WAS TAKEN OUT

RIGHT AWAY. ALTHOUGH HE KNEW HE WAS IN A BIG DISADVANTAGE, HE TOOK

THE CHANCE. GREAT PLAY! THREW A WRENCH RIGHT TO MY PLAN!”

88


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

to a few stragglers from the blue faction, I jumped

to slope on the south side of the village. As I

moved towards the area of our vehicle, I caught

a group of enemies from the red faction from the

back, completely unprotected and already under

fire from my guys. So I just had to pick them off

one by one. And with that, the defence of our

vehicle was successful.

FINAL MISSION AND POST-OP FUN!

As we reached the end of the game, the last

mission dropped. It was a full on attack on the

Mafia base (our starting point), where a scientist

was located. We forced our legs for a last effort,

because the way to our base was completely

uphill. But, I guess the two other factions looked

at the location and

said “nahhhh I’m

good”, so no one

appeared. And with

that, the game ended.

But, being an event

from our USAC friends,

the game was over, but

the event was far from

it.

We got back to the

sports complex and

took a well-deserved

shower after removing

off all that gear. It felt

like heaven. After our

showers we moved

to the dining hall, and

from there on it was a

pure socializing, with

food and drinks into

the mix. At the end of

dinner the organization

held a giveaway, with

plenty of goods from

our friends at Viper

Tactical and Specna Arms.

While some guys did leave Saturday, others

stayed until the next day, since it was part of the

event, and Sunday’s lunch was included. Before

lunch there was a small lecture from GOAL’s

team leader, Fortes, about their experience in

Berget this year. It was quite interesting, learning

how it was planned, all the steps and prices,

while we were able to ask questions as well. It

was also a great way to learn many details of such

an adventure.

But soon lunch time arrived, and we had one

last big meal with everyone present. After filling

our bellies we got everything ready for our trip

back, and we closed this chapter on another

weekend filled with airsoft! AA

“THE ENDING WAS TRULY CINEMATIC, WITH ONE OF MY GUYS RUNNING WITH

THE LAPTOP TOWARDS THE TRADER, WHILE THE BLUE FACTION WAS PUSHING

THE CENTRE OF THE VILLAGE, BUT HE DROPPED THE OBJECTIVE RIGHT IN THE

MIDDLE OF THE MAIN CROSSROADS! SO, WE HAD A REAL STANDOFF…”


CLICK/TAP IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION

AA LEGION

TAIWAN

HIGHLAND

TARGET

CHALLENGE!

THE INAUGURAL “HIGHLAND TARGET CHALLENGE” WAS HELD IN LATE JULY N

JI’AN TOWNSHIP, HUALIEN, ON THE PICTURESQUE EASTERN COAST OF TAIWAN;

THE LOCAL “HIGHLAND GROUP” SPENT A MONTH AND A HALF ORGANISING THE

EVENT, PROMISING THE MOST EXCITING AND THRILLING COMPETITIVE SHOOTING

EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND AGES, AND OUR OWN

‘MILITARY’ ANNY WU MADE THE TRIP OUT TO COVER THE EVENT, SO NOW WE GET

TO SEE WHAT HER EXPERIENCES AND THOSE OF THE SHOOTERS WERE!

84


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

The newly established “Highland Group”

successfully attracted enthusiastic

registration from shooters across Taiwan

through online promotion; registration for the

event closed on June the 30th and the “Highland

Group” hoped to offer local shooting teams

the “Highland Target Challenge” as not only an

exciting inaugural event, but a method to verify

that their on-site hardware met competition

standards to allow for future growth of the

competition.

Game and Outdoor Gear Store, provided advice

and assistance as a consultant and served as

the event’s chief judge. He has extensive airsoft

and real firearms handling experience in Taiwan

and overseas, and organises shooting tours with

Taiwanese to the likes of Thailand for live fire

experiences, as well as operating his own airsoft

shop in Hualien.

A “Competition Rules and Safety Briefing” was

held on Saturday, July 12th, open to all interested

shooters, whether they had registered for the

In addition to the support of their families,

the “Highland Group” also received assistance

from numerous sponsors; notably, Chen Yanzhi,

founder of the Hualien-based Shooter Survival

competition or were still waiting to participate.

