Airsoft Action

#STANDWITHUKRAINE

ISSUE 181

ISSN 2634-9515

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8 ARMOURY: BOLT AIRSOFT B4A1 ELITE DX MAS GBBR

BOLT AIRSOFT are best known for their hard-kicking BRSS recoil AEGs

but over the past few years the Taiwanese team have been diligently

moving into new territory, looking to the world of the GBBR to take their

next step forward… and what a step it is! Bill has been following their

long path to creating the MEGA AIRFLOW SYSTEM (MAS) which has now

evolved into a cracking series of gas AR replicas.

#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 181

ISSN 2634-9515

18 ARMOURY: CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

Normally our “Man in Taiwan” Stewbacca is a strong proponent and

experienced user of the likes of the all mod-cons polymer-framed

striker-fired service pistols such as his much loved Walther family, as

well as his myriad Glock & HKs… so what happens when you throw him

back into the fray with an old school wheelgun, which is very much not

his wheelhouse?

Web: www.airsoftaction.net

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26 ARMOURY: ARCTURUS VANGUARD/SA PRIME J

Every so often we get a great primary/secondary combo to get onto the

field and onto the range to evaluate, and it’s hard to fit everything in

even to 100 pages each month! So it is that this month we bring you a

“double header” from Miguel as he looks at two very different platforms

that actually complement one another perfectly!

Find us on our Socials...

34 ARMOURY: PROJECT STACATTO PII

After introducing PROJECT STACATTO in the last issue of AIRSOFT

ACTION this time Boycie, Tim C and L’il Stu move things on by looking at

optic choices, and a new model that works equally well with both “the

real” and the replica version of the STACATTO P!

04

AIRSOFT ACTION - ISSUE 181

CONTENTS

ISSUE 181

42 TECH: BREYTAC GRENADES

Once again we’re joined by one of our newer “Legionnaires” from the

USA, a player that’s proving himself to be not just a committed MilSimjunky,

but also one heck of a writer with some great insights to playing

the game as he believes it should be played! This month Matt looks at

“’nades”, and specifically an upgrade to the venerable Thunder B…

50 THE AA CELL: MOST-USED PLATFORMS 2025

RED CELL has now been wrapped up, but the group that put it all

together is still very much active, so without further ado let’s bring in

the AA Legionnaires again in the AA CELL to carry on all the great work

they’ve done over the past few years; what better way to kick this into

gear then by the guys sharing their thoughts on the platforms, both AEG

and GBB that they’ve used to most during the course of 2025!

62 TECH: VANGUARD SOLUTIONS SPEEDLOADER PRO

Bill spends a LOT of time on the range, come rain or shine, and he’s one

of those guys that will embrace technology when it helps him! A chance

meeting during the summer led to him getting his hands on the latest

Vanguard Speedloader, and after several months of using it he’s come

away VERY impressed!

66 GEAR: CYGNUS ARMORY PROTECTION

Whilst intentional “head shots” are generally frowned upon by most

sensible players (unless it’s the only shot to take!), the fact is that in the

heat of our “6mm battles” there’s always the chance that you’re going

to take a BB to the noggin! More and more of us are resorting to helmets

and “facepro” to mitigate these sometimes-painful “bleeders”, and

Miguel is here to tell us about the latest from CYGNUS ARMORY!

72 AA LEGION: TAIWAN

The Ding Ding Cup is a lower intensity “gateway” competition intended

to get new participants interested in the competitive shooting circuit

by giving them a taste of how things run, without them having to be

certified or a member of a local team or training outfit as is typically the

case with the more established and formalised IPSC & IDPA disciplines.

What did 2025’s iteration have to offer?

82 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL

It’s pretty obvious to us that airsoft in Portugal works differently to many

other countries, and from Miguel’s regular reports of games and events

that take place there it appears almost positively unique given its strong

and resilient community-oriented player-base! With EXPOAIRSOFT

2025 soon to happen, this month he illustrates this wonderful “airsoft

community spirit” yet again!

88 AA LEGION SPECIAL REPORT: AAWWS III

Hailing from a mostly non-permissive environment in the UK,

Stewbacca’s not often had the chance to get behind real firearms

since training on them more regularly more years ago than he cares to

mention, but while in the Philippines for the World Shoot, he had the

opportunity to make up for some lost time, and had time to ponder on

how “airsoft experiences” translated to the real thing!

98 AA LEGION SHOW REPORT: MOA EXPO 2025

It’s always a great moment when the international show season kicks

off properly with the first major event on our calendar, and MOA EXPO

2025 certainly didn’t disappoint! Bill joined Stewbacca in Taipei for

this year’s show, and with the able support of Anny they saw a whole

host of new airsoft products, and new innovation, so it’s time to get the

lowdown!

www.airsoftaction.net 05

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ARMOURY

BOLT B4A1 ELITE DX MAS GBBR

BOLT ON!

BOLT AIRSOFT ARE BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR HARD-KICKING BRSS RECOIL AEGS

BUT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THE TAIWANESE TEAM HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY

MOVING INTO NEW TERRITORY, LOOKING TO THE WORLD OF THE GBBR TO

TAKE THEIR NEXT STEP FORWARD… AND WHAT A STEP IT IS! BILL HAS BEEN

FOLLOWING THEIR LONG PATH TO CREATING THE MEGA AIRFLOW SYSTEM (MAS)

WHICH HAS NOW EVOLVED INTO A CRACKING SERIES OF GAS AR REPLICAS.

8


ARMOURY


Anyone that’s been in airsoft for a while

will know BOLT, and their Bolt Recoil

Shock System (BRSS), a patented

technology from the Taiwanese AEG-meisters

that creates realistic recoil in battery-driven

platforms, mimicking the kick of a real firearm

by transferring the piston’s kinetic energy to a

weight in the stock tube. The BRSS is known

for providing a substantial, authentic “thump”

or “kick”, making our AEGs feel much more

immersive and similar to a GBB rifle.

Whilst BOLT AEGs are fabulous things to

look at, and externally top-notch, let’s be

honest, BOLT has not been without its share

of controversy, as sometimes that “kick” was

just a bit TOO much, putting such levels of

stress on the other parts of the internal “OS”

as to quite literally shake the platform to bits…

things thankfully have moved on, and BRSS AEG

platforms these days have become ever-more

refined and durable, and I have a couple in my

armoury that have proved to be real winners!


ARMOURY


For Tomy

and Wilson at

BOLT though, both

still part of the “old and

bold” player community like

me, it’s always been about “that

kick”, about giving fellow players a thoroughly

immersive and satisfying shooting experience,

and to date that’s been achieved by taking the

AEG route… but now they’ve taken the next

logical step in that search for by embracing all

that is best in the GBBR world, developing and

producing what we all now know as the MEGA

AIRFLOW SYSTEM or simply MAS.

I personally first saw the MAS in the flesh

when I last visited Taiwan in 2023, and even then

it was a pretty fully-fledged working system;

sitting with Tomy in his little boardroom in Taipei

he presented me with a thoroughly modernlooking

AR that looked and felt fabulous… it was

only when he said “cock it” that I realised that

I was looking at something new and unique,

not another electric recoil carbine, but a fullyfunctional

prototype of his own personal “holy

grail”, the first BOLT GBBR… and did it “kick”? Oh

my, yes it most certainly did!

For that point forward BOLT’s goal was to distil

their all-new MAS into the best platform that they

could possibly create, and looking to the wellrespected

MWS platforms they tried to work out

how they could make it even better, to improve

component durability to perform in all conditions,

from new, and

to give players

a really fabulous

game-tool!

So what did they

do?

UNDER THE HOOD

Essentially the BOLT MAS itself is based

on the respected MWS ZET System, and

it aimed from concept-stage forward to offer an

enhanced, more durable, and ultimately more

reliable version of the MWS design.

Key features of the MAS include:

• MWS compatibility: The MAS system is a

clone of the Tokyo Marui MWS ZET System,

meaning it shares the same platform for

M4/AR-15-style gas blowback airsoft guns.

This provides a wide range of aftermarket

parts compatibility.

• Mega Airflow System (MAS): This proprietary

system includes several enhancements to

the bolt carrier and gas systems.

• Anti-bounce bolt: A new feature prevents

the bolt from bouncing forward after

cycling, which improves shot-to-shot

consistency.

• Redesigned bolt group: The bolt carrier has

“FOR TOMY AND WILSON AT BOLT THOUGH, BOTH STILL PART OF THE “OLD AND

BOLD” PLAYER COMMUNITY LIKE ME, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT “THAT KICK”, ABOUT

GIVING FELLOW PLAYERS A THOROUGHLY IMMERSIVE AND SATISFYING SHOOTING

EXPERIENCE, AND TO DATE THAT’S BEEN ACHIEVED BY TAKING THE AEG ROUTE”

10


ARMOURY


been upgraded for better performance,

with a replaceable nozzle that allows for

performance tuning.

• Upgraded hop-up: The hop-up system has

been revised to use standard GBB/VSR

buckings, expanding upgrade options for

improved accuracy and range.

• Enhanced realism: The trigger group has

been redesigned with a longer lever to

improve the function of the bolt catch

after the last shot, giving it a more realistic

feel. The platform is also compatible with

real-steel charging handles for added

authenticity.

• Strong, realistic recoil: In line with BOLT

Airsoft’s reputation, the MAS GBBR offers

a powerful and satisfying gas blowback

recoil.

• Durable construction: The rifles feature

full alloy, steel, and high-strength polymer

construction for durability and realistic

weight.

Going into a little more depth here, the BOLT

MAS GBBR comes in a number of their existing

(and striking!) designs including those licenced

by Daniel Defense, making use of alloy, steel,

and polymer for durability and realistic weight/

feel. Internally there are numerous upgrades

compared to the standard MWS system, and it’s

a pretty comprehensive overhaul to say the very

least!

There’s that new buffer spring to reduce

wear on internal components, the anti-bounce

bolt for consistent, long-term performance, a

redesigned bolt group with a replaceable nozzle,

an enhanced hop-up system that uses industrystandard

buckings for increased compatibility,

and the fire control group/trigger box has also

been uprated for more realistic functionality. In

line with BOLT’s desire to create the ultimate

recoil tool, the MAS GBBR has been designed

from word-go to deliver “that kick”.

So far so good, but as we know the key to any

good GBBR is the magazine itself, and we’re

seeing a lot of effort go into MWS-compatible

aftermarket magazines right now. The primary

difference about the BOLT MAS magazine is that

it had been designed from the ground-up as

part of a whole-rifle system that is compatible

with the MWS ZET GBB platform, allowing crosscompatibility

between different manufacturers’

systems.

Again, diving deeper, what you get is currently

a STANAG-style magazine that holds 35 BBs

that works seamlessly in conjunction with the

BOLT MAS, with a proprietary internal design that

enhances recoil, gas efficiency, and reliable bolt

catch function after the last shot, features which

were developed to compete with and improve

upon existing GBB systems… bottom line is that

the new magazine works in complete harmony

with the MAS’ redesigned bolt carrier and gas

system to provide stronger recoil, superior gas

efficiency, and higher firing rates compared to

other models!

FIELD NOTES

But don’t just take my word for this! Along with my

own example of the new Bolt GBBR being tested

“THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE ABOUT THE BOLT MAS MAGAZINE IS THAT IT HAD BEEN

DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND-UP AS PART OF A WHOLE-RIFLE SYSTEM THAT IS

COMPATIBLE WITH THE MWS ZET GBB PLATFORM, ALLOWING CROSS-COMPATIBILITY

BETWEEN DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS’ SYSTEMS”


ARMOURY


in the UK, Stewbacca’s team founder Ben

in Taiwan has had a lot of first-hand experience

with testing and handling of the prototype system,

with Tomy joining in numerous POLK events and

skirmishes and bringing the prototypes along for

team Taiji to try out in field conditions. Ben as

well as other members of the team have a good

working relationship with BOLT and are have been

used for preferential product testing for other

BOLT releases in the past, such as their SCAR

SC AEG among others, so I’ll let him share his

thoughts…

“Let’s start with the advantages of the new

Bolt MAS GBBR system; it has excellent logistical

support and maintenance, avoiding the problem

of lacking original parts, especially in Taiwan.

Usually spare parts have to be imported directly

from Japan either by individuals (or airsoft

shops on their behalf) and given the recent

legal changes regarding importing anything gunpart-related

in Taiwan this has caused logistical

bottlenecks, magazines being a particular sticking

point for many in terms of adequate supply.

“All the BOLT Daniel Defense models are

officially licensed by the manufacturer, so they

have the most realistic appearance with regards

to trademarks, furniture and colouration of

the metalwork and polymer parts as a result,

enhancing the realism and user experience and

many of the external parts can be customised;

any BOLT-manufactured parts can be customised

to the end user’s preferences without changing

the price. And of course the sheer recoil

experience is much improved over any original

MWS platform, and many other competitors (note

- I think both Stewbacca and I can also attest to

this given our own product testing experiences

and shooting the MAS platforms at MOA EXPO!)

“Furthermore Bolt have reworked and patented

some of the more problematic parts found in

the original MWS system, such as the bolt hold

back system, easily worn screws on the bolt,

and sticking trigger mechanism, to make them

more reliable as well as increasing the output

power and recoil experience beyond what

can be achieved within Japanese restrictions.

Additionally, the magazine capacity is increased

by approximately 30% in terms of green gas; the

vaporisation reaction is excellent, and the gas

output is greater than the MWS magazine, while

the weight difference is minimal.

“I INITIALLY TOOK THE CARBINE TO MY USUAL 30M WOODLAND RANGE TO CHRONO

AND TEST, AND IN TERMS OF POWER I GOT A CONSISTENT 1.03 JOULE/339FPS ON

A .20G BB USING GREEN GAS, AND MOVING UP TO .30G BBS THE ACCURACY WAS

EXCELLENT THROUGHOUT TESTING”

12


ARMOURY


the field at

source.

“Some

of the only

drawbacks I

have found so far

are the difficulty in

adjusting the HOP

unit during tuning

due to the construction and

accessibility of it, and that the gap

between the charging handle and bolt

carrier group is a little wider than usual which can

lead to slight misalignment and nozzle damage

during the loading of BBs from the magazine feed

lips. No doubt such things will be ironed out in

BOLT’s usual iterative fashion over the longer term

as they build a wider range of available models off

their common core operating system.”

Many thanks to Ben for his valued input here,

and for sharing his thoughts and experiences in

DOWNRANGE

So what of my own testing

and experience of the BOLT MAS

so far?

Thanks to the guys at AIRSOFT

WORLD I managed to lay my hands on one of

the first BOLT B4A1 ELITE DX MWS/MAS GBB

variants to hit UK shores, and I’ve been putting

it through some serious rangetime. Starting in

the warmer months on VORSK V6 gas I gave it

a proper hammering, and it just came back for

more. Moving into the more recent cold-weather

months I’ve moved up to VORSK V8, and the

performance has remained unaltered, even on

the chilliest of mornings.

Although the BOLT magazine undoubtedly

gives the best performance given that it has been

designed perfectly in tandem with the MAS, I have

tried genuine MWS magazines from my testing

collection in the platform, along with some of

“I HONESTLY, GENUINELY FEEL THAT TOMY AND WILSON ARE VERY CLOSE INDEED TO

ACHIEVING THEIR GOAL OF “ULTIMATE RECOIL” GIVEN CURRENT TECHNOLOGY AND

GAS PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS, AS THE MAS DOES INDEED HAVE “THAT KICK”!”


ARMOURY


the newer “MWS clone mags” at my local airsoft

store, and by and large all of them work well. This

is absolutely brilliant news for owners and users

as it means that if you get yourself a BOLT MAS

rifle or carbine and already own MWS-compatible

mags, then you’re all set, and conversely if you

have an MWS-compatible platform from another

manufacturer then the higher-performing BOLT

mags should work in that too… add to this that

the latest well-priced NUPROL MWS-compatible

magazines that we saw at MOA should be landing

early next year, and things just continue to get

better!

Now I will admit that the B4A1 ELITE DX

handguard that’s carried over from the BRSS

model has never been my cup of tea, but

swapping this out for a drop-in rail system is

a super-quick fix… so yeah, I did this and then

bolted-on all my usual accessories (holo sight,

taclite and PEQ-15, foregrip and ladder rail

covers) to create a pretty darn respectablelooking

“M4-alike”.

Once set up the way I liked it, it was off to

the woods with the BOLT MAS! I initially took

the carbine to my usual 30m woodland range

to chrono and test, and in terms of power I got

a consistent 1.03 Joule/339fps on a .20g BB

using green gas, and moving up to .30g BBs the

accuracy was excellent throughout testing, hitting

the steels each and every time. Subsequently,

when running barricade drills the standard “14.5”

configuration was instantly comfortable, and

“I FEEL THAT BOLT HAVE REALLY BROUGHT SOMETHING QUITE REMARKABLE TO THE

GBBR ARENA, AND WITH THE DIFFERENT STYLES ALREADY ON OFFER, SOME OF

WHICH STEWBACCA AND I HAD CHANCE TO GO LIVE WITH AT THE MOA EXPO RANGE

DAY WITH WILSON, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERY AR-ADHERENT IN THE MIX!”

14


ARMOURY


manipulations straightforward… but then I have

worked with “a few standard ARs” over the years…

Now that I’ve used and trained with the BOLT

MAS on a regular basis I’ve actually come to

like and respect it… a LOT! As I’ve run drills this

feeling has only been constantly reinforced, and

I honestly, genuinely feel that Tomy and Wilson

are very close indeed to achieving their goal of

“ultimate recoil” given current technology and

gas performance parameters, as the MAS does

indeed have “that kick”! There are many gas

rifles and carbines out there now that “simulate”

the real thing, and many of them are very, very

expensive beasts; having now shot the BOLT

MAS on regular basis I can tell you that it will

perform as well as the best, and you’ll find

the competitively-priced B4A1 ELITE DX MAS

version at AIRSOFT WORLD in the UK for a touch

under UK£370.00, with spare mags coming in at

UK£44.95.

After much time spent with the BOLT MAS

it’s an exceptional out-of-the-box GBBR, but

as I’ve said before, and as with other GBBRs,

I don’t believe you’ll be seeing it regularly at

Sunday Skirmishes, but going head to head with

hi-cap players on a normal skirmish day with a

GBB and 35BB mags would certainly add a little

“something” to the day, and the range, accuracy,

and reliability of the BOLT I believe makes this

viable. It’s also, unlike some other GBBRs out

there, gas-efficient on full-auto although with

limited ammo you’ll want to make sure your drills

are well up to scratch and pick your engagements

with great care…

That said, ultimately I feel that BOLT have

really brought something quite remarkable to the

GBBR arena, and with the different styles already

on offer, some of which Stewbacca and I had

chance to go live with at the MOA EXPO Range

Day with Wilson, there’s something for every ARadherent

in the mix! The BOLT MAS models are all

beautifully put together, the gas “OS” is at the top

of its game, performance and accuracy are 100%

solid, and the increase in component durability

means that any of the variants will be an airsoft

companion that will last you for many, many years

if you maintain it correctly…

What more can I tell you other than to try one

for yourself… be warned though, if you do try one

then you’re going to be buying it!

My thanks again go again to Ben in Taiwan for

being part of this article, and also to the guys at

www.airsoftworld.net for facilitating delivery of

the BOLT B4A1 ELITE DX MAS GBBR to me. AA


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ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

A NEW

WHEELHOUSE

NORMALLY OUR “MAN IN TAIWAN” STEWBACCA IS A STRONG PROPONENT AND

EXPERIENCED USER OF THE LIKES OF THE ALL MOD-CONS POLYMER-FRAMED

STRIKER-FIRED SERVICE PISTOLS SUCH AS HIS MUCH LOVED WALTHER FAMILY,

AS WELL AS HIS MYRIAD GLOCK & HKS… SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THROW

HIM BACK INTO THE FRAY WITH AN OLD SCHOOL WHEELGUN, WHICH IS VERY

MUCH NOT HIS WHEELHOUSE?

18


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

From my earliest days interested in firearms

in general, as a 1980s/90s kid I kind of

skipped the old “Wild West” fascination

most Americans would likely focus on given the

prevalence of such things in Americana and

related culture, especially given the continued

prevalence of revolvers in US civilian ownership

and even police service use until the likes of the

Beretta M9 then the Glock forged ahead with

more modern service pistols bleeding from the

armed services into police and civilian use.

As a result, I never had much of a thing for

revolvers, my original snub nosed .38 cap gun

revolver aside… you can almost smell the

spent potassium chlorate of those purple

dotted red paper strips just reading about

them, can’t you? Probably time to schedule

a health-check appointment if that resonates

with you, fellow shooters… No, James Bond

films and the iconic Walther PPK (and I guess

later the P99 and PPKS I now have replicas of)

were more the order of my childhood, that and a

natural fixation on the Browning Hi Power due to

00Dad’s background and the UK Armed forces’

use of it.

Even when I initially got into airsoft guns around

the same time I was being trained on real rifles, I

just didn’t see the appeal for an old school sixshooter,

despite poring over the original Marui

mini catalogues I had gotten with every purchase

of their springer pistols. Their admittedly cool

designs of Colt Pythons in different lengths which

held four BBs in each of the faux cartridges in the

six chambers of the cylinder for a total of twentyfour

shots before needing reloaded just didn’t

have the skirmish practicality of the Glock 26 and

M92F (my first two GBB pistols way back when)

despite their pleasant finish.

As a result of this… bias, I suppose you would

call it… I’ve never purchased an airsoft revolver

and had vanishingly small contact with them

in general. I guess our good friend Clarence

Lai wanted to put an end to such things, and at

the beginning of 2025 I got a sneak peek ‘under

“I NEVER HAD MUCH OF A THING FOR REVOLVERS, MY ORIGINAL SNUB NOSED .38 CAP

GUN REVOLVER ASIDE… YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THE SPENT POTASSIUM CHLORATE

OF THOSE PURPLE DOTTED RED PAPER STRIPS JUST READING ABOUT THEM, CAN’T

YOU?”


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

the hood’ (no venomous snake anatomy puns

intended) of his collaboration with Ares’ more

recent Taiwan-based operations to produce

very nice replicas of Smith & Wesson model 686

based CO2 powered replica revolver platforms.

