Airsoft Action

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ISSUE 183

ISSN 2634-9515

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8 ARMOURY: SECUTOR CENTURION II MWS

When it comes to SECUTOR rifles we all know the RAPAX and ASTRA

AEG models, and these have a great reputation amongst the AA crew.

We’ve looked in depth at both their “5.56” and “762/308” DMR electric

models over the years and found their quality and performance to be

on the money, but does this carry over to their new CENTURION GBBR

model? Bill’s been on the range again to find out!

#STANDWITHUKRAINE

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer

Deputy Editor (USA): Dan Whedon

Deputy Editor (EU): Miguel Oliveira

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Ad Design: Deadshot Design

Publisher: Calibre Publishing Limited

ISSUE 183

ISSN 2634-9515

18 ARMOURY: AMPED AIRSOFT CUSTOM HPA MK46

HPA Systems continue to evolve and improve, and whether or not

you’re a fan can’t alter the fact that in some areas they just plain WORK,

and work very well! We’ve always said that a solid HPA system would

work brilliantly in a support gun, and thanks to AMPED AIRSOFT and an

old MK46 from Dan’s “boneyard” we can tell you that we’re completely

right!

Web: www.airsoftaction.net

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28 ARMOURY: SPECNA ARMS VAPOR VGS2 SHOTGUN

Miguel is of course best known for his love of the AEG, and whilst he

does occasionally dabble in “secondaries” this time he heads out

with a different beast entirely, the VAPOR VGS2 GAS SHOTGUN from

SPECNA ARMS! But does a shotgun have a place in airsoft? Bill sets the

scene first…

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Photography: @lighttales.by.michal

34 ARMOURY: PROJECT STACATTO PIV

With safe transport and storage of RIFs ever more important, and

security always paramount Boycie takes a look at a bespoke gun case

solution that he’s been involved with creating as a part of “Project

Stacatto” and after collecting the finished product from Dead Eye

Designs at SHOT Show, he finds the new case very much to his (and

many others!) liking!

04

AIRSOFT ACTION - ISSUE 182

CONTENTS

ISSUE 183

40 TECH: REDLINE AIRSOFT

We’re continuing with some more serious HPA content this issue, diving

into one of the oldest and most respected brands in the HPA airsoft

market, Redline Airsoft as Bruno delves into the company and the kit

that he’s been using in his “go-to” HPA setup!

46 THE CELL: FAVOURITE NEW PISTOLS 2025

2025 was kind of a quiet year when it came to new airsoft pistols, but

choosing the right “secondary” is as important to us as it has ever been!

Although new models have taken a slightly slower tempo in recent

months the guys from THE CELL have looked back on their favourite

“shorts” from the last twelve months.

56 TECH: 4UAD AR GBBR HOP UNIT

The 4UAD Smart Airsoft squad are increasingly making a name for

themselves both domestically in Taiwan and in the wider international

airsoft market, with many of the team coming with their previous

experience in established airsoft or general manufacturing.

62 TECH: PERUN FOR M14

With all the new electronics and “OS’” that have appeared for AEGs

both great and small it seems like the M14 has been long due for an

update… and now it has one thanks to the clever folk at PERUN!

68 OPTICS: VICTOPTICS

In this review Miguel, Bruno, and Frost are also bringing in two new

products that the brand launched around the end of the Summer, the

C1 4x32 Prism Scope and the SRD 1x18x20 VOD Red Dot

76 OPTICS: LHODR JS NIGHTHAWK X2

Bruno has gone fully digital again, exploring the world of technology

that can be used by our community, and as a real enthusiast he’s been

tracking the rapid evolution of night vision and thermal imaging. He now

turns his attention to LHODR and their JS Nighthawk x2!

80 GEAR: M-TAC

Something as simple as a tactical pant has come a long, long way in

recent years providing apparel that looks great on the street but that

also performs superbly on the range or in-game! And gear from M-TAC is

not just about “gear for the boys” as Bruno and Sara tell us.

84 AA LEGION: WINTER-OPS IN SLOVAKIA

We’re always keeping an eye on the airsoft scene at AIRSOFT ACTION,

and when Bill saw some amazing images from a MilSim event in

extreme conditions in the mountains of Slovakia he had to find out

more!

94 AA LEGION: SHOW REPORT

Last month a newly-formed “AA Crew” comprising of John “Boycie”

Turrell, Jase Clarke, and team newcomer (but veteran shooter and

airsofter!) Tim Criddle (TC) got their show-heads on and set out on the

mammoth journey to Las Vegas and the gargantuan annual event that

is SHOT SHOW!

With lots to report on and share, the report this year takes on a slightly

different look as “Da Bois” bring you their thoughts of the week at each

stage of the show… Boycie lead off, and it’s definitely a case of VIVA

LAS VEGAS!

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ARMOURY

SECUTOR CENTURION II MWS

COHORT

LEADER!

8


ARMOURY


WHEN IT COMES TO SECUTOR RIFLES WE ALL KNOW THE RAPAX AND ASTRA

AEG MODELS, AND THESE HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION AMONGST THE AA CREW.

WE’VE LOOKED IN DEPTH AT BOTH THEIR “5.56” AND “762/308” DMR ELECTRIC

MODELS OVER THE YEARS AND FOUND THEIR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE TO

BE ON THE MONEY, BUT DOES THIS CARRY OVER TO THEIR NEW CENTURION

GBBR MODEL? BILL’S BEEN ON THE RANGE AGAIN TO FIND OUT!

“Oh, great”, I hear you say, “yet another

M4-alike to look at, and another GBBR

too…”. This is a phrase that many of us who

review airsoft replicas often start an article or

video with, and it’s actually the way many of us

feel when a manufacturer drops a new version

into the marketplace, However, when that

manufacturer is SECUTOR, and said carbine

is their first gas blowback AR then you’d better

believe that is going to make me pay attention

right quick!

I’m not going to get into the history of the

real world M4/AR carbine as that’s been done

so many times before, but I will say that with

a platform that’s been in service with the US

Army since 1994 as the M4, and adopted by

many other police and military units worldwide

since then, I can kind of get why pretty much

every airsoft manufacturer out there produces

the AR in one of its many guises. Add to that the

continued interest in specialist military and LE

units amongst the airsoft community and the

“ADD TO THAT THE CONTINUED INTEREST IN SPECIALIST MILITARY AND LE UNITS

AMONGST THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE AR CARBINE IN

SO MANY OF THE BIG MILITARY MOVIES AND YOU’VE GOT TO ADMIT THAT MAKING

ONE IS GOING TO BE A BIT OF A “WIN, WIN””


ARMOURY


appearance of the AR carbine in so many of the

big military movies and you’ve got to admit that

making one is going to be a bit of a “win, win”.

What I will do though is look at little at the

history of the Tokyo Marui MWS! Unlike many

of the current market leaders, Tokyo Marui,

or Kabushiki-gaisha Tokyo Marui to give them

their full title, always go about things their own

sweet way. Tokyo Marui, or simply TM, have been

involved in electronic technology since the 1980s

when they were heavily into the world of radiocontrolled

cars, so it really is no surprise that with

the rise of airsoft in Japan they were in at the very

beginning of things, but it was not until 1992 that

they launched their very first airsoft gun powered

solely by an electric-motor driven air system,

which they called the “Automatic Electric Gun”

(AEG). This compact system was implemented in

their first battery-powered fully automatic replica,

the FAMAS F1 and the rest, as they say, is history!

The TM AEG system really did set a new

standard though, and of course their range of

replicas is now absolutely huge; the system has

been copied through the years by many other

airsoft manufacturers, and “TM compatible” is

still a phrase that you hear all too regularly. But

the AEG is not TM’s only contribution to the great

airsoft party as they also make some pretty tidy

electric recoil guns and an absolutely great range

of gas blowback pistols, and although they are

superb as they come, a global airsoft industry

has grown up in relation to aftermarket parts for

them. Whichever your favourite airsoft retailer

may be I’m going to bet that they will carry “TM

compatible” parts, even if they don’t stock TM as

a brand!

The thing with Tokyo Marui is that, just as with

the introduction of their first AEG, they just had

to have their very own gas system and the M4A1

MWS, which stands for “Modular Weapons

System” just to get that out of the way, was

powered by what they called the ZET System. It

took me a while to get to the bottom of this but

basically ZET translates as (Z) Final/Ultimate

Endurance Technology.

SYSTEMIC ENHANCEMENT

But what does this actually mean? Simply put

TM looked at all the existing gas blowback

technologies out there, and scrutinised what

they perceived to be their inherent flaws. With

this information in hand away to their secret

drawing boards they went, and the systemic

enhancements of the ZET System were born. TM

decided to work on the weakest point as they

perceived it, the bolt carrier. They wanted this to

be very durable and better than the other existing

GBBs that are available and the ZET featured a

shock absorbing system for durability and a roller

system to ensure that the bolt travelled smoothly.

The then-new system also employed a larger

piston with a diameter of about 19mm, and the

“ESSENTIALLY THE MWS AND ZET SYSTEM IS ALL ABOUT DURABILITY BY

PREVENTING WEAR AND DAMAGE TO THE BOLT AND CATCH, UTILISING PISTON-

ABSORBERS AND A FRICTION-RELIEF BOLT-ROLLER TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE

INTERNAL PARTS DURING OPERATION”

10


ARMOURY


bolt operated in conjunction with the cylinder to

give superb felt recoil.

Essentially the MWS and ZET System is all

about durability by preventing wear and damage

to the bolt and catch, utilising piston-absorbers

and a friction-relief bolt-roller to reduce the

burden on the internal parts during operation.

The air nozzle was plastic and stayed longer in

position than others out there which TM asserted

gave a more reliable seal to prevent the escape of

gas. Working together this ensured the safety and

longevity of the bolt carrier; TM torture tested the

original bolt-lock for over 10,000 cycles to prove

how durable the ZET system was and you can’t

really argue with that, can you?

But that of course is just a big old history lesson

for those reading that are newer to airsoft than

others, and the MWS TM M4A1 that I looked at

first over ten years ago has established itself as

a real winner, and the MWS has moved on into

many different platforms… so why am I talking

about all of this here when the platform under

scrutiny is from SECUTOR?

Simple really… in the last couple of years we’ve

seen numerous manufacturers look at the nowvenerable

Tokyo Marui gas system and reverseengineer

it into a system of “their own” that is “TM

based” or once again “TM compatible”… and let’s

not scream too loudly about other manufacturers

using something that was developed by the

Japanese giant as they themselves are all too

happy to trade, to a degree, on the trademarks

and work of others! Whilst their airsoft technology

is undoubtedly unique and innovative, the fact

is that they play fast and loose with “trades”

and have done for years… and yes, I am fully

conversant with all the legal arguments and the

position in Japan, but still…

So, like other gas platforms that we’ve already

looked at and many more yet to come from other

manufacturers that we’ve seen at the trade shows

right now, SECUTOR have in the CENTURION

II MWS created what they term a “a highperformance

gas blowback (GBB) airsoft rifle”

that was finally and fully released in late 2025,

and no doubt this another example operationally

of the “cohort of manufacturers” like Double

Eagle out in the wild, wild East that are creating

a slew of “new” GBBRs right now; to be

straightforward, like many it’s built on the proven

Tokyo Marui MWS ZET base, providing “realistic

recoil” and full compatibility with standard MWS

magazines and upgrade parts.

The features out of the box are solid;

• Internal Components: Equipped out-ofthe-box

with premium upgrades, including

a 6.03mm precision inner barrel, a Maple

Leaf MR. HOP 60° bucking, and an Omega

NUB tensioner for enhanced range and

consistency.

• Power Adjustment: Features an AngryGun

Enhanced MPA Nozzle (Gen II) with a built-

“INTERNALLY, THE CENTURION GBBR FEATURES A 6.03MM DIAMETER PRECISION

BARREL, A MR.HOP GBB 60° JOINT AND A MAPLE LEAF NUB OMEGA TENSIONER AS

STANDARD, SO NOT JUST A “BASIC MWS-STYLE PACKAGE” FROM THE GET-GO”


ARMOURY


in NPAS, allowing easy power adjustment to

suit different field limits.

• Construction: Full metal body with a

lightweight M-LOK handguard for accessory

mounting and a retractable multi-position

stock.

• Included Accessories: 35 BB MWS-style

magazine and a (basic) colour-matched

threaded suppressor (14mm CCW).

There’s actually a lot to immediately unpack

here isn’t there? Internally, the CENTURION

GBBR features a 6.03mm diameter precision

barrel, a MR.HOP GBB 60° joint and a Maple Leaf

Nub OMEGA tensioner as standard, so not just

a “basic MWS-style package” from the get-go.

There’s also that NPAS for adjusting the power of

the platform, and an AngryGun Enhanced Drop-In

Complete MPA Nozzle Set Gen II power regulator

to deliver consistent gas efficiency and reliable

cycling.

Externally, the included suppressor fits onto a

14mm CCW thread at the end of the barrel (and

that’s about all I can say about it as it’s basically

just a tube), and the slim M-LOK handguard

has an up-top picatinny rail that extends the

accessory-space forward from the upper receiver

which is also flat-top-railed. Three colour options

are available, and in my opinion the tan version is

the nicest (and ally-est!); the tan of the receiver

set and accessories is perfect matched, and the

dark bronze of the rail and buffer tube look ace as

I’d expect from SECUTOR!

In terms of controls, the CENTURION also

features a fire selector and bolt-release on the

left of the lower, along with a cocking handle

and ambidextrous stock adjustment to suit both

left- and right-handed players. Its ergonomic

pistol grip and “Magpul-esque” six-position stock

make handling and manipulation both stable

and comfortable… and everything is finished

impeccably!

“THREE COLOUR OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, AND IN MY OPINION THE TAN VERSION IS

THE NICEST (AND ALLY-EST!); THE TAN OF THE RECEIVER SET AND ACCESSORIES IS

PERFECT MATCHED, AND THE DARK BRONZE OF THE RAIL AND BUFFER TUBE LOOK

ACE AS I’D EXPECT FROM SECUTOR!”

12


ARMOURY


DOWNRANGE

So on the face of it everything is going in the

favour of the new SECUTOR CENTURION; as

with all SECUTOR creations it’s beautifully

manufactured, stunningly finished, and features

the very latest technology internally, but as

always the big question is how does it perform?

I’m always a little nervous with MWS-based

rifles and carbines as quite often they are a

little underpowered given the lower power

limits in Japan that the original system adhered

to. Yes, they can all be upgraded but of course

that means even more money thrown at what

will never normally be the cheapest of airsoft

platforms in the first place…

With the original system TM recommended the

use of HFC134A gas to enable their MWS models

with a consistent power delivery .72 Joule/280

fps, below the legal limit in Japan, but many of

the non-TM “next gen MWS-based” rifles and

carbines have really pumped this up! I decided

to up the game a bit myself and popped in the

190 PSI gas I use at this time of the year in my

other GBBRs to start with just to see what would

happen. With the suppressor fitted and loaded up

with .20g BBs (SECUTOR recommended heavier

for in-game use) it was off to the chrono and the

first shot out registered at 1.18 Joule/358 fps! That

raised my eyebrows a bit, but then things settled

down and the next nine BBs down the barrel

registered a mean of 1.09 Joule/344 fps which of

course is perfectly acceptable for pretty much

any site in the UK, and adjusting the NPAS will

bring the power level exactly where you want it.

Next up of course was performance; the

CENTURION comes with a colour-matched

polymer-bodied 35 BB magazine as standard,

which charges at the top-rear, so invisible once

the mag is in the carbine; SECUTOR state that the

CENTURION is compatible with Double Eagle,

Cyma, and SP System Mags, and I found that it

“WITH THE SUPPRESSOR FITTED AND LOADED UP WITH .20G BBS IT WAS OFF TO THE

CHRONO AND THE FIRST SHOT OUT REGISTERED AT 1.18 JOULE/358 FPS! THAT RAISED

MY EYEBROWS A BIT, BUT THEN THINGS SETTLED DOWN AND THE NEXT NINE BBS

DOWN THE BARREL REGISTERED A MEAN OF 1.09 JOULE/344 FPS”


ARMOURY


also worked perfectly on the new BOLT mags, and

original TMs.

With the hop dialled in (yes, you have to

crack the receivers to do this to access the hopadjustment

wheel… PITA!) and the mag loaded it

was onto the range, testing solely on irons initially

(you have to add these yourself… there’s none

in the box). Racking the action produces a mild

thump as the bolt slides forward into battery;

the fire selector switch is the standard AR style,

and if the selector is in semi-auto, it can only be

switched to safe if the charging handle is pulled

and the action charged, just like the real deal.

I have to say that as I’ve found with their AEGs

the SECUTOR GBBR worked excellently on the

“range in the woods” and through the barricade.

I fitted the carbine with my usual optics setup of

holo-sight and magnifier to run drills with, and

it was good to go, and at just 2060g it’s easy to

swing this little beauty smoothly from target to

target.

Over my time testing their platforms I’ve come

to expect accuracy from SECUTOR carbines and

the CENTURION once set up properly certainly

doesn’t disappoint in the respect; at 25m I was

able to knock down 300x300mm steels each and

every time, and supported I was able to achieve

sub-50mm groups on paper using .30 BBs.

Perfectly respectable, and of course with each

BB down you get a neat little recoil effect; it’s not

quite such a hard kick compared to some of my

other GBBs but you certainly know it’s there!

So, have SECUTOR brought their tasty morsel

to the table too late in the day? I’d have to say

no, as many other manufacturers are doing

the same thing right now, and the quality of the

finish throughout the CENTURION is sublime,

everything fits together perfectly, and the GBB

system works smoothly and efficiently. I’ve

purposely left this review until a few mates who

bought the CENTURION when it first landed had

been using them for a while, and thus far their

feedback has been nothing but positive.

Of course right now gas mags are still

expensive and loading up a full load is never going

make running a GBBR the cheapest option out

there but I know that this is due to change soon,

and creating a fighting load WILL get cheaper!