The instructors invited to this briefing all have

professional backgrounds, including active livefire

shooters and professional instructors who

“THE “HIGHLAND GROUP” HOPED TO OFFER LOCAL SHOOTING TEAMS THE

“HIGHLAND TARGET CHALLENGE” AS NOT ONLY AN EXCITING INAUGURAL EVENT,

BUT A METHOD TO VERIFY THAT THEIR ON-SITE HARDWARE MET COMPETITION

STANDARDS TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE GROWTH OF THE COMPETITION”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

have obtained SO safety officer certification in

the United States. They provided participants with

detailed explanations of the event precautions

and how to safely enter the shooting sport.

On the day of the competition, July the 19th, I

took an early morning train from Taipei to Hualien

to cover the competition, which officially opened

at 0900; the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan

forecast that day there would be a light typhoon,

Wipha, which would approach Taiwan, with the

heaviest rainfall expected in the eastern half.

Meteorological experts indicated that as Typhoon

Wipha passed through the Bashi Channel that

day and the next, scattered showers would occur

in the western half of the country, while heavy

rain would fall in the eastern half and Pingtung.

Despite the incessant wind and rain, the

shooters’ enthusiasm remained undampened;

of the 26 participants who originally registered

for the competition that day, 20 still managed to

show up… weather be damned!

In addition to the personal support of the

entire Highland Group team, the team members’

families also provided full support for the

event, and at the registration area, spouses

and girlfriends enthusiastically assisted each

participant in completing the check-in process,

providing crucial support for the smooth running

of the event… many hands make light work!

SHOOT DAY!

On the day of the competition, the competitors

prepared themselves in the rest area, the on-site

“DESPITE THE INCESSANT WIND AND RAIN, THE SHOOTERS’ ENTHUSIASM

REMAINED UNDAMPENED; OF THE 26 PARTICIPANTS WHO ORIGINALLY

REGISTERED FOR THE COMPETITION THAT DAY, 20 STILL MANAGED TO SHOW

UP… WEATHER BE DAMNED!”

86


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

briefing began at approximately 09:30, with the

competition venue comprising two stages, and

the organisers provided a detailed explanation of

the configuration and competition procedures for

each stage.

All participants were required to test and adjust

their weapons in a safe house to ensure a safe

and smooth competition. The chief referee for

the event was Chen Yanzhi, founder of “Shooter

Survival Game Outdoor Products Store,” who was

responsible for overseeing the competition and

officiating all related matters.

CON1, and holsters their gun. After the signal

sounded, the contestant must first shoot down T1

(a rotating Texas Star with five steel target plates

on its arms), T2 and T3 in area A. After hitting all

the steel targets, they can move back to area B,

then hit T4 and T5 targets, and then move back

to area C to shoot T6 and subsequent targets.

There was a special rule in the competition that

T1 to T4 must be shot only with the strong hand,

while targets 6 through 8 required two-handed

shooting.

Re-targeting was prohibited after leaving

The first stage of the competition started in

restricted area A; the contestant faces the target,

loads the magazine and chambers the gun in

the restricted area, and each shooter was

recommended to fire a maximum of 12 rounds

- each stage featuring 12 steel targets, all of

“THERE WERE 20 PARTICIPANTS IN THE EVENT, INCLUDING A FEMALE FRIEND;

THIS WAS HER FIRST TIME ENGAGING WITH FIREARMS AND SHOOTING. THE

OTHER PARTICIPANTS PROVIDED HER WITH GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT, ALLOWING

HER TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE SHOOTING PROCESS”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

which must be shot down to complete the level

- to familiarise the competitors with the venue

and procedures, the organisers also provided a

10-minute practice period, giving shooters the

opportunity to test their shots and familiarize

themselves with the stage configuration.