One of the other realities of revolvers of course

is the power source; while the Marui offerings had

a gas reservoir in the grip for normal green gas

injection, the majority of other products tend to

be 12g CO2 capsule-powered. In Taiwan these

are usually made by Win Gun and are usually

more in the 4.5mm metal pellet or air weapon

category purely for export. With the exception

of Max TACT and their internally regulated CO2

magazines Clarence also introduced us to,

nobody in Taiwan will accept CO2 powered guns

in skirmish environments, due to concerns over

the hot weather creating very hot or unpredictable

guns given the much higher source pressure

of CO2 powered capsules or reservoirs… so I

haven’t had much cause to take an interest until

more recently with competitive shooting where

people don’t care as much about

power source as we’re shooting

paper and poppers, not people.

as well as a dark matte surface finish aside from

the accented green-bronze anodised cylinder and

silver trigger, hammer and cylinder axle which

gives an overall stunning aesthetic.

The realistic handling and appearance also

extends to the ammunition, with brushed steel

faux .357 Magnum cartridges sporting simulated

copper projectiles which mimic hollow point

rounds with the rubber heads that retain the lone

BB in each cartridge head. An important caveat

to note at this point is that my two samples were

early prototypes, and iterations on the design

were occurring during my initial review and

testing; I would find minor issues during practical

use of the revolvers at IPSC training sessions, one

of which was the lack of inherent accuracy.

The latter/production versions of the cartridges

have metal tubes through their cores that

interface and retain the rubber cartridge heads

to not only prevent them unseating which was an

issue I encountered in my earlier testing causing

extrusion of the rubber component under the

WHEEL IT IN!

Nonetheless, I was soon furnished

with an early prototype of the

gorgeous satin-stainless-steel

finished CLPD/Ares S&W 686

replica with carved wooden grip

panels concealing the frame and

CO2 capsule retention system, and

more recently the even meaner

looking Combat Revolver variant

which features top and bottom

Picatinny rails for mounting optics

and accessories, as well as more

contoured and comfortable in the

hand rubberised stippled grip panels

“AT THE BEGINNING OF 2025 I GOT A SNEAK PEEK ‘UNDER THE HOOD’ (NO VENOMOUS

SNAKE ANATOMY PUNS INTENDED) OF HIS COLLABORATION WITH ARES’ MORE

RECENT TAIWAN-BASED OPERATIONS TO PRODUCE VERY NICE REPLICAS OF SMITH &

WESSON MODEL 686 BASED CO2 POWERED REPLICA REVOLVER PLATFORMS”

20


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

blast pressure of the CO2 on firing which would

also bind up the cylinder as a result, but also

ensure a consistent and repeatable seating of the

BB in each cartridge and a better interface with

the gas pressure escaping down the tube into it

from the release valve behind.

All of this made a marked improvement in the

practical mechanical accuracy of the test guns

from my earliest experiences to the production

iteration. Whereas the earlier only-partialthickness

metal tube/unretained rubber head

system would give a wide spread of a mini IPSC

target at 10m (very poor accuracy in reality, also

experienced by my teammate Tobie who I loaned

the earlier brushed stainless variant to as he is

an ex real steel IPSC competitive shooter and

revolver user from South Africa with a wealth of

knowledge to share) which I managed to greatly

reduce to around 50mm spread on single action

only use at 10m with the later versions.

The Combat revolver

variant not only has

the capacity to mount

a red dot sight on its

top rail, but also sports

ultra-high visibility

collimating iron sights

with fibre-optic-style

plastic inserts in the

front post and likewise

flanking either side

of the rear U notch.

This makes it much

more intuitive to

aim, although some

shooters may prefer

to replace the front

post with a different

coloured collimator

insert to give better

contrast and

potentially speed up

the sight alignment.

Regardless, the visibility of the front post

through the rear u-notch limits the inaccuracy in

sideways deflection by ensuring the front dot is

only fully visible when aligned properly within the

rear sight notch, giving you a more accurate result

on target assuming you have the time to aim more

carefully. With a red dot you can certainly speed

this process up even more with the greater ease

of natural target focus and sight dot overlay; an

SRO clone red dot sight seems perfect given the

size of the overall gun and the length of available

rail space and matches the aesthetic quite well

really.

DA/SA

Of course the revolvers being of the relatively

modern ilk feature DA/SA operation (allowing

for a longer, heavier double action trigger pull

averaging at around 2 kilos or 4.5 lbs, while the

“I WAS SOON FURNISHED WITH AN EARLY PROTOTYPE OF THE GORGEOUS SATIN-

STAINLESS-STEEL FINISHED CLPD/ARES S&W 686 REPLICA WITH CARVED WOODEN

GRIP PANELS CONCEALING THE FRAME AND CO2 CAPSULE RETENTION SYSTEM, AND

MORE RECENTLY THE EVEN MEANER LOOKING COMBAT REVOLVER VARIANT”


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

hammer can be manually cocked for single action

only operation giving a far lighter trigger pull of

below 500g or 1 lb - the latter also giving you a

much greater potential for mechanical accuracy)

with the stock iron sights and such a light trigger

trigger and no disruption from the likes of a recoil

operated slide and an overall weight of 1.3kg

meaning not much movement at all during single

action firing.

Of course double action mode is faster for the

likes of rapid-fire-use rather than deliberate and

manual actuation of the hammer, however this

is more likely to create timing issues with the

cylinder. Rapid firing on the earlier prototypes

could lead to the cylinder double stepping or

skipping a chamber, and even in single action

only it can be necessary to cock the hammer

most of the way to actuate the cylinder indexing

with it being turned early in the cycle by the hand

inside the frame, and then latched by the stopper

under the cylinder in the frame.

The typical ‘crackshot’ gun play is also best

avoided to prevent undue or early wear on the

locking systems of the cylinder as well as the

surface of the cylinder itself and the lower inside

section of the frame. Rolling the cylinder along

your arm at half cock, spinning and

flicking the cylinder in and other such

larking around is likely to add wear to

the surfaces early on and likely mess

with the timing of your revolver… not

that I’d know anything about all that of

course… Manually cocking the hammer

too energetically tends to over-spool

the cylinder and have it skip a chamber

each time once such wear is incurred,

and similarly double-action shooting

can end up stopping the cylinder

between chambers or skipping them

entirely as well, so it’s best to maintain

and care for the system and avoid

amusement through mischief unless

you want to be re-tuning or timing your

internals too often.

Clarence also offers replacement

internal components such as various

rates of mainspring for the hammer,

which better ensure a more consistent

and higher output in warmer climates

where the pressure of the CO2 might

resist the vent valve’s opening upon

the hammer striking it. The standard

output is between 1.0 - 1.5 Joules on

a .20g BB, to around 1.7 Joules on a

.48g BB becoming more stable with

“THE REALISTIC HANDLING AND APPEARANCE ALSO EXTENDS TO THE AMMUNITION,

WITH BRUSHED STEEL FAUX .357 MAGNUM CARTRIDGES SPORTING SIMULATED

COPPER PROJECTILES WHICH MIMIC HOLLOW POINT ROUNDS WITH THE RUBBER

HEADS THAT RETAIN THE LONE BB IN EACH CARTRIDGE HEAD”

22


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

heavier ammunition as tends to be the case in

general.The HOP unit operates in a similar vein,

and with more consistent results from heavier

ammunition, personally I’d suggest .43g BBs as

I tend to use this weight with most of my guns

these days, and I found they offered the best

consistency on paper, giving around 90m/s of

muzzle velocity and 1.6 Joules of energy; of

course the BB has to blast through this at an

existing initial speed as it leaves the front of the

chamber and into the HOP unit before heading

down the barrel.

This naturally makes it more difficult to

consistently apply HOP backspin and guide the

BBs as accurately as self-loading systems that

repeatably chamber a BB within the HOP bucking

prior to firing. Clarence also offers improved

barrels which act as both outer and inner barrel

and are available in 2.5 and 3.5 inch variants with

6.01mm tightbore internal diameter.

CUSTOMISED SUPPORT

There are red dot mounting-plates for direct

mounting to the original M686 or in place of the

Picatinny rail of the combat edition, while there

are also different wood effect custom grips that

mimic real steel offerings. Similarly there are also

lots of CLPD support products such as Kydex

revolver holsters, and gun belt mounts for moon

clip carriers (magnets on the ends of which help

retain CLPD full moon clips in place for ready use

in competition) which Luis of 4UAD smart airsoft

deployed along with a classic M686 prototype

during the Ding Ding Cup mentioned elsewhere.

Only two competitors tried hard mode in this

way, and while reloading was less common given

“THE COMBAT REVOLVER VARIANT NOT ONLY HAS THE CAPACITY TO MOUNT A RED

DOT SIGHT ON ITS TOP RAIL, BUT ALSO SPORTS ULTRA-HIGH VISIBILITY COLLIMATING

IRON SIGHTS WITH FIBRE-OPTIC-STYLE PLASTIC INSERTS IN THE FRONT POST AND

LIKEWISE FLANKING EITHER SIDE OF THE REAR U NOTCH. THIS MAKES IT MUCH MORE

INTUITIVE TO AIM…”


ARMOURY

CLPD/ARES REVOLVERS

the steel challenge stationary 5 hit nature of

the competition, it did showcase its usefulness

overall.

CLPD also offer a cylindrical tool to help

ease the installation or removal of the faux .357

Magnum cartridges from the thin full moon

clip discs, these being shipped in small plastic

containers with the six cartridges atop a foam

liner with the moon clip itself secreted below and

requiring final assembly by the end user. These of

course make it a lot easier and faster to remove

all the ‘spent’ cartridges simultaneously and

load in the next full lot, although the cartridges

can move around a little still meaning you might

have to fight them a bit to line them all up with

their corresponding chambers, or ensure you

hold them more vertically and the cylinder of

the revolver alike to try and better guide them

in as they hang straighter. Ares themselves also

offer a replica of a mechanical speed loader,

allowing you to retain six cartridges on it and push

the button on its rear to release them all once

chambered.

With this already

growing wealth of

high-quality option

parts and customised

support equipment that

is compatible with a

wide array of existing

competition belts or

holster mount systems,

it’s clearly the dawn of

a new era looking back

at old school guns and

trying to make them

practical for shooting

sports for those

who want a different

challenge or to really

give ‘hard mode’ a shot.

Personally I only had four

moon clips giving a total of twenty four shots,

so I sometimes struggled through IPSC training

stages which normally need that or more shots

successfully made; it really was a bit painful for

me to try this new approach on the clock in more

dynamic stages!

Reloading was glacial by comparison to

my CLPD CZ Shadow 2 Orange of course, and

naturally only having six shots on tap means you

have to do a lot of reloading while addressing

single arrays before moving on to the next with

a partial load remaining, and missed shots are

a real pain in the rear making you really aim a

lot more carefully, which seemed to be Luis’

experience of the Ding Ding Cup where he was

taking his time to make deliberate single shots

repeatedly to avoid any misses for which a

solitary make up round was available before

having to reload.

So, if you want to try something very

challenging and get into ‘what’s old is new again’

then maybe you can find yourself in the wheelgun

wheelhouse for a change! AA

“WITH THIS ALREADY GROWING WEALTH OF HIGH-QUALITY OPTION PARTS AND

CUSTOMISED SUPPORT EQUIPMENT THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF

EXISTING COMPETITION BELTS OR HOLSTER MOUNT SYSTEMS, IT’S CLEARLY THE

DAWN OF A NEW ERA LOOKING BACK AT OLD SCHOOL GUNS”

24


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ARMOURY

ARCTURUS VANGUARD/SPECNA

ARMS PRIME J CLPD/ARES ARCTURUS

VANGUARD/SPECNA ARMS PRIME J

PRIMARY/

SECONDARY –

NO PROBLEM!

EVERY SO OFTEN WE GET A GREAT PRIMARY/SECONDARY COMBO TO GET

ONTO THE FIELD AND ONTO THE RANGE TO EVALUATE, AND IT’S HARD TO FIT

EVERYTHING IN EVEN TO 100 PAGES EACH MONTH! SO IT IS THAT THIS MONTH

WE BRING YOU A “DOUBLE HEADER” FROM MIGUEL AS HE LOOKS AT TWO

VERY DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT ACTUALLY COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER

PERFECTLY!

26


ARMOURY


Are you fans of Hi-Capa pistols? Trying to

get a bit away from Glocks and HKs? Well

then let’s take a look at the new Arcturus

Hi-Capa that the good guys at Gunfire sent us,

and that I’ve been testing over the past couple of

months!

This is my first time interacting directly with

Arcturus; sure, I’ve seen them in the field, and

I’ve probably been “shot” by them, but as a user,

I’ve never had the pleasure. And I said pleasure

because I was really pleasantly surprised!

Arcturus Tactical is a relatively young, but

increasingly respected brand in the world of

airsoft. Founded around 2017, Arcturus was

created by a team of industry professionals and

enthusiasts who wanted to offer something

that combined solid build quality, modern

design, and performance, without

reaching the extreme

prices of some

high-end brands.

Today, Arcturus is

considered one of

the standout

“new generation”

manufacturers

of electric airsoft guns (AEGs), particularly

recognized for its AK and AR-15 platforms (and

now with a GBB range as well).

From its beginnings, Arcturus has positioned

itself as a premium but accessible brand.

Its replicas are designed to appeal both to

intermediate players who want a serious gun right

out of the box and to experienced players who

like to upgrade and tune their rifles. Unlike many

entry-level brands that prioritize affordability over

performance, Arcturus emphasizes durability and

realism. Many of their rifles feature full-metal or

reinforced polymer receivers, high-quality M-LOK

handguards, and sturdy external components

that feel authentic in both weight and texture. The

level of external finishing often rivals that of more

established premium brands like E&L or LCT,

but at a more

attainable price point.

SECONDARY

SPIRIT

As I mentioned,

they recently

launched their

first pistols, a

range of Hi-Capa

called Vanguard

with both 4.3 and 5” models.

In this case, the one I’ve been testing is the

Vanguard 5” with optics ready slide. So, let’s go

over the externals first.

The Vanguard 5” Hi-Capa’s externals make

it obvious from the first glance that the brand

intended this pistol to look and handle like a

premium, competition/tactical sidearm rather

than a toy. The slide is CNC-machined aluminium

with a factory optics cut so you can mount an

RMR-style micro red-dot directly to the slide

without extra plates; the cut is low-profile to keep

the sight axis close to the bore. The slide carries

aggressive front and rear serrations for easier

“FOUNDED AROUND 2017, ARCTURUS WAS CREATED BY

A TEAM OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND ENTHUSIASTS WHO WANTED TO

OFFER SOMETHING THAT COMBINED SOLID BUILD QUALITY, MODERN DESIGN, AND

PERFORMANCE, WITHOUT REACHING THE EXTREME PRICES OF SOME HIGH-END

BRANDS”


ARMOURY




manipulation (racking, press checks and pressreleases).

Some externals such as the slide stop,

magazine release and hammer kit are made from

MIM (metal-injection-molding) steel, so those

small, but critical controls have a firmer, more

durable feel than plain polymer parts. It’s also

important to mention that the magazine release

can be switched to the right side, making it more

user-friendly for all you left-handed airsofters.

Let’s switch over to some details on the

internals. The loading/nozzle and blow-back

unit (BBU) in the Vanguard follows the evolved

Hi-Capa pattern, but with some Arcturus tuning.

The nozzle and associated O-rings are precision

parts that seal against the magazine valve, and

our field-testing indicate they focused on airefficiency

(better seals, shaped nozzles and

tuned spring rates). That shows up as respectable

FPS with great gas economy compared with

cheap clones, a test done by our friends at

Gunfire showed 114 BBs fired with a gas charge

(using black gas).

The hop-up unit and inner barrel are standard

“THE VANGUARD PERFORMS RELIABLY, USING GREEN GAS AND .25G BBS, IT EASILY

REACHED 40M, AND WITH RESPECTABLE ACCURACY AT MORE “SENSIBLE” RANGES,

BUT AS WITH ALL GAS-POWERED PISTOLS, ITS CONSISTENCY DEPENDS HEAVILY

ON THE QUALITY OF THE GAS USED, AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, AND REGULAR

MAINTENANCE OF SEALS AND VALVES”

28


ARMOURY


Hi-Capa style and is an important reason why the

Vanguard accepts a lot of aftermarket hop units

and barrels. Arcturus lists a carbon steel inner

barrel after ENT (Enduraheat Nitride Treatment)

process with a diameter of 6.03 mm, and a gas

system that will allow proper operation even at

temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (but

remember to use the appropriated gas). And like

the hammer, the trigger and sear geometry on the

Vanguard also use a mixture of MIM steel small

parts and reinforced components.

On the field, the Vanguard performs reliably,

using green gas and .25g BBs, it easily reached

40m, and with respectable accuracy at more

“sensible” ranges, but as with all gas-powered

pistols, its consistency depends heavily on the

quality of the gas used, ambient temperature, and

regular maintenance of seals and valves.

In short, it is a dependable, well-built,

and upgrade-friendly Hi-Capa replica that

performs impressively well, offering a satisfying

combination of recoil, accuracy, and durability

for both new and expert players, especially if we

consider that this is Arcturus’ first step in gas

operated replicas!

PRIMARY DRIVER

I don’t need to introduce Specna Arms to you,

do I? In recent years the brand has gone from

strength to strength, with regular releases and

constant upgrades as standard that adoption of

new technology allows… and they do like new

technology! It’s easiest to say that Specna Arms

have really become an “airsoft household name”,

and everyone knows that these days they make

some premium AEGs.

Specna Arms simply don’t stop, they keep

dropping new bangers! But this isn’t a mere

“tweak” to an existing line-up. No, these are

the PRIME J Series, Specna’s new AK range, the

brand’s latest top dog for AK replicas. Late last

year they rolled out the AR and HK

PRIME series (we covered those in

issues 168 and 170), and those models

proved to be a very strong offering from

Specna; heavily upgraded internals

and exterior quality at very attractive

prices, the sort of value we’ve

come to expect. As an ambassador

for the brand, I’ve been watching

the community’s reaction to this

launch, and the feedback has been

overwhelmingly positive.

Alright , let’s dive into the PRIME

J Series. I’ll open with something

that honestly disappointed me from

the start. After seeing the KPYK

handguards at IWA, I expected them

to appear on this release,

especially on

the more

tactical AK variants.

Unfortunately, that part of

the rollout was pushed back,

and the initial J-Series models

are the same as the existing

EDGE 1 and EDGE 2.0. So

yes, I wanted fresh

models and new

furniture, and I

was bummed we

didn’t get them this

time around.

Putting that aside, Specna

sent me the SA-PJ04 to test, so

here’s what I found. Externals

first.

The J-Series PRIME models

continue Specna’s focus

“THE J-SERIES PRIME MODELS CONTINUE SPECNA’S FOCUS ON

ROBUST EXTERNAL CONSTRUCTION AND REFINED FINISHING.

TOLERANCES ARE TIGHT, MATERIALS FEEL GOOD, AND FIT AND

FINISH ARE SOLID; THE RIFLE LOOKS PREMIUM RIGHT FROM THE

BOX WITH NO OBVIOUS GAPS OR SLOPPY MOULDING”


ARMOURY




on robust external construction and refined

finishing. Tolerances are tight, materials feel

good, and fit and finish are solid; the rifle looks

premium right from the box with no obvious gaps

or sloppy moulding. One recurring annoyance is

that the receiver cover can be annoying to close

after inserting a battery; it takes a few tries to

get it right, and you must ensure it’s fully seated,

or it might come loose. And for you purists out

there, there’s still a dovetail mount on the side for

classic optics.

Now the good stuff, the internals starting

with the gearbox. The AETHER V3 is a clear

step up from the older Orion found in the EDGE

series. It arrives well-equipped with a reinforced

piston with a steel full-tooth rack, reinforced

tappet plate, CNC aluminium piston head, CNC

aluminium cylinder head, CNC aluminium nozzle,

CNC steel cylinder, CNC steel quick-change

spring guide, CNC steel 16:1 gear set and 8mm

J-CAGE bearings, all housed in the new AETHER

shell which appears to have addressed several

of the Orion’s shortcomings; so yes, improved

gearbox, check.

Among the PRIME series’ head-turners items,

the one component that stole the spotlight is the

Dark Matter 27K brushless motor. It delivers

brisk speed and excellent torque, giving the

replica a crisp, snappy trigger response while

keeping heat build-up to a minimum. Brushless

motors also draw far less current (typically 2–3×

more efficient than brushed motors) so the Dark

Matter adds both performance and battery life.

Amazing motor, check.

If brushless tech isn’t your primary concern,

the Aster V3 SE electronics will grab your

attention. Specna refined the previous Aster and

this SE iteration brings several practical upgrades

(per Gunfire’s product details). No USB-Link

required for basic installation/configuration,

a new trigger detection algorithm, high trigger

sensitivity straight out of the box, extra tamper

protection from multi-layer PCB, automatic precocking,

compatibility with brushless motors,

very large range for trigger sensitivity adjustment,

improved cycle detection, and an adaptive

active brake with multiple modes (100% / 60% /

Brushless Motor / OFF). It also boasts reversepolarity

immunity, trigger programming (via USB-

Link or Blu-Link for advanced configuration),

software updates and diagnostics through the

GCS app, extremely low sleep-power-draw (only

0.29 mA in deep sleep), and even a mechanical

trigger lock option. Pair the Dark Matter 27K with

the Aster V3 SE, and you’ve got a beast straight

from the box. Excellent trigger unit, check.

On to accuracy and hop-up. The Magnus

hop-up unit paired with the Helium bucking

is another highlight. The Magnus is a topdown-centre

(TDC) design that applies pressure

directly to the top of the bucking to minimize

lateral shot deviation and accommodate a

range of BB weights for a flatter trajectory. The

Helium bucking is capable of lifting heavier BBs,

something I recommend if you run higher joules.

All in all, great hop-up performance out of the

box.

In the field, it’s what you expect, a solid replica,

ready to take on any challenge.

Combine all these ingredients, AETHER V3

gearbox, Dark Matter 27K motor, Aster V3 SE

electronics, Magnus/Helium hop-up, and you

end up with a seriously impressive replica straight

away. And crucially, the price is more than

reasonable for what you’re getting.

Final wish: the one thing that would make

this release truly irresistible would be fresh

models, specifically the longed-for KPYK furniture

variants. Fingers crossed Specna drops those

soon!