Add to this that you need to fully understand the

gas you’re using, and then you HAVE to keep up

to date with your post-game maintenance, so

running a GBBR will undoubtedly sound like a

pricey chore to some of you that are dedicated

AEG users.

But would I have one myself? Well, I think you

already know the answer to that as I’m a GBBR

fanboi, and all I can say is had the CENTURION II

MWS been on the market when I bought my first

GBBR there would probably be one in my gear

cage right now.

Have SECUTOR nailed their GBBR just like their

AEGs? I’d have to give a qualified “yes” answer to

that; although not the cheapest AR gas carbine

out there I believe that the CENTURION will give

all of them a run for their money given what’s

going on in respect of internals parts as stock,

although the hop adjustment is not as intuitive as

others.

I have to say that the model I had to shoot

really gives a massive amount of quality and

performance for the money; it looks fabulous,

feels great, and shoots like a dream on both semi

and full-chat, so as far as I can see SECUTOR

have got this largely right. I can simply just

commend this tasty-looking GBBR to you,

especially if you’re new to the GBBR realm, as I

believe it’s a model for right now, and a carbine

that I believe you will thoroughly enjoy owning

and skirmishing with.

For more information on the SECUTOR

CENTURION II MWS and all the other fabulous

RIFs in the SECUTOR lineup please visit www.

iwhoesales.biz AA

“YOU NEED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE GAS YOU’RE USING, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH YOUR POST-GAME MAINTENANCE, SO RUNNING A GBBR WILL

UNDOUBTEDLY SOUND LIKE A PRICEY CHORE TO SOME OF YOU THAT ARE DEDICATED

AEG USERS”

14


ARMOURY


“I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE MODEL I HAD TO SHOOT REALLY GIVES A MASSIVE

AMOUNT OF QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE MONEY; IT LOOKS FABULOUS,

FEELS GREAT, AND SHOOTS LIKE A DREAM ON BOTH SEMI AND FULL-CHAT, SO AS FAR

AS I CAN SEE SECUTOR HAVE GOT THIS LARGELY RIGHT”


ARMOURY

AMPED AIRSOFT CUSTOM HPA MK46

SUPPORT

GUN

SIMPLICITY

HPA SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND IMPROVE, AND WHETHER OR NOT

YOU’RE A FAN CAN’T ALTER THE FACT THAT IN SOME AREAS THEY JUST PLAIN

WORK, AND WORK VERY WELL! WE’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT A SOLID HPA SYSTEM

WOULD WORK BRILLIANTLY IN A SUPPORT GUN, AND THANKS TO AMPED AIRSOFT

AND AN OLD MK46 FROM DAN’S “BONEYARD” WE CAN TELL YOU THAT WE’RE

COMPLETELY RIGHT!

18


ARMOURY


While the Airsoft HPA space has rapidly

proliferated with new products since

its inception many years ago, few

companies offer the dearth of variety and prebuilt

customization that Amped Airsoft do. By

way of our fellow contributor, Bruno in Portugal

initiating contact, Amped subsequently reached

out to me to inquire if I would be interested in

reviewing some HPA items in Airsoft Action. While

I related that I was interested, I also informed

them that I pretty much did not own anything for

HPA systems these days, much less a regulator or

even an HPA tank!

Consequently, I wasn’t sure I could give it a

fair shake. I also didn’t have a spare gun laying

around to put an engine into, though this was

actually my mistake, because I had completely

forgotten about an empty G&P MK46 body I had

traded some tech work for last year. Logan said

they probably had something in the shop that

I could use and was still interested in sending

over some kit. After rediscovering I still had this

long-forgotten G&P laying dormant on a shelf, I

fired off an email to Logan, who was my contact

at Amped, and we arranged to have a complete

drop-in HPA system sent over for review, which

would be based around the PolarStar JACK.

Given that I needed, well… pretty much

everything, I approached it like any other Joe and

headed on over to Amped’s website to select the

rest of the components straight off the web page.

Personally, I do not consider myself a novice HPA

user and have owned a couple systems over the

many years I’ve been playing airsoft, starting with

the original Wolverine SMP when that first hit

the market to later on an F2. I’ve also had a fair

few HPA systems pass through my shop vis-a-vis

customer installations too.

Nevertheless, as a reviewer I was resolved to

try and view the entire process through the eyes

of someone new to HPA. In this respect, and

acting as a proverbial “newbie” I was pleased

to see that Amped have made strong efforts to

simplify the purchasing process and to reduce

the amount of time one might spend hunting

around for things. Namely, this has been by way

of combining things into subsets - e.g. you can

purchase your engine, gearbox shell, battery and

other components from a single page. In fact,

they also have categories where you can pretty

much buy everything in one fell swoop from a

single webpage, including for specific gun models

you might already own. And if you just want to

make it even easier, you can buy select models

of pre-built guns fitted, function tested and ready

to skirmish with right out of the box. Ultimately,

there’s something for everyone.

Conversely, the level of selection on display

can be a little overwhelming at times. I pinged

a question off my wife, who’s interest in airsoft

extends as far as knowing which end the BB’s

come out of, what her impressions were. She

remarked: “It’s a lot of text and numbers that

don’t tell me what anything is or what it does.”

Indeed, it’s always been hard for me as a full-time

airsoft tech to measure the knowledge level of

the customer I’m dealing with. I’ve usually taken

to assuming I should start from park and work

my way up through the gears, but sometimes I

get ahead of myself and start throwing out the

proverbial text and numbers without realizing I’m

drowning the customer in data and terminology

they don’t fully yet understand. All of this to

say, I think a helpful improvement would be to

have items hyperlinked to their product detail

pages, or have the ability to click on something

that generates a popup with more details. Much

like getting into AEG’s, there is a certain level of

education that will be required to get up to speed

and narrow in on what you want.

All that being said, the selection process was

pretty easy as I knew what I needed to get reequipped

into HPA. I also needed a gearbox shell

too, since the G&P was missing its original, so I

“AFTER REDISCOVERING I STILL HAD THIS LONG-FORGOTTEN G&P LAYING DORMANT

ON A SHELF, I FIRED OFF AN EMAIL TO LOGAN, WHO WAS MY CONTACT AT AMPED,

AND WE ARRANGED TO HAVE A COMPLETE DROP-IN HPA SYSTEM SENT OVER FOR

REVIEW, WHICH WOULD BE BASED AROUND THE POLARSTAR JACK”


ARMOURY


opted for the MAC Italy HPA shell in dressy blue.

The MAC HPA box is essentially just a converted

AEG gearbox. It has various milled out areas

to allow for easier routing of your airline and

wiring. Additionally, the shell has been specially

cut so you can access your trigger board and

components independently of the HPA engine

itself.

This was also part of the basis for the “dropin”

kit too, and I wanted to see how much work

I would have to put into assembly. Generally

speaking, with HPA conversions you take your

original AEG gearbox, gut everything out, clean

it all up, then install the engine, trigger switch,

airlines, etc.. In some respects, it is simpler

than upgrading an AEG gearbox and the skill and

knowledge level required are a lot lower than what

is asked of AEG builds. But in other respects, you

can be faced with more tedious tasks, such as

aligning the gearbox to the hopup chamber so

that the air nozzle is perfectly centered. HPA is far,

far pickier with alignment

than AEG’s are, and

anyone getting into HPA

should at the very least

try to ensure their nozzle

is as closely aligned

to centre as possible.

Believe me, it makes a

huge difference in final

performance. Similarly,

HPA can be a little more

selective with bucking

choice. Sometimes you

also need to dig into the

engine itself and lubricate

the O-rings or change

the air nozzle length to

something else. In this

case, I would presumably

axe a lot of those steps

and just have to focus on

installing the HPA box into the gun and setting up

the inner barrel and hopup assembly.

POLARSTAR JACK

The JACK is a popular engine choice for LMG

work and is based around a single solenoid

open-bolt design and a single moving part.

Consequently, it also runs a much simpler

set of FCU programming options than its

companion engines, the F2 and Fusion. Being

a much more pared down design also means

it is a little cheaper to get into than the more

advanced engines too. In fact, the JACK can be

completely disassembled by hand into its six

main components, which makes it a very easy

to service engine that even a complete novice

can get their head around. Of course, the ‘JACK’

namesake is borrowed from a certain character

from that masterclass of comedy, Tropic Thunder.

In the HPA space, PolarStar is widely credited

as modernizing and making the HPA engine

“I WAS RESOLVED TO TRY AND VIEW THE ENTIRE PROCESS THROUGH THE EYES OF

SOMEONE NEW TO HPA. IN THIS RESPECT, AND ACTING AS A PROVERBIAL “NEWBIE” I

WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT AMPED HAVE MADE STRONG EFFORTS TO SIMPLIFY THE

PURCHASING PROCESS AND TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME ONE MIGHT SPEND

HUNTING AROUND FOR THINGS”

20


ARMOURY


accessible for airsoft use, so in many respects,

they are ‘old hat’ at the game. In my experience as

a tech, their quality control has always been very

high - if not among the best. I’ve had far far fewer

issues with PolarStar products as opposed to any

other manufacturer I’ve used. But importantly (to

me, at least) is that PolarStar provides excellent

parts support for all of their products and doesn’t

embrace the more popular business model of

using the players as beta testers for perpetually

in-development products. If you buy a PolarStar

product, you can feel comfortable knowing

you can get parts for it and it’s not going to be

relegated to a steadily mounting pile of older

‘revisions’ that are no longer supported.

An Amped IGL was fitted to the PolarStar

JACK by Amped Airsoft. The IGL is an “Inside

Grip Line” which is a short piece of heavy duty

airline fitted with a Foster connector. This is

designed to basically bridge the area between

your HPA engine and route through the bottom

of your pistol grip and

connect to your air hose.

It is a superior and much

more durable solution

as opposed to the

older method of using

macroline and macroline

adapters out the back of

the engine.

primary one being that it is capable of running at

higher pressures than typical; upwards of 200 PSI.

This regulator can also be run with both standard

and SLP (Super Low Pressure) HPA tanks at up

to 900 PSI. This provides a great deal of flexibility

as in a pinch you can comfortably borrow a

standard tank and not risk damaging anything. As

well, there are quite a few more tank selections

available in standard as opposed to SLP

configuration. And for those players who might

be running something that is a little air hungry

and needs to operate at a higher PSI than typical

regulators can deliver (most max out at 120 PSI),

this is the perfect solution.

On account of the higher peak operating

pressures it can handle, the AA200 is therefore

more robustly constructed than most regulators.

While it is somewhat shorter than say, a Redline

Firebase, it is certainly thicker. The pressure

gauge is large and easy to read with black

lettering against a white background and the lines

AA200

REGULATOR

Amped wanted to send

me over their newest

model regulator too,

which is the AA200

model. I felt this

warranted its own short

review as it has some

cool new features. The

“THE MAC HPA BOX IS ESSENTIALLY JUST A CONVERTED AEG GEARBOX. IT HAS

VARIOUS MILLED OUT AREAS TO ALLOW FOR EASIER ROUTING OF YOUR AIRLINE AND

WIRING. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHELL HAS BEEN SPECIALLY CUT SO YOU CAN ACCESS

YOUR TRIGGER BOARD AND COMPONENTS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE HPA ENGINE

ITSELF”


ARMOURY


graduate in 10 PSI increments. You of course have

your high quality US-made Foster quick-connect

for your airline and a 1.8K burst disc. Up top, the

pressure adjustment is concealed by a perforated

cap that allows for running a tournament lock

through. Adjustment can be made via the usual

Allen key or the included two-pronged tool,

which can also be used to remove the protective

cap too. Compared to the Amped SLP and XL

regulators, this is a much more refined and

smaller form factor.

With these specs, the new regulator naturally

invited more experimentation with what kind

of velocities I could achieve. Suffice it to say:

“scary” has entered the chat.

Finishing out the ensemble, a 36” standard

weave OD green wrapped airline was included,

which also featured some bespoke customization

I was not expecting! Amped offer air lines in

three tiers: standard, heavy, and premium,

with correspondingly thicker and more durable

sheathing. As well, you can select from a plethora

of colours and patterns as well as longer 42”

lengths. Generally speaking, most people will

be well served with the 36” length, but some

individuals blessed with the proverbial ‘barrel

chest’ or using a static air source (such as a

vehicle mount) might prefer the longer line. All of

the airline offerings come with a 200 PSI rating

and lifetime warranties.

And for our power source, an HK Army 68/4500

AeroLite carbon fiber tank stands in. This clocks

in at a scant 2 lbs 2.4oz and incidentally was

also my preferred size from my paintball days.

While a larger HPA tank offers more shots, I

like the smaller tank size for portability, weight

and convenience sake. A common large utility

pouch can comfortably carry a 68/4500, whereas

when you step into the larger tanks, you need

something like a small daypack or similar to carry

them.

INSTALLATION

Given that I was using a G&P MK46 as the base, I

knew going in that I would end up having to open

up the MAC HPA box to swap out the trigger. The

air nozzle itself was already setup from Amped

for the G&P, so I did not have to touch that. But

the trigger used on this platform is technically

proprietary and would need to be switched.

The MAC HPA box has a large cutout on the

top-rear that’s designed to otherwise allow your

airline and FCU wiring to easily pass through and

to your desired location. Conversely, this meant I

could not run a retainer screw through the back of

the box into a spring guide, as you would if it were

an AEG. This presented a little bit of a problem

because it meant that the box was only secured

via the 4x screws through the grip. And due to the

differing tolerances between the MAC and the

native G&P gearbox, I experienced some vertical

gearbox tilt just using the grip screws. The MAC

box was also thicker up front too, so I needed to

hand file the U-shaped bracket a little to get it to

drop into place. In order to solve the vertical tilt,

I leveled out the box and drilled and tapped the

rear mounting bracket and the back of the HPA

box for a pair of screws. Overall, nothing too hard

or difficult, but certainly a bit more work than

would’ve been required had I just been dropping

the ensemble into an M4/AR variant.

I should make mention of the fit between the

JACK and the MAC gearbox: this is excellent. In

many HPA installations where you’re dropping

an engine into a gearbox, you often have to apply

some shim tape or fabricate a tube from an air

cylinder to remove unwanted slop. If the engine

is able to be wiggled forwards and backwards off

the cylinder lugs, you will have poor air seal and

experience a lot of velocity fluctuations. The MAC

held the JACK very rigidly and I did not have to

apply any shimming or otherwise.

For my barrel-side, I went with a Lambda Five

“POLARSTAR IS WIDELY CREDITED AS MODERNIZING AND MAKING THE HPA ENGINE

ACCESSIBLE FOR AIRSOFT USE, SO IN MANY RESPECTS, THEY ARE ‘OLD HAT’ AT

THE GAME. IN MY EXPERIENCE AS A TECH, THEIR QUALITY CONTROL HAS ALWAYS

BEEN VERY HIGH - IF NOT AMONG THE BEST. I’VE HAD FAR FAR FEWER ISSUES WITH

POLARSTAR PRODUCTS AS OPPOSED TO ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER I’VE USED.”

22


ARMOURY


6.05 SUS304 stainless steel tightbore paired to

an Airsoft Mutation LC bucking and a concave

spacer. After initial installation was completed,

I checked for nozzle alignment and had to add a

little bit of shim to lift the nose of the box a hair.

Fortunately, this was all that was needed and I did

not have to do any left or right alignment, which

would’ve been a little more difficult due to the

spacious receiver. I stashed the FCU board and

battery to the hollow space behind the gearbox

where it’s still easy to fish out and service. I could

technically stand to use a shorter FCU wiring

harness, but there’s ample room to just coil it up

behind the HPA box, so it’s no big deal.

Once I was satisfied with the installation, I

took the gun over to the chrono and adjusted the

regulator and FCU settings. I measured with my

preferred .32g BB weight, and set it to 1.76J @

about 80 PSI, which gives me some comfortable

‘cushion’ for the occasional overzealous chrono

guard you might encounter. I don’t get wrapped

up too much in wringing

out or redlining velocity

to precisely match site

limits, as the little bit

you pick up here or there

honestly makes zero

difference compared to

the effects of squaring

away your hopup setup.

Since the JACK uses

a much more simplified

programming schema

than the F2 or Fusion

engine and this gun fires

in full auto only, there

isn’t a whole lot to really

tune here. I increased

the ROF slightly from

the default 18 RPS to

20 RPS, and slightly

tweaked the dP setting

(poppet dwell), which controls how long the

solenoid stays open to release air. Overall, it was

a surprisingly smooth tuning process! Granted,

and with exception to the G&P body, everything

here is brand spanking new and therefore also of

a “known quantity.” So often when receiving HPA

items from customers, I am used to having to

perform a full teardown and rebuild of everything

to rectify issues or be able to start from a known

baseline. On my testing range, I was slinging the

.32g’s to the end of the 80M available here while

holding a very respectable tight group.

Speaking of tuning, this brings me to a specific

criticism which is not leveled at Amped, per

se, but it is that the current published literature

for HPA tuning frankly just plain sucks. It’s

not nearly as bad as trying to muck around

for GBB knowledge and tuning, but it’s also

not remotely as accessible as AEG tuning

topics are. This is actually a top-down issue,

though, as this stems from the fact that the

“AMPED WANTED TO SEND ME OVER THEIR NEWEST MODEL REGULATOR TOO, WHICH

IS THE AA200 MODEL. I FELT THIS WARRANTED ITS OWN SHORT REVIEW AS IT

HAS SOME COOL NEW FEATURES. THE PRIMARY ONE BEING THAT IT IS CAPABLE OF

RUNNING AT HIGHER PRESSURES THAN TYPICAL; UPWARDS OF 200 PSI”


ARMOURY


manufactures themselves do not

have a well-written, searchable

manual that

covers the topic

in depth or one

that also explains

what the individual features do. It’s

a fact that much of what I have seen

has been scattered to the four corners of the

internet and broken up amongst YouTube,

long-dead and defunct forums, or Facebook

groups that are not immediately accessible.