In the second stage of the competition, the

contestants needed to place the toes of both

feet on the red start line, face forward, load their

magazine into the gun but not chamber a round

(CON2) and holster their gun. After the signal

sounded, the contestants began from the start

line and first entered restricted area A. Before

shooting through the window, they first pulled the

activator rope and knocked down targets T1 to

T4. After completing the shooting, they moved to

restricted area B and knocked down targets T5 to

T9 through the window. The most challenging was

T9, which was a Texas Star, again with five steel

targets mounted to its arms… any reloads during

the shooting process also had to be done from

within cover.

Competition rules required that T2 was

triggered by pulling the handle, and once leaving

cover in Area A, targets T1 through T4 could be

re-engaged. This stage required a minimum of

13 rounds, with one paper target and 13 steel

targets, challenging the competitor’s accuracy

and control skills.

There were 20 participants in the event,

including a female friend; this was her first

time engaging with firearms and shooting.

The other participants provided her with great

encouragement, allowing her to slow down

and enjoy the shooting process, and although

the two-stage events held in the morning were

competitions, the atmosphere was less intense

than traditional shooting competitions and

more cheerful, with competitors completing

each shooting task in a relaxed and enjoyable

atmosphere. Many participants were also firsttime

shooters, and through these events, they

had the opportunity to experience the joy of

shooting in a safe and professional environment.

THE “FUN” CONTINUES!

After lunch, the event began again at 13:30

with the “Fun Competition”. In addition to the

teams participating in the morning competition,

including AP (Apex Predator) and Nemesis, the

remaining participants took part as a detached

formation. The fun competition not only

included a shooting challenge but also offered

opportunities for families to participate together,

allowing everyone to experience the joy of

shooting in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

In the afternoon’s “Fun Competition,”

participants took on a speed challenge; the

target array was divided into two halves, with two

competitors simultaneously competing to see

who could shoot down all the targets the fastest.

During the event, participants experienced the joy

of speed shooting in a relaxed and cheerful way.

The organisers also carefully prepared afternoon

tea snacks, including cute jellies with small flags

of the Highland Group inserted on them, making

every shooter feel at home and adding to the

warm and inclusive feel of the event.

The event quickly arrived at 16:00, beginning

with a lively raffle with a wealth of prizes, which

delighted the participants! This was followed

by the awards ceremony for the morning’s

first “Highland Target Challenge,” where the

champion, runner-up, and third-place prizes

were presented. For me, every competitor

was a champion in their hearts, as most were

participating in shooting competitions for the first

time.

While the atmosphere at this event was more

relaxed and cheerful than traditional shooting

competitions, all participants adhered to basic

safety regulations, ensuring a smooth and safe

event; even the typhoon that made landfall in

Taiwan that day couldn’t dampen things! After the

“THE FUN COMPETITION NOT ONLY INCLUDED A SHOOTING CHALLENGE BUT ALSO

OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO PARTICIPATE TOGETHER, ALLOWING

EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF SHOOTING IN A RELAXED AND ENJOYABLE

ATMOSPHERE”

88


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

event, I quickly boarded the train back to Taipei

while they were still celebrating…

I would like to express my gratitude to the

Highland Group members for being thoughtful

and picking me up at the train station on the way

to the event, and look forward to seeing them

again at the next shooting competition in Hualien.

THE HIGHLAND GROUP

Established in October 2024, most members are

already working professionals, with families and

responsibilities; however, they remain united by

their love for shooting sports. They view training

and competitions as a way to relieve stress in

their lives, finding joy and balance in both focus

and challenge.

The team’s name, “Highland Group,” holds

special significance; their training grounds are

located precisely on the contour line of Hualien,

and the name “Highland” not only echoes the

geographical characteristics of this region but

also symbolises the team’s pursuit of challenging

heights and self-transcendence. “Highland

Group” has thus become a new calling card

for eastern Hualien, writing its own story with

dedication and passion.

Highland Group Membership

• Captain: Ryson

• Vice-Captain: Andrew

• Team Members: Hao, Aubla, Aupipi,

Willson, Shawn, Bigmouth, Rope

Each member may be a hard-working office

worker or a trusted supporter of their family

during the day, but at the range they are partners

fighting side by side; despite their diverse

identities and life stages, they are united by

their passion for shooting, together, amidst the

mountains and sea of Hualien where they have

forged their own unique shooting arena.