As always my thanks go to the guys at www.

gunfire.com for supplying both the replicas

featured here, and the two models together do

make an excellent “combo package” for sure! AA

“AMONG THE PRIME SERIES’ HEAD-TURNERS ITEMS, THE ONE COMPONENT THAT

STOLE THE SPOTLIGHT IS THE DARK MATTER 27K BRUSHLESS MOTOR. IT DELIVERS

BRISK SPEED AND EXCELLENT TORQUE, GIVING THE REPLICA A CRISP, SNAPPY

TRIGGER RESPONSE WHILE KEEPING HEAT BUILD-UP TO A MINIMUM”

30


ARMOURY



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

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

ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO PII

OPTIC READY

AFTER INTRODUCING PROJECT STACATTO IN THE LAST ISSUE OF AIRSOFT ACTION

THIS TIME BOYCIE, TIM C AND L’IL STU MOVE THINGS ON BY LOOKING AT OPTIC

CHOICES, AND A NEW MODEL THAT WORKS EQUALLY WELL WITH BOTH “THE

REAL” AND THE REPLICA VERSION OF THE STACATTO P!

34


ARMOURY


During our time at Shot Show 2025, we

spent a good bit of time at the Osight

stand and took the time to talk with Rosy,

one of the Osight staff.

Over the year so far since Shot, Rosy and I

have been in contact and recently I found out

that there was a new model of slide-mounted

optic due to be released in September 2025 and

so Rosy has been fantastic in helping me get my

hands on one of the RMR footprint sight, namely

the Osight C. This optic is now fitted to my fully

licenced Army Armament R611-3 Staccato model

P.

Before getting into the optic and its use I

wanted to cover Osight’s background, and they

tell me:

“With 17 years of experience in the flashlight

industry, we’ve learned that success comes from

truly listening to our customers. This customercentric

approach has shaped our journey and

inspired key innovations. Building on Olight’s

foundation, Osight was officially conceived in

2021 in response to customer feedback

requesting red dot optics following the

“affordable-yet-quality” philosophy of its

sister company Olight. Osight worked closely

with consumers, sellers, and industry experts

to design a revolutionary red dot optic.”

Listening to their customer concerns, on

topics such as battery life, Osight introduced

the Industry’s First Magnetic Charging Cover.

The cover indicator allows users to monitor

power levels easily. Their innovations “...

empower users with tools that offer control

and confidence. We are listening and

innovating together, SEE THE POWER!”

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Osight

(sister brand of Olight) was founded to better

serve the firearms professional community.

All Osight uses OAL stronger in hardness

and more wear-resistant than 7075. OAL

was born for firearms accessories, and their

mission is simple… to create value for their

customers. They went on to say:

“We are thrilled to announce the official launch

of Osight in January 2025. Osight’s vision rests on

three pillars:

1. Customer-first Philosophy: Osight values

customer input and strives for lifelong

relationships.

2. Relentless Innovation: The company pushes

boundaries to solve industry challenges.

3. Unrivaled Support: Osight offers a lifetime

warranty and 30-day return policy, ensuring

lasting satisfaction.

With its focus on customer-driven innovation

and technology, Osight is ready to redefine the

optics industry.”

The AA team this year took a number of

opportunities to look at the Osight products on

their stand, and we all commented on how crisp

the reticle was and their innovative charging hood

for sights really did show how much work Osight

were putting into advancing the technology in

“BUILDING ON OLIGHT’S FOUNDATION, OSIGHT WAS OFFICIALLY CONCEIVED IN 2021 IN

RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER FEEDBACK REQUESTING RED DOT OPTICS FOLLOWING THE

“AFFORDABLE-YET-QUALITY” PHILOSOPHY OF ITS SISTER COMPANY OLIGHT.”


ARMOURY


optics. I knew I needed to get “handson”

and PROJECT STACATTO gave

me the ideal opportunity to do so.

The package arrived at my

house and when I opened it,

there were two plastic “jiffy”

style bags inside. My first

thought was “Have I got the

wrong order?” ...but no, I hadn’t!

In one sub-package was

the new Osight C sight box

and in the other was a really

cool bronze “challenge coin”.

After taking off the cellophane

wrapping, I opened the box to

reveal a yellow card which was

a “Read Me” guide on how to fit

and set up the sight.

Under that was a nice sheet

of Osight stickers and beneath that the

internal lid to the sight box. What I really like is

the message that the lid had on it. “Thank you

for being part of the Osight family. Your support

is the reason we are here. Enjoy.” Some may

think it’s a little cheesy but it’s nice to see/

hear of companies recognising that without the

consumer, they wouldn’t have a business. It’s not

all about the money, money, money.... Ooh, now

that could be a good song lyric!

On lifting that cover, you see the sight. Really

well supported in a piece of foam, and to the

left is a box. I couldn’t resist going for the box

before taking the sight out to look at it. The box

contained an information sheet and a special tool

for fitting the sight to the desired platform, along

with two spare battery cover screws.

Under the flap which held the tool was a

fantastic selection of screws in varying pitches

and lengths to enable you to fit the sight to almost

any mounting for the RMR footprint. The screws

provided were 6-32, 4-40, 6-40 and M3 threads.

This for me makes the presentation of the Osight

product so much better

than some other

manufacturers

who may put

a couple of

screws in

a bag and

that’s it,

to those

who

put

a few screws

in a bag with an Allen

Key. The ‘fitting kit’ as I’ll call

it is really well presented and shows how much

thought that the guys at Osight put in to their

products.

Taking out the RMR (Ruggedized Miniature

Reflex) sight, you can immediately feel the quality

of the unit. For its price point this feels much

better than some of the other RMR footprint

sights on the market at higher cost. I wanted to

remind myself of the reticle and took the tool

to undo the screw on the battery cover which

enabled me to remove the piece of plastic which

prevented the battery making contact with the

terminal and thereby running the battery down

if it was on during transit or it’s time sitting on

the shelf in the shop (which I suspect wouldn’t

be long). After removing the plastic cover and

refitting the battery cover I turned on the sight to

see a really crisp reticule.

The Osight C gives three options of reticle;

you can choose from either a red 3 MOA single

dot, a red 32 MOA circle or a combination of the

“THE AA TEAM THIS YEAR TOOK A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT THE

OSIGHT PRODUCTS ON THEIR STAND, AND WE ALL COMMENTED ON HOW CRISP THE

RETICLE WAS AND THEIR INNOVATIVE CHARGING HOOD FOR SIGHTS REALLY DID SHOW

HOW MUCH WORK OSIGHT WERE PUTTING INTO ADVANCING THE TECHNOLOGY IN

OPTICS”

36


ARMOURY


two which is the “factory setting”. An increasing

number of optics in recent times are being

produced with a green reticle. I’ll let Tim explain

why that is.

TIM’S BIT

As Boycie says, it all about options and making

any optic user friendly, and this means catering

for as many different environments and user

needs as possible. The human eye is actually

more sensitive to green light and therefore

can be the more beneficial option in certain

circumstances. So what does a green reticle bring

to the party?

1. Enhanced daytime visibility: The human eye

is most sensitive to green wavelengths, so

green dots stand out more in bright sunlight

and are easier to see against bright targets

like white paper or sand.

2. Reduced eye strain: Green light is perceived

as being less straining on the eyes, which is

beneficial for extended shooting sessions.

3. Better contrast: In environments with red or

brown-toned backgrounds, such as wooded

areas, green can provide a higher contrast

and be easier to spot.

4. Helpful for astigmatism: Many people with

astigmatism see a red dot as blurry, but a

green dot may appear clearer and more

defined.

There are a couple of downsides, such as

blending in with the background; for example

in grassy or wooded areas, a green reticule can

sometimes get a little lost and be harder to see

against the green background. Also (believe it

or not), green light requires more energy, which

can lead to a shorter battery life compared to

red, especially at higher brightness settings.

However, modern optics and battery efficiency

are improving in this area and some users find

they can use lower brightness levels with green

anyway, which can offset this difference…

I don’t think it would be long until the green

reticle is an option in the future.

So with Tim’s “take” let’s come back to the

optic itself. Full features include:

• Large Field of View with Multi-Coated Lens:

Engineered with advanced anti-reflective

lens coatings, this sight maximizes light

transmission for unmatched clarity,

allowing you to quickly lock onto targets

with pinpoint precision. The 0.95’’ × 0.75’’

“TAKING OUT THE RMR (RUGGEDIZED MINIATURE REFLEX) SIGHT, YOU CAN

IMMEDIATELY FEEL THE QUALITY OF THE UNIT. FOR ITS PRICE POINT THIS FEELS MUCH

BETTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER RMR FOOTPRINT SIGHTS ON THE MARKET AT

HIGHER COST”


ARMOURY


window delivers a greater sight picture,

ensuring faster target acquisition and

quicker follow-up

shots.

• Side-Loading

Battery:

Effortless battery

replacement

without removing the optic

ensures hassle-free re-zeroing. A

high-end CR1632 battery offers easy

accessibility while maintaining steady

performance.

• 3 MOA Dot + 32 MOA Circle: Switching

between dot-and-circle, dot-only, or

circle-only reticles, you can tailor your

aiming solution to any shooting scenario.

The sharp and bright dot-and-circle reticle

provides a cutting-edge aiming experience.

• Most Common Footprint: By adopting the

de facto industry standard (Ruggedized

Miniature Reflex, or 407c/507c footprint),

Osight C is a versatile addition to many fullsize

and compact pistols. Osight picatinny

mounts add even more possibilities with

both high and low options that will work

with most rifle applications.

• Motion Sensor Function: Motion sensor

activates Osight C at the slightest

movement, and powers down after 3

minutes of inactivity to conserve the

battery.

Zeroing the sight is a simple process and made

easier by using the aforementioned special tool

included in the box. My preference is to initially

co-witness the chosen reticle to the iron sights as

this means that should the worst happen

and the dot go out you can still use

the irons and be aiming at the

same point.

Once this was done

it was back onto the

range to see how it

performed. If you’ve

read Part 1 you’ll have seen

how impressed I was with the

accuracy of the EMG Staccato P that we

have the Osight C fitted to. The ease of picking

up the reticle in the window was really good

and I could make it clearer by either reducing or

increasing the brightness to suit the conditions.

I would say if this was on a real duty weapon

that the user would set it for the average

conditions that they may face on that tour of duty.

So far, I’ve not had the time to do as much testing

as I’d like but rest assured that the Staccato P and

Osight C will be getting plenty of use by myself,

L’il Stu, Steve and Tim over the coming months.

The pic of the Staccato P, Osight C is taken

with the Dead Eye Design gun slip that I was given

at Shot Show 2025… More on DED in a coming

feature! AA

“IT (IS) ALL ABOUT OPTIONS AND MAKING ANY OPTIC USER FRIENDLY, AND THIS

MEANS CATERING FOR AS MANY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND USER NEEDS AS

POSSIBLE. THE HUMAN EYE IS ACTUALLY MORE SENSITIVE TO GREEN LIGHT AND

THEREFORE CAN BE THE MORE BENEFICIAL OPTION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES”

38


ARMOURY


“IF YOU’VE READ PART 1 YOU’LL HAVE SEEN HOW IMPRESSED I WAS WITH THE

ACCURACY OF THE EMG STACCATO P THAT WE HAVE THE OSIGHT C FITTED TO. THE

EASE OF PICKING UP THE RETICLE IN THE WINDOW WAS REALLY GOOD AND I COULD

MAKE IT CLEARER BY EITHER REDUCING OR INCREASING THE BRIGHTNESS TO SUIT

THE CONDITIONS.”


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

BLANK-FIRE

THUNDER

ONCE AGAIN WE’RE JOINED BY ONE OF OUR NEWER “LEGIONNAIRES” FROM

THE USA, A PLAYER THAT’S PROVING HIMSELF TO BE NOT JUST A COMMITTED

MILSIM-JUNKY, BUT ALSO ONE HECK OF A WRITER WITH SOME GREAT INSIGHTS

TO PLAYING THE GAME AS HE BELIEVES IT SHOULD BE PLAYED! THIS MONTH

MATT LOOKS AT “’NADES”, AND SPECIFICALLY AN UPGRADE TO THE VENERABLE

THUNDER B…

42


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

It was once posited that in the Gnostic belief

there was a theory that whatever god of

creation willed our world into being, although

they might have wielded the power of a creator,

their works, however, were very fallible because

that god was an idiot. And if we live in that world,

no matter what we can do, no matter if we know

it or not, regardless of how perfect we can try to

live our lives, we can never be perfect because

at our very ferment is an inherent flaw. So, with

that philosophical thought, I, Matthew Nguyen,

nail this article and statement on the walls of the

virtual offices of Airsoft Action before any of my

editors can stop me:

“The Brey-Tac Blank Kit is not free from Original

Sin.”

Before we get to that somewhat blasphemous

statement for an airsoft product I bought with my

own money, and would gladly buy again, let me

give you some context...

There’s power in asymmetry. The ability to

take out a target without exposing yourself to any

response from them is the entire by-line by which

grenades are used in tactical situations. Airsoft as

an activity that emulates force on force, does so

by emulating or having stand-ins for “reality”; our

“guns” are replica BB shooters, our “missions”

are games set by event organizers or field runners,

and our mindset and technique are, although of

the same language, applied differently of course.

Situations not of the same dire context but still of,

in that moment, a certain win-lose consequence.

In this case, an enemy is around a corner, or

holed up in a room, or holding down a window. In

most cases the situation is heavily in the favour of

the enemy, and, at best, it’s a split second facedown

where a hit-trade comes around (along with

maybe a quick “Did I hit you first or did you hit me

first?” conversation that no one likes to have. In

essence, you have to risk yourself to take out the

enemy.

Grenades, in real life, are a counter to this,

because for all the drama of certain airsoft tools

and tips, there’s not much more to say that a

grenade can’t fully explain by itself, tossed into

a room and the pandemonium that that entails.

In this inherent draw for airsoft to close that gap

between real and simulation, that is, to make

available more consistent and effective tools

for gameplay, we come today to the Brey-Tac

Blank Kit, an adapter meant to piggyback off the

venerable Thunder-B, is one such innovation.

CONVERT FTW

Sold as a conversion kit for a Thunder-B at 59 EUR

(roughly 68 USD), and 75 EUR as a whole, readyto-use

grenade (roughly 86 USD) without shipping

and handling or any customs fees (relevant!), the

Brey-Tac Blank Kit is as it calls itself, a conversion

for the long standing Thunder-B, converting it

from using plastic shells and CO2 cartridges to

9mm blank PAK rounds.

It’s a simple, non-destructive, reversible

conversion that takes no more than the quick

disassembly of a Thunder-B, drop-in parts, a few

screws, and no more than three minutes of your

time. This review comes from the point of view of

the “version 2” conversion kit alone; specifically

three of them at the cost of 268 USD. The price

discrepancy that you might notice here will be

addressed later.

What comes out on the other end for your

time and money in the conversion is a generally

much slimmer flashbang-style, fully metal,

impact grenade that still operates the same

as the Thunder-B prior; prime the hammer,

set the spoon, insert the 9mm blank into the

chamber, screw on the “fuse” assembly that

has the hammer and spoon, insert the pin, and

then store until usage. When it comes time for

deployment, nothing has changed, just pull the

pin, and let it loose. When the grenade lands, the

impact should kick off the spoon from a magnetic

retainer, letting the hammer down on the firing

pin and triggering the 9mm blank in the newly

“THERE’S POWER IN ASYMMETRY. THE ABILITY TO TAKE OUT A TARGET WITHOUT

EXPOSING YOURSELF TO ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM IS THE ENTIRE BY-LINE BY

WHICH GRENADES ARE USED IN TACTICAL SITUATIONS. AIRSOFT AS AN ACTIVITY

THAT EMULATES FORCE ON FORCE, DOES SO BY EMULATING OR HAVING STAND-INS”


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

replaced chamber,

the blast and

sound directed

out the

bottom of

the new

metal body from vents,

sometimes creating fire and

smoke for a brief second.

For further reference, I am

an owner of an RDX B.O.S.S Unit,

a tandem-firing device that with

propellant or gas provides the sound

signature of gunfire. Zulu24, the main

distributor of B.O.S.S Units in the United

States, has done cursory testing of the unit and

placed its sound at just over 100 dB, with a 9mm

pistol tested on the same gradient coming in at

155 dB. The Brey-Tac Conversion Kit easily falls

within that range, and at base with the B.O.S.S

hearing protection is required, as well as safe

usage. I would not fire the B.O.S.S shoulder to

shoulder to someone, and by that margin, I would

not throw this grenade at someone knowingly,

and generously with berth if I can inside of a

structure. This same argument technically

could be made with a regular CO2 Thunder-B,

whose sound at time can be measured as equal,

however the fact that this is a 9mm cartridge with

sound and energy being vented through several

direct holes as opposed along a larger gap when

a plastic shell breaks, I would advise a certain

awareness of the responsibility that comes with

the power of this grenade.

In airsoft, typical rule sets are agnostic to the

type of grenade used; when a grenade is used

and is popped off, it doesn’t matter whether

the catalyst is a CO2 cartridge or a 9mm

blank or the fuses used in Enola Gaye’s

EG67s and similar variants. Some

grenades, propane or green gas

powered, also get kicked off

from an impact trigger the

internal reservoir to jet

out of a valve to spin

and get the grenade

going, BB shower

or dried peas

as embedded

projectiles

optional.

The Brey-

Tac Blank,

therefore, is

not, strictly

speaking,

unique

or the

only option

for grenades in

airsoft. What it is,

however, is generally

far more reliable in usage by several magnitudes

than the previous examples, with only the nonreusable

EG67s at equal but with their own

caveat of being non-reusable.

For vanilla Thunder-Bs, their caveat in usage is

that they rely on the piercing of a CO2 cartridge

“IN THIS INHERENT DRAW FOR AIRSOFT TO CLOSE THAT GAP BETWEEN REAL AND

SIMULATION, THAT IS, TO MAKE AVAILABLE MORE CONSISTENT AND EFFECTIVE TOOLS

FOR GAMEPLAY, WE COME TODAY TO THE BREY-TAC BLANK KIT, AN ADAPTER MEANT

TO PIGGYBACK OFF THE VENERABLE THUNDER-B”

44


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

to fill the space of a plastic shell with CO2. When

the pressure becomes too great, it will break the

shell and thus cause the “explosion”. In this are

two disposables, the CO2 cartridge, and then

the shell. However, even in that usage, not all,

often, goes as plan! Sometimes the firing pin

of the Thunder-B is unable to fully pierce the

CO2 cartridge, or perhaps the CO2 cartridge is

pierced but not in a way that allows it to fully

dispel from cartridge to larger plastic chamber

in a predictable manner. The popular “penny”

mod, where one places a few pennies to act as

washers and spacers for the CO2 cartridge to

thus fill in the chamber faster is a common, if not

DIY solution that in itself still causes unreliable

Thunder-Bs to not pop at all, or pop only minutes

after they get used due to poor flow.

These same problems of unreliable

deployment plague nearly every grenade except

for those that are real grenades. All of them,

save for Brey-Tac’s conversions. There is very

little wiggle room in what happens with a 9mm

blank round when a striker hits its firing pin, it

will go off immediately. This reliability and the

minimal action required to trigger it is what Brey-

Tac hinges on in their design, repurposing the

Thunder-B’s simple manual of arms with a new

catalyst that is inherently less finicky than CO2

cartridges and then the plastic shells used.

9mm PAK cartridges can be purchased without

firearms licenses or higher restrictions in most

jurisdictions, and their cost, at least for us

Americans, turns out to be around 25-30 USD

for a box of 50 cartridges. Although this matches

12-gram CO2 cylinders at times, they come out

ahead when the consideration of plastic shells

needed for regular Thunder-Bs are about two

dollars a piece on top of that.

MITIGATING FAILURE

One of the most infuriating parts of Airsoft is

when mechanical blockers impede your ability to

play; fogged up eyepro, shredded buckings, fried

electronics, crushed BBs in the hop, grenades

that fail to go off. All of these are not doctrinal

failures or how you play; you can be the best

player on the field, but when these things happen,

they are not your fault, or at least, your fault in a

way that a bad push, peek, or improper timing in a

fight would be.

What the Brey-Tac Blank Kit is then is getting rid

of that external failure margin in a way that, in my

experience, has allowed me to truly and properly

and confidently use grenades in Airsoft freely and

confidently without thinking “Will this grenade

go off?” What I am afforded with these new

conversions is the opportunity to apply grenades

in ways that would open up so many tactical

contexts to me (80% of the time, they work 100%

of the time, but more on that soon).

I have used these grenades, have had these

grenades used against me, in a month of

gameplay across four all-day sessions at my

local outdoor field in the situations as described

previously, around corners, into windows, through

doors during breaches, and at last, having the

grenades turned onto me, flushed out of my firing

position shooting down on attackers. They work

on grass, on concrete, against walls both wood

and stone. They are, by design, fulfilling their

intention.

They work! (...most of the time!)

By God, they work! (Most of the time, so I don’t

really worry about them like other ‘nades!)

But nothing is ever easy, and as I said at the

beginning, we finally arrive at the flaws, for

nothing in this world is without them.

What keeps Thunder-Bs - both converted and

not converted - from going off in a player’s hand,

is the spoon keeping the hammer down initially. In

an unconverted grenade, the time that it takes for

CO2 to fill the plastic chamber is what allows the

user time to throw it.

For the Brey-Tac conversions, whose firing time

is unimpeded as a blank, similar to a real round

“FOR VANILLA THUNDER-BS, THEIR CAVEAT IN USAGE IS THAT THEY RELY ON THE

PIERCING OF A CO2 CARTRIDGE TO FILL THE SPACE OF A PLASTIC SHELL WITH CO2.

WHEN THE PRESSURE BECOMES TOO GREAT, IT WILL BREAK THE SHELL AND THUS

CAUSE THE “EXPLOSION””


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

in a real gun, what keeps a premature firing is the

magnet affixed to the body of the grenade keeping

the spoon and the pressure of the hammer in

place from swinging onto the firing pin. The

spoon and the hammer and the “fuse” housing

are all the Thunder-B original parts, a design

now a decade and beyond old, and naturally not

designed with the best tolerances, and especially

for blank conversion, to the detriment of the kit.

For example, the threading of the “fuse”

assembly that interfaces with the conversion kit is

especially fragile and can sometimes be sheared

or bent even in regular usage, both while being

thrown and even as simply as unscrewing the

assembly to reload, causing disassembly to not

be possible without further breaking the grenade.