Moreover, the community itself has proven

to be less “personable” and helpful. Funnily

enough, my experience over the years has been

that whenever you pose a question in these

groups, you are more often than not drowning in

unhelpful one-liner responses or some random

unhelpful pictures of someone’s gun. In my

humble opinion, this information needs to be in a

guide that condenses everything into one source

that can also be printed and taken with the player

to remote sites where the Internet doesn’t yet

exist. While a lot of effort has seemingly been

poured into YouTube, individual video is not

searchable and is also forever at the mercy of the

unsympathetic algorithm deleting it for “violating

community guidelines.”

DOWNRANGE

It was a bit of a weird sensation being tethered

to an airline and a tank again; I have spent so

many years in paintball being hooked in so, but

longer still in airsoft being free of it. My chest rig

is not really optimal for carrying a tank either,

so I had to come up with a means of mounting

a pouch to my Ronin Shūto belt. The only thing I

had on hand that was expedient was a Tactical

Tailor large utility pouch, which I affixed with a

pair of MALICE clips. Long term, I think I would

prefer something horizontally mounted to keep

the tank off my legs, so this is

something I’ve been doing some research

into. Nevertheless, it was much like riding a

bicycle: you never forget it. G&P’s MK46 is

heavier than the A&K version, and at 15.6

lbs. unloaded, is actually heavier than my

chopped PKM build which came in at 12.10

lbs. Accordingly, I paired it with one of my

spare padded Blue Force Gear VCAS slings;

an absolutely indispensable bit of kit for taking

the weight your arms when you’re patrolling or

making the long trek back to respawn.

Throughout the course of the day, the Jack

performed flawlessly and never once missed a

beat. While I was not able to top off my HPA tank

to the full 4500 PSI due to limitations with the fill

station here, I was able to get in a little north of

3000 PSI via the cascade tank system. I was able

to get though all but a couple hundred rounds

of my 3000 round box magazine before my tank

pressure dropped below regulated output. Singlesolenoid

systems are not as air-efficient as dualsolenoid

systems are. With something like an F2,

you could reasonably expect more shots per tank

fill. I’m not unhappy with these results though.

Initially I had routed the air line through the

motor grip and out the bottom since that was how

the MAC box had been configured and was also

the path of least resistance. I ran one event with

it setup in this fashion and then later switched

to running the line out the back of the receiver

instead. With it coming out of the grip, I was

“THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE DAY, THE JACK PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY AND

NEVER ONCE MISSED A BEAT. WHILE I WAS NOT ABLE TO TOP OFF MY HPA TANK TO

THE FULL 4500 PSI DUE TO LIMITATIONS WITH THE FILL STATION HERE, I WAS ABLE

TO GET IN A LITTLE NORTH OF 3000 PSI VIA THE CASCADE TANK SYSTEM”

24


ARMOURY


fine firing from a

standing position

or off

a barricade,

but when

taking a prone

position or

having to get

in tight with

the terrain,

the routing

from the bottom

could interfere with changing the vertical

angle of fire. Coming off the back also moved

the airline further back too and out of my

‘workspace’ so to speak and also negates the

sensation of something pivoting off your grip.

All told, on my first outing I burned through

close to three tanks worth of air and almost 9K

in BB’s. I’m not one of those ‘spray and pray’

LMG gunners myself, and prefer to make tight

bursts vs. hauling down on the trigger and doing

mag dumps. Still, I was trying to push it a little

that day to see if I could get it to trip up. In the

end, the JACK prevailed and took it all in easy

stride. On my second event, I did experience a

random BB jam that required me to dismount

the barrel and clear it out. I am unsure if this

was just a bad BB or the fault of the magazine

or something else. This only happened once,

and after I knocked it clear I was able to resume

operation without a hitch. At this event, they did

not have a HPA station on site, so I had borrowed

a scuba tank from a friend which allowed me to

get in 3K PSI over the course of four fills and I fired

approximately 12K BB’s downrange. While we are

in the midst of a comparatively mild winter here,

I was able to run this

in temperatures

from 44F down

to a hair over

32F without

issues.

I will readily

admit I am an

adherent to the

Cult of AEG; there

is just something

inherently

“machine spirit”

about AEG’s that HPA has not been able to

capture for me. That being said, there was

also something refreshing about having such a

simplistic system that frankly, just plain works.

My PKM, while reliable as a tuned AEG goes, has

the occasional anti-reversal latch issues due

to a bodge-up from Retro Arms drilling out the

mounting hole on the gearbox shell a couple

millimeters too big. I’ve fabbed up a bushing

to partially address the problem, but long term

the engagement angle is still less than ideal and

the only way I can remedy this completely is to

either swap out the gearbox shell or drop in a

brushless motor with a directional bearing, which

would allow me to omit the AR latch entirely. But

with the HPA setup, I am able to approach the

LMG game from the standpoint of knowing that

I have a dead reliable system at my fingertips,

one that all I have to do is feed it air and BB’s and

occasionally swab out the bore when it inevitably

gets gunked up. And in that respect, you could

say the utter simplicity of a single moving part

seems to take on a spirit entirely its own.

Special thanks goes out to Logan and the crew

at Amped Airsoft for generously donating this HPA

system for me to evaluate and review. You can

check out more of Amped Airsoft’s extensive HPA

offerings and more at: www.ampedairsoft.com

AA

“I BURNED THROUGH CLOSE TO THREE TANKS WORTH OF AIR AND ALMOST 9K IN

BB’S. I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE ‘SPRAY AND PRAY’ LMG GUNNERS MYSELF, AND PREFER

TO MAKE TIGHT BURSTS VS. HAULING DOWN ON THE TRIGGER AND DOING MAG

DUMPS. STILL, I WAS TRYING TO PUSH IT A LITTLE THAT DAY TO SEE IF I COULD GET

IT TO TRIP UP. IN THE END, THE JACK PREVAILED AND TOOK IT ALL IN EASY STRIDE”


TOKYO MARUI

L119A2 CUSTOM BUILD

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THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR

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FANTASTIC SYSTEM - FITTED WITH

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ARMOURY

SPECNA ARMS VAPOR VGS2 SHOTGUN

BREACHING

OUT!

28


ARMOURY


MIGUEL IS OF COURSE BEST KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF THE AEG, AND WHILST HE

DOES OCCASIONALLY DABBLE IN “SECONDARIES” THIS TIME HE HEADS OUT WITH

A DIFFERENT BEAST ENTIRELY, THE VAPOR VGS2 GAS SHOTGUN FROM SPECNA

ARMS! BUT DOES A SHOTGUN HAVE A PLACE IN AIRSOFT? BILL SETS THE SCENE

FIRST…

Most players that know me, and certainly

the AA Crew, understand that I have

somewhat of “a thing” for airsoft

shotguns, but in a world of fast-firing AEG and

HPA systems and the sheer operational joy of

a good gas rifle do they still have a place, and

should we have one in our “airsoft armoury”?

I would still answer an unequivocal “YES!”

to this as things have changed when it comes

to shotguns… quite dramatically in fact! Once

again as a true lover of pumps, breachers, and

semi-auto shotguns I have to tell you that this

area continues to evolve and improve both in

terms of electric and gas-driven models. I am

VERY pleased to be able to note that the choice

of humble springers, electric, and gas powered

shotguns is now absolutely staggering (but not

good for my wallet!), and the choice of classic,

tactical, or downright crazy is ultimately down to

your own tastes!

In recent years there have been a whole host of

releases when it comes to both gas and electricpowered

shotgun models, and even the sideways

step to improved-performance shell-ejectors;

whilst these are most definitely airsoft works of

art in their operation, as with all things electric

they can suffer from “operating issues”… and

don’t even get me started on the shell-ejecters!

But the fact is that the choice is undoubtedly

now a wide one for all kinds of players, and both

performance and durability continues to improve.

This is music to my ears (but again, not my

wallet!) as I do love an airsoft shotgun.

But with all this choice the not-now-so-humble

“gassers” to me, single or tri-barrel and all, are

the epitome of the airsoft shotgun world and

are easy to live with and eminently upgradeable

externally; now with options for the number of

BBs fired on each trigger pull, they generally all

shoot like lasers with good range, and with full

metal construction some are built like tanks, even

though the “magazines” and shot-shells can still

be somewhat fiddly at times…

As well as for “Three or Multi Gun Action Air

Competition”, and for the sheer joy of owning one,

an airsoft shotgun fits in almost every loadout

genre! The humble civilian pump-action shotgun

has found a home in not just the military, but also

amongst police forces worldwide too. Form that

WWI “Trench Broom”, the US Forces continued

to use the shotgun through WWII, Korea, into

Vietnam, and even right up to this day as it proved

the perfect weapon first for jungle environments,

and then of course as a breaching tool. The SAS

used the shotgun in both the jungle and then

as a “breacher”, and of course these days the

sight of a Benelli M4 Super 90 in the hands of UK

Forces has become a common one. From WWII

US loadouts through the modern day and even

extending to “Post-Apoc” loadouts the shotgun is

a platform that just “fits”!

So should you add one to your own “airsoft

armoury”? Yes, you really should, and I’ll hand

over to Miguel now to let him give you the

lowdown on the latest models from SPECNA

ARMS!

GIVING IT THE GAS!

So, who here had in their 2025 Airsoft Bingo Card

Specna launching a brand-new gas range filled

“AS A TRUE LOVER OF PUMPS, BREACHERS, AND SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUNS I HAVE TO

TELL YOU THAT THIS AREA CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND IMPROVE BOTH IN TERMS OF

ELECTRIC AND GAS-DRIVEN MODELS. I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO NOTE THAT

THE CHOICE OF HUMBLE SPRINGERS, ELECTRIC, AND GAS POWERED SHOTGUNS IS

NOW ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING”


ARMOURY


with GBB pistols and shotguns? Well, I did! But

that’s because I’m an ambassador and I have

inside information! But that’s not the point! It was

a launch that caught many by surprise, mostly

because it’s the brand’s entry to a brand-new

world. And they came in hard! They could start of

slow, but no... It’s a full range with around 45 new

models!

When it comes to pistols, you will find a

variety of Hi Capa models, from the more basic,

to models with different slides, optics ready,

compensators, different grips and different

colours. All models come with a spare set of

o-rings, a spare cylinder and get this, and a spare

magazine! That’s right, all pistol models come

with two magazines, making the value of these

replicas skyrocket fast!

Turning to the shotguns we have the old classic

models with real wood

(replicas of the M870),

shorter “breacher”

styles and the more

tactical versions, and

again, in different

colours and sizes.

All of them come out

of the box with three

shells, each with a

30BB capacity.

But, our review

today

will focus on one

of the

new shotguns that I’ve

been

using. Just as the Vapor

line

launched, we were getting

ready for

the AirsoftExpo in Lisbon (read all about

it in issue 182!), and, like last year, I was going

to showcase some of the main products from

Specna Arms, so this was the perfect opportunity

to debut it! I reached out to the good people at

Specna, and they sent me the SA-VGS2, a short

and tactical model that is really eye catching… so

much that it was a complete success at the Expo

and wow’d many visitors with its cool look!

Now, this was my first time in almost eighteen

years of airsoft that I owned a gas shotgun, so my

review will be from the perspective of someone

who as a good amount of experience in airsoft,

but little with this class of replicas.

Like I mentioned above, all Vapor shotguns

come with little in the box. You have the replica

itself, three shells and some instructions, nothing

else. And you don’t really need much more. To my

surprise, although Gunfire’s website shows a half

tan, this replica is more of a half chaos bronze,

a colour that Specna uses in other replicas and

that I’m a fan of. So, as I got it out of the box I was

like a kid with a brand-new toy, figuring out how it

worked and checking each detail. My first “issue”

was ejecting the shell; now that I know how to do

it, it’s quite easy, but at the time I was afraid

to use force, I can be kind of a brute

sometimes. But other

than that, it’s really quite

easy to use and adapt

to it.

Unfortunately I had

no time to test it in

the field

before the Expo, as the

replica

arrived on a Thursday and

the Expo

was the Saturday! And during that time I had

to hand over the replica to my teammate Dino,

who is also a contributor for Airsoft Action, for

some 3D printing; due to our law we have to paint

certain parts of the replicas, and this model made

that kinda tricky. So the best option was to have a

“THE MAIN ASPECT OF THE VGS2 IS THE M-LOK FURNITURE THAT COVERS MOST OF

THE SHOTGUN’S BODY. NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE A MODERN AND TACTICAL LOOK, BUT

IT ALSO OFFERS THE PLAYER THE CHANCE OF ADDING EXTRA ACCESSORIES, LIKE

SIGHTS OR FLASHLIGHTS”

30


ARMOURY


3D printed compensator in yellow with a piece to

cover it (as you can see in the photos). Top work!

During the Expo the VGS2 was a favourite, and

everyone who visited our booth had to see it and

hold it… the happy faces of so many players was

really fun to see!

DOWNRANGE

The main aspect of the VGS2 is the M-LOK

furniture that covers most of the shotgun’s body.

Not only does it give a modern and tactical look,

but it also offers the player the chance of adding

extra accessories, like sights or flashlights.

These do come in handy, mostly a simple sight,

because the replica has no iron sights. I know

it’s a shotgun, so you can kinda aim down the

barrel, but I like to trust my shots, so I

added the Frenzy

micro red dot from

Vector Optics.

Simple,

practical, and it

fits quite

well! And for those

darker CQB

fields, a good flashlight is always a great option.

The fore-end also comes with M-LOK, and we

have an angled forward grip out of the box as

well; with this, pumping and handling it becomes

easier. And, since it’s a gas shotgun, pumping it

was already effortless. Now you can send some

BBs downrange quite fast, while pumping it and

keeping the eyes on target, but I learned while

using the VGS2 in-game that players tend to

peek after you shoot if they know you’re running

a shotgun. But since you can pump it easily

while staying ADS, they usually end up getting

surprised.

As most other gas shotguns, the Vapor range

from Specna also have the option of shooting

three or six BBs. To do that you only need to pull

the fore-end and hold it; you will see a small

opening in the fake shell ejection port. There you

will have a small switch with a six on one side and

a three on the other, just pick what you want, and

you can even change it on the fly. But remember,

the shells normally hold 30 BBs, so you will

get either ten shots or just five shots before

reloading. One small issue that I found while in

game is that the loading port tends to open a bit

too easily. Although the shell inside does take a

bit more force to eject, if you are not careful you

can bend or even break the port.

The gas is stored in a reservoir located in the

buffer tube, so it’s easy to access and refill gas as

you play, and according to the website it comes

with a reinforced nozzle. Now, I wasn’t able to

really test out how many shots one could take

with a full reservoir, my mistake. But I can say

that it does last a good while! I mostly played

with the three-shot options, and even in a major

CQB event that we took part in, it would take a fair

amount of shots before having to refill it.

Overall, Specna hit the gas market like a truck

with no brakes, with plenty of models, great

details and as always some of the best price

quality in the market. It’s true that at the time of

writing this review, I haven’t tested one of their

new pistol models; I chose a shotgun because I

wanted to try one in-game and review something

different. And if I have to comment on my

experience with it to one word, I would say… FUN!

It’s just a blast to pick up a shotgun, pump

it and game on! And the VGS2, being a more

tactical model, it’s easy to use and handle,

making the experience just so much better. My

thanks to the guys at Specna Arms for sending

over this beauty! AA

“IT’S JUST A BLAST TO PICK UP A SHOTGUN, PUMP IT AND GAME ON! AND THE

VGS2, BEING A MORE TACTICAL MODEL, IT’S EASY TO USE AND HANDLE, MAKING THE

EXPERIENCE JUST SO MUCH BETTER. MY THANKS TO THE GUYS AT SPECNA ARMS

FOR SENDING OVER THIS BEAUTY!”


TAP/CLICK THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

TAP/CLICK THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

ARMOURY

PROJECT STACATTO PIV

BAGGED AND

TAGGED!

WITH SAFE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF RIFS EVER MORE IMPORTANT, AND

SECURITY ALWAYS PARAMOUNT BOYCIE TAKES A LOOK AT A BESPOKE GUN CASE

SOLUTION THAT HE’S BEEN INVOLVED WITH CREATING AS A PART OF “PROJECT

STACATTO” AND AFTER COLLECTING THE FINISHED PRODUCT FROM DEAD EYE

DESIGNS AT SHOT SHOW, HE FINDS THE NEW CASE VERY MUCH TO HIS (AND

MANY OTHERS!) LIKING!

34


ARMOURY


Picking the right gun case is very much a

matter of personal choice, but one that is

more and more important when it comes

to safely transporting, safeguarding and securing

your beloved RIFs and gear. If you are lucky

enough to travel to a game or event in your own

vehicle then you can “get away with” a certain

amount, as your vehicle in effect becomes your

personal mobile gun safe as long as all your

prized goodies are stored out of sight!

However, there are still some airsoft sites that

require you to move through publicly viewable

areas, and indeed some hardcore city-livin’

‘softers still travel by public transport to their

game, so having the right carriage options can

become VERY important as none of want a quick

visit and “uncomfortable” inspection from an

Armed Response Team, now do we?

Whether you play airsoft or shoot real firearms,

or both, there are several things that cross over

and at the top of the list for me after safe handling

and eyepro comes transit safety and security.

When you’re at an airsoft site or at a range then

your RIF can be out in the open, but when you’re

in transit it needs to be out of sight, and preferably

for me under lock and key. Many of us in the past

have simply made use of padded sleeves which

are great value for money, but sometimes you

want something just a bit more dedicated and

special, don’t you?

It’s only a matter of days since I got home from

Las Vegas and Shot Show 2026 and it’s time to

wrap up the four part series that I’ve been writing

about my Staccato Model P, it’s Osight optical

sight and the excellent holster and mag pouch

combo by John Phillips at Survivor Creek Tactical.

Now I’m going to tell you about the pistol cases

that myself, Li’l Stu and Steve use to protect our

replicas when travelling to or from the range or

skirmish site.

Some of you may remember that last year, on

the last day of Shot Show, I picked up a pistol

case which had been on display by Dead Eye

Designs (DED). The case carried the Shot Show

log and it really did draw the eye in. One of the

booth staff was that pleased at my comments

and that I was a writer for Airsoft Action, that she

said “we only have a half hour of the show left,

would you like to take the case with you?” I’d have

been foolish not to have accepted and told her

that I would write an article on their pistol case.