For the first-ever Highland Steel Target

Challenge Competition the registration fee was

NT$350. The competition for the steel target time

trial had the following prizes:

• Champion: Trophy and prize money of

NT$1,000

• Runner-up: Trophy and prize money of

NT$800

• Third place: Trophy and prize money of

NT$500

Registered participants each received a raffle

ticket for a chance to win various prizes, and

this event is sponsored by several companies,

including:

• Shooter Survival Game Outdoor Gear Store

• RA-TECH

• TBRM Precision

Deputy Editor Asia note: Many thanks as

always to ‘Military’ Anny Wu for quite literally

braving the storm in this case and going to the

other side of the country to cover this inaugural

competition and bring us news of the growing

shooting community and events here in Taiwan.

We look forward to seeing further diversification

and have the Ding Ding Cup 2025 Steel Challenge

coming soon to bring you news of in a later issue.

Until next time fellow shooters, hammer down

and holster… AA

“WHILE THE ATMOSPHERE AT THIS EVENT WAS MORE RELAXED AND CHEERFUL

THAN TRADITIONAL SHOOTING COMPETITIONS, ALL PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO

BASIC SAFETY REGULATIONS, ENSURING A SMOOTH AND SAFE EVENT; EVEN

THE TYPHOON THAT MADE LANDFALL IN TAIWAN THAT DAY COULDN’T DAMPEN

THINGS!”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

TADTE 2025

TADTE, THE TAIWAN AEROSPACE & DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION, IS

A BIENNIAL TRADE SHOW THAT GIVES BOTH NATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL

EXHIBITORS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW OFF THEIR LATEST WARES AS WELL AS

BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH GIVES THE LOCAL POPULACE ANOTHER

OPPORTUNITY TO INTERFACE WITH THE NATIONAL DEFENCE APPARATUS AND

THE TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES BEING DEVELOPED AND FIELDED WITH THEIR

TAX DOLLARS. STEWBACCA TOOK THE TIME TO VISIT THE SHOW AGAIN AND

SEE WHAT’S ON OFFER IN GENERAL, AND ALSO HOW AIRSOFT IS BECOMING AN

INCREASING PART OF TRAINING FOR LEGITIMATE FORCES WORLDWIDE.

92


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

Casting your minds back to ISSUE 155 of

November 2023 you can see my first visit

and coverage of the 2023 TADTE Expo;

at the time it had somewhat crept up on me and

Anny had told me about her participation not long

before! I’d initially figured it wasn’t something

I’d even be allowed into within our remit, but

once I realised it was essentially open to anyone

I decided to take the Saturday off work on short

notice to catch the last day and investigate

the show and what’s going on in the industry

locally. This year I planned much further ahead

and managed to book all three days off work to

ensure I could cover TADTE 25 as a media pass

bearer when it was quieter and everything was

still on show before the wider general public got

involved and made things too busy to see things

effectively.

From the 18th-20th of September a raft of

industry folks descended upon the Nangang

Exhibition Centre (Hall 1) at the east end of Taipei

and the blue MRT line. This year saw even more

of the same, with local and foreign exhibitors who

were showing off an ever increasing array of drone

technologies… UAVs, UGVs, USV/UUVs… whether

it’s sea air or land, they have you covered in terms

of observation and offensive capabilities, and

other articles in AA will show how it’s impacting

airsoft too!

I spent quite a while on Strike Industries’ booth,

as not only did they have real steel firearms with

their growing range of well-designed and executed

carbine kits, pistol chassis force multiplier

systems, optics mounts and various furniture or

grips, but they have also been cooperating with

Narsil Dynamics from the US who have a growing

suite of 3D printed and otherwise low cost easily

deployable solutions for infantry units to make

use of.