The spoons of the

Thunder-B are cheap metal,

able to be by hand bent into

the shape needed for the

magnet to catch onto the

slimmer profile of the new

body, however as with any

user-dependent modification

nothing can be uniform, and

that especially as objects

thrown with haste and force,

can be undone and bent:

Sometimes the spoon can

have too much contact with

the magnet and not be jostled

loose by a thrown impact,

thus failing to detonate, and

on the flip side, sometimes

the spoon is so loosely

connected to the magnet that

even the handling motions

after pulling the pin to throw

the nade would free the spoon

and have the blank go off as

soon as you let go of it, or

even in your hand.

This has happened to me several times in the

process of handling and throwing and although

the properties of the shell literally exploding in

your hand is not a possibility with the aluminium

body of the conversion, it is still a 9mm blank

cartridge being fired in hand and vented relatively

close to the body, and should one’s hand or

forearm or really any body part be in contact

with a vent, I would worry about the effects.

However, nothing about how the conversion kit

fires when otherwise away from the body fills me

with concern and is generally safe to throw on

the ground near people (not at, obviously), but

as stated earlier and with this fault, I do advise

responsibility of use and action regardless due to

prior mentioned sound and flash-fire environment

“THERE IS VERY LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM IN WHAT HAPPENS WITH A 9MM BLANK

ROUND WHEN A STRIKER HITS ITS FIRING PIN, IT WILL GO OFF IMMEDIATELY. THIS

RELIABILITY AND THE MINIMAL ACTION REQUIRED TO TRIGGER IT IS WHAT BREY-TAC

HINGES ON IN THEIR DESIGN”

46


AIRSOFT TECH

BREY-TAC GRENADES

considerations.

Although individual Thunder-B parts are

often budget-oriented enough to replace, they

do remain as the main flaw of the conversion

kit, even if it’s something that would be out of

Brey-Tac’s hands. However, these two halves, or

perhaps better put, the origin of a fully converted

grenade, are still is necessary to this product as

they are for usage.

All things considered, the flaws of the Brey-Tac

Conversion Kit are not squarely within Brey-Tac’s

responsibility, but rather what they are building

on top of. However, pulling back and talking as a

regular airsofter, these are small gripes against a

product that has brought definite and confident

possibility back into a dimension of airsoft

otherwise marred by not-good-enoughs and

could-have-beens.

I recommend them; I want more people to have

them so I can get them thrown at me, because

even if you cannot ignore or are annoyed by

these flaws. Feel free to cast stones, or your own

preferred grenade, if you think you have a solution

without sin.

emails did Brey-Tac respond and ask for the same

confirmation due to the same issue, and it was

not resolved prior. The same experience was

corroborated by the other customer.

Due to this delay, policy and tariffs imposed

by the current United States administration were

applied to the package, and I had to pay $68.10

USD over expected the expected price due to

Brey-Tac’s logistic choices.

Possibly due to these issues and further

international policy decisions, Brey-Tac has now

stopped shipping these grenades into the United

States, but you can still source them elsewhere

in our wide-world of airsoft, and you can find out

more by visiting www.breytac.com. AA

COMMS OR NO?

Brey-Tac was provided this article prior to

publication as well as questions; however, they

have had no editorial oversight to the opinions

expressed here and, after an initial burst of

communication, went silent upon repeated

requests for questions to be answered. For

further transparency, my order initially was not

delivered within the forecasted delivery period.

I raised the issue when an order from Brey-

Tac, ordered within the same period to the same

American state to another customer, arrived. This

other customer corroborated that Brey-Tac did

not correctly ship their order out and required

a direct confirmation of the shipping address

again, the same shipping address in the original

order. Only after I sent several unanswered

“I RECOMMEND THEM; I WANT MORE PEOPLE TO HAVE THEM SO I CAN GET THEM

THROWN AT ME, BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU CANNOT IGNORE OR ARE ANNOYED BY THESE

FLAWS. FEEL FREE TO CAST STONES, OR YOUR OWN PREFERRED GRENADE, IF YOU

THINK YOU HAVE A SOLUTION WITHOUT SIN”


AA CELL

MOST-USED PLATFORMS 2025

TRUSTED

PARTNERS

RED CELL HAS NOW BEEN WRAPPED UP, BUT THE GROUP THAT PUT IT ALL

TOGETHER IS STILL VERY MUCH ACTIVE, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO LET’S

BRING IN THE AA LEGIONNAIRES AGAIN IN THE AA CELL TO CARRY ON ALL THE

GREAT WORK THEY’VE DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS; WHAT BETTER WAY TO

KICK THIS INTO GEAR THEN BY THE GUYS SHARING THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE

PLATFORMS, BOTH AEG AND GBB THAT THEY’VE USED TO MOST DURING THE

COURSE OF 2025! BILL KICKS THINGS OFF AS ALWAYS…

50


AA CELL


So, RED CELL is a done deal, and what

a fabulous journey it has been for all

involved! We’ve learned even more about

both individual models and the brands behind

them, and shared that knowledge with you along

the way, but… BUT!... now we need to bring this

all together in one place, at one time and that

means us editing through over SIX HUNDRED

PAGES of our findings!

Yup, it’s gonna take a while for sure…

And although the RED CELL testing program

might be at an end it doesn’t mean that we’re

going to stop shooting the platforms that we have,

and we’re largely going to shoot the test pool to

the point of failure, just to see what breaks and

when, and obviously this means that we can run

some maintenance and upgrade articles in the

future as things inevitably break…

But what of the RED CELL group? This is

certainly way too valuable and knowledgeable a

group to not have them input their experience in

the magazine, so as one program ends another

begins, and we’re simply going to call this great

bunch of testers the AA CELL. With this in place

you can expect so see our regular testing reports

continue, but in a different format, with a different

focus.

So this month the “band is back together” to

look at what they’ve used most this year; this is

by no means a “Best Of…” kind of deal, but more a

reflection on what has worked for the individuals

of the AA CELL, what has proved for them to

be a trusted and reliable “partner”, and what (if

anything) they’ve needed to do to keep their own

rifles, SMGs and pistols running! Over to the AA

CELL!

TEAM TALK

Stewbacca:

Primary rifle wise the VFC FNC probably takes

it for me, it was my favourite release of last year

and it’s stayed a firm favourite this year,

I tried fielding it for POLK5 but had just

been meddling with the BCG nozzle and

the rear retainer fell out again during

chrono so I had to use the backup

M16A2 again, but managed to field it

a few times since for skirmishes and

the recent TaiJi MilSim on the beach

again to good effect, recent testing also

suggests that the stock HOP has really

settled in as I was hitting the old gas

can taped to the tree at 40ish metres

repeatedly with it the other day at

Xindian during my range day there with

the guys.

It’s just a bit different, the rugged

cold war old skool aesthetic suits me

well I feel, and it runs on convenient

magazines without looking to generic

and also having great performance

and being a loud

clacky beast.

And for a

sidearm, you’ll

be hard pressed

to wrestle my VFC Umarex

Walther PDP away from me

at this point, it’s just

the most comfortable

handgun I’ve used to

date, points so naturally

upon the draw, has a great

trigger and reset for snappy follow up

shots, the flared mag well and ACRO

P2 clone on it look and work the

business, and the IWB holster I had

made by Beans Workshop out here

works excellently and I even use

it when skirmishing just to keep

the gun protected inside my

belt line to avoid snagging

or dirt ingress etc.

“ALTHOUGH THE RED CELL TESTING PROGRAM MIGHT BE AT AN END IT DOESN’T

MEAN THAT WE’RE GOING TO STOP SHOOTING THE PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE, AND

WE’RE LARGELY GOING TO SHOOT THE TEST POOL TO THE POINT OF FAILURE, JUST TO

SEE WHAT BREAKS AND WHEN”


AA CELL


Ben:

I’ve not been out as much this year as

one would normally like, but my go-to

platforms have been my JG MP5k

and my ASG Devil M4, both AEG.

I’ve used my MP5k a little more

because I just love SMGs, and you

can move and feel more tactical

with this platform and no one can

deny that you don’t look tacticool

running SMG! As for my trusted ASG

Devil M4...this one of my baby’s, a

beast in its own class that has never

let me down, and more often than

not I take it as my backup gun. This

beauty has got me so many

good kills and

I’ve won many

a fire fight

with it, so I’ve

got nothing but

the best of memories and I

wouldn’t change it for the

world.

As for my

sidearm this ICS

Legacy pistol has

not left my holster,

the hyper smooth slide it’s

range and accuracy are just on

a level, this little sucker will

be with me till I fall apart with

old age! I still don’t like the

safety arm sticking out so

much but I’m adjusting

my manipulation and

handling of grip to allow

a smoother and better performance with it. Also

I must get myself some more mags for it as I

always feel gutted once I’m out of BBs; I had a

really good moment in a game with this picking

off a few people at range and was doubly gutted

that I only had the one mag… and that

my camera wasn’t rolling!

Rai Sensei:

I run a fully-custom VFC BCM with the

Gate Aster II and GATE G5 brushless

motor for unparalleled reliability and

performance. I’ve been using the same

setup for over three years now without

issue and it always comes through

for me, no matter the weather. AEG

summer, winter, outdoor, indoor, CQB

whichever, it’s my main piece. Overall

it gives solid platform with easy and

responsive controls.

Boycie:

For me I have

two go to rifles,

both AEG.

One is the KWA

RM4 and the other is my

VFC HK416. I usually take

both with me and

it depends on what

type of play I decide

on as to which I’ll

choose. The RM4 I

love for the “recoil” feedback and

when I carry this I usually run 3 x

60rd mags in my rig, 2 spare on

my belt and one in. Long

gone are the spray and

pray games and mostly

I’ll come back in having

only used 2 - 3 mags on

semi only.

The 416 has had some work done on the

gearbox by Marcus, (the build was featured in a

previous issue) and certainly zips out the BB and

I’ll go for the 416 if I decide semi only or short

bursts are the way I want to play. In the VFC 416

“FOR A SIDEARM, YOU’LL BE HARD PRESSED TO WRESTLE MY VFC UMAREX WALTHER

PDP AWAY FROM ME AT THIS POINT, IT’S JUST THE MOST COMFORTABLE HANDGUN

I’VE USED TO DATE, POINTS SO NATURALLY UPON THE DRAW, HAS A GREAT TRIGGER

AND RESET FOR SNAPPY FOLLOW UP SHOTS”

52


AA CELL


I run the

Advanced

Warfighter

Magazines which hold up

to 190 BBs and I’d carry

one in and three on my rig.

The range on them both is about the same so it’s

just really how the mood takes me on the day as

to which I’ll use.

Bill:

For me there’s a couple of standout AEGs that

I find myself returning to for game-use, and the

first of those is one that I’ve talked about many

times since I got it, the ICS DDM4/Mk18! Yes, I

know I go on and on about Mk18s but it truly is

the ideal airsoft platform, and has replaced my

old GEN I VFC HK416 (although I still have that in

the armoury too!) for “general use”. It’s perfect to

be honest as it’s basically the same as the VFC

Mk18 GBBR that I use for training, so the muscle

memory is the same.

As a midcap player I’ve continued to run the

ICS MK18 on N-MAG 30/125 models and these

have fed flawlessly throughout the life of the AEG

thus far, which now totals some 17,000+

BBs.

around 20 RPS on an 11.1, is of little

interest to me, but the trigger response is

still crisp and positive.

I’m pleased to report that the finish

has stayed almost perfect, even though

the Mk18 has now seen some proper

“use and abuse”.. of course there are

some scrapes and lumps taken out where

I’ve had it on the range (a lot!) and in-game (full

disclosure, not so much…), and I’ve now needed

to re-tighten the rail a couple of times, but

generally speaking it still looks great… if anything

even better than new now that it’s a little “battleworn”.

This really is a super AEG, and whilst not

the cheapest out there, in my mind it’s 100%

worth every penny!

Now I said “a couple”, and the other AEG that

I’ve continued to work on and field is the ROSSI

NEPTUNE 10.5” SAS, and I believe I’ve finally got

it exactly where I want it. Every airsoft platform

I work with, and most certainly those that end

up full-time in my personal armoury undergo a

“journey” from the point they are lifted free from

the box to the point where I have them just as I

like them, both in terms of look and performance,

and this is most certainly true of the ROSSI

although the changes have been mostly

cosmetic.

I’m still happily hitting the 300x300

steels out to 50+m consistently on .30g;

as I noted when I last looked at the MK18

I prefer to shoot on semi-auto and the

ROF, although exactly where claimed at

I’ve

spoken to

friends old

and new to garner the

“I’VE SPOKEN TO FRIENDS OLD AND NEW TO GARNER THE INFORMATION I NEEDED TO

TAKE A STAB AT REALLY GETTING THE ROSSI INTO “OBI WAN NAIROBI” TERRITORY,

AND WHILST OBVIOUSLY NOT A DIRECT REPLICATION I’M PRETTY DARN HAPPY WITH

THE OVERALL BUILD”


AA CELL


information I needed to take a stab

at really getting the ROSSI into “Obi

Wan Nairobi” territory, and whilst

obviously not a direct replication I’m

pretty darn happy with the overall

build. I have added a HOLY WARRIOR

ROMEO 4-T Style RDS courtesy of Dave T as the

“real” featured a SIG optic (a bit of a novelty at the

time), a standard NP NX600L WEAPON LIGHT, a

NPQ15 LIGHT/LASER BOX, and I’ve also added

WADSN dual pressure switches to tidy everything

up, although again I’ll continue to tinker with the

cable management until I get this perfect.

Thankfully I managed to find an FDE ERGO

MOTOR GRIP from ELEMENT, but left the original

motor in place as this has continued to work just

fine. Internally the only real changes I’ve made

are to fit a new spring and a new hop unit with

4UANTUM HOP BUCKING which has really upped

the overall performance.

The ROSSI now chronos consistently at a

perfectly acceptable mean of 1.0 Joule/330fps

on a .20g BB with virtually no major deviation. I’m

now a little over 16K BBs downrange, and this has

been mostly on semi-auto, and that’s sure to test

any AEG. I’ve pushed up now to .30g BBs with the

ROSSI too as the new hop handles these well,

giving good results for accuracy at 30-40m, and in

terms of out and out range I’m now hitting targets

solidly at 50m+… not too shabby for a “poor

man’s L119A2”!

In terms of my secondary, much as some of the

guys laugh at me, the UMAREX G17 GEN4 is till

my “go too”! As an out and out “G-SERIES” fanboi,

whilst the original TM “17” (which I still have!) set

a benchmark for me, I find myself coming back to

the Umarex/VFC Glock 17 Gen4 as my favourite

when it comes to “the look” as its pretty much

bob-on, and this is from someone that once shot

a real G17 on a very regular basis!

In airsoft form this pistol for me is everything

that a proper “replica” should be; well made,

beautifully finished, a

proper weight and size

to fit into any “real-deal”

holsters (although I use

a Kydex Custom model

mostly), and ultimately it

shoots really well, even after

many thousands of logged

BBs.

And then there’s the trademarks that any

self-respecting “gun bunny” will drool over… I’ve

never been the biggest TM fan due to licencing

issues (or lack of them…) and although the old

G17 still rolls excellently the fact that I know the

“trades” are hooky and the slide is a “plastic

fantastic” puts me off a bit… the UMAREX though

is of course metal where it needs to be, as well

as being properly and fully licenced and “traded”

right down to the magazine baseplate. Given that

it’s now an “old campaigner” (somewhat like

its owner!) in its own right it certainly feels like

buying it in the first place was money very, very

well spent!

Dan:

After spending much of last year exploring the

LMG role, I decided this year to kind of get back to

my roots and mainline my Real Sword SVD again.

This has been my stalwart - and now oldest - AEG

for 18 years now. This decision was also partly

driven by some long-awaited advancements

for the platform which I was very keen to try

“I RUN A FULLY-CUSTOM VFC BCM WITH THE GATE ASTER II AND GATE G5

BRUSHLESS MOTOR FOR UNPARALLELED RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE. I’VE BEEN

USING THE SAME SETUP FOR OVER THREE YEARS NOW WITHOUT ISSUE AND IT

ALWAYS COMES THROUGH FOR ME”

56


AA CELL


out. Namely, Solink began offering

custom option for a short-type V5

brushless motor in reverse operation!

With Real Sword also making an

appearance back on the Airsoft scene,

I took the opportunity to purchase a

spare gearbox shell and some additional

magazines too. The gearbox itself I just

wanted for a “just in case” spare as I have

also permanently modified my original

shell to house a Perun V3 Hybrid ETU.

These two combinations took the trigger

response of my SVD to a whole new level

of performance. With the stock gear ratio

being a very torquey 28.7:1 and running

a Guarder SP140 spring, there’s only

so much you can do with conventional

motors to improve trigger response.

Brushless, as the Mandalorian (were he

an airsofter) would have said “...is the

way”.

I was able to get in several games

this year with the new setup and it was

performing beautifully, zipping .45g’s

out like nobody’s business.

However, I did eventually blow

the gears, but I’m also not

especially surprised as it was

still rocking the old school sintered

sets which have had over 18 years

of steady use logged on them.

So I unfortunately was not able

to log out the last of this year

with it. JVAN is due to release

some new CNC gearsets this

November, and a set of those

will of course be added when

they are released. At that point,

I daresay there isn’t anything

else left to touch.

But beyond that, this

SVD just feels like an old

a

friend; one that I’ve shared a long and storied

history with. It has become legend in our little

corner of the airsoft world, having caused so

much decimation that at several points

it has been arbitrarily banned, then

unbanned; from peeling apart entire

squads of ROTC and National Guard

like an onion, to schwacking a pair of

sentries at 100 yards through a small

square of broken window pane from

inside an apartment block, to being

called upon as the ‘god gun’ for that

one dude who’s just not calling his

hits. Awhile back, I had a guy offer

me $2k on the spot if I was willing

to sell it then and there. “No sir,” I

had to decline, “she’ll be buried next

to me.”

Matt:

As an American the AR-15 is gospel,

and I am an adherent. The CAR-15

RM4 ERG that Dan here has put

together for me has

been my go-to gun

for years, not only

because I was on

the carry handleoptic

gang since before

I graduated college

seven years ago,

but because it has

never failed me,

and most gear I have

is meant to run an AR,

which this is.

I’m a heads up shooter, and

putting a dot on that carry

handle means I get to keep

a natural, comfortable point

of aim, I dabble from time

to time in other platforms,

“THIS SVD JUST FEELS LIKE AN OLD FRIEND, ONE THAT I’VE SHARED A LONG AND

STORIED HISTORY WITH. IT HAS BECOME LEGEND IN OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE

AIRSOFT WORLD, HAVING CAUSED SO MUCH DECIMATION THAT AT SEVERAL POINTS

IT HAS BEEN ARBITRARILY BANNED, THEN UNBANNED”


AA CELL


but at the end of the day, Airsoft is

something I play at my best, and the

less complicated I make my main

platform, the more I get to enjoy

what I do.

There is no secret

combination or loophole gun

that I see so many new people try

to lawyer their way through to

being better than those of us

who have been playing for a

while. The secret is that what

we have just works, and the

personal skill above that is what

makes us good. The AR platform is

that strong foundational baseline

for me.

already with 1,2J (just under our 1,3J

limit). It’s been in my hands for over

a year now, since they released the

PRIME series, and it’s a great tool

for field dominance!

Secondly, it’s the Specna Arms

J82. One of the first tactical short

AK that the brand launched, and I

have a special love for this type of

replica models. Being a CORE, it’s

a lightweight replica, making it a

great option for those demanding

games, where it’s crucial to shed

weight. And, since it’s also a

Gen 2, it comes with the

Miguel:

This year was divided

mostly between two

replicas!

Firstly, it’s

the Specna

Arms P23.

Being a

PRIME, it’s a

complete beast outside the

box, brushless motor, new

Aether gearbox, GATE Aster 2

(with Bluetooth) and all new

hop up unit. The replica

is almost perfect for

what I need, great range

and grouping, crispy

trigger response and

HAL ETU

and improved

internals, like a 6.03

mm brass barrel,16: 1

gears, full steel piston

with 14.5 teeth, polymer

sealed piston head,

polymer sealed

cylinder head,

aluminium

cylinder, sealed

aluminium nozzle. Initially, I

was planning to transplant the J

PRIME series that I got, since

I was a bit disappointed

with the models that were

released. But, when I

started using the replica

as it is in the field, I

was stunned by the

performance, and

left it as it is! AA

“THERE IS NO SECRET COMBINATION OR LOOPHOLE GUN THAT I SEE SO MANY NEW

PEOPLE TRY TO LAWYER THEIR WAY THROUGH TO BEING BETTER THAN THOSE OF US

WHO HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR A WHILE. THE SECRET IS THAT WHAT WE HAVE JUST

WORKS, AND THE PERSONAL SKILL ABOVE THAT IS WHAT MAKES US GOOD”

58


AA CELL


“THE REPLICA IS ALMOST PERFECT FOR WHAT I NEED, GREAT RANGE AND GROUPING,

CRISPY TRIGGER RESPONSE AND ALREADY WITH 1,2J (JUST UNDER OUR 1,3J LIMIT).

IT’S BEEN IN MY HANDS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, SINCE THEY RELEASED THE PRIME

SERIES, AND IT’S A GREAT TOOL FOR FIELD DOMINANCE!”


TAP ANY IMAGE TO SEE THE ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE

AIRSOFT TECH

ELECTRONIC SPEEDLOADER PRO

POWER

LOADER!

BILL SPENDS A LOT OF TIME ON THE RANGE, COME RAIN OR SHINE, AND HE’S

ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WILL EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY WHEN IT HELPS HIM!

A CHANCE MEETING DURING THE SUMMER LED TO HIM GETTING HIS HANDS ON

THE LATEST VANGUARD SPEEDLOADER, AND AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF USING

IT HE’S COME AWAY VERY IMPRESSED!

62


AIRSOFT TECH


Sometimes a chance meeting leads you

down an unexpected path, and back at

the National Airsoft Festival this summer

I was kindly introduced to Mitch from www.

titanforgeairsoft.com, and we had a jolly good

chat about all things airsoft, and he told me

that Titan Forge Airsoft was a full-spectrum UK

supplier and authorized repairer of Vanguard

Speedloader units.

At TitanForge, it’s pretty obvious to me that

just like the AA Crew they view airsoft as more

than just a game; airsoft is simply what they live

and breathe every day, and if you check out their

website you’ll find an extensive selection of toptier

airsoft guns, gear, and accessories to help

you get the absolute most from airsoft the way

you like it!