Fast forward to today and I’m sitting and

looking at my own cases, specifically designed for

the Staccato project series, which I collected this

year at Shot Show.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Around September of last year, I was talking with

Bill about the possibility of writing a series about

the Model P and it was around here that during

my planning that I remembered the case from

earlier in the year. I went onto the DED website

and sent my first email contact to the company.

I explained how I’d come about having the Shot

Show case and that I had said that I would write a

feature about it. I also explained that the feature

would include how I went about getting a case

specially designed.

A couple of days went by and I had a reply

from Pauline in The Phillipines, one of the three

bases of operations of the company, the other

two being in Nevada USA and the European part

based in Estonia. She asked me for some more

detail in what I was looking for and this began the

design process. The size of the case is the same

as the Shot Show one that I already owned, with

a large main part that could hold up to a Desert

Eagle, along with four pockets, each holding

one magazine. This would be ideal as I usually

have five mags for a pistol and I could fill each of

the mag pouches plus keep one, ungassed and

unloaded, magazine in the pistol.

Next was the design of the outside of the

“THE SIZE OF THE CASE… A LARGE MAIN PART THAT COULD HOLD UP TO A DESERT

EAGLE, ALONG WITH FOUR POCKETS, EACH HOLDING ONE MAGAZINE. THIS WOULD

BE IDEAL AS I USUALLY HAVE FIVE MAGS FOR A PISTOL AND I COULD FILL EACH OF

THE MAG POUCHES PLUS KEEP ONE, UNGASSED AND UNLOADED, MAGAZINE IN THE

PISTOL”


ARMOURY


case. I explained that I would like to have certain

things on the front, like a picture of the Staccato

P and then the logos of my supporters over the

past couple of years on the rear side of the case.

Pauline asked if I had a specific layout that I’d

like and I said, I sort of do but not anything in

concrete so “I’ll send you the logos and which

side of the case I’d like them on, but you can tell

your designers to ‘have at it’ and if we could have

three options of layout that I can chose from, that

would be ideal”.

Two days passed, mainly only as it was a

weekend and when I opened my emails on

Monday the three designs were there. I consulted

with Steve, Li’l Stu and Trampas as to which we

liked the most and from there I chose two options

for production. Over the lead up to Shot Show

I suggested that it would be ideal and maybe

easiest to have the cases made in the USA and

then I collect them at the DED booth during Shot

Show. This would give me an ideal opportunity

to both meet the guys on the booth but also get

some photos of the cases ‘in situ’ too.

FINISHED PRODUCT

Fast forward to Shot Show and I waited until Day

2 (Wednesday) to go to their booth where I met

Christian, the brother of the company owner

and I introduced myself. We sat and had a good

chat over the case design, my experience of

the process and what I thought of the finished

articles. Needless to say I was really impressed

and Christian told me that there had been a lot

of interest from Shot Show Goers in the case

and with some asking if they could have one.

Unfortunately they were all mine and to help

Christian a bit I said “I can leave two designs with

you and collect them on the last day (Friday)”,

to which he gratefully accepted. To round off

this day I sent in my “daily” report to Bill and was

pleased that the photo of Christian and I, along

with the cases, had been featured on the AA

website!

Sooner than I had hoped the final day of Shot

Show had arrived and we walked back over to the

halls of the Caesar’s Expo Center and to the DED

Booth. We again met with Christian and I asked

how much interest that the cases had generated

during the four days of the show. He told me that

if they were allowed to sell the cases during the

“I ASKED HOW MUCH INTEREST THAT THE CASES HAD GENERATED DURING THE FOUR

DAYS OF THE SHOW. HE TOLD ME THAT IF THEY WERE ALLOWED TO SELL THE CASES

DURING THE SHOW (RETAIL SALES ARE FORBIDDEN DURING THE SHOW) THEY COULD

HAVE SOLD A LOT”

36


ARMOURY


show (retail sales are forbidden during

the show) they could have sold a LOT!

I showed Christian the “daily” report

which featured the photo of us at the

top and he was really happy.

Since Shot Show ended I have been

able to distribute the cases to Li’l

Stu, Steve and a very surprised John

P. Each of them have commented

how well the cases have turned out.

The cases, whilst not the cheapest,

were bespoke to our needs and

cost approximately UK£47.50 each

(US$65.00). As I collected them at

Shot Show, we didn’t have to factor in

shipping and other costs so this saved

a few bucks overall.

The overall process of design and

manufacture was painless and really

pleasant; the team at DED were hugely

helpful at all parts of the process, so if

you are looking for something unique

for your GBBP, AEG (yes they make

rifle cases too!) or team shirts, then

it’s certainly worth contacting the

DED team and see what they can offer

you. If you like the case then there is

the opportunity to purchase your own

direct from DED as they are now being

featured on their website, https://ded.

store/.

So that rounds off the four part

series on the Staccato but it’s not all

over… I was in discussion, during Shot

Show with our good friend Trampas

and some contacts as we are now

eagerly awaiting the production of

the fully licensed Staccato HD C3.6

by Army Armament and its inclusion

in low-cost training that is delivered

by the Swanson Training Group in the

USA! AA

“THE OVERALL PROCESS OF DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE WAS PAINLESS AND

REALLY PLEASANT; THE TEAM AT DED WERE HUGELY HELPFUL AT ALL PARTS OF THE

PROCESS, SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING UNIQUE FOR YOUR GBBP, AEG

(YES THEY MAKE RIFLE CASES TOO!) OR TEAM SHIRTS, THEN IT’S CERTAINLY WORTH

CONTACTING THE DED TEAM AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN OFFER YOU”



AIRSOFT TECH

REDLINE AIRSOFT

REDLINE IT!

WE’RE CONTINUING WITH SOME MORE SERIOUS HPA CONTENT THIS ISSUE,

DIVING INTO ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED BRANDS IN THE HPA

AIRSOFT MARKET, REDLINE AIRSOFT AS BRUNO DELVES INTO THE COMPANY AND

THE KIT THAT HE’S BEEN USING IN HIS “GO-TO” HPA SETUP!

40


AIRSOFT TECH

REDLINE AIRSOFT

For those of us who appreciate precision,

reliability, and true innovation, Redline is a

name that commands attention. Over the

years, I’ve tried a variety of HPA setups, but my

current go-to line is built around a Redline combo

that has proven to be incredibly reliable, efficient,

and a pleasure to use, the Mini SFR Regulator

paired with the N7 Gen-2 FCU engine.

Before I get into the setup itself let me first dive

into the history of the company foir those that

don’t know them (really?) and then look at the

standout technical features of this exceptional

HPA heart.

Redline Airsoft wasn’t born out of a desire to

copy what was already on the market, it was born

out of a desire to fundamentally improve it. The

company was co-founded by Dan Harvey and

his business partner James Tentes back in 2011,

shortly after the PolarStar Fusion Engine hit the

scene.

The co-founders were already avid airsoft

players, but they were tired of the lack of inherent

reliability and the complexity of repairing

standard AEGs. When High-Pressure Air (HPA)

emerged, they immediately saw it as the future of

the sport. Crucially, they weren’t HPA novices, as

years prior, they had been amateur tournament

paintball teammates, sponsored by Airgun

Designs. This is important because the company

founder, Tom Kaye, was a “plank-owner” for

HPA in paintball, and they even helped test and

develop some of the very first HPA systems ever

made!

This deep familiarity led them to a key

realization; the dual-reg air systems being sold

at the time were unnecessarily complicated and

expensive for airsoft applications. Drawing on

their mechanical knowledge (Dan is a mechanical

engineer by trade, and his partner Jim an auto

mechanic) they saw a massive opportunity to

“build a better mouse trap,” and with that, Redline

Airsoft was born.

Their very first retail product was the Grip

Connect, soon followed by their initial air

systems, which utilized existing, though

sometimes unreliable, paintball technology.

When their regulator source became

unsustainable, Redline knew they had to engineer

their own solution. They designed and developed

the Firebase regulator, which holds the significant

distinction of being the very first regulator

designed from the ground up specifically for

airsoft use. This proprietary design was so good

it was later cloned by competitors. The Firebase

was eventually replaced by the SFR, which

then led to my personal favorite, the current

production Mini SFR regulator.

When PolarStar eventually released their own

regulator, it signaled a shift that allowed Redline

to pursue the engine market. Their motivation, as

they state, has always been to innovate, not to

release “me too” products. They set their sights

on matching the performance and accuracy of

the Fusion Engine but in a simpler, drop-in form

factor.

The Innovation Gap… Closed Bolt Technology!

Many existing drop-in engines suffered from

two major issues, poor accuracy and “mid cap

syndrome,” where the consistency of hop-up

application changes as the magazine empties.

Both problems stemmed from their inherent open

bolt design, which can be inconsistent in how it

seats the BB against the hop rubber.

Redline’s answer was revolutionary, the N7

Gen-1 series of engines. These were the first dropin

engines to fire from a true closed bolt. This

design provides the greatest possible accuracy

and completely eliminates mid cap syndrome.

A LEGACY OF FIRSTS

Redline is one of the oldest HPA companies in

the space, and their commitment to innovation

is clear in their impressive list of “firsts,”

demonstrating their role as true pioneers:

• First Airsoft Specific Regulator: The Redline

“OVER THE YEARS, I’VE TRIED A VARIETY OF HPA SETUPS, BUT MY CURRENT GO-

TO LINE IS BUILT AROUND A REDLINE COMBO THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE INCREDIBLY

RELIABLE, EFFICIENT, AND A PLEASURE TO USE, THE MINI SFR REGULATOR PAIRED

WITH THE N7 GEN-2 FCU ENGINE”


AIRSOFT TECH

REDLINE AIRSOFT

Firebase (years ahead of competitors).

• First to use Braided Rubber Hose on air

systems (now the industry standard).

• First to Design the Closed Bolt Drop-in Airsoft

Engine: The Gen-1 N7 & N7 Milsim.

• First to Design the Fully Pneumatic Drop-in

Airsoft Engine: The Gen-1 N7 Milsim.

• First to Design the “AirStock” on-gun air tank

and stock combo.

It’s this dedication to solving real problems

has been entirely problem-free. It has proven

to be very efficient, easy to use, and the closed

bolt design delivers on its promise of consistent

accuracy.

N7 Gen-2 Technical Deep Dive

The N7 Gen-2 is a true marvel of engineering,

standing out from its competition with several key

design choices:

FEATURE DESCRIPTION IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE

Operating principle

True closed bolt, single

solenoid

Supreme accuracy; eliminates “Mid Cap

Syndrome.”

Air chamber design Fixed sized dump chamber No poppet dwell tuning required; simplifies

setup and maintenance.

Air delivery 100% Internal air storage All air used is stored internally; no air flows

through the solenoid during the shot.

Pressure range 60 - 120 Psi working pressure Safely covers the range needed for virtually all

field velocity limits.

Tuning Trigger-based FCU adjustment Uses simple combinations of short/long LED

flashes and trigger pulls.

Versatility Convertible to full mechanical Optional conversion kit turns the FCU into a

fully mechanical/pneumatic system.

Voltage 6.8 - 12v DC input Recommended: small 7.4v battery with JST

RCY connector.

for airsoft players that makes their current

products so outstanding and provides immense

confidence in their engineering.

The Engine: Redline N7 Gen-2 FCU (Ver2, M4)

When I decided on my latest build, an engine

that was easy to set up, highly efficient, and

delivered top-tier accuracy was non-negotiable.

That’s where the N7 Gen-2 Electro-Pneumatic

HPA Conversion Kit came in.

I placed this engine into a custom rifle receiver

I 3D printed, and the installation was remarkably

straightforward, a testament to Redline’s design.

My overall experience with the N7 Gen-2 FCU

Most other HPA engines rely on an adjustable

poppet dwell setting. This setting dictates how

long the solenoid stays open to allow regulated

air from the supply line to supplement the BB

propulsion. This requires careful and often finicky

tuning for every change in barrel length or BB

weight.

The Redline N7 is different. It utilizes a fixedsize

dump chamber that holds the full volume of

air required to propel the BB. When you adjust

the regulator’s output pressure (the PSI), you

are effectively packing more or less air into that

fixed internal volume. This means the engine’s air

“AN HPA ENGINE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE AIR IT RECEIVES. FOR THAT, I TRUST

THE MINI SFR REGULATOR. AS REDLINE’S CURRENT PRODUCTION REGULATOR, IT

BENEFITS FROM THEIR DECADES OF HPA EXPERIENCE, WHICH STARTED WITH THE

REVOLUTIONARY FIREBASE”

42


AIRSOFT TECH

REDLINE AIRSOFT

volume is perfectly tuned to your needs simply

by adjusting the PSI to reach your desired FPS/

Joules. This brilliant design means:

1. No Dwell Tuning Required: The solenoid

only cycles to release the pre-stored air,

eliminating the need for complex airflow

dwell adjustments.

2. No Barrel Length Dependency: The N7

engines do not require any FCU tuning

to work with different barrel lengths.

The pressure adjustment handles all the

necessary volume changes.

3. Less Joules Creep: By using a fixed, closedchamber

approach, the N7 naturally

exhibits less of the dreaded “joule creep”

than typical open-bolt HPA engines.

This combination of a true closed bolt and

internal dump chamber makes the N7 Gen-2

incredibly easy to set up, maintain, and incredibly

accurate.

The Air System: Redline Mini SFR Regulator

An HPA engine is only as good as the air it

receives. For that, I trust the Mini SFR Regulator.

As Redline’s current production regulator, it

benefits from their decades of HPA experience,

which started with the revolutionary Firebase. So,

why is the Mini SFR is my “Go-To”?

• Compact and Field-Ready: The “Mini” in its

name is accurate. It’s small and lightweight,

which makes a huge difference when you’re

moving around on the field and trying to

keep your setup streamlined.

• High Flow, Low Creep: The Mini SFR is

specifically designed to handle the fast

flow demands of modern HPA engines

while maintaining exceptional stability. It

offers outstanding pressure regulation with

minimal pressure creep—the unwanted

rise in output pressure after a shot. This

consistency is crucial for ensuring the N7

Gen-2 receives steady, reliable air, which

maximizes its inherent accuracy potential.

• Ease of Use: It features a clear, easy-to-read

pressure gauge and a simple adjustment

knob, making field adjustments quick and

painless. The FCU’s working pressure range

of 60-120 PSI is perfectly managed by the

Mini SFR.

• Built-in Safety and Durability: It includes a

tournament lock slot, which is essential for

regulated play, and uses a pressure relief

valve for safety. The inclusion of the braided

rubber hose (a Redline innovation) provides

a robust and flexible connection.

Pairing the highly efficient, ultra-accurate

N7 Gen-2 FCU with the reliable, compact Mini

SFR Regulator has given me an HPA setup that

is truly world-class. My entire experience with

this system, from the initial installation in my

3D-printed replica to countless hours of field

use, has been entirely flawless. The easy-totune

nature of the engine combined with the

rock-steady output of the regulator makes for a

system that is intuitive, dependable, and delivers

precision performance every single time.

If you are looking to step up your HPA game

with a system backed by genuine HPA pioneers

and cutting-edge closed-bolt technology, I highly

recommend checking out Redline Airsoft; you’ll

find their equipment with most good HPA airsoft

suppliers, and to learn more you can visit www.

redlineairsoft.com AA

“PAIRING THE HIGHLY EFFICIENT, ULTRA-ACCURATE N7 GEN-2 FCU WITH THE RELIABLE,

COMPACT MINI SFR REGULATOR HAS GIVEN ME AN HPA SETUP THAT IS TRULY

WORLD-CLASS. MY ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN ENTIRELY

FLAWLESS”


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THE CELL

FAVOURITE NEW PISTOLS 2025

THE “SHORT”

OF IT!

2025 WAS KIND OF A QUIET YEAR WHEN IT CAME TO NEW AIRSOFT PISTOLS,

BUT CHOOSING THE RIGHT “SECONDARY” IS AS IMPORTANT TO US AS IT HAS

EVER BEEN! ALTHOUGH NEW MODELS HAVE TAKEN A SLIGHTLY SLOWER TEMPO

IN RECENT MONTHS THE GUYS FROM THE CELL HAVE LOOKED BACK ON THEIR

FAVOURITE “SHORTS” FROM THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS, AND NOW UPDATE

HOW THESE HAVE BEEN FARING!

46


THE CELL


Pistol testing, and with all testing that the AA

Crew (and specifically the core members

of THE CELL) undertake is always a rolling

program, and we always promise both you, our

fellow players, and the manufacturers that send

us new models for testing promised a continued

documentation of the performance and durability

of those models.

Sadly, not all platforms stand up to the pace

of testing, and over the years it has sent the AA

Tech’ers down some real rabbit holes in search of

solutions… some say that “we break ‘em so you

don’t have to” whereas WE say “we break ‘em and

find a fix so you can keep on using ‘em!”

As was mentioned in the intro this month, it

does certainly feel like 2025 had a slightly lower

tempo for new pistol releases and some of the

GBB stalwarts like VORSK and RAVEN here in the

UK have most certainly set their sights on other

areas of our airsoft armoury. Other manufacturers

continue to churn out variations on the same

old theme that in my opinion aren’t really worthy

of comment as we’d just be repeating what

we’ve already said, but it is encouraging to

see new models at the shows so far, and other

manufacturers such as SPECNA ARMS entering

the handgun sphere in a meaningful way.

“Replica military models” are still amongst

the most popular AEGs and GBBs that we all

buy, but it’s incredibly interesting to see new

designs hitting the market, concepts drawn up

by airsoft manufacturers themselves. Models

like the Lancer Tandemkross Cthulhu are far

from “military”, and the newer TTI and Stacatto

pistols are patently high-performance civilian

pistol designs but that’s not to say that they’re not

righteous, and ultimately extremely usable, 6mm

creations!