Indeed they had a few of their ingeniously

named ‘bomblebee’ man portable large fold-out

quadcopter systems in various configurations

from stowed in the MOLLE PALS-clad carrying

tube (something akin to a tactical version of an art

student’s shoulder tube for carrying large papers);

the lid can open and the drone quickly slid out

and its prop struts unfolded ready for flight! With

optical cameras on board and AI driven IFF/

target recognition software suites already under

development, the idea is for it to be a ‘fling and

forget’ munition with up to a kilo and a half of

whatever the end user might want it to carry; for

instance direct attack high explosives, deployable

claymore mines for area denial, or anything else

that is developed further down the line to fit its

cylindrical footprint.

Following another awesome naming

convention, ‘Kraken Robotics’ were naturally

showcasing drones that will help you rule the

waves and ruin the day of any opposing seaborne

vessels, with a torpedo-like system including

high quality video cameras for remote operation.

Similarly Bright Future Homeland Security

were next to them showcasing their own more

civilian RoV styled observation systems with

stereoscopic or multispectral camera systems to

suit various applications.

Wavepro had an array of airborne units on

display, from their smaller fixed-wing quadcopter

hybrid ‘Seagull’ for ISR/observation within 3km

of the operator, along with their more missile

like ‘trident’ payload carrying system boasting a

remote control range of 100km from its ground

(or perhaps airborne) station, along with an array

of smaller hand held observation and munition

drones.

These are but a few of the myriad systems I

saw on offer, even up to full scale SAR boats with

apparently crewless operational capabilities,

with the likes of the Thunder Tiger domesticallyproduced

helicopter of last show being joined by

its seaborne Seashark 800 equivalent; evidently

the lessons of the Ukraine conflict are being *very

much* heard and considered here in Taiwan

“THIS YEAR I PLANNED MUCH FURTHER AHEAD AND MANAGED TO BOOK ALL THREE

DAYS OFF WORK TO ENSURE I COULD COVER TADTE 25 AS A MEDIA PASS BEARER

WHEN IT WAS QUIETER AND EVERYTHING WAS STILL ON SHOW BEFORE THE WIDER

GENERAL PUBLIC GOT INVOLVED AND MADE THINGS TOO BUSY TO SEE THINGS

EFFECTIVELY”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

given the drumbeat of our own potential conflict

becoming ever louder and closer… the Taiwan

Strait will likely become festooned with death

machines.

BIG BOI TOYS!

Alongside unmanned systems in ever growing

numbers, likewise the ‘big bois’ were out in force,

with the likes of Northrop Grumman and BAe

among others on site displaying aircraft, land

attack and heavy weapons mockups or scale

models, with the F16V Viper with enhanced

capability add on ‘shoulder’ packs down the top

edges of the wing root similar to the F15E’s FAST

packs down their engine pods, as well as the

IDF, or Indigenously Developed Fighter, Taiwan’s

own jet trainer and light combat aircraft which

is somewhat Rafale-like in appearance and is

growing in use with the RoC Air Force.

Similarly they were very happily showing off

one of the recently arrived M1A2 Abrams tanks as

a centrepiece of the Ministry of National Defence

(MND) area of the show, flanked by HIMARS and

their own domestically developed anti-air missile

systems, both small short range batteries and

massive ICBM killer style long range or highaltitude

interceptors.

It’s not just the big toys on display though,

small arms had a much stronger showing at this

edition of the show, with CZ, Colt and SIG Sauer

on site with people queuing up to get hands

on with real firearms…- me included! I spent

some time on CZ’s stand chatting to Sven, one

of their European sales reps about my recent

experience of the CZ P10C F in the Philippines

compared to my CZ P10C replica here and the

comfortable handling, while some local law

enforcement and military unit folks were also

“THEY WERE VERY HAPPILY SHOWING OFF ONE OF THE RECENTLY ARRIVED M1A2

ABRAMS TANKS AS A CENTREPIECE OF THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

(MND) AREA OF THE SHOW, FLANKED BY HIMARS AND THEIR OWN DOMESTICALLY

DEVELOPED ANTI-AIR MISSILE SYSTEMS”

94


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

asking lots of questions about it. As far as I’m

aware the CIB guys and protective detail carry CZ

P10Cs already, while many other police will carry

Walther PPQ NPAs on-beat or Glocks in terms

of special units. There was likewise an array

of Scorpion and BREN shoulder arms we were

getting to grips with.