This of course was all very interesting to me as

I love exchanging information with like-minded

souls, and I was specifically interested in the

Vanguard Speedloaders as I spend a LOT of time

reloading magazines of all kinds during my range

days; in fact it seems sometimes to be a neverending

task! Given that I have AEGs, GBBs, and

GBBRs to test, and that they all have slightly

different magazines I can honestly spend hours

each month just filling mags! Something that

would make this necessary operation easier and

swifter certainly gets my vote!

Mitch kindly offered to send me out a Vanguard

Speedloader Pro to try, and I’ve been using it

over the past few months to really get a feel for

it, and to be perfectly frank it has totally changed

my range days, making mag filling a breeze and

leaving me more time to “get work done” actually

shooting the evaluation platforms! The spiel tells

me that it is;

“Designed for the most demanding airsofters

and professionals, this advanced speedloader is

equipped with enhanced hardware and precision

features to ensure reliable performance for years

to come. Built with durability in mind, the Pro

features a reinforced pump mechanism, extended

battery capacity, and an innovative BB sensor

algorithm that guarantees exact BB counting.”

The Vanguard Speedloader Pro is guaranteed

for a runtime of 10,000,000 BBs (yes TEN

MILLION!), and the specs are impressive to say

the least...

• Loading Speed: Fast, efficient reloading at

25 BBs per second.

• Settable Pressure (5N to 35N): Customize

the loading pressure from 5N to 35N for a

personalized experience.

• ASA Pump System with Stainless Steel

Gear: Enhanced durability and smooth

operation, even in the toughest conditions.

• Exact BB Counting: Advanced BB sensor

algorithm stops when the set BB count is

reached for precise reloading.

• OLED Display with Presets: Set up to 5

presets for quick, hassle-free counting.

• Universal Output Tube: Compatible with a

wide range of magazines, including M4, AK,

Tornado grenades, and Claymores, without

the need for adaptors.

• Mag Discharge Tube: Quickly discharge your

mags when needed for a fast reset.

• 11.1v LiPo Battery Included: Offers several

months of sleep-time on a single charge, so

your speedloader is always ready to go.

• Battery Deep Discharge Protection: Keeps

your battery safe and extends its life.

• Standard XT60 LiPo Connector: Convenient

and easy charging with the standard XT60

connector.

• Massive BB Capacity: The case holds up to

10,000 6mm BBs of any weight, reducing

the need for frequent refilling.

• Reinforced Pump Mechanism: Built to

withstand heavy use and ensure longlasting

performance.

And if this isn’t enough, there’s settable

pressure, a keylock to prevent unauthorized use,

“GIVEN THAT I HAVE AEGS, GBBS, AND GBBRS TO TEST, AND THAT THEY ALL HAVE

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MAGAZINES I CAN HONESTLY SPEND HOURS EACH MONTH JUST

FILLING MAGS! SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE THIS NECESSARY OPERATION EASIER

AND SWIFTER CERTAINLY GETS MY VOTE!”


AIRSOFT TECH


day and total counters, a debug mode, and an

engine reversal feature in case of jams. Basically

the Vanguard Speedloader Pro is way more than

just a speedloader, it’s a professional-grade tool

designed to make airsoft magazine loading faster,

easier, and more precise.

IN OPERATION

The Vanguard Speedloader Pro is a hefty bit of

kit that looks just like an ammo box, measuring

200x280x95mm and weighing in at 2500g, so it’s

not really something you want to be lugging about

with you! It’s best when set up in the Safe Zone

or on the range table, there when you need it to

bomb-up swiftly and easily.

To get things rolling obviously you need to

ensure that the battery for the loader is all

charged up, and then it’s just a case of simply

unlatching the box (just like a real ammo box) and

filling the loader up with your chosen weight of

BBs… up to 10,000 of them! If you’re switching

between weights of BBs then you need to ensure

that the box is completely empty and then

refilled… again obviously!

On top of the box is a small, knurled wheel that

pretty much controls everything; tapping this will

show you the state of battery charge, and then

move into the setup sequence which is shown on

a small illuminated screen. Rotate the wheel to

scroll through the menu.

The Vanguard Speedloader PRO has an options

menu item; when selected and entered you get

the following menu options, SETTINGS, EXTRA

and INFO, and all of the options are clearly

explained in the operating manual.

When the system is locked, this is indicated

by the lock symbol, and it can be unlocked by

navigating the menu to “UNLOCK” and press

once. Now the loader is ready to use.

Scroll up, to select a preset that’s correct for

the mag you want to fill. To change the preset

value, press and hold the knob until the value is

“TO GET THINGS ROLLING OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE BATTERY

FOR THE LOADER IS ALL CHARGED UP, AND THEN IT’S JUST A CASE OF SIMPLY

UNLATCHING THE BOX (JUST LIKE A REAL AMMO BOX) AND FILLING THE LOADER UP

WITH YOUR CHOSEN WEIGHT OF BBS… UP TO 10,000 OF THEM!”

64


AIRSOFT TECH


highlighted. Rotate the knob to set the desired

value, then press once to confirm or hold to

reset to the previous value. To load a magazine,

ensure it’s empty and, if necessary, put it on the

discharge tube (red), then place the magazine

on the output tube (black) and hold it securely in

place. Choose the desired preset and press once

to start loading.

The screen will count down the exact amount

of BBs and stop automatically when it reaches

zero. Loading can be cancelled at any time by

pressing the wheel again.

The Vanguard Speedloader Pro is equipped

with a BB sensor in the form of a microswitch;

although the switch is basic (I’m told), it is

effectively used by the microcontroller that reads

its state.

With advanced software algorithms, this

sensor is monitored 1000 times a second, and

this makes counting the BBs reliable and precise,

and if the software detects bad counts from the

switch, it will keep track of these by adding them

to an error counter.

Once the error counter reaches 10000, a

service message will be displayed when you

turn the device on; the guys at TitanForge offer a

Vanguard Health Check and Service option if this

becomes necessary, and for UK£45 you get:

• Full visual inspection: Check for cracks,

wear, damaged connectors and external

issues.

• Battery check: Voltage and connector

inspection (safe charging advice provided).

• Internal inspection & cleaning: Open, clean

and remove grit, dust and old lubricant from

internal gears and bearings.

• Motor & gearbox test: Functional check of

drive systems and feed mechanism.

• Basic tuning: Adjustment of motor settings

for optimal performance with your BB

weights.

• Final QA test: Confirm feed consistency and

overall operation before return to customer.

WORTH EVERY PENNY

So, am I impressed given that the Vanguard

Speedloader Pro is not by any means a “cheap

buy”?

Yes, I am, and with premium features like

customizable pressure settings, exact BB

counting, and universal magazine compatibility

with adaptors for Hi-Caps, GBB mags, and

even PTW mags (these are sold separately, as

is the extender for very specific platforms), this

speedloader is beautifully made to offer the

highest standards of performance and durability…

it also makes life a whole lot easier!

As an individual airsofter I believe that you’d

have to have a very big wallet to justify buying one

of the Vanguards (do bear in mind that there is

more than one model!), but if you’re a member

of a team then clubbing together would certainly

provide you with an asset that everyone would be

grateful for. If you run games or a site than I’d also

recommend this to you as it’s the ideal tool for

keeping those rentals topped off and ready to roll

with minimum delay or fuss!

If you are a tech or run an airsoft shop then

you’re going to love the Vanguard Speedloader

Pro just because it will make your life easier, and

if, like me, you’re constantly testing AEGs and

GBBs then I’d also recommend the Vanguard

Speedloader Pro to you unreservedly. It’ll be

money well-spent, and you’ll thank me for it later!

My sincere thanks go to Mitch at www.

titanforgeairsoft.com for supplying the unit to

test… Now I just need to work out if I’m going to

send it back to him! AA

“IF YOU ARE A TECH OR RUN AN AIRSOFT SHOP THEN YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THE

VANGUARD SPEEDLOADER PRO JUST BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER,

AND IF, LIKE ME, YOU’RE CONSTANTLY TESTING AEGS AND GBBS THEN I’D ALSO

RECOMMEND THE VANGUARD SPEEDLOADER PRO TO YOU UNRESERVEDLY”


GEAR

CYGNUS ARMORY PROTECTION

PRO-LEVEL

‘PRO!

WHILST INTENTIONAL “HEAD SHOTS” ARE GENERALLY FROWNED UPON BY MOST

SENSIBLE PLAYERS (UNLESS IT’S THE ONLY SHOT TO TAKE!), THE FACT IS THAT IN

THE HEAT OF OUR “6MM BATTLES” THERE’S ALWAYS THE CHANCE THAT YOU’RE

GOING TO TAKE A BB TO THE NOGGIN! MORE AND MORE OF US ARE RESORTING

TO HELMETS AND “FACEPRO” TO MITIGATE THESE SOMETIMES-PAINFUL

“BLEEDERS”, AND MIGUEL IS HERE TO TELL US ABOUT THE LATEST FROM CYGNUS

ARMORY!

66


GEAR


One of the main aspects that any airsoft

players needs to take into consideration

is protection. Eye protection is a must,

one can play airsoft without a replica or a vest,

but never without ballistic glasses, shooting

glasses or even a full face mask.

But, we all know that sometimes extra

protection is welcome, and here is where Cygnus

joins the chat. They appeared in the airsoft world

around five years ago and are located in Germany,

but even while being relatively new, they attacked

the market with good quality products and an

ambassador program. Their flagship was their

half-face masks, which appeared everywhere in

just a few months. It was a light and breathable

mask, with a mesh area that protected the

mouth. Not only that, but it was available in a ton

of different colours and patterns, something that

any Airsoft player likes!

As the brand started getting traction, they

also launched a few more pieces of gear here

and there, boonies, hats, a helmet, covers,

pouches and such. But their newest releases

are what we can call unique and interesting,

and these are what we will be focusing on in this

review article.

FACE-OFF

First, let’s take a look at the brand new Face

Warrior Defender Mask, which in my opinion is

a considerable design improvement from the

previous mask modes, like the Face Warrior

model.

This previous model is designed to protect

the mouth, and if you are using it to fully cover

the nose as well, sorry, but you are using it

wrong. And since I have a full beard, the part

covering the area above the upper lip would

cause some itching. Not only that, but the

pressure in that area also made talking just

a bit more complicated. Of course, you can

adjust the mesh area for better comfort, and

if you don’t have a beard, it would be mostly OK,

but for us rocking the natural face armour, it’s a

bit of a hassle.

And here the new Defender mask comes into

play. The mesh area is bigger, protecting the

nose and a bigger area around the mouth, so no

beard hairs sticking out and good breathing room.

It’s also padded around the edges, for a better

comfort during long periods. One important tip

is to adjust the mesh area to your liking, don’t be

afraid to bend it, the materials used can take it.

This is important for several reasons, first,

the mask should fit your face well, and many

of us have different face shapes, then, it’s

uncomfortable to have the mesh scrapping

against the lips, adjust it so you can have some

breathing

correct

room, and lastly, with the

adjustment your

eye protection

will also fit

without any

conflict

with the

area of the

mask that

protects

the nose.

There is

also an

elastic

string that

can be

adjusted at

the back

of the

mask,

“ONE OF THE MAIN ASPECTS THAT ANY AIRSOFT PLAYERS NEEDS TO TAKE INTO

CONSIDERATION IS PROTECTION. EYE PROTECTION IS A MUST, ONE CAN PLAY

AIRSOFT WITHOUT A REPLICA OR A VEST, BUT NEVER WITHOUT BALLISTIC GLASSES,

SHOOTING GLASSES OR EVEN A FULL FACE MASK”


GEAR


just make sure it’s not too tight or too loose. And if

you are wearing a helmet, careful with the plastic

bit there, so it doesn’t cause any discomfort.

Now let’s go over the materials used.

First, the most important part, the mesh. It’s

made of stainless steel and coated in carbon,

making it resistant and flexible. So, like I said

above, don’t be afraid to bend it. The padded area

around the mesh comes with a super-soft foam,

as Cygnus mention on their website. And the rest

of the mask is 100% polyester, breathable and

anti-fog, designed to vent heat and respiration,

instead of having it travel upwards and into the

eyepro, one of the main reasons for fogging.

If you are looking for a light and breathable

face protection, the Cygnus Armory new Face

Warrior Defender should be on top of your list. It’s

a well design and well-built mask, made by those

who know what the player is looking for. And, as

a cherry on top of the cake, it’s available in 30

colours and patterns!

FULLY COVERED

But we are not done. Oh, no...! This year, Cygnus

also launched a new helmet. The Premium Fast

Helmet XP, but let’s call it the XP. Now, what

makes this helmet special?

At first look, it’s your normal fast helmet,

not much sticks out. But when you look at the

weight, you will notice that it weighS 1650g,

almost double or even triple the weight of the

vast majority of helmets in the market. But why

is that? Well, Cygnus already has a normal fast

helmet, so with this new model they wanted to

bump up the protection it provides. The XP is

made UHMWPE fibres (Ultra-High Molecular

Weight Polyethylene), a material I had no

experience with, so I had to research it.

According to our old friend Google, UHMWPE

fibres are “...high-performance synthetic fibres

known for their exceptional strength-to-weight

ratio, high tensile strength, and impact resistance.

They are lightweight, chemical-resistant,

and have low moisture absorption, making

them suitable for a wide range of demanding

applications, including bulletproof vests, cutresistant

gloves, marine ropes, and aerospace

components”. And yes, the XP feels a lot stronger

than any airsoft helmet I’ve come across. It will

resist bumps, falls and even heavy blows! The

good people at Cygnus have an interesting video

on their website where they torture test the XP

in several ways; hits from sledgehammers, falls

from considerable heights, hitting it against rocks

and even using a drill, proving just how resistant

it is.

Now, is that a bit too much protection for

airsoft? Well, that kinda depends; I’ve played

airsoft on fields that many would consider

dangerous, like abandoned factories or derelict

buildings. Luckily I’ve never injured myself, but

I’ve seen accidents happen, and some injuries

could be

avoided

with

good

“IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LIGHT AND BREATHABLE FACE PROTECTION, THE CYGNUS

ARMORY NEW FACE WARRIOR DEFENDER SHOULD BE ON TOP OF YOUR LIST. IT’S

A WELL DESIGN AND WELL-BUILT MASK, MADE BY THOSE WHO KNOW WHAT THE

PLAYER IS LOOKING FOR”

68


GEAR


protection. Of course, using such a helmet has a

negative side, it’s weight. If you are not used to it,

the pressure of such weight after a few hours of

an event will take its toll on your neck and back.

My tip? Try using it in small time frames first, so

you can get used to it.

Now, besides its main feature, the XP can

easily fit head circumferences of 55-60 cm, it

comes with an adjustable internal system, like we

are used to in many other helmets. The package

comes with hook and loop stickers, so you can

decide where to place

the cushions, and the

helmet comes with two

different cushion types,

one harder and one softer,

so take your pick. You

will also find the typical

NVG mount, hook and

loop for patches or other

accessories and rails for

headset adapters, nothing

out of the ordinary here.

The good guys at Cygnus

were also kind enough

to send a helmet cover

as well, which you will

see in the photos. Great

to reduce that normal

shine that helmets have.

Although the powdercoated

finish on the XP is

quite well done, and the

colour is not as bright as

other plastic helmets. The

XP is also available in OD,

TAN and Black.

The XP fast helmet

will be my go-to helmet

when extra protection

is needed, no questions

about it. I know that while

I’m using it, I can be sure

that I’m safe from most bumps and dangers that

can be found on some fields and sites out there,

especially those that I’m not familiarized with.

The weight will get some getting used to, but after

a while you won’t even feel it.

My thanks to the good people at Cygnus for

sending over their new Face Warrior Defender

Mask and the Premium Fast Helmet XP for

testing and review; you can check out the models

featured here plus a LOT more by visiting www.

cygnus-armory.com! AA

“THE XP FAST HELMET WILL BE MY GO-TO HELMET WHEN EXTRA PROTECTION IS

NEEDED, NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I KNOW THAT WHILE I’M USING IT, I CAN BE SURE

THAT I’M SAFE FROM MOST BUMPS AND DANGERS THAT CAN BE FOUND ON SOME

FIELDS AND SITES OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT I’M NOT FAMILIARIZED WITH”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

STEEL

CHALLENGE:

DING DING ‘25!

72


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

THE DING DING CUP IS A LOWER INTENSITY “GATEWAY” COMPETITION INTENDED

TO GET NEW PARTICIPANTS INTERESTED IN THE COMPETITIVE SHOOTING

CIRCUIT BY GIVING THEM A TASTE OF HOW THINGS RUN, WITHOUT THEM HAVING

TO BE CERTIFIED OR A MEMBER OF A LOCAL TEAM OR TRAINING OUTFIT AS IS

TYPICALLY THE CASE WITH THE MORE ESTABLISHED AND FORMALISED IPSC & IDPA

DISCIPLINES. IN FACT IT’S THE VERY EVENT THAT ALSO GOT OUR OWN TAIWAN

RESIDENT PISTOLEER STEWBACCA INVOLVED AS IT HAPPENS, SO WHAT DID 2025’S

ITERATION HAVE TO OFFER?

Back in early 2019 I was invited up to Taipei,

a few months prior to me transferring to my

company’s head office schools in Taipei

and leaving the old #StuInHsinchu life behind me,

by my old Filipina skirmish teammate Belinda

to join her and an array of other established

competitive shooters and new practitioners

to take part in my first Ding Ding Cup, a steel

challenge competition with no paper target

scoring and only falling poppers or non-falling

steels to be engaged by the shooter.

The Ding Ding Cup was my own beginning in the

Taiwan competitive shooting scene and around

a year after in early 2020 I started training with

Team SPPT and took up Action Air IPSC, training

regularly and certifying to take part in Taiwan

Practical Shooting Association (TPSA) and hence

bringing you all my own story-arc throughout the

intervening years in my ‘Fresh Prince Of Action

Air’ series of articles.

COVID naturally caused issues for a wide

array of events and even sank some teams and

competitors in terms of people being unable to

train in their usual spaces and competitions being

off- limits for pandemic control reasons. It wasn’t

until later 2023 that we had another iteration of

the event, held in Taipei City Underground Mall

at its far west end not far from Taipei Main train

station, as covered by Anny and I at the time.

Another two years down the line and it returned

for 2025, landing on a Saturday, and another array

of shooters young and old, certified and casual

all descended once again into the underground

mall for a further six stages of steel shooting over

the course of the day! This year I elected to use

my CLPD Shadow 2 Orange with its red dot sight

in red-dot pistol division, and once again entered

the red-dot rifle/PCC division, this time using

the recently acquired VFC Knight’s Armament

KS1 L403A1 British alternative individual weapon

platform with a Vortex Crossfire red dot. All

ran very well throughout the competition as

well as the run up to it with six of us from team

SPPT entering and practising on the run up to it

following our return from the world shoot.

I also decided to bring in our compatriot in Lin

YiJun from the southern region of Taiwan who has

been competing alongside us for a while in IPSC

as well as taking part in IDPA and skirmishing,

as well as live fire shooting overseas, and who

already demonstrated her great abilities as the

top lady in production optics at the world shoot.

I took the VFC MD9 down to her in Chiayi a few

weeks before the event to allow her to get some

practise in with it, and we trained together on the

Gun King range which she lives near and trains

at on her own usually every night after work that

she can make it along there for. So, she fielded

the MD9 with an EOTech clone in PCC division

alongside me and shared her thoughts about

the gun itself and her experiences of it as a lady

shooter as part of my review in ISSUE 179.

Initially I’d contemplated running the VFC

MP5SD3 in the PCC division given my great love

of the platform and its accuracy even at extended

ranges; however, I found the weight and front

“THE DING DING CUP WAS MY OWN BEGINNING IN THE TAIWAN COMPETITIVE

SHOOTING SCENE AND AROUND A YEAR AFTER IN EARLY 2020 I STARTED TRAINING

WITH TEAM SPPT AND TOOK UP ACTION AIR IPSC, TRAINING REGULARLY AND

CERTIFYING TO TAKE PART IN TAIWAN PRACTICAL SHOOTING ASSOCIATION (TPSA)”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

heavy balance coupled with the longer, heavier

trigger-throw less conducive to the fastest

shooting, and seeing as I’d recently acquired the

L403A1 model for review as well I figured it made

a better fit in terms of lighter weight and faster

handling and trigger response. I fitted a bunch

of the tan coloured Amarok rubberised M-LOK

grip panels around the entirety of the M-LOK

handguard, as well as one of their black stub

M-LOK fingerstop/handstops on the bottom edge

to improve the overall grip and control of the rifle

in hand for competition and in skirmishing alike.

TARGETS APLENTY

The format of the competition is somewhat

standard as such, with the same target types and

presentations from the previous iteration, and we

managed to replicate them in our training spaces

for practise on the run up to the competition

itself. This gave a mixture of small disc targets

and large rectangular plates mounted on selfsupporting

stands in arrays of five for each stage,

and one of the smaller discs marked with a red

tape and being the last to be engaged as the ‘stop

plate’ in each case.

The various stages array the targets at different

heights and distances from the shooter who

always fired from a stationary position in a fault

line bounding box, minimising the risk of falling

over, dropping or losing control of our platforms,

sweeping other competitors or ROs. It eliminates

the need for movement with the AEGs and GBBs,

making it a lot more accessible to new shooters

with less to manage mentally as well as less risky

for everyone else in general. In terms of pistol

stages each round was performed from a handsat-head-height

‘surrender’ pose, drawing from the

holster with the pistol cocked and off safe in all

instances to maximise the focus on speed and

avoid the need to disengage safeties or perform

any other manipulations than raw marksmanship

and baseline safe handling.

In PCC/rifle division we would similarly start

chambered and off-safe, aiming the platform at

low ready towards the top of a small designating

cone in front of the main

target array, swinging up

into line with the target

arrays while already

sighting down it and

engaging and hitting the

targets as quickly as

possible.

Each stage array was

completed five times one

after another by every

competitor in each of their

divisions, with the four

fastest times being added

together to give your

aggregate score. Many

were like me doing pistol

and rifle, but one guy also

did pistol AND revolver

“TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE AND IT RETURNED FOR 2025, LANDING ON A SATURDAY,

AND ANOTHER ARRAY OF SHOOTERS YOUNG AND OLD, CERTIFIED AND CASUAL ALL

DESCENDED ONCE AGAIN INTO THE UNDERGROUND MALL FOR A FURTHER SIX STAGES

OF STEEL SHOOTING OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY!”