I don’t know about all of you but I’ve certainly

been spending more time than usual with my

handgun collection in the past couple of years,

and I’ve made good use of my “home range”; you

only need about 10m/20-30 feet, your eyepro,

some BBs and gas, and some targets set into a

solid backstop, and you’re good to go! I do have

neighbours, but they’re all used to seeing me “out

back” with AEGs and GBBs as I’ve taken time to

speak with them and “educate” them that what

they see me shooting are “6mm BB replicas”,

and indeed these days, especially with some of

the new “non-mil” models they’re actually very

interested, and I’m pleased that I can invite them

over to have a shoot!

I’ve actually been continuing to enjoy spending

more time with my GBB handguns overall on the

“home range”, and although I have my favourites

it’s always nice to try something new isn’t it?

Recently I’ve had new models through that I’ll be

adding to the long-term test pool in the form of

the neat little Huntsman 3.8 Hi-Capa and G&G

STP45 PRO the that you’ll see featured in this

article, and as things are picking up again and

shipments apparently back to full flow, I’m sure

that I’ll be adding more for the guys of “The Cell”

to test in due course.

Although RED CELL is now complete it

doesn’t mean that we won’t keep pounding the

test models that have kindly been sent to us,

and indeed some of the pistols have been now

handed out to our wider community locally,

to players that we know will be happy to give

their input on performance and durability over

time. That said, the core CELL shooters will

undoubtedly keep up their own personal testing

regimes, and their findings will of course be noted

in the future.

Thankfully none of the models featured here

this month have given us any major headaches,

and with regular maintenance they are all going

strong, some after a full twelve months of hard

use and abuse… with that in mind I’ll now hand

over to the members of THE CELL to tell you

more…

“SADLY, NOT ALL PLATFORMS STAND UP TO THE PACE OF TESTING, AND OVER THE

YEARS IT HAS SENT THE AA TECH’ERS DOWN SOME REAL RABBIT HOLES IN SEARCH

OF SOLUTIONS… SOME SAY THAT “WE BREAK ‘EM SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO” WHEREAS

WE SAY “WE BREAK ‘EM AND FIND A FIX SO YOU CAN KEEP ON USING ‘EM!””


THE CELL


TEAM TALK

Stewbacca: “Hello fellow shooters, do you have

a moment to talk about our lord and saviour,

Umarex VFC Walther PDP?” Easiest pick for

pistol of the year and thus far top of my favourites

list among countless others as I said at great

length in my initial review back in Issue 176; it’s

a perfection of the progression arc that were the

P99 and PPQ models which I loved that came

before it.

The ergonomics are

hands down the best I’ve

experienced,

it just fits in my

paws perfectly,

points naturally

from the draw,

the trigger is much shorter and crisper,

the recoil is solid, and the out of the box

red dot capability and more squared off and

aggressively styled top slide coupled with the

backwards PPQ magazine compatability made it

an easy win over for me.

I added an ACRO P2 replica and related

adaptor plate to mine as well as the Lai Guns

magazine well to make it more like the KSK P14K

that the German Special forces have adopted

(the CZ P10C is however an excellent pistol too

and close second for me too, which the standard

German military have just adopted too). I carry

the PDP as my go to sidearm now in the excellent

Beans Workshop IWB kydex holster and if I had to

carry a real pistol it’d probably be the one I chose

given the handling.

If you haven’t tried one, do so. I doubt you’ll be

disappointed.

Dan: While I’ve had the usual bevy of Glock’s

running through the shop this last year, the

one new model that stood out the most for me

was the KWA ATP-Z. Primarily, this would be

on the basis of its rather excellent out of the

box performance. The usual ‘drenched in

silicone oil’ aside, once you clean it

off, with the ATP-Z you have a sidearm

with some truly phenomenal range,

and capable of lifting .40g’s, no less!

Moreover, this pistol just points very

well in the hand, with a perfectly natural

hold that doesn’t require adjusting your grip or

angle.

Being a modern design, it of course leans

on being optics-ready via a universal optics

plate with a variety of mountinghole

patterns at its

disposal. However,

will note that the most

popular RMR mounting

pattern is inexplicably not

present here. Additionally, the

entire fire control group can

be extracted as one modular

piece, and the FCU and the

slide can be transferred over to a

I

““HELLO FELLOW SHOOTERS, DO YOU HAVE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT OUR LORD

AND SAVIOUR, UMAREX VFC WALTHER PDP?” EASIEST PICK FOR PISTOL OF THE

YEAR AND THUS FAR TOP OF MY FAVOURITES LIST … IT’S A PERFECTION OF THE

PROGRESSION ARC”

48


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dedicated pistol chassis in a matter of minutes.

But aside from these neat features, this is a huge

step up from KWA’s previous pistol designs. While

notable for being rugged and reliable, they weren’t

known for being especially accurate or efficient.

The ATP-Z and the NS3 system have evolved into

one of unquestionably improved performance.

Miguel: 2025 was a slow year for new pistols for

me, but with the introduction of TWENTY-TWO

new pistol models from SPECNA ARMS 2026 is

already looking much, much better. From 2025

though, in reality, I only have one option, the

Arcturus Vanguard.

The

Vanguard is a

dependable,

well-built, and upgradefriendly

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.

On the field, the Vanguard performs reliably,

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

40m, and with a respectable spread. 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.

Boycie: For me there is only one pistol of 2025.

Definitely the licensed Staccato P (OEM Army

Armament). There are also other licensed

Staccato replicas in the range and likely they

will also find their way into my life this year. I’ve

always been a huge fan of the Glocks but when

this GBB dropped into my life I knew it was

going to be good. Back in the 1990’s when it was

Strayer-Tripp later STI I used and STI 2011 in IPSC

competition. Having handled the real Staccato

pistols at Shot Show over the past couple of

years, I was amazed by the attention to detail in

the licensed replica. Several people that I have

shown my Model P to have alo said how real

it looks and feels, so much so that our friend

Trampas sent me a photo of the replica

alongside a real (live fire) one and it’s

really hard to see which is the real one

(unless you know what to look for!).

The handling and accuracy from the box

is fantastic and within the second mag

I was hitting the empty cases from 12G ammo

from 15m and rarely missed. I’m now just waiting

on another part of the Staccato series that I’m

writing (along with input from L’il Stu, TC, Steve

and Trampas) to be published on 15th.

Otherwise, like Stewbacca,

the ASG P10C is still

a favourite for me;

whilst strictly speaking

this is not a new model

released during last

year there have been

significant steps forward

on the base pistol from

the likes of my old mate

“THE VANGUARD 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”


THE CELL


Clarence (Lai, CLPD) during 2025, so I believe coa

comment here is still valid!

The P10-C was the first of the P10 series to

be brought to the market by ActionSportGames

(ASG) based in Denmark. In the ‘real steel’ world

CZ built the P10 series as a modern, largecapacity

striker-fired pistol built to withstand the

rigors of military use to rival other striker fired

pistols.

This P10-C or Compact, using the fresh-out-ofthe-box

back strap, variant still feels really nice in

the hand despite having “dabs the size of shovels”

as Li’l Stu calls them. I really like the aggressive

pin type of the four panels which form part of the

grip; also there is the same type of grip feel on the

front of the trigger guard. This type of grip will be

of great use when in either cold or wet conditions

with bare hands, as well as when wearing gloves.

The sights are really clear being black with a

white dot on the foresight and two dots on the

rear sight. The rear sight is a nice low profile and

designed to be snag resistant, which is especially

important for those who would carry the P10-C

in a concealed carry method. Following on from

the release of the P10-C will be the option to fit an

optic plate in place of the rear sight. I believe that

ASG will be offering the P10-C with the plate fitted

at a later date.

Overall the P10-C doesn’t disappoint, and

whilst not my most favourite-looking pistol it is a

really good unit to have in the armoury!

Ben: Much like Boycie with the P-10C my choice

for “2025 fave” is the ICS LEGACY, and it’s still

a cracking shooter… I know (as Bill has told me

he saw it at MOA) there’s a new model coming

to the ICS Hi Capa range this year, so choosing

something with the same operating system

seems logical to me. If you’re looking for a good

quality manufacturer you can’t go wrong with ICS,

and their LEGACY pistol is quality from the overall

build to its performance!

I’ve had this for a while now and already its

becoming one of my favourite pistols; it has a

hyper-smooth top-slide recoil action which is

so satisfying, an awesome textured pistol grip

which allows for a fabulous grasp and sits very

comfortably in one’s hand, along with a very

decent trigger response that also has the adjust

grub screw for them that want a slightly tighter

response or maybe a looser feel on the trigger.

The overall look and build to this pistol is again

of high quality, and given the sheer number of Hi

Capa platforms out there in my personal opinion

I would put ICS up with the top runners for quality

builds. If I were pushed to find a flaw, and this is

my own personal perspective and based on the

handling of the LEGACY, it’s the safety lever as for

me it protrudes out along the arm just a little too

much, and sometimes when manoeuvring the

pistol for a mag change I found the knuckle of my

thumb would just nudge the safety catch when

tilting the pistol, and that would then hinder me

for a split second, but apart from that, so far the

ICS legacy pistol has been flawless.

Anyone who gets themselves a LEGACY will be

extremely happy with it; I for one most certainly

recommend it and look forward to putting it

through its paces in the long term and getting that

in-game kill score up with it!

Bruno: For me it has to be Lancer Tactical! Their

licenced Tandemkross Cthulhu! This pistol

is based on the Ruger Mark 4 .22 prepared

by Tandemkross for race- shooting. Made of

reinforced polymer, this semi/full auto GBB is

really snappy!

The first thing I will say about this replica is

the amazing comfort. It really is amazing what

a simple thumb rest can do, it even gives the

sensation of being more accurate, which it is

true! For a pistol I can plink targets at 40m with

.25g bb’s, and with such short inner barrel I have

to say it has impressed me, being that it is fully

compatible with Umarex Glock 17/45 GBB series,

WE EU17/18/34 GBB series and Action Army AAP-

“FOR ME THERE IS ONLY ONE PISTOL OF 2025. DEFINITELY THE LICENSED STACCATO

P (OEM ARMY ARMAMENT). THERE ARE ALSO OTHER LICENSED STACCATO REPLICAS

IN THE RANGE AND LIKELY THEY WILL ALSO FIND THEIR WAY INTO MY LIFE THIS

YEAR”

50


THE CELL


01 GBB. It works with the most common Glock

magazine brands, and is fully TM compatible

should you wish to play around further with it.

Regarding the aggressive textured grip, it really

helps by giving a solid hold, even when your

hands get sweaty, and the trigger, just like on

the GEN 4

mentioned

above is

cool. The

Cthulhu also has a tunable

trigger via an allen screw,

which really allows you to

fine tune your trigger pull;

adding that to the crisp trigger,

it

makes it feel really snappy and

responsive! One last thing regarding the Cthulhu

is about the reinforced polymer,

it is true that it makes it superlightweight

and the rest of

the aluminum parts make it

feel balanced, but having the

polymer body in consideration,

you might find yourself thinking

it is not going to be sturdy enough for most.

Although light it is indeed strong.

This pistol has really impressed me for being

affordable and having good performance out

of the box. I understand what most people

think about Lancer Tactical, but as an airsoft

enthusiast and player, and now having had the

chance to work with platforms from so many

different brands, Lancer Tactical is a brand that

really does show solid development, listening to

the feedback of their users and using it to improve

their replicas!

Bill: So, not so many pistols tested for me

this year, but what I have shot I’ve enjoyed,

and there’s some definite “new directions”

again, although my first choice is rather more

workmanlike, and it’s a pistol I’ve only got round

to testing more recently, the Huntsman 3.8 Hi-

Capa!

As a lover of compact

“concealed carry” style 1911

pistols the 3.8 really ticks

all my boxes! Although some

might say that there is little need for “concealed

carry” in an airsoft game, where you want your

beloved AEG or GBB to be seen by EVERYONE!

For certain scenarios though, especially when

you’re acting as a player character in a storyline

scenario, having a neat little handgun tucked

away somewhere under your shirt or jacket can

really give those on the other team a nasty shock!

As with many of the “big brother 1911” airsoft

models the frame and slide are reproduced in a

high grade alloy, and as usual with HUNTSMAN

platforms the finish is very good indeed, and

the overall finish is a

consistent and very

attractive satin black I

do like the satin black

as it definitely gives it

a more “broody and

menacing” character.

“FOR ME IT HAS TO BE LANCER TACTICAL! THEIR LICENCED TANDEMKROSS CTHULHU!

THIS PISTOL IS BASED ON THE RUGER MARK 4 .22 PREPARED BY TANDEMKROSS FOR

RACE- SHOOTING. MADE OF REINFORCED POLYMER, THIS SEMI/FULL AUTO GBB IS

REALLY SNAPPY!”


THE CELL


The 3.8 feels very, very solid in the hand and

has neat black-checkered grip panels to ensure

good retention; there are also some lovely

finishing touches like the silvered and fluted outer

barrel, hammer, and trigger. The 24 BB doublestack

magazine of the replica is slightly shorter

than that of a full-size GBB Tactical 1911, but

the larger magazines will fit and function in the

3.8 although it does protrude slightly from the

shorter, compact grip. If you’re used to a regular

1911, the controls of the 3.8 are pretty much

identical. The rear safety catch is placed on the

left-hand side of the frame, and the hammer can

be dropped to ‘Condition1’ with this applied. The

magazine release is also located on the left, just

behind the trigger.

Overall the Huntsman 3.8 Hi-Capa is everything

that I’d hoped it would be, especially given the

price! The Huntsmen team have taken their time

with the 3.8, and as such the pistol is really well

built, functions perfectly, and is super fun to

shoot! If you want a really gas-efficient, compact

little handgun to tuck away sneakily under your

clothing or in your kit somewhere and you like a

“1911” then trust me, this is the one for you.

Sticking, somewhat strangely you might think

as I’m a self-confessed “Glockster”, with the Hi

Capa style my next choice just has to be the G&G

STP45 PRO 8” as it’s an exceptionally cool pistol

in many ways!

It’s incredibly interesting to see fresh new

designs and new technology hitting the market,

concepts and realisations created by airsoft

manufacturers themselves; I’ve been living with

the new G&G STP45 PRO 8” GBB for a while now,

and this unique pistol design most definitely has

some cool new directions in place!

Although there is a full spectrum of variants in

the STP range, both full-metal and polymer, the

STP45 PRO 8” is the one that I liked most from

the line, a thoroughly fine and modern-looking

“2011” with a solid, tacticool design, one that

comes in a fully-fledged, hard-plastic carry case

that contains not just the pistol itself, but also a

speedloader and loading tool, and an additional

30 BB gas magazine.

The new patented PAI Hop-Up System in the

STP45 is another G&G “big step forward” as it’s

actually rather wonderful! Standing for “Precision,

Accuracy, and Innovation”, the “Precision” aspect

of this refers to the strict manufacturing process

that ensures that each STP 45’s hop-up utilises

a strict 0.019 millimetre dial adjustment, giving

massive tuning capability. The “Accuracy” refers

to the 39 dial adjustments that can be performed

on this pistol, granting immense control over your

BB’s flight characteristics, and lastly, “Innovation”

represents the entire system and design of the

STP 45 as a whole. With fine-tunable adjustment

capabilities, the PAI system is able to be adjusted

a total travel distance of 0.74 millimetres, easily

and simply optimising performance when using

different weight BBs, and G&G claim that STP45

Pro 8” airsoft replica is suitable for BB weights of

up to .40g… and I can tell you that it WILL handle

this weight of BB comfortably, although I’ve used

mostly .30g.

For some reason the G&G STP45 PRO 8” though

remains an “unsung hero” here in the UK, and

that strikes me as being completely and utterly

wrong; it’s a lovely GBB to own and to shoot, and I

sincerely hope that accessibility to the entire STP

range will grow not just in the UK, but worldwide…

G&G have done a cracking job on this pistol, and

it 100% deserves to be seen, it’s praises sung,

and to be used by players all over the globe in

their airsoft adventures of all kinds!

And now, my “wild card”… the CYMA CM.138

TTI COMBAT MASTER AEP! Yup, among ALL the

excellent GBBs noted here I have to include this

one as I love it! I’ve always been a GBB pistoluser

as I just love them, the form, the function,

“SO, NOT SO MANY PISTOLS TESTED FOR ME THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT I HAVE SHOT

I’VE ENJOYED, AND THERE’S SOME DEFINITE “NEW DIRECTIONS” AGAIN, ALTHOUGH MY

FIRST CHOICE IS RATHER MORE WORKMANLIKE, AND IT’S A PISTOL I’VE ONLY GOT

ROUND TO TESTING MORE RECENTLY, THE HUNTSMAN 3.8 HI-CAPA!”

52


THE CELL


and generally speaking the performance, and my

pistol collection has continued to grow and grow

over my 30+ years of airsoft-related hi-jinkery…

I just can’t help myself! Just when I think “I have

more pistols than I could even use…” another

model comes along, and that shiny, gas-driven

loveliness grips me all over again!

However, one thing I have never resorted to

until recently was the AEP, although some in

the wider AA Crew swear by them in the winter

months. I’ve always thought the AEP to be

somewhat anaemic and clinical compared to

the raw grunt and recoil impulse of a gasser, but

a couple of models I’ve had my eyes on recently

show that the humble AEP has moved on again,

just like everything else.

Enter the CYMA AEP version of the TTI COMBAT

MASTER, and upon

receiving it I was

actually very

impressed, and

a little surprised,

at how well it

stacks up in looks,

weight and dimensions to the gas version. My gas

Combat Master model is 647g and 230mm long,

while the CYMA is slightly heavier at 808g, and

also 230mm… and the additional weight sits right

over the pistol grip meaning it sits solidly in your

hand, feeling like it truly belongs there!

But of course where the CYMA is unique is in

its “OS” or operating system; based on the Tokyo

Marui AEP system the CYMA offers up a robust

and reinforced Metal AEP Gearbox for durability

while the integrated MOSFET provides greater

efficiency and protects the internals. You get

both semi and fully auto modes, and unlike a

“full-chat-gasser” (oh how I’ve come to hate

these!) the full-auto function works just like that

of a larger AEG, and that is, consistently. An

easily accessed, fully adjustable hop allows for

precise BB placement too, ensuring accurate and

consistent shots.