SIG SAUER had an entire array of their USmade

variants on show, everything from the M17

and M18 through the MPX, MCX, M7/Spear, M250

and 338 MMG, the latter of which was borderline

uncomfortable even for my large frame to carry!

I wouldn’t envy anyone fielding that, let alone

with ammunition considerations… however, all

“IT’S NOT JUST THE BIG TOYS ON DISPLAY THOUGH, SMALL ARMS HAD A MUCH

STRONGER SHOWING AT THIS EDITION OF THE SHOW, WITH CZ, COLT AND SIG SAUER

ON SITE WITH PEOPLE QUEUING UP TO GET HANDS ON WITH REAL FIREARMS…- ME

INCLUDED!”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

their other offerings were easily wieldable and

very comfortable and feature rich. I spent some

time chatting with the former US Service guys on

their booth and checking out the M250’s internal

mechanics as it has surpassed the issues of the

likes of the M60 by being easily manipulated and

loaded regardless of bolt position related to the

slewing feed cover closing… fun for the whole

family on offer it seems.

Domestically Taiwan’s latest individual weapon

iteration the XT112 was also on display again

including Small Arms Trainer System variants a

la the SAT ranges I learned the L85A1 on many

more years ago than I’d like to count, basically

gas blowback versions of the gun with lasers in

the barrels and a TV screen that basically makes

them a souped-up professional grade arcade

game. Last time they had a larger station and

prone shooting positions available but I didn’t

have time to try it out; this year it was just a few

variants of the rifle with different sighting systems

set up on a just-the-wrong-height for me table

which made it difficult for me to get behind the

gun properly with the umbilical making it hard to

lift it higher for proper shouldering and sighting

down the ACOG-esque mid-range optic. Of the six

shots I was given I at least got four on target, the

third and sixth ones right next to each other on

the heart of the simulated falling target… under

less than ideal firing conditions I’ll take that! I

certainly did better than some others, and also

spent time talking with the Defence University

personnel about the production and roll-out of

this latest domestically designed and produced

AR platform, now featuring a slightly odd-shaped

fire selector going between safe, semi, two round

burst and auto functions.

representatives for. ‘BigXReality’ were showing

small unit tactics (SUT) simulations with small

arms, shoulder-fired launchers like the Stinger

or Javelin and battlespace control touchscreen

systems all integrated with the headsets. They

also have a facility very close to me in the West

of Taipei whom I might get around to visiting

when we finally get through our backlog of other

manufacturer visits we’ve yet to write up!

Clearly VR is taking over the training space

for law enforcement and military alike. I tried

my hand at YunHe’s training system using

an M4 GBBR paired with a VR headset; they

shared PAF’s booth at the previous show but

had scaled up their operation more with a large

space and multiple systems on show including

a VR shoulder-fired anti-armour launcher I took

another go at. Last time it was just the large

projector screen system more like a SAT range

GOING VIRTUAL

In a similar vein, there were multiple VR training

systems in operation from different companies,

some of which I observed and chatted with the

“OF THE SIX SHOTS I WAS GIVEN I AT LEAST GOT FOUR ON TARGET, THE THIRD AND

SIXTH ONES RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER ON THE HEART OF THE SIMULATED FALLING

TARGET… UNDER LESS THAN IDEAL FIRING CONDITIONS I’LL TAKE THAT!”

96


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

rather than the virtual setup, but everybody’s

getting the computer game generation ready for

the real thing it seems.

Mentioning Penghu Arms Factory (PAF) again,

they were similarly on-site again with their own

booth showing off their prototypes of local

small arms in GBB form, with their own XT112

replica under development, as well as heavier

systems such as shoulder fired Stingers, grenade

launchers mentioned in past articles, and now

even their own drone designs for RPG7 warhead

carrying quad copters mocked up and on display.