74


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

so had to switch his competition belt gear out

quickly between attempts with each platform. I

managed to set my belt kit up to have my usual

four pistol mags and holster, with an additional

rifle magazine on the rear and carrying another

rifle mag in my shorts pocket. This at least kept

it nice and toasty in terms of keeping the gas

power consistent! Suffice to say the morning of

the shoot was nice and sweaty; unfortunately

the air conditioning in the underground mall is

centralised and not activated until 1100 each day,

so we had to do the first three stages in a pretty

warm and thirst-inducing environment again.

USUAL SUSPECTS

All told three squads of competitors turned up,

grouped loosely by platform-type used, with

myself and Ou of team SPPT in Squad 2; he was

running his typical competition setup and his

own CLPD Shadow 2 Orange as per our exploits

in the world shoot, and in fact there were a few

of us running such equipment as there were also

secondary monetary prizes

for the best shooter in each

class making use of the

VFC SA320 pistol, VFC M9

PCC, CLPD Shadow 2 and

CLPD/Ares revolver.

Luis from 4UAD also

joined us running the

CLPD/Ares combat

revolver along with one of

Clarence’s belt gear setups

with a specific holster as

well as his competition

moonclip holders; one

other gent was also running

one and it is definitely

HARD MODE! You have

six BBs to make five hits

as fast as possible, and

risking a reload would

absolutely eat your time… Ou figured out and

informed Luis that if you miss a target before the

ending plate it’s probably equally beneficial to

just finish regardless because taking that extra

final available shot before engaging the ending

plate might risk a miss on that which would

require a reload costing maybe 8-10 seconds

given the fiddly nature of reloading a revolver even

with moon clips (unless you’re Jerry Miculek,

of course) rather than just absorbing the three

second penalty for such a miss.

I ended up being the first to shoot the first stage

(Stage 1) which comprised five of the smallest

disc targets, and unfortunately I got off to a bad

start off the bat. I hadn’t re-zeroed my optic on

the run-up to the competition as I didn’t want

to mess with my standard competition set up,

so the shorter range and my usual zero distant

put a lot of my BBs just off the bottom of these

smaller targets. I ended up with a 7.29 first string

with 4 misses and 9 shots total, so I reloaded

pre-emptively forgetting that I had a lot more BBs

loaded than my usual limit of 15 for production

“EACH STAGE ARRAY WAS COMPLETED FIVE TIMES ONE AFTER ANOTHER BY EVERY

COMPETITOR IN EACH OF THEIR DIVISIONS, WITH THE FOUR FASTEST TIMES BEING

ADDED TOGETHER TO GIVE YOUR AGGREGATE SCORE. MANY WERE LIKE ME DOING

PISTOL AND RIFLE, BUT ONE GUY ALSO DID PISTOL AND REVOLVER”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

division in IPSC, and unfortunately loaded a

magazine that had leaked all its gas out and I

hadn’t recharged them all before beginning.

Another ‘badministration’ moment on my part

that left me reloading again at the start of the

second string and coming away with an 8.99

run which was obviously not included being the

slowest attempt, although at least I only took 5

shots to complete it, but still, slow start - damage

done! My next few attempts were more typical

in the 4 second range, and overall I came last of

the 14 shooters in red dot pistol for Stage 1, with

an aggregate 19.94 second time around 58% of

the best score - great start, as always… For the

rifle portion of stage one I at least did a lot better

coming fourth of 10 shooters with an aggregate

time of 11.29 - 92% of my team leader Mars’ time,

with my fastest 2.51 attempt hot on heels of his

fastest at least… so when it goes right for me it

goes very right!

We shuffled left to the next of the three stage

bays and prepared for

the next onslaught,

Stage 3, four large plate

targets flanking the

small disc stop plate

in the centre in pairs

either side; a lot more

potential for speed given

the larger targets at

least! And indeed I did

much better on pistol

and rifle as a result,

although unfortunately

it seems my pistol and

rifle results were mixed

up; I should have once

again come fourth in

rifle, and tenth again in

pistol. I was very fast

with the rifle in fact,

doing two of the runs

with sub-two second results which were the

fastest of my rifle runs overall.

Up next was Stage 6 (they were all arranged in

an odd order on the day, probably to minimise the

change in target arrays based upon their layouts,

rather than following a numeric progression as is

typical of IPSC competitions) which comprised

of another five small disc targets but arrived with

more separation front to back of the pairs on each

side of the central ending disc. I got another tenth

place in pistol with 9 misses out of all the runs,

only the last iteration being shot clean - rounds

falling below the small targets again causing me

issues and make up shots. Rifle I came fourth

again with the majority of runs just over or under

2.5 seconds each with one miss a piece on all but

the last run.

LUNCH RUN AND DONE

Finishing just before midday, we broke for lunch

and went off to grab some really nice Indonesian

“THE VARIOUS STAGES ARRAY THE TARGETS AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES

FROM THE SHOOTER WHO ALWAYS FIRED FROM A STATIONARY POSITION IN A FAULT

LINE BOUNDING BOX, MINIMISING THE RISK OF FALLING OVER, DROPPING OR LOSING

CONTROL OF OUR PLATFORMS, SWEEPING OTHER COMPETITORS OR ROS”

76


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

food as a team and also had a sit down with

Clarence, Katherine and the boss man of Ares

and his wife who I’d just been introduced to.

Now they are operating out of Taichung having

moved over from Hong Kong like many other

manufacturers, I have another industry contact

to investigate for articles further down the line,

and they had a stall on site showcasing their

range of CO2 revolvers and related accessories.

Likewise VFC were also showing off their latest

offerings, along with Northeast Airsoft, Beans

Workshop who makes custom holsters (including

the ones for my Walthers), Conqueror and

Guns Cool gunshops, and No.9 workshop who

make embroidered patches including my own

Stewbacca Island Insider ones.

Returning from lunch we donned our gear and

made sure all our magazines were topped off… or

at least we should have! I reloaded my rifle mags

but forgot to reload the pistol ones I’d used, and

we’ll need that fact shortly for this story. Kicking

off again just before half one in the afternoon we

cycled through the same order of shooting bays,

beginning at the right side with Stage 2 which

had three small disc targets up front and two

large rectangular plates at the far rear, and also

had two fault line boxes taped on the floor, the

shooter having to shoot three iterations from one

then move to complete the final two runs from

the other, thus varying the manner in which the

targets were presented.

I only missed the end plate once on the first

run, in 3.51 seconds. Next I fired the next five

shots and missed two, ended up surprised

by slide lock and had to quickly reload to

take the final two shots… not helpful, taking

6.07 seconds to get my act together overall.

Obviously that was the worst run and not

counted towards the final score thankfully,

the other runs being between 3.50 and 3.20

seconds putting me in ninth place for pistol

for that stage. Rifle-wise I shot the first two

iterations clean and then picked up five

misses overall in the last three runs, actually

putting me in second place overall with most

of my runs just over two seconds a piece

despite the small discs up front to deal with.

Over to the central bay we pressed on

with Stage 4, two large rectangular targets

flanking three small discs but in an echelon

of sorts with all the targets at different ranges

from left to right front to rear. Missing two of

the shots on the first run I ended up with a

7.28 second time; I immediately improved

on this with just one miss and a much faster

3.39 second run, another rushed run got me

two misses but I did it in only 3.91 seconds

at least. Same again next run but in a faster

“THERE WERE A FEW OF US RUNNING SUCH EQUIPMENT AS THERE WERE ALSO

SECONDARY MONETARY PRIZES FOR THE BEST SHOOTER IN EACH CLASS MAKING

USE OF THE VFC SA320 PISTOL, VFC M9 PCC, CLPD SHADOW 2 AND CLPD/ARES

REVOLVER”


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

3.68 seconds, and then a 3.45 second run with

two misses at the beginning followed by clean

hits on everything afterwards, another ninth place

overall for red dot pistol. Rifle was again slicker

and faster, shooting it with one miss in the first

run in 3.35 seconds, clean the second round and

somehow faster at 2.95, missing three shots the

next run but in 3.13 seconds, then a 3.03 and very

rapid 2.33 to round things off, putting me in sixth

place overall for that stage.

Last up was the left bay for Stage 5, five small

discs at slightly different heights and distances in

a V from the central stop plate and rearward both

sides. It took me 4.66 seconds to miss four times

again on the small targets with BBs flying beneath

due to my unadjusted dot height, missed twice

the next time and got it down to 4.59 seconds,

then shot it clean in 3.16 seconds, missed two

again in 3.84 seconds, and finally another two

misses in 3.24 seconds. This all put me eighth

overall for that round, and I guess a lot of people

struggled with the small targets at different

distances.

Rifle-wise I got second

place on that stage, first

round was two misses

in 3.41 seconds, three

misses next in 3.82

seconds, a clean and fast

run at 2.26 seconds, one

miss in 2.36 seconds, and

finally one miss in 2.64

seconds… clearly rifle is

more my bag to be honest!

With all the shooting done

with I could finally unload

everything and grab some

posed pictures with Yijun

sporting our VFCs for the

purposes of this article

and the gun reviews, as

well as let others have

a go with the remaining magazines on the small

test range to the side… with the usual approving

noises and nods as I’m used to.

GONG-TIME

With everyone finished up the scores were

finalised with Practiscore once again taking care

of all the leg-work in tabulation of results. In

iron sight pistol first place was taken by Zheng

Jiahua followed by Zhang Linxiang in second

and third taken by Liu Jiaming out of twenty total

competitors. Red dot pistol was won by Cai

Yuqi, second place taken by Lin Weisheng and

third place going to ‘Bear’ Zhan Dengxiong with

yours truly placing tenth of the total of fourteen

shooters. PCC division was won by Liu Chixiao,

second place taken by Lu Bosheng and third

place being Zhang Zhaoxiang; correcting the

score error for myself I would have been in fourth

place out of ten shooters, ahead of my team

leader Mars Liu and Zhuang Yixun of KIC Airsoft,

who took first and second places last outing in

“RETURNING FROM LUNCH WE DONNED OUR GEAR AND MADE SURE ALL OUR

MAGAZINES WERE TOPPED OFF… OR AT LEAST WE SHOULD HAVE! I RELOADED MY

RIFLE MAGS BUT FORGOT TO RELOAD THE PISTOL ONES I’D USED, AND WE’LL NEED

THAT FACT SHORTLY FOR THIS STORY…”

78


AA LEGION

TAIWAN

2023 with me following in third, so I was pretty

happy with that result overall in the end; we all got

beaten but I managed to hold my own against two

who previously bested me at least.

Wu Xinxi took first place in revolver followed by

Luis Wen Yuzhang of 4UAD Smartairsoft, the

former also getting a cash prize for being the

fastest score with the Ares wheelgun. Sally Chou

took a prize for best performance with the SA320,

while our own Ou Jiacheng took the prize for best

Shadow 2 performance having placed fourth

overall in optics pistol, while the prize for best

MD9 run went to Zhang Zhaoxiang.

Once again I’d like to share YiJun’s thoughts

as this was her first match competing with

something other than her usual pistol setup, and

first time joining the Ding Ding Cup in general, so

I figured it was another good opportunity to share

her perspective as a newer female shooter among

our ranks

“It was my first time joining the Ding Ding Cup

and also my very first rifle competition; what

made it special was that my good friend Stu lent

me his VFC MD9 PCC. From the day I received it

to the competition, I had only 12 days to practice,

and with several unfortunately rainy days, I

actually trained for just 3 to 4 days in reality.

Within that short time, I pushed myself to master

the basics of grip, aim, and breathing.

“When I first held Stu’s MD9, the cold metal

gave me both excitement and nerves; each shot

tested my ability to stay calm and focused. On

match day, I told myself, “Even with little training,

give it your all and enjoy this moment.” When I

pulled the trigger and heard that crisp ding, all the

pressure turned into pure joy and satisfaction.

“Though the preparation was short, this

experience showed me the beauty of shooting, a

journey of focus, rhythm, and self-challenge. I’m

truly grateful to Stu for his support. My first rifle

match became unforgettable, and I look forward

to hearing that ding again, with more practice and

confidence next time.”

Many thanks again to YiJun for all her efforts

and sharing her thoughts with us. After the

presentations were complete the usual raffle

ensued with many people walking away with

spare parts and even some full on guns donated

by the sponsors. I managed to bag two 4UAD

Smartairsoft GBB HOP buckings as I entered two

divisions and thus had two shooter ID cards to

enter into the raffle. But others managed to bag

one of the Ares CO2 revolvers, a VFC SA320, a

VFC Maxim Defense MD9, as well as Dr Black

competition HiCapa pistol components, Nutrek

red dot sights, and holsters. With that we took the

usual group and team photos and dispersed into

the evening’s fading light…

Until next time, fellow shooters… AA

“THOUGH THE PREPARATION WAS SHORT, THIS EXPERIENCE SHOWED ME THE BEAUTY

OF SHOOTING, A JOURNEY OF FOCUS, RHYTHM, AND SELF-CHALLENGE... MY FIRST

RIFLE MATCH BECAME UNFORGETTABLE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THAT

DING AGAIN, WITH MORE PRACTICE AND CONFIDENCE NEXT TIME”


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AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

OP EX:PO

IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS TO US THAT AIRSOFT IN PORTUGAL WORKS DIFFERENTLY TO

MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, AND FROM MIGUEL’S REGULAR REPORTS OF GAMES

AND EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE THERE IT APPEARS ALMOST POSITIVELY UNIQUE

GIVEN ITS STRONG AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PLAYER-BASE!

WITH EXPOAIRSOFT 2025 SOON TO HAPPEN, THIS MONTH HE ILLUSTRATES THIS

WONDERFUL “AIRSOFT COMMUNITY SPIRIT” YET AGAIN!

“I’M TALKING ABOUT THE UPCOMING EXPOAIRSOFT 2025, THE SECOND EDITION OF

THIS IMPORTANT EVENT FOR THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY IN PORTUGAL THAT BILL

VISITED AND WE REPORTED ON LAST YEAR. BUT, LEARNING FROM LAST YEARS

“MISTAKES”, THIS YEAR A BIGGER TEAM WAS GATHERED”

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Well, I guess we can’t just go out and

play airsoft, right? Sometimes we are

called to help a cause, and that means

organizing an event with the objective. And this

time, the cause is quite important.

I’m talking about the upcoming ExpoAirsoft

2025, the second edition of this important event

for the airsoft community in Portugal that Bill

visited and we reported on last year. But, learning

from last years “mistakes”, this year a bigger

team was gathered; it’s too much work for just

two or three players, so I was one of the members

of the community invited to be part of the staff.

And knowing some of the expenses associated

with the Expo last year, we also prepared plans

to gather funds, in order to pay for everything

necessary, like licensing from the authorities,

insurances, even investing in publicity, materials

and anything needed to improve from last year.

Now, one of the ideas that was pitched

during one of our meetings was a callout to the

community, and have teams organize events

where part of the amount raised would fund the

Expo. Our goal with this is to have the means of

having a bigger and better event, and to be direct,

this can’t be done

without money. Well,

and if I have the means

of organizing such

an event, it would be

hypocritical of me not

to, and with that, the

Op. Ex:Po event series

was born.

So, it was time to

get to work, and as

every other event,

there is an extended

list of task to complete

before even opening

the gates on game

day. And yes, much

of that work falls in my hands, it’s part of being a

team leader! First we started divulging the game,

and unlike the vast majority of our games in the

past ten years, this one was 100% open to the

“public”. Luckily, throughout the years we found

ourselves surrounded by many teams with whom

we created great friendships, so most of our

games are invite only. But, since it was important

to divulge the Expo as well, we decided to open

all slots to the community. And in less than 72h I

had all 80 slots filled!

As we started planning the game module, or

scenario, we had to take into consideration the

fact that a good portion of the players present

were new to the field, so it was important to keep

the game on the simpler side. Some of our events

can be a bit complex, but if the teams are used to

it, it can be done.

PULLING IT TOGETHER

What was the game module? Well, the game was

divided into two phases, and the first involved our

programmable game boxes. There were a total

of 4 in the central part of the field, and every 10

minutes it started beeping for 1 minute; during

“ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WAS PITCHED DURING ONE OF OUR MEETINGS WAS A

CALLOUT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND HAVE TEAMS ORGANIZE EVENTS WHERE PART OF

THE AMOUNT RAISED WOULD FUND THE EXPO. OUR GOAL WITH THIS IS TO HAVE THE

MEANS OF HAVING A BIGGER AND BETTER EVENT”


AA LEGION

PORTUGAL

this time window a player had to swipe an RFID

ID tag and the box would give them a metal

coin. That metal coin had to be delivered to their

faction commander in their HQ. So, the first

phase of the game had both factions constantly

fighting for the control of 4 areas, but instead of

a normal domination, there was an actual item

involved that had to be transported back.

The second phase was in the hand of the

faction commanders. Every time they had 5

metal coins in their base, they could “purchase”

one of 4 special missions (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie

and Delta). These missions all had the same

objective, but the location changed as well as the

points attributed. How did this work? The special

mission had players search for a black ammo

box and retrieve from them a CD cover with the

colour of their faction, and after delivering that

CD cover back to their HQ, they would get points.

In the end, the faction with more points from

completing these missions would be the winner.

The points attributed to each mission would vary

depending on the location, if it was the closest

to their base it would be worth 1 point, 2 points

for the two in the centre of the map and 4 points

for the mission closest to the enemy HQ. This

was though to give the faction commanders the

decision of playing safe or risking it.

Before game day, I also created the WhatsApp

groups for each faction, and sent the players all

rules and game module, so they were prepared

even before the game. My idea is always to

have time to answer questions or even change

something that got overlooked, instead of rushing

it all during the event. It was also interesting to

see the interaction between the players in the

factions and their commander. It’s also important

to mention that I invited two other members of

the staff behind the Expo to lead the factions,

I guess it was a special touch considering the

objective of the event.

GAME ON

The game day started soon for us as usual; we

had HQ to set up, objectives to

place and the check in to get ready,

and soon the normal bustling with

cars arriving started. But, it’s not

an airsoft event with any kind of

setback, and unfortunately one of

the faction commanders called

me, saying that he was sick and

couldn’t attend the game... so time

for plan B (there was no plan B)!

Luckily, I had two players who were

going to be present, but weren’t

going to play, one that broken a

toe and another that was pregnant

(what a mix!). So I called them

to help and had a small briefing,

mostly because I like to have the

commanders understanding the

game well.

As time went on, more cars

“AS NORMAL, BEING PART OF THE ORGANIZATION, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO

FOLLOW SPECIFIC MISSIONS OR DETAILS. BUT IT WAS REALLY FUN TO SEE THE

CONFRONTATION FOR THE BOXES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, WITH LINES PUSHING

AND COLLAPSING”

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arrived, more people to welcome and spend

a bit talking to of course, it’s part of airsoft. As

the players started gearing up, we also started

pushing them to the check-in, otherwise they

would pile on closer to the briefing, and that

can create delays. It did end up happening,

and the game itself started with a 10 minute

delay... something I don’t like! Since we had

several players who were new to the field, the

briefing covered safety and field hazards more

extensively.

After all that, the teams started moving towards

their respawn and at 0925 (10 minutes late!)

the game started! As normal, being part of the

organization, it’s impossible to follow specific

missions or details. But it was really fun to see

the confrontation for the boxes in the middle of

the field, with lines pushing and collapsing. Many

players even had to go back to their cars to refill,

because they are not used to shoot this much at

our games!

As the game progressed and the commanders

started gathering the metal coins, it was time

to purchase missions and send out teams

to complete this objective. And here we saw

some differences in

strategies, which I’ll

talk about further on.

Since there were a lot

of confrontations for

control of the boxes,

the marshals kept a

strong presence at that

location, me included.

And it’s always fun to

see people complain

about this shot or that

shot while we were

looking from the sides.

If players saw some

of the shots that they

swear were a hit, they

would leave in shame.

Towards the end of the events, half of the boxes

stopped giving out the metal coins (they were

programmed like that), forcing the players to fight

for the other two operational ones. Meanwhile,

the commanders were trying to gather coins in

order to buy as many missions as possible, it was

the final stretch! And while the Red team was

playing safe, and going for the 2 point missions

(in the middle of the map) the Blue faction took

the risk and purchased 4 point missions (closest

to the enemy HQ), which in the end paid off! The

Blue faction got the win with a difference of just

4 points; although the Red faction completed

more missions, the Blue faction got two 4 point

missions, which gave them the win, by one

mission.

After the game ended, we held some

giveaways, always with the support of our friends

at Viper Tactical and Specna Arms! I want to

thank everyone who supported this cause, with

your help we were able to gather 750€ which now

will help the ExpoAirsoft 2025!

See you there… and for those that can’t attend

then look out for the Event Report soon! AA

“AFTER THE GAME ENDED, WE HELD SOME GIVEAWAYS, ALWAYS WITH THE SUPPORT

OF OUR FRIENDS AT VIPER TACTICAL AND SPECNA ARMS! I WANT TO THANK

EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THIS CAUSE, WITH YOUR HELP WE WERE ABLE TO

GATHER 750€ WHICH NOW WILL HELP THE EXPOAIRSOFT 2025!”


TAP/CLICK THE PAGE FOR MORE INFO

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AA LEGION

INTERNATIONAL

BRASS AND

POWDER

HAILING FROM A MOSTLY NON-PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT IN THE UK, AND NOW

LIVING IN AN EQUALLY NON-PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT IN TAIWAN, STEWBACCA’S

NOT OFTEN HAD THE CHANCE TO GET BEHIND REAL FIREARMS SINCE TRAINING

ON THEM MORE REGULARLY MORE YEARS AGO THAN HE CARES TO MENTION, BUT

WHILE IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR THE WORLD SHOOT, HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO MAKE UP FOR SOME LOST TIME, AND HAD TIME TO PONDER ON HOW “AIRSOFT

EXPERIENCES” TRANSLATED TO THE REAL THING!

I

first

started training with real firearms around

about the same time I was getting into

airsoft guns as I was entering sixth form at

my secondary school they started a Combined

Cadet Force that I eagerly joined with dad arguing

against my mum’s obvious anti-gun grumblings

and misgivings to let me get it out of my system

rather than risk me joining up good and proper,

I suppose… we used the L98 and No.4 bolt

action rifles ‘back in my day’ and I sailed through

my Weapons Handling Tests (WHTs). As older

students and NCOs we also usually got the

opportunity to finish the remnants of ammunition

booked out each time we ended up on a range,

bringing back fond memories of the four of us

dumping full magazines at the end of one day

following which I jumped at the chance to finish

the final partial magazine… must have done

about seventy rounds that day all told…

Fast forward a decade and change from then

and I was in Cambodia accidentally gate-crashing

my old university friend’s honeymoon after a

slight miscommunication… but they ended

up letting me tag along as a photographer and

“bodyguard”! Along with visiting the landmine

museum and self de-mining efforts (a subject

close to my heart throughout my life), I also

visited a range while I was there and finally had

the chance to get behind military rifles in the

form of an M16A1 and AKM which I got to run

a magazine through each, the distant yet still

familiar scent of spent powder filling the inside

range tunnel back then.