I have to admit that the CM.138 TTI COMBAT

MASTER AEP has made me smile… A LOT… and

that’s a rare thing indeed when it comes to me

and most run-of-the-mill airsoft pistols! Dare I

compare the CYMA AEP to my other GBB pistols?

Not really as it’s ultimately a different beast,

although it stacks up incredibly well against all

my gas favourites in both general performance

and sheer good looks. It’s well made with goodquality

materials throughout, it has a super

weight and a great, balanced feel, and it offers

both consistent power and, so far, is reliable

operation in all conditions.

Sensibly priced, this is a lot of very-usable

pistol for the money; given its “OS” the CYMA has

some unique features and functions that provide

things that

other

airsoft

pistols

don’t, and I am

100% certain that

it will become a

popular model with

airsofters all over the

world. What I know is

that it has convinced

me to delve into AEPs

and take another look,

as it’s an impressive

piece of work… and now I

REALLY want the CYMA GRACH AEP for OPFOR

duties all the more! AA

“STICKING, SOMEWHAT STRANGELY YOU MIGHT THINK AS I’M A SELF-CONFESSED

“GLOCKSTER”, WITH THE HI CAPA STYLE MY NEXT CHOICE JUST HAS TO BE THE G&G

STP45 PRO 8” AS IT’S AN EXCEPTIONALLY COOL PISTOL IN MANY WAYS!”


AIRSOFT TECH

4UAD AR GBBR HOP UNIT

MAGNUS

OPUS

THE 4UAD SMART AIRSOFT SQUAD ARE INCREASINGLY MAKING A NAME

FOR THEMSELVES BOTH DOMESTICALLY IN TAIWAN AND IN THE WIDER

INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT MARKET, WITH MANY OF THE TEAM COMING

WITH THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN ESTABLISHED AIRSOFT OR GENERAL

MANUFACTURING. THEIR TECHNICAL APPROACH TO NOT ONLY THEIR OWN

REVIEW CONTENT, BUT ALSO THE LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN

PRODUCTS TO SOLVE THE TYPICAL AIRSOFTER OR IN DEPTH TINKERER’S WOES

HAS MORE RECENTLY BROUGHT WHAT THEY ARGUE IS THEIR ‘MAGNUS OPUS’;

STEWBACCA TELLS US MORE…

56


AIRSOFT TECH


The 4UAD Magnus Pro HOP chamber is at

present mostly fielded in the guise of an

AR GBBR unit compatible with myriad VFC

and GHK Armalite derivatives, but joined more

widely by a Hi Capa compatible HOP chamber

unit launched officially at MOA 2025. It’s also

been used by one of my teammates Kai Hung

who was given one of the earlier prototypes in the

Philippines to make use of after his own Hi Capa

competition gun’s hop finally failed and just fell to

pieces; big thanks to the guys for helping him out

in an international competition level pinch there!

I myself got my own AR unit sample while I was

visiting the team for my earlier and more general

article about them and their ‘new digs’ north of

Taichung when I was on the way north from last

year’s Level 3 IPSC competition.

Having made good use of the VFC M16A2 in

numerous MilSim events since acquiring

it, as well as spending a lot of time

behind it in a gun vise on longer

range testing sessions, I decided

it was the ideal test bed gun to

really stretch the legs of 4UAD’s

Magnus Pro HOP unit. Over

the course of 2025 I’ve moved

from range testing the stock

configuration of the M16A2 on

paper targets at a good 25m

baseline as well as further out

on paper, steel and meat targets

to the effect of 70m with good

effect, finally getting around

to the

initial paper range grouping in late April then

immediately installing the Magnus Pro HOP unit.

With some swearing and new tool purchases I

overcame the excesses of the ‘VFC glue man’

whose exploits are much regaled on the Heavy

Recoil Club Discord server, but initially with the

original stock 360mm lightweight barrel still fitted

to assess what the HOP chamber and 4UAD

bucking alone would do for performance.

This configuration served me well for most of

the rest of the year, with me fielding it at POLK

5 when the FNC I had intended on fielding

dropped its guts during chrono due to my own

internal meddling to fit the NPAS to it! During the

course of that monsoon MilSim we were holding

the outside edge of a curve on the main road

through the site and laying down fire up the road

and uphill slightly to hold off the OpFor. I was

secreted behind a large rock just within

the somewhat dense fir tree line

and thus pretty well protected,

but the M16A2 with the Magnus

Pro and even the relatively short

stock inner barrel nonetheless

allowed me to really reach

out and eliminate some of the

opposition at the brow of the

hill they were walking down

the road hitting standing and

prone targets out to 60-70m

thanks to the 4x optic on my

carry handle letting me follow

the BBs out to the eliminated

targets.

“HAVING MADE GOOD USE OF THE VFC M16A2 IN NUMEROUS MILSIM EVENTS SINCE

ACQUIRING IT, AS WELL AS SPENDING A LOT OF TIME BEHIND IT IN A GUN VISE ON

LONGER RANGE TESTING SESSIONS, I DECIDED IT WAS THE IDEAL TEST BED GUN TO

REALLY STRETCH THE LEGS OF 4UAD’S MAGNUS PRO HOP UNIT”


AIRSOFT TECH


Originally on paper the stock M16A2 setup

would print “ten round groups” in around the size

of the mini IPSC target A-zone on paper (around

200mm tall by 100mm wide) with a lot more

vertical stringing and inconsistency, compared

with the groupings printed before the QiDing Taiji

MilSim again at 25m on a mini IPSC target profile

the groupings were noticeably reduced. Even in

higher wind conditions, the vertical stringing was

reduced and the occasional gusts just opened

up the flatter groupings width-wise, and once the

wind settled I was even able to get most of one of

the groups in a 50 x 20 mm box with a few wider

fliers. Clearly the consistency of the majority

of shots landing within a 100mm or smaller

was an improvement and represented an easy

“head shot” or well within the “minute of man”

hit probability even out to much further targets.

As a note all shots were made from a Tipton gun

vise clamped to a table in each case and taken

level at 25m with 12kg green gas using 0.43g BBs,

from a 20 BB short magazine to allow mounting in

the vise, all fired in ten shot strings before being

photographed and pasted.

stock HOP system as well.

Putting the M16A2 on paper at 25m again with

the same setup of 12kg gas and 0.43g BBs from

the gun vise I managed some much tighter groups

with the long tightbore inner barrel paired with

the 4UAD 4uantum Magnus Pro HOP unit and

their bucking installed, which was very satisfying

to see, and I further took the M16A2 out again to

Xindian in December for a proper game day and

used it to excellent effect eliminating opponents

even hidden behind large trees with very little of

them showing or peeking out from cover at 50m

or so from the brow of the hill. All of the upgrades

at this point have really made an obvious

difference, and the ease of adjusting the 4UAD

Magnus Pro HOP unit from inside the gun with the

action locked open makes it far more convenient

than having to carry the proper AR handguard

removal tool with me or otherwise struggling with

a three-handed job to try and adjust the original

HOP system.

MOVING ON!

Following the results at the MilSim in early

November I decided to move on and further

upgrade the M16A2 with the 510mm x 6.03mm

tightbore Unicorn Airsoft stainless steel precision

outer barrel I’d had lying around for a while with

just such an occasion in mind. I then took the

further upgraded iteration up to our Xindian site

again with some of my South African teammates

for a full on range day plinking with a bunch of

my VFC rifles on paper and trying out the new

Acetech Alignmentor electronic target system at

various ranges. I was easily and repeatedly hitting

the empty gas can taped to the tree at 45m from

the firing point, pretty much every other BB, and

putting a few full magazines through the M16A2

as well as the VFC FN FNC which has an excellent

“FOLLOWING THE RESULTS AT THE MILSIM IN EARLY NOVEMBER I DECIDED TO MOVE

ON AND FURTHER UPGRADE THE M16A2 WITH THE 510MM X 6.03MM TIGHTBORE

UNICORN AIRSOFT STAINLESS STEEL PRECISION OUTER BARREL I’D HAD LYING

AROUND FOR A WHILE WITH JUST SUCH AN OCCASION IN MIND”

58


AIRSOFT TECH


In raw numbers, the phase 1 trials of the stock

VFC M16A2 at 25m with the 0.43g BBs and 12kg

green gas from the gun vise gave me two best

groupings of 217x155mm and 142x235mm,

basically spread across the whole of a mini

IPSC A Zone or slightly larger. The Phase 2 trials

with the stock inner barrel but the addition of

the 4UAD Magnus Pro chamber and 4uantum

bucking immediately reduced the groupings on

the next range day down to two best examples of

72x122mm and 93x135mm, basically halving the

overall size of the original groupings! Furthermore,

with the Phase 3 trials adding the extended 510

x 6.03mm Unicorn Airsoft tightbore inner barrel

as well as the 4UAD upgrades I managed to

really tighten the groupings down to 63x83mm

and 68x92mm, not as much of a jump, but

certainly tightening it down around 25% over the

original stock barrel with the 4UAD upgrades,

and clearly with not just the paper targets but

the later practical accuracy outcomes it’s clearly

a worthwhile investment if you have a VFC or

GHK AR GBBR that you want to stretch the legs

of and improve your long range consistency and

performance of.

Now, despite loving many of my rifles and

having great experiences with the FN FNC, FAL

and OSW recently with just stock systems or the

addition of the 4uantum buckings, the M16A2

as it is set up now is a very compelling DMR

territory setup that looks awesome, is relatively

lightweight and easy to handle even over longer

games or MilSims, and clearly performs out to

distances of 60-70m with even some first shot

capability on “minute of man” and even smaller

targets.

Many thanks to the 4UAD Smart Airsoft team

for entrusting me with one of their Magnus

Pro HOP units, I’m excited to try their next

iterations and hope that there will be an FAL/FNC

compatible version at some point soon to really

make my long guns sing! AA

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

“MANY THANKS TO THE 4UAD SMART AIRSOFT TEAM FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH

ONE OF THEIR MAGNUS PRO HOP UNITS, I’M EXCITED TO TRY THEIR NEXT ITERATIONS

AND HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE AN FAL/FNC COMPATIBLE VERSION AT SOME POINT

SOON TO REALLY MAKE MY LONG GUNS SING!”


AIRSOFT TECH

PERUN FOR M14

OLD SKOOL

MADE NEW!

WHEN IT COMES TO FULL-LENGTH BATTLE RIFLES THERE’S ONE THAT’S BEEN

AN AIRSOFT FAVOURITE ALMOST AS LONG AS WE’VE BEEN SLINGING 6MM BBS

AND THAT’S THE M14! WITH ALL THE NEW ELECTRONICS AND “OS’” THAT HAVE

APPEARED FOR AEGS BOTH GREAT AND SMALL IT SEEMS LIKE THE M14 HAS BEEN

LONG DUE FOR AN UPDATE… AND NOW IT HAS ONE THANKS TO THE CLEVER

FOLK AT PERUN! BILL DIGS DEEPER…

Ah, the M14, what a rite of passage that

particular AEG is, and what an awesome

rifle it is when it’s set up properly! I seem

to recall that Tokyo Marui first made the M14 as

an AEG in the early 2000’s and it very quickly

became a favourite of those that liked to play

“the long game” on woodland sites, known fondly

(after a little fettling) for its undoubted range and

accuracy.

The M14 also was a firm favourite with many

players due to its appearance in “Blackhawk

Down” in the hands of Sergeant First Class

Randy Shughart who along with his fellow soldier,

Master Sergeant Gary Gordon was posthumously

awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions

during the battle in Mogadishu. There’s some

discussion still on the exact rifle used by Randy

Shughart, but what we do know from the film

notes now is that the movie version was actually

an M1A rifle fitted with an ARMS 18 scope mount,

Aimpoint CompM red dot optic, M1907 sling, and

a camouflage pattern finish.

Over the years I’ve seen this particular “M14

setup” replicated time and again, sometimes

up to that very movie standard, initially on Tokyo

Marui donors, but more recently also on CYMA

models like the CM.032 M14, and by and large

they’ve been exemplary airsoft platforms. Of

course the M14 has a mich longer lineage as it

was first introduced into service around 1957!

This means it saw action in many a theatre of

operations, and the M14 served as the basis for

the M21 and M25 sniper rifles. A “new” variant of

the M14, the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR)

came into play around 2002, and when THAT

beast was seen “in the wild” every darn airsofter

anywhere wanted one…

Let me tell you though, when I said “rite of

passage” the EBR truly was one in airsoft form;

weighing in at well over 4 kilos without any

accessories, and at 890mm long with the stock

closed and 1030mm long with the stock fully

extended this was, and is, a big-ass airsoft rifle

and after a day carrying it in-game you actually

wondered why the hell you’d bought one!

Moving forward tough, when “NamSoft” truly

became a “thing” the M14 AEG was once again

called up for duty, and although the M14 was

soon phased out “in country” in our world of

airsoft it was the perfect rifle for anyone that

“THE M14 ALSO WAS A FIRM FAVOURITE WITH MANY PLAYERS DUE TO ITS

APPEARANCE IN “BLACKHAWK DOWN” IN THE HANDS OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS

RANDY SHUGHART WHO ALONG WITH HIS FELLOW SOLDIER, MASTER SERGEANT

GARY GORDON WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR”

62


AIRSOFT TECH

PERUN FOR M14

wanted a bit of Namin their life, whilst at the same

time having a rifle that you could use anytime,

anywhere, in virtually any game scenario you

wanted to play.

Sadly though, for many airsofters the M14

still represents a rifle from another era, and

everyone wants their shiny, accessory-dripping

AR rather than an old wood and metal workhorse;

the fact remains though that an airsoft M14 is a

fine AEG when it’s set up well, and should not

be discounted… especially now that the guys at

PERUN have waved a little of their magic in its

direction, creating an all-new MOSFET, the Perun

for M14 for that quirky V7 gearbox!

SHOW ME!

The new Perun for M14 replaces the mechanical

contacts and provides a lot of useful features

that take an older platform forward; optical

and magnetic sensors allow you to eliminate

many moving parts that are prone to damage,

thus increasing reliability. The guys at Perun

also tell us that “Multiple trigger adjustment

options, including an integrated

adjustable “Clicker”, allow

you to set the trigger exactly

to your preferences, and

adaptive trigger control

allows switching from a

very short trigger travel to

a long one even in the

field, with almost any

trigger, including stock

ones.”

The new MOSFET has a

ton of useful features too,

although everything must be

compatible with the V7 gearbox:

• Back and front wiring - Perun for

M14’s wiring can accommodate batteries

either in the stock or in the front grip.

• Electronic fuse - Perun for M14 has an

integrated electronic fuse, which will

automatically cut the power off in case of

a short circuit or when a gearbox jam is

detected. The fuse does not wear out when

it is activated.

• Battery connector type - Perun for M14

comes with an already soldered T-Plug

connector (T-Deans).

• Stand-by current consumption - Whenever

the battery is connected and selector is set

to “SAFE”, the Mosfet consumes 1 mA of

current. While unnoticeable during normal

play, it may deplete your battery completely

and damage it, if you store the replica

with battery connect for a week or more.

Therefore, always remember to disconnect

the battery after use.

• Brushless motors - Perun for M14

works with BLDC motors like Warhead.

When using brushless motors, adhere

to manufacturer’s recommendations

regarding active braking and other settings.

• Conformal coating - Perun for M14 is

covered with a transparent conformal

coating that protects it from

humidity and water.

Thanks to Jakub at Perun

not only did he supply us with

the new M14 Mosfet, but also

kindly arranged for Patrol

Base here in the UK to send

us down a donor CM.032

M14… thanks guys! Once

this arrived I took it up

to the woods and shot

it, and whilst it’s not a

bad AEG from the box (and wellpriced

too!) it was quite “vanilla” in

operation.

With both the rifle and the Mosfet in

hand I took it down to Marcus at his shop (All

Ages Airsoft) for him to put everything together;

Marcus has worked on a number of Perun-related

“LET ME TELL YOU THOUGH, WHEN I SAID “RITE OF PASSAGE” THE EBR TRULY

WAS ONE IN AIRSOFT FORM; WEIGHING IN AT WELL OVER 4 KILOS WITHOUT ANY

ACCESSORIES, AND AT 890MM LONG WITH THE STOCK CLOSED AND 1030MM LONG

WITH THE STOCK FULLY EXTENDED THIS WAS, AND IS, A BIG-ASS AIRSOFT RIFLE”


AIRSOFT TECH

PERUN FOR M14

projects with me in the past and understands

what they can bring to the party, so getting the

M14 Mosfet in place and operating efficiently was

a bit of a no-brainer for him, and I’ll hand off to

him now to tell more!

AN EASY FIT!

Taking everything from the little box Bill had

supplied me I’m pleased to tell you that the unit

itself is well-made, and very easy to fit. When

you’re setting it up you need to remove most of

the outer trigger assembly and all the original

AEG wiring and then this unit screws in directly,

basically where the old trigger group assembly on

the left-hand side of the rifle would sit.

The only real issue that I had with fitting it was

the disconnect lever, a little white 3-D printed

piece of plastic with a very long spring! You’ve got

to jiggle it about a little bit to get it to sit in where

the original disconnector would sit and if you’re

not careful, it is very easy for it to pop out and the

spring to go shooting across the room!

I found the easiest way to prevent this was to

put a small amount of grease on the bottom of

the spring, put it in place and then hold it in and

twist it to lock it into place, and then pop the

screws in immediately. Then all you have to do

is dependent on whether you’re fitting this to a

Marui or a CYMA/JG clone; if it’s a Marui it will be

a normal push fit connections, if it’s a CYMA or JG

they’ll be soldered on to the motor so you need to

de-solder the original connections and then clean

the them off… then the new connections will just

push straight on.

Personally I think the wiring is a little bit too

long. You have to cram the motor and the wiring

on top of the motor to get it in, and that in itself

could in theory cause a problem when you

reinstall the gearbox into the rifle stock itself.

If you really wanted to and if I was fitting one

professionally, I would shorten that wiring quite

considerably just to stop that happening.