Body armour is another growing theme, and

PAF were displaying a partner company’s hard

plate ballistic protection at an RF2 rating (Level

IIIA+), while there were other exhibitors offering

similar products. Body armour and in particular

hard ballistic plates have suddenly jumped in

popularity in the last few years in Taiwan and

there must now be around five or six actual

manufacturers on island making compressed

HDPE and hexagonal ceramic insert plates alike,

with prices coming down as production scales.

With a lot of police and military, as well as civil

defence or concerned citizens, sourcing their own

body plates and helmets, many of my friends and

teammates here among them there is preparation

for the worst in our collective future here.

Our friends from KAM TACT (featured recently

in ISSUE 178) were also on site displaying their

latest variations on their already well-established

eye protection solutions, but also lightweight

polymer 40mm grenade casings, their M14

upgrade kits and also plate armour more intended

for aerial applications in terms of ballistically

protecting drones or other airborne assets from

small arms fire. Some of my teammates and Anny

were working the booth and I saw a few familiar

faces throughout the weekend taking a look at

their products.

Also at the show were UTG/Leapers, headed

by David Ding who was back in country for the

show, exhibiting a range of firearms-supporting

components by UTG and riflescopes in all manner

of formats and applications from Leapers. I was

taking a look at their MP5 upgrade programme

with a range of M-LOK rail components to help

add lights, laser aiming units, vertical grips

or other accessories to the likes of otherwise

awkward MP5SD front ends, or whole lightweight

extruded handguard systems that clamp over

standard MP5 front ends to help bring their

capabilities into the latest era! Despite their

1960s start and arguably old school manual of

arms, there are clearly plenty of people who still

love depending on them when a pistol calibre

round is required for certain applications.

6MM CROSSOVER

Finally, one of the places I spent a great deal of

time at over the whole three days was of course

our friends at G&G, who somewhat dominated

the show, certainly in terms of airsoft and training

tie-in, with a queue around the block to make use

of their shooting training setup once again, this

being one of the more interesting and interactive

aspects of the show.

With an array of their current Taiwanese T91

service rifles in AEG and GBBR format on hands

as well as their STP45 HiCapa/Staccato style GBB

pistols and their increasingly prevalent latest

iteration of the Wireless Electronic Training Target

(WETT) system, with an array of target grids and

staged targets with timers within their shooting

booth.

Once again I was happy to see Charles

Joh formerly of LAPD SWAT and now with law

enforcement training outfit TriCell USA on site

who we’d met back in 2023 at the G&G World

Cup and who was supporting G&G’s US training

efforts, but also got introduced to Tim Pearce a

former LAPD drug/gang unit officer who heads

up AUFire (Accuracy Under Fire) which is the

third component of the highly interesting and

“BODY ARMOUR IS ANOTHER GROWING THEME, AND PAF WERE DISPLAYING A

PARTNER COMPANY’S HARD PLATE BALLISTIC PROTECTION AT AN RF2 RATING (LEVEL

IIIA+), WHILE THERE WERE OTHER EXHIBITORS OFFERING SIMILAR PRODUCTS”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

effective collaborative effort TDU, the Training

Development Unit which G&G have been forging

ahead with in the US and looking to other markets

for LEO/MIL training using their airsoft platforms

in various guises coupled with SWAT style training

scenarios and UAFire’s casualty simulation

system.

This is a very interesting and highly effective

setup that I naturally volunteered to be the first

guinea pig to try it first thing on Thursday morning,

jumping straight in the shark tank myself with

passers by watching me suffer and shoot through

the simulation system. Coupled with G&G’s

WETT, the UAFire system augments the shooting

experience by selectively disabling muscle groups

of the wearer, basically derived from a typical

muscle stimulation electrode unit like those used

for tone building or maintenance, but ‘turned all

the way up to 11’! Or four in reality, in their setup;

the electrode panels are buried in active-wearstyle

sleeves that cover the length of the lower

and upper arms and place the electrodes on the

inboard and outboard muscle groups, which are

then wired into the main shoulder harness which

bears a user number, powerpack and transceiver

unit to allow them to be remotely controlled on

individual channels from control units which

allow the instructor to forcibly disable the arms

of the trainee by locking their muscles in different

arrangements using the corresponding buttons

on the control unit.