I moved to Taiwan a couple of years after

that and since then it has been equally difficult

to get trigger time in on real guns; obviously

the police carry pistols habitually here, but it’s

difficult to find your way into that kind of crowd

as a civilian let alone a foreigner. While shotguns

are somewhat open to use and even ownership,

as I understand it they have to be kept in the

assigned shooting club’s gun safe and nobody

is really allowed to have firearms at home aside

from extremely unusual circumstances from

what I gather. In decades gone by some people

had personal firearms licenses but the issuing

of such things ceased long ago and they could

not be passed on; thus, organised crime or

“I MOVED TO TAIWAN A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER THAT AND SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN

EQUALLY DIFFICULT TO GET TRIGGER TIME IN ON REAL GUNS; OBVIOUSLY THE POLICE

CARRY PISTOLS HABITUALLY HERE, BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO FIND YOUR WAY INTO

THAT KIND OF CROWD AS A CIVILIAN LET ALONE A FOREIGNER”

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services personnel aside, it’s highly unusual to

come across any real guns in-country outside of

controlled expo spaces like the TADTE defence

show, or military displays at public relations

events, but live firing them is the reserve of

those who serve behind them. The only other

exception is one distant firing range in the centralsouthern

Tainan region where .22LR target pistols

are available for public use, which team SPPT

did indeed avail themselves of while we were

at the said same range for a Level 2 action air

competition last year… and I did quite well then

too.

There is also an awesome national

marksmanship training centre with .22LR olympic

pistols and lots of range lanes just southwest

of Taipei, but it is reserved for national shooting

teams and services personnel and equally

training on paper, and with the zippy target

mounting lines that run the targets back and forth

at the push of a button for convenience, it’s not

quite the same as the recoil management and

concussion of being behind a proper gunpowder

weapon.

Thus it was a refreshing break to see the

permissive and organised environment of the

Philippines, with guns being a casual fixture of

shopping centre guard staff, and some people

licensed to carry them concealed, or apparently

not so concealed in some cases! Also the

police system mentioned in my first AAWS

article facilitated the ease of flying around the

Philippines archipelago with personal firearms,

all being logged and communally stowed by the

Philippines National Police officers in pelican

cases in the luggage compartment.

unavailable for public use. The only other option

is some of the community sports centres that

have olympic air pistol and air rifle ranges

available for public use which are admittedly fun

and useful for genuine marksmanship principles

GETTING REAL

After the majority of Taiwanese competitors had

arrived on the first weekend, we made a first trip

to Mikey’s Firing Range outside Iloilo; I didn’t have

a SIM card and there was no wifi at the convention

centre, but luckily I was hanging around outside

“THUS IT WAS A REFRESHING BREAK TO SEE THE PERMISSIVE AND ORGANISED

ENVIRONMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES, WITH GUNS BEING A CASUAL FIXTURE OF

SHOPPING CENTRE GUARD STAFF, AND SOME PEOPLE LICENSED TO CARRY THEM

CONCEALED, OR APPARENTLY NOT SO CONCEALED IN SOME CASES!”


AA LEGION

INTERNATIONAL

the centre and saw Yijun scurrying by to join the

team Spring Rain guys who were staying at the

hotel next door so I tagged along with her and

also managed to score an appropriate SIM card

from my squadmate Wei when I met up with them

all in their hotel foyer… good times all round.

We set off in a convoy of minibuses driving

around half an hour out to the northeast

countryside to the range, all excited to get some

more trigger time in. A lot of the guys travel to

Thailand with their Taiwan IDPA adventures

to do live fire competitions and training at

their preferred Tiger Tac Academy which looks

awesome and I might have to find my way there

too at some point. Likewise Anny has made her

bay to Batangas further north in the Philippines on

the south of Manila on the main island (see Issue

149 for more details of her own adventures out

there!); suffice to say all of us had previous real

firearms experience and were looking forward to

being on the range together and being trusted to

manage ourselves with minimal oversight as a

result of our collective experience.

Mikey’s though is a great environment with

an indoor range for basic training and shooting

experiences in the air conditioned space for the

more novice shooters looking to get their first

whiff of powder, and then has a large outdoor

range complex out to the rear with multiple bays

radiating from the central covered walkway with

various existing barricade and fault line setups to

run competitive stages on. Then there are more

open bays for longer range marksmanship on

paper or poppers… and also has a cafe and pool

hall on site to get out of the heat! I was certainly

drenched after spending a whole afternoon out

there on the first range day… hydrate or die, fellow

shooters!

They tend to have a varied selection on hand

which cycles depending on which range officers

or personnel are available or coming to site

that day; on our first outing we were somewhat

“WE SET OFF IN A CONVOY OF MINIBUSES DRIVING AROUND HALF AN HOUR OUT TO

THE NORTHEAST COUNTRYSIDE TO THE RANGE, ALL EXCITED TO GET SOME MORE

TRIGGER TIME IN. A LOT OF THE GUYS TRAVEL TO THAILAND WITH THEIR TAIWAN IDPA

ADVENTURES TO DO LIVE FIRE COMPETITIONS AND TRAINING AT THEIR PREFERRED

TIGER TAC ACADEMY”

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fighting over a lone Glock 17, a SIG P320 and a

1911, all in 9mm, as well as having access to

an M16A1, M16A2, M4A1 and an AR style PCC.

We divided into different groups depending on

the desired shooting experience and set up on

adjoining bays at the far end among the more

regular local shooters, some of whom would

become familiar friends in the coming days of the

world shoot but whom we hadn’t met in person as

yet.

The more experienced shooters of Team Spring

Rain worked their way through the pistols on offer

among themselves doing draw and fire on paper,

then moving between targets and firing then

running forward to stop and fire drills, while the

rest of us took a look at the AR PCC in the next

bay. Jackie, Belinda and Yijun all took a run with

a magazine load on falling metal plates out to

around 20 metres, and made it look easy for the

most part. Yijun cleared the plates one for one,

evidently a dab hand with a PCC, although she

had a few misfeeds from having less of her own

mass behind the gun to resist the recoil… I don’t

suffer such issues at least, being a chonkeh boy!

A little later in the afternoon while the Spring

Rain guys started running live stages with

the 9mm 1911 we got hold of the Glock and

shared it between us as we cycled through the

ammunition we’d bought. I focused more on

raw marksmanship and shooting for groups as it

was the first time I’d ever fired a 9mm handgun;

‘back in my day’ they were only for specialists or

officers and the UK forces only recently relented

and started issuing sidearms as a more standard

thing like our US compatriots.

Dry firing the Glock 17 a few times to get

used to the trigger break I started loading up the

solitary magazine we had for it with fifteen rounds

to do my first group on paper; I pulled a little left

of centre but got all but two rounds in the A-zone

at around ten metres - not bad, I think, for a first

timer. This, I think, comes back to our ongoing

“ON OUR FIRST OUTING WE WERE SOMEWHAT FIGHTING OVER A LONE GLOCK 17,

A SIG P320 AND A 1911, ALL IN 9MM, AS WELL AS HAVING ACCESS TO AN M16A1,

M16A2, M4A1 AND AN AR STYLE PCC. WE DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT GROUPS

DEPENDING ON THE DESIRED SHOOTING EXPERIENCE”


AA LEGION

INTERNATIONAL

argument about airsoft being a perfectly capable

training tool to progress people onto live firearms,

and clearly all of the more experienced shooters

having progressed in that same story arc - with

four of the Taiwan IDPA gents being part of a

competition in the US which my friend helped

make a documentary of charting their journey.

With most of them never having live pistol

experience prior they went to a competition and

managed to clean up on awards between them!

Similarly I’ve personally tutored people who’ve

never had any type of gun or replica thereof and

by the end of the first session had them drilling

A-zones at ten metres too; granted there’s an

argument for recoil control being something you

have to adapt to, and I was trained in that on rifles

so the skills are naturally transferrable in terms

of my engrained marksmanship principles of

yesteryear sticking around. I think, as does Bill,

there’s also an argument for airsoft giving people

already-trained an outlet to maintain otherwise

perishable skillsets, and that certainly seems

to transfer into Taiwanese airsoft and MilSim or

competitive circles.

GOING LONG

After expending most of the hundred rounds of

9mm myself on paper (although we didn’t patch

so diligently between shooters so it was difficult

to tell whose shots were whose) I took a nosey

over at the right-hand bay as the rifles had arrived

and were being loaded up ready for us.

I took my now familiar-handling to the M16A1

and A2 thanks to having the VFC replicas within

arms reach of my workstation at home, and

having fielded them quite a few times at MilSims

thus far, and suffice to say the noise and recoil

was louder, but at around 20m and standing

freehand I managed put all but one of the twenty

five rounds loaded, half the box of fifty 5.56mm I

bought, in the A-zone! Normally I’d shoot prone in

the old days, but evidently the principles transfer;

“YIJUN CLEARED THE PLATES ONE FOR ONE, EVIDENTLY A DAB HAND WITH A PCC,

ALTHOUGH SHE HAD A FEW MISFEEDS FROM HAVING LESS OF HER OWN MASS BEHIND

THE GUN TO RESIST THE RECOIL… I DON’T SUFFER SUCH ISSUES AT LEAST, BEING A

CHONKEH BOY!”

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I put the rest of the box through the somewhat

shorter yet heavier M4A1 and put a nice tighter

group all within the A-zone although slightly lower.

The RO had warned me the sights would shoot

lower, but, grouping size is the important thing

after all, so I was pretty happy with that result

given the decade gap between each of my last live

fire experiences.

I finished up the last of my 9mm with a few

magazines through the SIG P320 shooting for

groups; the sights in this case were way off, with

the pistol shooting good groups, but eight inches

low at ten metres, so I’m not sure what had been

done to it. The trigger felt kind of spongey and it

was actually quite difficult to get support-hand

purchase on the front rail and nobody seemed to

particularly enjoy shooting it as a result.

We also returned the next Monday on our last

day before leaving back for Taiwan, with Clarence

and Katherine, the 4UAD squad, some of our

local Filipino friends, the remaining Hong Kong

shooters who hadn’t returned home yet, and our

new Croatian friends who turned up a little later

for some range time before leaving as well.

This time we had a quartet of Glocks to share at

least, and we all got to work shooting for groups

in turns, and Ou was helping introduce Wei Wei to

her first live fire shooting experience as well while

the rest of us ran shooting and moving drills.

The Armalites were unfortunately unavailable

on this day, but a Galil ACE showed up later in

the afternoon and Luis of 4UAD and myself were

running that with another box of 5.56 I ran up to

the office to purchase. I took a more technical

approach as I was left largely alone and did five

round groups on paper at around twenty metres

from standing, kneeling, sitting and prone to

compare the spread, then did another few

ten round groups prone and sitting to use the

remaining ammunition

Clarence’s friend in country Angel also arrived

later and brought an array of his own personal

“WE ALSO RETURNED THE NEXT MONDAY ON OUR LAST DAY BEFORE LEAVING BACK

FOR TAIWAN, WITH CLARENCE AND KATHERINE, THE 4UAD SQUAD, SOME OF OUR

LOCAL FILIPINO FRIENDS, THE REMAINING HONG KONG SHOOTERS WHO HADN’T

RETURNED HOME YET, AND OUR NEW CROATIAN FRIENDS”


AA LEGION

INTERNATIONAL

firearms to try, including a very nice Angstadt

Arms AR PCC which was just easy mode for

everyone with a very soft recoil impulse, very

crisp and light trigger and a great red dot. I can

certainly see the appeal of the fun factor and

ease of training with them versus a ‘full bore’ rifle

in 5.56mm or larger calibres; it was fairly easy

even for the slighter folks among us to wield and

run stages with. I also managed to get a go on one

of the range officer’s personal CZ P10Fs which he

was very gracious to lend me to put fifteen rounds

through and try out; just like the replica I found it

superbly comfortable in the hand compared to

the Glock and the trigger pull felt very good and

the whole thing pointed and shot naturally.

After running some more live stages with a red

dot-enabled Glock 19 with the 4UAD guys for

filming purposes Ou and I had a real treat thanks

to Angel again; he’d brought his personal CZ

Shadow 2 along! So naturally we were gleefully

trying that out and I immediately went and bought

another box of 9mm to extend the fun times. We

ran multiple stages and drills into the fading light

with sound of gunfire, smell of burnt powder and

warmth of friendship and shared love of shooting

in the air, but alas, all good things must come to

an end and we decided to grab a big group photo

with everyone remaining before we departed.

RANGE NOTES

A few notes to consider if you’re considering

doing live fire and haven’t done so before… recoil

springs are a lot heavier! It probably seems

obvious, but nonetheless if you have chance to

handle real pistols or rifles at trade shows you’ll

immediately realise you’ll have to muscle the

actions a lot more to properly chamber a round

and deal with other drills, so moving over from

airsoft guns can make that surprising and some of

the lady shooters struggled with the arm and wrist

strength required at times.

Similarly resisting recoil is essential to avoid

“CLARENCE’S FRIEND IN-COUNTRY ANGEL ALSO ARRIVED LATER AND BROUGHT

AN ARRAY OF HIS OWN PERSONAL FIREARMS TO TRY, INCLUDING A VERY NICE

ANGSTADT ARMS AR PCC WHICH WAS JUST EASY MODE FOR EVERYONE WITH A

VERY SOFT RECOIL IMPULSE, VERY CRISP AND LIGHT TRIGGER AND A GREAT RED

DOT”

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stoppages; Yijun had a few stovepipe jams in a

row although to be fair the Glock felt sluggish and

like it needed a clean anyway. You really need to

keep the frame of the pistol stationary until the

slide fully reaches the rear of travel and bottoms

out on the frame and transfers the recoil muzzle

flip to it; if you allow the frame to move earlier it

will rob the inertia from the action and result in

stoppages, so proper stance and handling are

things that have to be considered by, or imparted

on, new shooters.

Be very aware of personal effects being near

the firing line, especially if you come from a nonpermissive

environment, or just because of air

travel in general. One of the spent casings made

its way into my small tote backpack on the first

outing as I left it on the table near the firing line

where we were handling guns and ammunition;

thankfully I found it in the meantime and took it

back on the second outing for proper disposal,

but besides the likely trouble with airlines and

security, if you do get it through, certainly in

Taiwan empty casings are still a very problematic

and controlled thing that will bring you unhappy

times. Also make sure to check your personal

equipment and especially boot treads, as back in

the day I had one of the younger guys come to me

with a 5.56mm casing he found in his boot tread

during kit cleanup and polishing after a trip to

the range, which I of course sent up the chain for

appropriate controlled disposal.

Those concerns aside and the obvious need

for responsible and safe gun handling being

even more important with live firearms (although

in truth you should get into such habits even

with airsoft platforms to my mind) then live

fire experience is something there really is no

substitute for, and is a great progression to try

if you find the opportunity. Granted it can be

expensive depending where you are in the world;

in the Philippines I expended three hundred

rounds of 9mm, a hundred of 5.56mm and had to

pay range and gun rental fees. Range and pistol

rental fees were both 500 pesos (around 250NT

or GBP 5 quid each visit), rifle rental was 1500

pesos (750NT around 20 quid each visit), 9mm

was between 1250 - 1900 pesos a box of fifty

depending on brand for factory ammo (reloads

were cheaper), so around 20-30 pence a round

for 9mm, while 5.56 was a little more expensive of

course at 45 pesos a round 50-60 pence a shot.

It probably would have made more sense to go

once and spend the range and hire fees just the

once with more ammunition at one time, but, I

wanted to spend as much time in good and varied

company anyway, and it’s not like turning money

into brass, powder and noise is something I get

the chance to do often… yet…

Many thanks again to Clarence for organising

our final shoot and his friend Angel for letting us

loose with his personal collection; it was certainly

a fantastic way to finish an already excellent

trip and finally wraps up my reports from the

Philippines experience…! AA

“IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING DOING LIVE FIRE AND HAVEN’T DONE SO BEFORE… RECOIL

SPRINGS ARE A LOT HEAVIER! IT PROBABLY SEEMS OBVIOUS, BUT NONETHELESS IF

YOU HAVE CHANCE TO HANDLE REAL PISTOLS OR RIFLES AT TRADE SHOWS YOU’LL

IMMEDIATELY REALISE YOU’LL HAVE TO MUSCLE THE ACTIONS A LOT MORE…”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT: MOA EXPO 2025

GIVE ME MOA!

IT’S ALWAYS A GREAT MOMENT WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL SHOW SEASON KICKS

OFF PROPERLY WITH THE FIRST MAJOR EVENT ON OUR CALENDAR, AND MOA EXPO

2025 CERTAINLY DIDN’T DISAPPOINT! BILL JOINED STEWBACCA IN TAIPEI FOR THIS

YEAR’S SHOW, AND WITH THE ABLE SUPPORT OF ANNY THEY SAW A WHOLE HOST

OF NEW AIRSOFT PRODUCTS, AND NEW INNOVATION, SO IT’S TIME TO GET THE

LOWDOWN!

One of the most enjoyable things about

my many years in the airsoft media

community has been the opportunity to

travel around the world to report on events and

games, and I always love hitting the big shows

to find out just what will be on offer to enhance

our enjoyment and performance in-game year on

year, and there’s always something new to excite

me.

When Eric Chu, the organiser of the evergrowing

MOA EXPO that now happens towards

the end of every year in Taipei’s awesome World

Trade Centre, invited me to attend the show this

time you can bet your bottom dollar that I jumped

at the chance to return to Taiwan, not just to

enjoy everything that this fabulous island nation

has to offer, but to be among all my friends and

colleagues in the global airsoft industry and find

“I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO RETURN TO TAIWAN, NOT JUST TO ENJOY EVERYTHING

THAT THIS FABULOUS ISLAND NATION HAS TO OFFER, BUT TO BE AMONG ALL MY

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES IN THE GLOBAL AIRSOFT INDUSTRY AND FIND OUT

EXACTLY WHAT WAS COMING FOR 2026!”

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out exactly what was coming for 2026!

And so my plans were made; with the

assistance and support of the great folk in the

TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development

Council) office in London, I got on with the

mechanics of planning a literal flying trip to the

show. China Airlines, Taiwan’s national carrier, fly

direct from London to Taipei, and by making full

use of their advance booking discount I managed

to bag myself a great deal on the return flight

from Heathrow to Taoyuan, Taipei’s international

airport, and the gateway to what proved to be

another amazing airsoft adventure.

I won’t bore you with details, but all I will say

is that it’s a long-ass haul from the UK to Taiwan,

some fourteen-plus hours on the plane in both

directions, and adding time taken to get to the

airport and then into Taipei proper makes it a

twenty-plus hour journey overall… it’s pretty

darn gruelling, but thankfully China Airlines

are an awesome carrier and really know how

to look after you onboard! Arriving in-country

early evening Wednesday I was greeted at the

airport by the warm embrace of the one and only

Stewbacca, our resident “Man in Taiwan”, and we

made our way by metro into the city.

Now let me comment further on the metro

system in Taipei… quite frankly it’s wonderful,

and apart from the maze that is Taipei Main

Train Station it’s pretty easy to navigate your

way around the city, hopping from line to line!

Thankfully announcements and directions are

given in English as well as Taiwanese so there’s

no stress involved in getting around, and by

purchasing a top-uppable electronic “ticket” (in

my case my “Metro Cat”… if you know, you know!)

you simply click in and out simply and swiftly.

After crashing at my hotel Thursday got us

straight into things as it was time for Range

Day; actually this was the second Range Day as

Stewbacca had attended the first shoot-session

on Wednesday, so I’ll hand it over to him to speak

more about that…

Stewbacca: The excitement (and contingent

exhaustion) of MOA keeps building each year as

the show has grown so much since its earliest

2017 sports hall venue with narrow gangways and

far fewer things on show, even with the impact of

COVID curtailing 2020’s show, outright deferring

2021’s until the campfest outdoor show in early

2022 and finally returning to normality in 2022,

since then it’s bounced back and grown to what

was originally planned before the bug overrunning

the world dark times, and with 2026 and 2027

already in the planning stages to take a further

zone of the trade centre floor year on year, the

show will have conquered almost all the available

space if things continue at this pace by the time it

reaches its decade anniversary show.

The major change this year, as Bill already

mentioned, was the addition of two range days

prior to the main show, held upstairs in the same

building while the contractors and exhibitors

were putting the final touches on their excellent

booths down below, with a great conference

room stocked with meeting and eating tables

and a myriad of quality drinks and snacks. The

second room had larger tables and plinths for the

manufacturers to set up shop on, with multiple

firing lanes constructed from board walls allowing

an around ten metre length of testing space for

each exhibitor, some brought their own metal,

paper or electronic targets to give feedback to the

shooters, and having met Bridges and Nachos

of HRC in the preceding days we got to work

handling the wares on show.

With numerous GBBRs catching our eyes,

personally I was quite taken by the Marksman

Daewoo K2 as it’s another national service

rifle for the collection and similar to the FNC

in construction and handling, again running off

VFC AR magazines; also the M7 which was very

well put together and handled as nicely as the

real steel variant I got hands on with at TADTE

2025’s SIG booth. I’d already gotten hands on

with the VFC AKSU at its launch party event,

“THE MAJOR CHANGE THIS YEAR, AS BILL ALREADY MENTIONED, WAS THE ADDITION

OF TWO RANGE DAYS PRIOR TO THE MAIN SHOW, HELD UPSTAIRS IN THE SAME

BUILDING WHILE THE CONTRACTORS AND EXHIBITORS WERE PUTTING THE FINAL

TOUCHES ON THEIR EXCELLENT BOOTHS DOWN BELOW”


AA LEGION


but nonetheless happily tried it again as well as

comparing it to the larger AK74M, but getting to

fire the Northeast FAMAS and Mini Uzi was also

a highlight, having been taunted by Sebastian

bringing them along to our Wednesday night CQB

shoots but keeping them largely to himself!