The instructions are very comprehensive and

very good at what they show, and I found them

to be very helpful once everything was installed.

That was it. You have a programming card. They

are fully programmable. Just put the working

parts back in the stock, connect your battery and

off you go! The rifle works well, and with the new

Perun fitted it shoots well too!

The trigger response is very nice, I didn’t have

any issues with it. I suspect you would still get

the problem, but a lot of different AEGs suffer on

semi-automatic-only where you can get gearbox

locking up purely because you’re shooting a lot

on semi; the lever is still there to push forward

and allow it to fire again on full auto which would

solve the lock up problem.

I didn’t have any issues fitting it. It certainly

works flawlessly. I’m very, very happy with how

simply the Perun for M14 goes in, job done!

FINISHING UP

Once Marcus has installed the new Mosfet for

me he handed the rifle back to me and told

me to get up onto the range and have at it, and

I have to report that there was a substantial

improvement to how the updated M14 worked

for me, especially when it came to the “Clicker”

functionality. In the manual (www.perunairsoft.

pl/m14.pdf) you’ll find a full list of the features,

and these include:

• Selectable firing modes: SEMI ONLY,

BINARY, SEMI-AUTO, SEMI-BURST, BURST-

AUTO

• Custom cut-off lever, which works with

optical sensors for reliable single fire

• Adjustable integrated Clicker with pretravel,

overtravel and break force adjustment

• Adjustable trigger sensitivity

• Active brake with adjustable braking power

• Precocking (with spring release feature)

• Rate of fire reduction

• DMR mode

“THE NEW PERUN FOR M14 REPLACES THE MECHANICAL CONTACTS AND PROVIDES A

LOT OF USEFUL FEATURES THAT TAKE AN OLDER PLATFORM FORWARD; OPTICAL AND

MAGNETIC SENSORS ALLOW YOU TO ELIMINATE MANY MOVING PARTS THAT ARE

PRONE TO DAMAGE, THUS INCREASING RELIABILITY”

64


AIRSOFT TECH

PERUN FOR M14

• Low battery voltage alarm

• Programming supported with a multicolour

LED diode

• DSG mode

• Diagnostic system

• Electronic resettable fuse

But it’s definitely the “Clicker” that floats my

boat! As I said when I first looked at this little

technological wonder The “Clicker” is designed to

work with the Perun for M14 Mosfet and provides

a tactile click when the trigger is pulled, along

with a tactile reset. This gives the trigger a far

more realistic feel, and while not close to the

feel of a real trigger, is far more exciting to use

than a normal “dead-stick” AEG trigger, so it was

a 100% better tactile advance from the original

performance of the CYMA.

In use the “Clicker” actually introduces a

“break” to the trigger action, which needs to

be felt and overcome to fire a shot, somewhat

similar to how a trigger in a real firearm works;

the “Clicker” is fundamentally designed to

please those that know real firearms, those that

want a tactile feel on the trigger, and just like the

“real deal” the weight of the trigger “break” is

adjustable with eight sensitivity levels for both

first and second trigger stage, ranging from a

short pull needed to fire a shot, to a long one.

To make life easy, programming of all the

settings is done solely via the selector and

trigger, so it’s as easy to do in-game as it is on the

comfort of the range, and takes just seconds once

you know how everything works. All settings are

set independently for each selector position, so

you can program the Mosfet exactly the way you

want.

Overall the Perun for M14 with the “Clicker”

really transforms the operation of the V7, and the

M14 AEG itself as a whole, and I genuinely can’t

understand why nobody has done this before!

Not only does the new setup give you many, many

more options, and indeed far greater levels of

protection for the internals of your beloved AEG,

but with the “Clicker” setup it makes the M14 a

real hoot to shoot!

Now that the Perun for M14 is installed in the

CYMA it’s time to “project the hell” out of it, and I

feel that there may be a new “Blackhowk Down”

special entering the AA armoury for longer term

testing! If you have an M14 AEG yourself, then the

new Perun setup is MOST DEFINITELY something

you’re going to want installed.

My sincere thanks go to Marcus, to Jakub at

https://perunairsoft.pl/, and to the guys at https://

www.patrolbase.co.uk/ for their kind assistance

in helping to create this article. AA

“OVERALL THE PERUN FOR M14 WITH THE “CLICKER” REALLY TRANSFORMS THE

OPERATION OF THE V7, AND THE M14 AEG ITSELF AS A WHOLE, AND I GENUINELY

CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY NOBODY HAS DONE THIS BEFORE!”


TAP ANY IMAGE TO SEE THE ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE

OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

LONG

RANGE...

CLOSE IN!

68


OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

IT’S NOT THE FIRST REVIEW FROM VICTOPTICS THAT HAS APPEARED IN AIRSOFT

ACTION, BUT THIS TIME WE ARE DOING SOMETHING JUST A BIT DIFFERENT. THE

GOOD PEOPLE FROM THE BRAND SENT US MULTIPLE SAMPLES SO WE COULD DO

A REVIEW FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND IN THIS REVIEW MIGUEL, BRUNO,

AND FROST ARE ALSO BRINGING IN TWO NEW PRODUCTS THAT THE BRAND

LAUNCHED AROUND THE END OF THE SUMMER, THE C1 4X32 PRISM SCOPE AND

THE SRD 1X18X20 VOD RED DOT…. MIGUEL LEADS OFF!

As many of you know, Victoptics is a subbrand

from Vector Optics. It’s their more

“Airsoft oriented” line, with prices that

are more accessible for most players. Although

Vector Optics has top-notch quality, their prices

are not for everyone, so Victoptics was born. We

do have a few reviews from Vector Optics coming

up though, so keep an eye out!

Now, let’s turn our attention to our first review,

the C1 Prism scope, and I like to think that the

C1 is the brand’s evolution from their previous

ACOG style scopes, and you can easily see why.

It’s a more modern model, with evolved lines

and aesthetics. It comes with what they call

“rubber armor”, a layer made with hard rubber,

in order to protect and increase durability. I have

mixed feelings about this, mostly due to past

experiences with rubber exteriors in other optics

which end up drying and cracking after some use.

But, let’s see, it’s one of those tests where only

time will have the answer.

Still on the exteriors, the C1 comes with a

removable iron sight plate, revealing different

threads for MOJ, TEK and MGT footprints if you

want to install a micro red dot. In my case, I’m

using the SPX V3 from Victoptics as well, and

I think having both options is the best of both

worlds. We all know that there are a lot of close

confrontations in airsoft, and in those situations,

using a zoomed sight can become a hindrance.

So, it’s a great idea to give the players the choice

of adding a micro red dot without having much

impact on the design.

The sight itself is a 4x32, the normal for ACOG

style scopes, and according to the brand it has a

parallax of around 50 yards (45m), which is good

for airsoft. Now the reticle has an aspect that I

don’t really like, I think the design is cool and all,

but it’s too... big. It can block minimal spots, and

it doesn’t help when playing in thick woodland

areas, where sometimes you are shooting at dark

silhouettes and small openings. Other than that,

it’s crystal clear, due to its well-built etched glass,

nitrogen-filled, fog-proof and multi-coated lens,

giving it a good eye relief (of 55mm). It’s also rated

waterproof IPX4, it can resist rain and dust, but

it’s not fully waterproof... so don’t use it in aquatic

operations!

The C1 can be fitted with a CR2032 battery,

so you can have the reticle illuminated in red or

green, with five levels of intensity in each; it’s not

something that I really use, I think the normal

reticle works fine as it is. One cool aspect is

how you adjust the sight; you no longer need to

remove the cap and use a tool, you just need to

dial the elevation or windage as needed. Each

click means a 1/2 MOA adjustment, and you have

numbers in the dials, making it easier to keep

track of what you are doing. But don’t worry about

the possibility of mis-adjustment while using the

sight, is does take a bit of “strength” to rotate

the elevators. And you will also find the typical

diopter compensator from -2 to +2. Another major

plus is the reduced size and weight, especially

compared with other ACOG models, coming up at

just 136mm length and a weight of 386g.

“IT’S CRYSTAL CLEAR, DUE TO ITS WELL-BUILT ETCHED GLASS, NITROGEN-FILLED,

FOG-PROOF AND MULTI-COATED LENS, GIVING IT A GOOD EYE RELIEF (OF 55MM). IT’S

ALSO RATED WATERPROOF IPX4, IT CAN RESIST RAIN AND DUST, BUT IT’S NOT FULLY

WATERPROOF... SO DON’T USE IT IN AQUATIC OPERATIONS!”


OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

So, overall, Victoptics launched a modern

looking ACOG, with great image, good eye relief,

light, compatible with multiple micro red dots and

at a price that won’t burn your wallet. What’s not

to like? But, as I mentioned, this is a review from

different viewpoints, so now our team-mate and

friend Frost will also give his take on the C1.

THE FROST TAKE

This is my first time writing a review, so I hope I

can properly describe my experience with the

C1 in a way others can relate. When reading

the main technical specifications, being a fixed

4x magnifier with a 32mm lens, one tends to

automatically think of the ACOG. Since it has a

more compact, bulkier and more futuristic look,

we can consider it an evolution of the ACOG.

It weighs roughly 386g as Miguel stated, so it is

even lighter than your usual ACOG, mostly due to

its outer layer of hard rubber covering the internal

aluminium alloy body, while also providing a

good 750 G shock resistance. The aluminium

tube is filled with nitrogen, so it won’t fog when

you most need it. Weather can sometimes be

unpredictable, the C1 is therefore a reliable

option for such occasions; it is also IPX4 water

resistant, but not fully waterproof, so do be

mindful!

Like other optics (e.g. the ELCAN, same 4x

magnifier but variable so not really in the same

spectrum), the iron sight is removable, where

you can find a mounting plate already threaded

for you to install your micro red dot, compatible

with the MOJ, TEK and MGT footprints available in

VictOptics. This makes a big difference in terms

of usage, since you can more efficiently pick up

closer targets.

The reticle, while being a BDC for .223 and

5.56 does take a bit of space especially in some

environments where shade can play a massive

role, but it can be illuminated. With five levels of

brightness, red and green, the C1 allows you to

“THE RETICLE, WHILE BEING A BDC FOR .223 AND 5.56 DOES TAKE A BIT OF SPACE

ESPECIALLY IN SOME ENVIRONMENTS WHERE SHADE CAN PLAY A MASSIVE ROLE,

BUT IT CAN BE ILLUMINATED. WITH FIVE LEVELS OF BRIGHTNESS, RED AND GREEN,

THE C1 ALLOWS YOU TO PLAY FROM DAWN ‘TILL DUSK”

70


OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

play from dawn ‘till dusk. So far I haven’t felt the

need to do so, the default reticle works fine as is,

but I still would’ve liked for it to be a bit thinner

regardless. So it begs to question, is it really

needed or am I just using it wrong?

The C1 has been the go-to on my M249,

enabling me to pick targets that are trying to close

in undetected through foliage. Not anymore! The

cool factor plays a massive role when choosing

what optic to service, that not only does what it’s

meant for, but also looks great while doing it. And

boy, does it look cool!

Sometimes we compromise on quality for

appearance, but fortunately that is not the case.

The C1 is a very strong option in its category,

so this is a very welcomed arrival to the ACOG

family.

THE BRUNO TAKE

Bruno here with the Victoptics SRD 1x18x20

VOD! This Micro Red Dot translates extremely

well to airsoft use, especially for players

running GBB pistols, compact carbines or

lightweight PCC‐style builds who want a rugged,

ACRO‐pattern optic without going into real‐steel

money. Its feature set lines up neatly with the

demands of skirmishes: fast acquisition, simple

controls and enough durability to shrug off recoil

shocks, bumps and the occasional bad hit in

CQB.

The 6061‐T6 aluminum housing gives the

optic a reassuringly solid, “real kit” feel on an

airsoft slide or rail, without being so heavy that it

slows the cycling of a GBB pistol. At around 71 g

including the CR2032, it is perfectly acceptable

for most gas pistols and absolutely no concern on

an AEG or HPA carbine like used in the tests. The

18×20 mm window is large enough for aggressive,

both‐eyes‐open shooting in tight rooms and

around barricades while still keeping a compact

profile that does not dominate a small replica.

The snag‐free exterior is genuinely useful when

“THE C1 HAS BEEN THE GO-TO ON MY M249, ENABLING ME TO PICK TARGETS THAT

ARE TRYING TO CLOSE IN UNDETECTED THROUGH FOLIAGE. NOT ANYMORE! THE COOL

FACTOR PLAYS A MASSIVE ROLE WHEN CHOOSING WHAT OPTIC TO SERVICE, THAT

NOT ONLY DOES WHAT IT’S MEANT FOR, BUT ALSO LOOKS GREAT WHILE DOING IT”


OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

moving through doorways, where protruding

controls tend to catch on slings, plate carriers

and door frames.

Mounting options for airsoft platforms are

many! Because it follows an ACRO‐compatible

VOD footprint, the SRD 1x18x20 is very friendly

to modern pistol slides and aftermarket mounts

aimed at airsoft users who like copying real‐steel

setups. Many contemporary GBB slides,

adapter plates and riser mounts already support

ACRO‐style optics, making it easy to drop this

sight into an existing ecosystem. For rifles, the

included Weaver rail mount and riser let it sit

on standard 20 mm top rails right out of the

box, ideal for AR‐pattern AEGs, PCC builds or

SMGs. That makes it a plug‐and‐play option for

a primary, while still being able to move over to a

pistol if the player later upgrades to an ACRO‐cut

slide.

The 4 MOA dot is a very sensible choice for

airsoft, where engagement distances are typically

under 70m and sight pictures need to be fast

rather than surgically precise. On a pistol, that

dot size gives a crisp, intuitive aiming point for

rapid shots in CQB corridors and shoot‐house

environments; on a carbine, it is still small

enough to pick out partial targets in foliage or

through narrow sight lines.

The eight daylight brightness levels plus 1

night‐vision setting provide enough range to run

the optic outdoors under bright sun or dial it

down indoors, so the dot does not bloom over

close, dark targets. Parallax performance is tuned

around 50 yards (45 meters) which is more than

adequate in airsoft, where the BB trajectory, not

the optic, will always be the limiting factor at

range.

For airsoft, the side‐loading CR2032 tray is a

big quality‐of‐life bonus, because it allows battery

changes between games without removing

the optic and disturbing your zero. The quoted

20,000‐hour battery life at low settings means

that, in practice, players can leave the dot on

for full days or whole weekends at moderate

brightness and only swap cells as pre-emptive

maintenance.

Shock resistance rated to 750G is overkill

for airsoft recoil, which is exactly what you

want when a sight is going to be bounced off

door frames, barricades and occasionally hit

directly by BBs! The IPX4 water‐resistance rating

also makes it perfectly comfortable in light

rain, damp woodland and sweaty indoor CQB

without worrying about fogging or water ingress

mid‐game.

With 1 MOA click adjustments and 100 MOA

of total travel in both elevation and windage,

the SRD 1x18x20 is easy to zero to an airsoft

hop‐up’s preferred range, whether that is a 30m

CQB zero or a 50 m outdoor zero on a tuned

DMR‐style build. The generous adjustment range

is particularly helpful on airsoft guns where rails

“THIS MICRO RED DOT TRANSLATES EXTREMELY WELL TO AIRSOFT USE, ESPECIALLY

FOR PLAYERS RUNNING GBB PISTOLS, COMPACT CARBINES OR LIGHTWEIGHT

PCC‐STYLE BUILDS WHO WANT A RUGGED, ACRO‐PATTERN OPTIC WITHOUT GOING

INTO REAL‐STEEL MONEY”

72


OPTICS

VICTOPTICS

or slide cuts are not always perfectly aligned with

the barrel.

On the field, the combination of compact

window, crisp 4 MOA dot and clean housing

encourages aggressive, heads‐up shooting;

both eyes open, gun driving from target to target,

and minimal obstruction of peripheral vision.

For airsofters wanting a realistic, functional

ACRO‐style optic that holds up to hard use

without breaking the bank, the SRD 1x18x20 VOD

sits in a very attractive sweet spot.

Back to Miguel!

My turn now! Well, since Bruno covered most

of the technical, I’ll focus more on my experience

in the field with it, since I was probably the one

who used it most in game. Currently, I have it

on my Specna Arms J82 CORE, a short tactical

AK, and it fits like a glove. I’m a huge fan of these

more modern looking red dots, but only for some

replicas. The SRD VOD is your simple red dot,

with a total of nine settings of dot intensity, but

I’ve only used it during daytime and the five or

six settings work just fine for a normal day. And

although it has the VOD footprint, allowing it to be

used in pistols (with the right plate) I don’t really

see myself doing that. It would be too bulky, and I

already have a good micro red dot for that job, the

Frenzy from Vector Optics (review soon!).

Now, being a red dot, there is not much to

cover, the raised profile helps to use even with a

mask or earpro, and I do like the small “window”

in the mount, which lets you use the iron sights, if

for example, the battery dies during a game. It’s a

small detail, but a welcome one. Another detail is

that the windage and elevation adjustment can be

done without removing caps, but I wish that they

were painted in black, instead of being shiny… it

kinda stands out! Although it does have a small

window, it’s quite easy and instinctive to use.

The height is just perfect when aiming, and it’s

fast to bring to any target. Of course, it does take

a bit of practice, but that’s normal. The ON and

OFF buttons are big enough to press even with

gloves, and it’s easy to adjust the intensity levels

on the fly; if you are looking for a good modern red

dot, that’s also budget friendly, take a good look

at the Victoptics SRD VOD! AA

“ON THE FIELD, THE COMBINATION OF COMPACT WINDOW, CRISP 4 MOA DOT AND

CLEAN HOUSING ENCOURAGES AGGRESSIVE, HEADS‐UP SHOOTING; BOTH EYES OPEN,

GUN DRIVING FROM TARGET TO TARGET, AND MINIMAL OBSTRUCTION OF PERIPHERAL

VISION”


OPTICS

LHODR JS NIGHTHAWK X2

DARK

VISION

BRUNO HAS GONE FULLY DIGITAL AGAIN, EXPLORING THE WORLD OF

TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE USED BY OUR COMMUNITY, AND AS A REAL

ENTHUSIAST HE’S BEEN TRACKING THE RAPID EVOLUTION OF NIGHT VISION AND

THERMAL IMAGING… AND AS AN KEEN ADOPTER OF NEW TECHNOLOGY HE NOW

TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO LHODR AND THEIR JS NIGHTHAWK X2!