Take it from me, it’s an extremely effective

tool! It isn’t exactly painful as such, but very

uncomfortable and disconcerting or distracting

initially, basically like the worst cramp you’ve ever

had but which doesn’t stop until they turn off the

current stimulating the various muscle groups in

your arms or wrists!

At the push of a button the instructor can

essentially lock one or both of your arms into a

useless and distracting chicken wing that you

either have to ignore and work around, or actively

peel the weapon from to continue using it in the

case of a pistol. I began accurately shooting the

various target units distributed around the gallery

and then Tim suddenly jammed my right arm

up, so I had to ditch the T91 AEG in a controlled

manner, then use my left hand to draw the STP45

from my right hand side holster, ready it for use

single-handed by making sure it was racked off

my thigh, then begin engaging the remaining

targets weak-handed, including a thigh clamp of

the pistol to effect a one handed reload, all the

while my right arm muscles were locked up in a

very uncomfortable cramp that I was apparently

quite effective at ignoring and fighting through

even on the highest setting, so that was a great

introduction to the system.

“FINALLY, ONE OF THE PLACES I SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME AT OVER THE WHOLE

THREE DAYS WAS OF COURSE OUR FRIENDS AT G&G, WHO SOMEWHAT DOMINATED

THE SHOW, CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF AIRSOFT AND TRAINING TIE-IN, WITH A QUEUE

AROUND THE BLOCK TO MAKE USE OF THEIR SHOOTING TRAINING SETUP”

98


AA LEGION

TAIWAN: SHOW REPORT

Throughout the weekend numerous active

service local police officers and military folks as

well as industry representatives came by to try

their hand with fighting through the system and it

was very effectively demonstrated.

I hung around with the team for a large part of

the weekend catching up with Ryan who I hadn’t

seen since the World Cup, as well as chatting

with Charles and Tim about the system and how

they’re implementing it, as well as airsoft for

training in general in various regions and national

defence from a Taiwanese perspective.

We all made our way to the presentation

stage on the Friday for the team to give a group

description of their backgrounds and collective

efforts in the US under the TDU and elsewhere to

make use of G&G’s airsoft guns and electronic

training systems in conjunction with UAFire’s

limb wound simulation system and TriCell’s

training regimens and instructor knowledge and

experience. With videos of US law enforcement

trainees battling through multi-person, multiinjury

shoot house scenarios in a much more

effective and realistic manner than previous

methods of simply taping a trainees’ arm up

prior to the beginning of a scenario, the ability

to turn the system on and off on a whim allows

things to be much more realistic in terms of the

sudden and distracting nature of a simulated

wound mid-scenario that disrupts your mindset,

marksmanship and ability to handle a weapon

effectively.

Following this we all returned to the main event

space for German beers at a friend’s stall and

further discussion.

Overall the show seemed more developed than

the previous iteration and I had a lot more time

to assess things and speak to people throughout

with having all three days this time. Clearly there’s

a lot going on in country and further afield not

only in terms of airsoft and how it can translate

into live firearms crossover training, but also on

the sharper end of the effort to defend Taiwan and

its freedoms in the future. I look forward to seeing

what developments are on display at the next

one. AA

“COUPLED WITH G&G’S WETT, THE UAFIRE SYSTEM AUGMENTS THE SHOOTING

EXPERIENCE BY SELECTIVELY DISABLING MUSCLE GROUPS OF THE WEARER,

BASICALLY DERIVED FROM A TYPICAL MUSCLE STIMULATION ELECTRODE UNIT LIKE

THOSE USED FOR TONE BUILDING OR MAINTENANCE, BUT ‘TURNED ALL THE WAY UP

TO 11’!”



VINTAGE INDUSTRIES

ALFORD SOFTSHELL

JACKET

£84.95

y

VINTAGE/

INDUSTRIES

•

VINTAGE INDUSTRIES

REDSTONE HOODED

SWEATSHIRT

£64.95

y

VINTAGE/

INDUSTRIES

•••• ••••


Airsoft Action - Issue 180 - December 2025

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Airsoft Action - Issue 180 - December 2025

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?