Bill: For me it was an exciting start to things, a

chance to get hands-on immediately with some

of the newest AEGs and GBBs. Attendance for

the Range Day held on the second floor of the

Taipei World Trade Centre (while the main show

was being set up down below!) was excellent with

both local and international media and industry

folk getting a chance to “go live” with the very

latest platforms from the likes of VFC, Northeast ,

Action Airsoft/PRO-ACT, Archwick, Hwasan, MOS

Manufacture, Arcturus, BOLT, and even SPECNA

ARMS got in on the action!

Among the things that we got to shoot on

Range Day were the latest GBBR AK and AR

offerings from VFC, and the new K2 (that’ll be

the Daewoo!), and the outstandingly-gorgeous

Toxicant M7 GBBR as well. Moving on we got a

crack at North East’s awesome FAMAS, Uzi and

Mini-Uzi, before having a proper crank with some

Archwick B&Ts! Of course I spent some time

with BOLT to get the absolute lowdown on their

latest MAS gas rifles to conclude my review, and

also got to have a play with a not-at-all-an-EVO

GBBR; we all agreed that this looks great, and

although it’s still a prototype it’s looking mighty

fine. Stewbacca and I got to hang out with a

whole bunch of friends new and old and enjoyed

just being a part of our great, global airsoft

community.

At the same time on Thursday G&G (who sadly

weren’t exhibiting at the show proper for some

reason) hosted a Factory Visit down-island, and

from what I heard from folk attending this was a

great event in itself; thankfully I got to catch up

with Randy and Ryan later in the show who gave

me a thorough briefing on what we can expect

from G&G in 2026… and it all looks and sounds

outstanding!

After a couple of evening meetings and some

“street food dinner” though I was ready to crash…

GAME ON- SHOW DAY 1!

Rising early, the excitement for the show proper

just built and built! An easy and direct Red Line

metro journey spat me out at the Taipei World

Trade Centre (TWTC), and under the shadow

of the always-inspiring 101 Tower... to give you

an idea of just how inspiring this structure is,

Taipei 101 is a 508-meter (1,667 ft), 101-story

skyscraper, formerly the world’s tallest building

from 2004 to 2009! It is known for its striking

design and its large seismic damper, which

stabilizes it during earthquakes and typhoons.

You can go to an observatory for amazing city

views, with an indoor area on the 89th floor and

an outdoor area on the 101st floor…. if you’re

brave enough!

And what a start it was as the show this

year was bigger than ever before with over 100

exhibitors from all over Taiwan, Asia, and indeed

the rest of the world! From humble beginnings

MOA EXPO has blossomed into something

truly very special with virtually all of the major

“Industry Players” quite literally setting their

stands and showing their goods both existing,

new, and planned in the best possible way!

The crowd waiting for entrance was extensive,

with the line stretching all around the cavernous

lobby of the TWTC, and even outside onto the

street! We immediately saw a LOT of people to

shake hands and catch up with, and we knew

that a whole load of new airsoft products were

waiting for us to get “hands on” with even after all

the 6mm gucci-ness that was presented at Range

Day!

And as I said in my daily update post it was

absolutely a day of GBBRs, and it’s weird how

dreams sometimes become reality; at Range

“AMONG THE THINGS THAT WE GOT TO SHOOT ON RANGE DAY WERE THE LATEST

GBBR AK AND AR OFFERINGS FROM VFC, AND THE NEW K2 (THAT’LL BE THE

DAEWOO!), AND THE OUTSTANDINGLY-GORGEOUS TOXICANT M7 GBBR AS WELL.

MOVING ON WE GOT A CRACK AT NORTH EAST’S AWESOME FAMAS, UZI AND MINI-

UZI, BEFORE HAVING A PROPER CRANK WITH SOME ARCHWICK B&TS!”

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Day we were all talking about how good it would

be for LCT to turn their awesome AK range into

GBBRs… and immediately we were presented

with an AK74M GBBR in development that will

be Marui compatible, along with an HPA-ready

version using the MECHLABS engine (MECHLABS

also had their own imposing stand elsewhere…)!

The LCT stand was impressive to say the least,

and their “VIP Lounge” gave me access to some

proper coffee (thank you Bella!)… the main

stand though was the “activity hive”, with some

amazing-looking new AK rail systems, and both

their long-awaited MP5 and AK 2.0 with ASTER

II models got some serious attention! Again I’ll

hand over to Stewbacca...

Stewbacca: Having been graciously hosted

by our good friends at LCT Airsoft at their

Changhua facility on multiple occasions at this

point, they’ve let Bill, Anny and myself in on a

lot of inside track info in the past on their future

plans and products, some of which we still can’t

mention but can nonetheless get excited about.

They openly discussed their plans to get into gas

guns eventually way back on my earlier visits,

and these promises seem to be coming to the

fore with last year’s announcement of the PTK1

HiCapa pistol, as well as this now being joined by

the future inclusion of HPA and GBBR AK lines in

their portfolio.

Of course for me and my German fanboying,

seeing the LCT take on the much-loved MP5

finally adorning their booth walls of course got my

attention and naturally I had to get hands on and

give it a little slap (delightful); stamped, welded

steel cold war beauties are their bread and butter,

and having supplied me the rest of their HK

lineup the TP5 as they are calling their iteration

will no doubt make a pleasant addition to the

already crowded gun walls. Thankfully they have

once again gone for earlier variants and included

the SEF trigger pack with the more positively

indexing and easier to reach chunkier one side

“THE SHOW THIS YEAR WAS BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE WITH OVER 100 EXHIBITORS

FROM ALL OVER TAIWAN, ASIA, AND INDEED THE REST OF THE WORLD! FROM HUMBLE

BEGINNINGS MOA EXPO HAS BLOSSOMED INTO SOMETHING TRULY VERY SPECIAL”


AA LEGION


I managed to get hands on when Vega himself

passed me the prototype which wasn’t on public

display but had disclosed by another media outlet

after a closed door showing of it - “I’m going to

count to three, Mister Takagi, there will not be

a four…”, “you asked for a Christmas miracle,

gentlemen; I give you the V…F…C…” - plenty of

time to warm up your “Die Hard” or “Tomorrow

Never Dies” references for its release around the

tail end of next year. Likewise I was aware of the

plans to make the HK33 years back when the

HK53 was released, but its official announcement

and public display was nonetheless another

point of excitement for me, it should be coming

relatively soon, it seems.

Newer kids on the block Amarok (Sports)

had a slightly bigger booth than their inaugural

one for their launch last year, and on top of

their apparently well-received and heightened

durability and fast, reliable feeding AM250M

high capacity spring fed midcap magazines, they

only selector lever I love, and of course the build

quality and general heft naturally inspire the same

utilitarian confidence their other offerings always

do - quite looking forward to that one being

released, of course.

VFC had a variety of the same AKSUs, both

classic loveliness with the red lustrous wooden

stub handguard, as well as the tacticool

modernised versions on their booth, as well as

samples of the L403A1, MD9 and SA320 pistols

we’ve already had extensive time behind and

reviewed in prior issues. Newer variants of their

venerable licensed BCM line sees the adoption of

more up to date internal components mirroring

the creature comforts of the L403A1’s system and

features, the highlights for me however were the

German offerings!

Having acquired the PPKS, PPQ NPA and PDP

in the Walther line, the leaked announcement

of the HK P7M13 was very exciting for me, and

announced a shorter 190 BB variant to suit DMR

AEG users who want to get lower in the prone

position, or SpeedQB players using magwell

adaptors who want less magazine body sticking

out and getting in the way without sacrificing

the established reliability, familiar aesthetic

and handling, nor too much in raw ammunition

“OF COURSE FOR ME AND MY GERMAN FANBOYING, SEEING THE LCT TAKE ON THE

MUCH-LOVED MP5 FINALLY ADORNING THEIR BOOTH WALLS OF COURSE GOT MY

ATTENTION AND NATURALLY I HAD TO GET HANDS ON AND GIVE IT A LITTLE SLAP

(DELIGHTFUL)”

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capacity. Along with their M-LOK handstops,

vertical grips and rubberised extreme grip rail

covers (which my T91SOC, L403A1 and APC9SD2

front ends are completely covered with along

with handstops or grips) I’m also aware of other

exciting directions they’re taking and totally

new product lines they already have in final

prototyping but have to keep my usual closed

lipped about for now.

Bill: Then it was onto ICS, and although I’ve

known about their fledgling gas rifle program

since IWA it was fabulous to see the finished

TTI TR-9 PCC in the flesh… even more exciting

as it will be using the awesome mag technology

performance of GHK AKs even more, and of

course their pistol range continues to grow and

grow…

Stewbacca: Another interesting addition

this year was an expansion of GHK’s Umarex

licensed ultra-realistic Glock replicas, with

their overmoulded metal frame inserts, their

hammerless gas system and metal slides with

larger gas cylinders and pistons which give a

developed by MAX TACT! There will also be an

AEG version of this stunning carbine, so if your

friends are all electric, then you’re covered too!

As well as this particular show-stopper ICS also

had tucked away a new version of the LEGACY

Hi-Capa, a shorter, punchier variant, and I’m very

much looking forward to getting my hands ion all

the new models.

GHK were showing an all new gas SPEAR LT

that looked droolingly good, but it was their

latest AK revision with an improved-performance

magazine that really took our interest; this new

multi-cell design promises to increase the

hard kick, The trigger systems at least seem to be

progressively improving over the extremely hard

to pull and break initial versions; they honestly

felt like pulling a Marui trigger with the manual

sliding serial number safety bars engaged! Now

they are very realistic, having handled real Glocks

quite recently in the Philippines and dumped

hundreds of 9mm rounds through them and other

pistols, and the addition of optics ready G34, G45

and G47 models which handle very nicely and

hopefully will eliminate all the woes of the prior

systems.

Bill: On the Hwasan stand we got to take

another long, hard look at the Toxicant M7

variants, and although it’s pricey, by hell it’s just

gorgeous… as was the STRIKE INDUSTRIES not

an EVO… hopefully the licencing via EMG will

go through on this particular GBBR as I believe

“HAVING ACQUIRED THE PPKS, PPQ NPA AND PDP IN THE WALTHER LINE, THE LEAKED

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HK P7M13 WAS VERY EXCITING FOR ME, AND I MANAGED TO

GET HANDS ON WHEN VEGA HIMSELF PASSED ME THE PROTOTYPE WHICH WASN’T ON

PUBLIC DISPLAY”


AA LEGION


there’s a lot of players out there that would love it!

On the same stand we saw the amazing TTI x V7

Harbinger GBBR, which beautifully replicated the

“Wick Universe/Ballerina” rifle.

TACT internally regulated CO2 GBB pistol and

now rifle magazine system. With their operational

prototype MWS compatible rifle magazines

on display along with their established VFC

Glock and general HiCapa compatible pistol

magazines which me and my teammate Eilon

(who incidentally now works directly with

MAX TACT helping James and his team with

marketing, development and investment as well

as demonstrating the products at the show and to

other players whenever he gets the chance) have

been testing along with a few of team Taiji already

sold on the technology and adopting Glock

pistols mags for our somewhat standardised

sidearms, and yet other players at the Wednesday

night CQB sessions who have seen us testing

The really BIG surprise though was when we

visited stalwarts Classic Army; to be honest I

wasn’t expecting much, but then they dropped

a bomb by showing us their new AR GBBRs!

There’s a series all based around Marui spec

components, and they appear to be 100%

workmanlike with a great recoil impulse!

Stewbacca: One company and product

line I’ve been following very closely and even

been directly involved with the testing and

development of since first being introduced to

them via our great friend Clarence is the MAX

them extensively there and now acquired their

own having been convinced by the system.

Obviously I’m personally looking forward to

the VFC AR compatible system so I can run a

full combat loadout that will give me two or

three full BB loadings from a single capsule or

external tank fill allowing me to abandon carrying

relatively fragile cans of flammable gas in my

MilSim loadout gear for longer or larger theatre

games. The consistency and efficiency really

have me and others sold and I’m excited to see

their product line grow and become adopted by

ever more OEMs some of which have already

“AFTER HAVING A LOOK ACETECH’S NEW QUADRA PISTOL TRACER UNIT AND

ALIGNMENT R TARGET SYSTEM, IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO ALSO SPEND SOME TIME

WITH JAMES AT MAX TACT AND JANE AT MODIFY, AND THEN HANG OUT WITH

CLARENCE AND KATHERINE ON THE SHINY, SHINY CLPD STAND”

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openly brought them on board or are in more

undisclosed talks - hopefully we can get FAL,

PDP/PPQ and Shadow 2 compatible systems

further down the line to really give me the wide

spectrum of usage.

Bill: After having a look Acetech’s new Quadra

pistol tracer unit and Alignment R target system,

I went straight on to see the guys at Lancer

Tactical who also have an entry into this years

GBBR stakes, and in fact they’ll be releasing

a host of gas ARs with MWS compatibility and

all-steel trigger groups, and the two models I

viewed under the SLR licence looked absolutely

righteous. There’ll be more from them on the AEG

and pistol front, of course, but it was the gasrange

that really hogged the spotlight.

it was time for me to also spend some time with

James at MAX TACT and Jane at Modify, and then

hang out with Clarence and Katherine on the

shiny, shiny CLPD stand (eating popcorn courtesy

of Anny!). A quick visit to the Taiwanese Military

Display Area was very interesting indeed, as was

seeing Roman Legionnaires, Knights in armour,

Samurais… yup, as well as countless cosplayers

the living history guys were out in full force just to

add some flavour!

But then it was already time to call it a day…

Day 2 beckoned brightly!

And more news on the gas-front too from our

old mates at NUPROL, who I was delighted to see

exhibiting! We know of course that they have a

VORSK-branded gas AR heading to market in the

not too-distant future, and to get this program

rolling they’ve developed a bunch of different

designs of MWS-style magazines, a long 45 BB

version and a cool shorter one that holds 25 BBs!

GO, GO, GO – DAY 2!

After some evening shenanigans and another

night of rest (ish!), MOA EXPO Day 2 proved to

be just as solid a day for Stewbacca and I as the

first with an awful lot of great kit to look at, and

although we thought we’d broken the back of the

new GBBRs set to hit the market we found that

there was even more… this truly was the show of

new GBBRs, that’s for sure!

“THEN IT WAS ONTO ICS, AND ALTHOUGH I’VE KNOWN ABOUT THEIR FLEDGLING GAS

RIFLE PROGRAM SINCE IWA IT WAS FABULOUS TO SEE THE FINISHED TTI TR-9 PCC

IN THE FLESH… EVEN MORE EXCITING AS IT WILL BE USING THE AWESOME MAG

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED BY MAX TACT!”


AA LEGION


These are substantial beasties as they benefit

from steel internal parts, but we were told that

there will also be a lighter alloy version in due

course… and we can expect to see all the mags

early in the new year!

Of course there was more AEG news, and the

first was courtesy of S&T! Well known for their

somewhat esoteric range of historically-themed

AEGs the latest to arrive (as a 3D printed mock for

oh boy, they look totally tidy, with rails, stocks,

and finishes (including that new awesome grey

again!) to offer something to please all their fans!

Arcturus/MOS Manufacture was up next, and

along with their existing range of super AEGs they

now) is the FG42, and we know that this news has

already pleased many of you out there… no more

details as yet, but of course we’ll follow up with

them…

I then made a return to BOLT, but this time

to check out all the new recoil variants under

their new EMG X Daniel Defense licence… and

were also showing some new pistols, and the

Tempest 4.3 “Duty Grade” optic-ready Hi Capa

really took my eye… I then popped over to have a

look at Raven Evolution as this Canadian brand

has really piqued my curiosity, and I have to say

that their EVO AR AEGs look pretty tidy.

Ares were loud and proud with a great looking

stand, and it’s great to see their revolver program

moving on! I was very taken here by a cool-looking

3D-print concept version of their revolver bringing

“AS A SOMEWHAT SEASONED AND JADED SHOW-GOER WHAT I SAW IN TAIWAN WAS

JUST REMARKABLE! NORMALLY BY DAY 3 EVERYONE IS GETTING A BIT BURNED

OUT, BUT IN TAIPEI AT MOA EXPO THE ENERGY JUST SEEMED TO BUILD AND BUILD

CULMINATING IN A WONDERFULLY FABULOUS AND FUNNY LAST DAY!”

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it a really rugged tacticool look, along with the

new railed front-end counterweights!

Stewbacca: One system though that took

our collective attention was the modular Ares

bolt action gas powered sniper system which

replicates the existing successes of their Amoeba

spring powered bolt action sniper line in its

various barrel and stock lengths, but eschews the

clumsier manual cocking spring for a smoother

and easier to manipulate gas powered bolt

system.

With integrated threaded capsule holders

secreted in the lower forestock or handguard

allowing various existing CO2 capsules to be

installed depending on the holder hooked up to

the gas line, our South African teammate Tobie

was certainly sold on the system and wanted to

take one home with him cash in hand there and

then! Alas, they’re not quite out yet, but having

also been introduced to the top man himself

again via Clarence due to my involvement in the

Ding Ding Cup where I first met the now Taiwanbased

Ares top man, and their collaborative

CO2 revolvers which feature elsewhere in this

issue, I’m sure I can chew their ears to get early

adoption and testing privileges and share the

process, information and spoils with Tobie!

JOB DONE – DAY 3!

Bill: Day 3 at the show was all about catching up

with more on the kit and gear front, and I spent

some time checking out scopes and sights with

VECTOR OPTICS, Olight/Osight, and Holosun; the

Holosun SCS VP9 model designed for the H&K

VP9 optics-ready handguns impressed me, as did

their HM6X/HE510C-GR combo setup. Next was

Angry Gun for accessories, and immediately I was

pulled up short by their beautiful KAC-licenced

KS-1 and KS-3 MWS conversion kits… in fact their

KAC-licenced kit is looking absolutely

awesome in its entirety, and I’ll come back

to look at all of this in a future issue!

And then it was my meeting with Randy

and Ryan from G&G, coffee with the lovely

people Anny introduced me too at Retro

Motif who make some beautiful airsoft

and military-related novelty items, a quick

meeting with the guys from BLS to check

out their new Blue Tracer BBs, checking

out the arcade games and action figures at

Kizuna Works, checking in with RA-TECH

and SPECNA ARMS, and much running

around taking pictures and chatting to

exhibitors; suffice to say we saw way more

than what’s detailed here, and of course we’ll be

referencing back to it all in due course!

But any show is of course made by the great

people that we see, and once again I’ll hand over

to Stewbacca…

Stewbacca: Of course, it’s not just about the

products, as I always say, the people make it

what it is, and this year alongside Bill’s inaugural

visit we had the fine gents from Heavy Recoil

Club who we’ve featured in the magazine before

due to their excellent online community and vast

information repository and reference building

work, as well as the impeccable Jonathan of

Targazh photography whose gun pictures and

artwork now proudly adorn multiple exhibitor’s

booths and websites, and whose presence and

“THE VIBE WAS TOTALLY COOL; THIS WAS TRULY AN AIRSOFT SHOW, NOT

AIRSOFT BOLTED ON TO SOMETHING ELSE, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT OTHER SHOW

ORGANISERS SHOULD BE VERY AWARE (AND PERHAPS A LITTLE SCARED!) OF ERIC

AND HIS MOA EXPO CREW AS I FEEL THEY HAVE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL GOING

ON”


AA LEGION


personality are equally amenable.

More regular faces like our good friend Vic from

Popular Airsoft as well as the Polish WMASG and

Swedish Airsoft.nu and Japanese Hyperdoraku

media crews were also joined by industry people

such as Masaki of Laylax, ‘uncle’ Allen (now of

Amarok), and of course Jonathan of Airsoftology

who lives out here in country with me, as well

as our firm friend Larry of Centurions Option

in Hong Kong, Joppe and Gijs from Europe, the

Pfitzner Waffen brothers from Germany along

with Stephan of Badwolves out there, and my first

introduction to the wonderful Turgay from Turkiye.

Brian & Trish as well as Clive Santos from the

Philippines who I met in Taiwan and at the world

shoot and of course the very lovely ladies Jillian

and Ning of Hong Kong’s competitive shooting

scene along with Cyrus who joined them, all of

whom were joined by the numerous good friends

and industry people I know in country, as well

as teammates, players and wider fans of my

work and what we do in general at Airsoft Action

it seems, and especially the Warhound Tactical

guys who were brought over by Amarok to help

create some excellent events coverage pictures

and videos and who I gave a tour of the highlight

new releases with.

Even with Bill and Anny’s able support this

year and both range days I felt like I didn’t see

everything or everyone I wanted to and spent the

three days of the show constantly running the

floor, meeting people, taking pictures, hugging

and chatting with the myriad great people who

make the event and whole industry at large a real

pleasure to be a part of… and there really are too

many to mention adequately!

Bill: As a somewhat seasoned and jaded showgoer

what I saw in Taiwan was just remarkable!

Normally by Day 3 everyone is getting a bit

burned out, but in Taipei at MOA EXPO the energy

just seemed to build and build culminating in a

wonderfully fabulous and funny last day!

The overwhelming feeling both Stewbacca and

I came away with was 100% positive… MOA EXPO

is a show by airsofters FOR airsofters (sound

familiar?) and in this instance allowing the public

entrance really worked… perhaps it’s a difference

in cultures but there was always politeness and

no finger-banging of the product samples; respect

was everywhere present.

The vibe was totally cool; this was truly an

airsoft show, not airsoft bolted on to something

else, and I have to say that other show organisers

should be very aware (and perhaps a little

scared!) of Eric and his MOA EXPO crew as I feel

they have something very special going on, and

that the show here in Taipei will just grow and

grow!

MOA EXPO is almost entirely dedicated to

airsoft, and as pretty much all of the major

manufacturers were present it could fast become

THE airsoft show in the future, a show where we

will consistently see all that is best and brightest

in the industry. MOA EXPO could well be THE

future of airsoft industry events, and I for one look

forward to returning… not just to MOA EXPO but

to Taiwan and the awesome local player

community!

It was a truly

great show,

with so many

wonderful

people all in the

same place at

the same time,

and my sincere

thanks go to

Stewbacca and

Anny for simply

being awesome,

to Eric Chu and

his fine team from

QRF.mag 軍物特

搜 for the invite to

what was a truly

memorable and

wholly successful

event (and for

additional show

imagery), to China

Airlines for two

wonderful flights,

and to the fine

people at TAITRA

for facilitating my

visit to Taiwan. AA

108


AA LEGION



AA LEGION


110


AA LEGION



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Airsoft Action - Issue 181

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Airsoft Action - Issue 181

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