I’ve watched a field once limited by analog

intensifier tubes explode into digital

innovation. Thermal imaging especially stands

apart for its versatility, as beyond military and law

enforcement, it’s become essential for hunters,

rescue teams, industrial technicians, and

outdoor explorers seeking to master the night and

the weather, wildlife, or adversaries within, even

to us airsofters!

While giants like Teledyne FLIR and L3Harris

dominate international headlines a new

generation of agile, design-driven firms are quietly

serving the enthusiast, civilian, and tactical

community with fresh approaches to both

digital and thermal imaging. LHODR, a Chinese

company specializing in precision thermal

modules and rugged outdoor tools, exemplifies

this movement with its commitment to quality,

advanced R&D, and user-driven design.

So today I bring you LHODR as a brand that

prides itself on innovative design, premium

materials, and precision manufacturing. Drawing

on years of industry experience, their mission

is clear, to offer reliable, cutting-edge thermal

solutions for the widest range of real-world

scenarios. The company’s in-house engineering

and strict production standards reflect a

premium positioning, aiming to close the gap

between professional-grade tools and accessible

gear for field users, from tactical professionals to

civilian explorers.

This philosophy is embodied in products

like the JS Nighthawk x2, their latest thermal

imaging monocular that I got the chance to

test. It’s engineered not just for performance

but for durability; think waterproof casings,

shock-resistant bodywork, and an operating

temperature range compatible with everything

from summer expeditions to harsh winter

missions.

THE SCIENCE BIT

Before jumping into user impressions, it’s worth

recapping how modern thermal optics work.

Infrared thermography started as scientific

curiosity; after Sir William Herschel discovered

the invisible infrared spectrum in 1800,

breakthroughs in sensor technology expanded

its use from laboratory novelty to battlefield

advantage and eventually public safety, wildlife

monitoring, and tactical adventure.

Today’s thermal devices, like the Nighthawk

“WHILE GIANTS LIKE TELEDYNE FLIR AND L3HARRIS DOMINATE INTERNATIONAL

HEADLINES A NEW GENERATION OF AGILE, DESIGN-DRIVEN FIRMS ARE QUIETLY

SERVING THE ENTHUSIAST, CIVILIAN, AND TACTICAL COMMUNITY WITH FRESH

APPROACHES TO BOTH DIGITAL AND THERMAL IMAGING”

76


OPTICS


x2, utilize uncooled microbolometer sensors

to detect temperature differences, rendering

heat maps that visualize objects even in total

darkness, dense fog, or camouflaged settings.

The impact on nighttime navigation and

detection is profound; users aren’t limited to

amplifying feeble starlight, they’re observing the

environment by interpreting, in real time, the

subtle warmth from people, animals, engines,

and more.

Now that the thermal understanding is out

of the way lets dive into the Nighthawk x2, also

known as the Frigate 320 in some markets… it’s

a compact handheld thermal imager that melds

portability with technical sophistication. Key

technical features include:

• Sensor: Core thermal module with highresolution

(at least 320x240 pixel array),

delivering detailed contrast for both short

and medium-range detection.

• Field of View & Objective Lens: Designed

for wide scanning and versatile target

acquisition

• Display: Crisp HD digital panel for vivid

temperature overlays, with adjustable color

palettes (white-hot, black-hot, multi-color)

to suit user preference or tactical need.

• Range: Effective detection distances may

exceed several hundred meters depending

on environmental conditions and target

size, for example, I could detect a human

with ease at 200 meters.

• Battery & Power: Utilizes rechargeable

lithium cells, designed for multiple hours of

continuous operation, with USB-C charging

or optional external power packs for

extended missions.

• Durability: Waterproof and impact-resistant

housing ensures reliability in rain, mud,

or accidental drops, perfect for rugged

outdoor or tactical use.

The true appeal of the Thermal Nighthawk

x2 lies in its handheld form factor and robust

build. Weighing in at less than 300g, it strikes

the ideal balance of being heavy enough to feel

substantial, but light enough to never fatigue

the arms during hours-long patrols or hunts.

Having the 9.7mm lenses version, mounting it to

“TODAY’S THERMAL DEVICES, LIKE THE NIGHTHAWK X2, UTILIZE UNCOOLED

MICROBOLOMETER SENSORS TO DETECT TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES, RENDERING

HEAT MAPS THAT VISUALIZE OBJECTS EVEN IN TOTAL DARKNESS, DENSE FOG, OR

CAMOUFLAGED SETTINGS”


OPTICS


a replica’s picatinny is easy, having it sometimes

mounted at a 45º offset using it as a scanning

device.

Button layout favors intuitive control, with

tactile feedback suitable for gloved hands, a

crucial detail in cold conditions. Menus and

palette-switching are responsive, a brief learning

curve unlocks full customization, from digital

zoom (2x, 4x) to image sharpness enhancements

for critical identification of small or distant

targets. The compass overlay and cardinal

direction tracking add a professional navigation

edge, giving operators critical orientation

information alongside thermal visuals.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

In practical use, the Nighthawk x2’s sensor

sensitivity offers surprisingly good contrast,

even in dense brush where traditional thermals

struggles. Engine warmth, animal movement, or a

human form, all rendered in unmistakable clarity

without struggling to understand at what you are

looking at. This alone is an enormous upgrade

for those prioritizing low profile or passive

observation.

Battery life measured in recent tests holds up

well, typically exceeding five hours per cycle. The

sturdy frame resists knocks and brief immersion,

ideal for tactical, search-and-rescue, or

outdoor adventure scenarios. Mounting options

(adaptable to helmet or picatinny rail, via thirdparty

accessories) enhance its flexibility, though

the default handheld style is naturally userfriendly.

Notably, thermal optics aren’t magic; rainy

conditions, reflective surfaces, or ambient

heat can limit detection range or create ghost

images. While the monochrome and multicolor

palette modes reduce eye fatigue, some field

operators report preference for custom palettes

to highlight certain temperature bands, an

area where firmware updates may bring future

improvements.

While military and law enforcement

professionals represent thermal imagers

traditional backbone market, recent years have

seen explosive civilian adoption. The Nighthawk

x2 is equally suited for nighttime hunting, wildlife

observation, perimeter security, and technical

inspection. Its multi-language support adds

substantial appeal for international and techsavvy

buyers.

As a tech guy myself, this is a super interesting

area for me, field testing in Portugal’s forests

and urban outskirts showed real advantages,

locating rabbits at dawn, tracking a dog in dense

brambles, and even identifying building insulation

faults at home!

With its IPX7 waterproofing and broad operating

temperature range, the Nighthawk x2 survived

rain, mud splashes, and accidental drops without

issue as said before, but actually seeing it with my

own eyes really made me trust it even more!

While some say that using thermals during day

time can lead to mistakes, if you do know your

surroundings, then it won’t be a problem. It is

true that trees, rocks soil… everything absorbs

radiation, once it can’t absorb it no more, it will

start to emit it back and reflect it, that’s where

the thermal loses its advantage, yet it can still be

useful!

Recently I took this thermal to long game

and during the day it was still helping to identify

enemies behind the tree lines, everything around

was red hot, but once it detects an object that is

emitting more radiation than the rest, it will focus

on that particular object.

When compared to its category peers, both

legacy brands and new market entrants, the

LHODR JS Nighthawk x2 stands out for its

blend of affordability, technical capability,

and rugged build quality. At a price point often

hundreds below Western competitors, the value

proposition is striking for first-time buyers or

“WHEN COMPARED TO ITS CATEGORY PEERS, BOTH LEGACY BRANDS AND NEW

MARKET ENTRANTS, THE LHODR JS NIGHTHAWK X2 STANDS OUT FOR ITS BLEND OF

AFFORDABILITY, TECHNICAL CAPABILITY, AND RUGGED BUILD QUALITY”

78


OPTICS


budget-conscious agencies.

While the “big names” offer broader sensor

arrays, advanced analytics, or integration with

larger systems, LHODR carves out a niche with

accessible, reliable single-unit devices. The

Nighthawk x2 excels for anyone needing a selfcontained,

high-contrast tool in unpredictable

environments, where ease of use and durability

matter most.

No field test is complete without honest

critique. LHODR’s user manual could benefit

from more detailed troubleshooting, especially

for firmware glitches or rare sensor calibration

issues. Helmet mounting hardware, while

adaptable, is an extra purchase. Battery packs

are not always included, and firmware upgrades

occasionally lag behind market expectations.

That said the overall experience remains

thoroughly positive. From initial unboxing

to nighttime field operations, the Thermal

Nighthawk x2 consistently delivers on its promise.

It’s an example of how direct-to-consumer brands

are changing the optics landscape, making

once-niche technologies practical for practically

everyone.

By distilling high-grade engineering into an

affordable, durable format, LHODR’s Nighthawk

x2 invites new users to master their environment,

whether for safety, sport, or exploration. With

features like multi-palette display, compass

overlay, and sturdy waterproof construction,

it meets the needs of a wide spectrum of

night vision enthusiasts without sacrificing

professional-grade reliability.

As the boundaries of digital and thermal

imaging continue to expand, and brands like

LHODR set new standards for what’s possible,

the democratization of the night is well underway.

For anyone serious about working, playing, or

surviving after dark, the Thermal Nighthawk x2

deserves a place at the top of the gear list! AA

“WITH FEATURES LIKE MULTI-PALETTE DISPLAY, COMPASS OVERLAY, AND STURDY

WATERPROOF CONSTRUCTION, IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF A WIDE SPECTRUM OF NIGHT

VISION ENTHUSIASTS WITHOUT SACRIFICING PROFESSIONAL-GRADE RELIABILITY”


GEAR

M-TAC

STREET TO

RANGE

TACTICAL CLOTHING IS IN A STATE OF CONSTANT EVOLUTION, AND EVEN

SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A TACTICAL PANT HAS COME A LONG, LONG WAY IN

RECENT YEARS PROVIDING APPAREL THAT LOOKS GREAT ON THE STREET BUT

THAT ALSO PERFORMS SUPERBLY ON THE RANGE OR IN-GAME! AND GEAR FROM

M-TAC IS NOT JUST ABOUT “GEAR FOR THE BOYS” AS BRUNO AND SARA TELL US…

80


GEAR

M-TAC

This time Sara and I are talking about M-TAC

tactical pants, a model that became our

go-to pants and made Sara’s perspective

about tactical pants change. Like I always do,

let me give you a bit of background on them! So,

M-TAC is a modern tactical clothing and gear

brand that grew out of a time of revolution and

conflict, so their whole identity is built around

reliability when things really matter. They focus on

making tactical clothes that look good,

feel comfortable, and actually work

in real conditions, from city life

to harsh environments and

conflict zones.

The team behind M-TAC is

young and ambitious, designing gear

for people who love challenges and aren’t

afraid to push themselves. Their motto,

“born of revolution, war hardened,”

sums up the idea that their products

are tested in tough situations, not just

made to look tactical. M-TAC

also positions itself as a

brand “for everyone,” aiming

to make rugged, field-proven

gear accessible beyond just military

or professionals, and not just for

us guys! If you want practical,

durable clothing that can handle

both airsoft and everyday wear,

that’s the kind of space M-TAC is

in.

The model we are covering is

the Aggressor Gen.II Flex, AND

personally once I grabbed them

I instantly felt the quality of the

material, but we’ll get to that later!

These pants are basically made to be

lived in, not just looked at. The fabric

has a bit of stretch and a tough rip stop

weave, so you can run, crouch, slide

behind cover, or sit in a car for

hours without feeling restricted

or worrying they’ll tear on a branch or a rough

surface. The water and dirt resistant coating

helps them shrug off light rain, mud, or drops of

paint, so they stay looking decent even after a

messy, muddy game or training day.

The fit is very forgiving; the cut lets you move

naturally, and the elastic in the waistband means

you don’t get that “digging into the stomach”

feeling when you bend, kneel, or wear them all

day with a belt and gear on. They feel like normal

comfortable pants, but you notice the extra

freedom of movement when you sprint, climb, or

constantly change position.

In use, the pockets are one of the best parts.

You can actually load them; phone, wallet, keys,

multitool, spare mag, notebook, you name it

and they don’t feel like they’re about to explode

or dump everything when you sit or kneel. The

cargo pockets are easy to reach even when you’re

wearing a plate carrier, and the smaller pocket is

perfect when you want your phone or a small item

in a fixed place every time.

The reinforced seat and knees really show

their value once you start playing or working in

them. You can drop to your knees on gravel, lean

against rough concrete, or slide into cover without

immediately worrying about blowing out a seam.

If you add knee pads, they stay where they should

and turn the pants into proper field/work trousers

rather than just casual cargo pants. Overall, they

feel like everyday pants that secretly have all the

“field” features built in. You can wear them to the

range or an airsoft game, grab food afterward, or

even use them as work and travel pants without

looking over-the-top tactical, but you still get all

the comfort and durability when things get active

just like we are going to do at IWA this year.

Basically, you’re paying for quality materials

and solid craftsmanship here, and it really

shows. The fabric, stitching, and overall build feel

excellent, with plenty of practical pockets, easyaccess

hand pockets, and big Velcro ankle straps

that actually make sense in use.

“M-TAC IS A MODERN TACTICAL CLOTHING AND GEAR BRAND THAT GREW OUT OF A

TIME OF REVOLUTION AND CONFLICT, SO THEIR WHOLE IDENTITY IS BUILT AROUND

RELIABILITY WHEN THINGS REALLY MATTER. THEY FOCUS ON MAKING TACTICAL

CLOTHES THAT LOOK GOOD, FEEL COMFORTABLE, AND ACTUALLY WORK”


GEAR

M-TAC

The fit hits a sweet spot, not too baggy, not too

tight, with a forgiving waist and robust belt loops

that keep everything comfortable and secure if

you choose to run a belt.

UNISEX? NOT!

SARA: I’ve lost track of how many times women

in airsoft have brought up clothing when we talk

about hardships in this sport. From boots that

don’t even exist in our sizes to plate carriers that

could double as cup holders, and yes, every

woman reading this knows exactly what I mean. It

almost feels like every piece of gear out there was

LADIES

designed with someone else in mind, and we’re

just trying to make it work.

Pants though, pants are on another level of

frustration! Finding a pair that fits right, not too

tight in the thighs, not gaping at the waist feels

like chasing a unicorn. I’ve tried more pairs than

I care to admit. Some look great standing still but

make you regret every movement once the game

starts. Others fit in the waist but leave your thighs

feeling like they’re being held hostage… you get

the picture.

So when I got the chance to try these pants, I’ll

be honest, I was skeptical. Pants are tricky. They

have to fit in all the right places at once, and that

almost never happens. If it fits your waist, it’s too

tight on your legs; if it fits your thighs, suddenly

you have enough fabric around your waist to

make a matching hat. We’ve all been there.

But these pants? Totally different story!

Right from the start, I could tell someone

actually thought this through. The process begins

online, where you’ll find a detailed measurement

chart that walks you through exactly what to

measure, waist, thighs, and length… before

suggesting your size! It’s “unisex”, too, which at

first made me worry they’d be boxy or shapeless,

but surprisingly, they’re not. The sizes cover

several ranges, and it might sound odd, but the

way they’re built allows them to naturally adjust

to different body types. And trust me, it works.

The waist design is one of my favorite features

There’s a built-in elastic band on the inside

that’s attached to the outer fabric, so the pants

adjust slightly as you move. Sitting, running,

crouching… nothing digs into your stomach or

rides awkwardly. It even helps during those “ugh,

I feel bloated” days or while going through your

cycle when your body just doesn’t feel the same.

Instead of switching between two different sizes

depending on the week, you can rely on one pair

that always feels comfortable. Small detail, big

difference.

“PANTS THOUGH, PANTS ARE ON ANOTHER LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION! FINDING A PAIR

THAT FITS RIGHT, NOT TOO TIGHT IN THE THIGHS, NOT GAPING AT THE WAIST FEELS

LIKE CHASING A UNICORN. I’VE TRIED MORE PAIRS THAN I CARE TO ADMIT”

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GEAR

M-TAC

The fit on the thighs is another huge win.

They look nicely fitted but still give you plenty

of room to move, squat, kneel, or climb without

restriction. The length was spot-on for me, which

honestly never happens. And then… the pockets!

Oh, the pockets. Every woman reading this knows

the struggle of “fake pockets.” These, thankfully,

are the real deal. Deep, roomy, and placed where

they actually make sense. There’s even a specific

phone pocket, and the rest are large enough for

your keys, wallet, and whatever small things you

carry, all without needing a backpack. I can’t

stress how much I love that.

For airsoft specifically, there are a few details

that make these pants stand out. The knee area is

reinforced and also compatible with knee pads,

a big deal for anyone who’s constantly diving

behind cover or crawling through rough terrain.

After several intense game days and more than a

few washes, the color and shape are still perfect.

The fabric hasn’t faded, frayed, or gone weird

like so many others tend to after a couple of

weekends.

As someone who sews occasionally, I can’t

help but notice the construction quality. All the

seams are double-stitched, which means they

can handle stress and movement without ripping

or loosening. Pockets that use Velcro also include

zippers, such a thoughtful detail, especially

since everyone knows Velcro tends to weaken

over time. Even the fly has a double button plus a

zipper, so you never have to worry about it coming

undone mid-game. Those small design decisions

really show that the brand paid attention to how

these pants would actually be used.

Honestly, these pants changed my mind

about what gear can feel like. For so long, I

just accepted that women in airsoft had to

compromise, wear something “close enough” and

make it work. But these made me realize we don’t

have to. Comfort, mobility, and a flattering fit can

go hand in hand.

I know it sounds silly, but they’ve become

that “piece of clothing” for me, the one you

automatically reach for when you want to feel

good and comfortable, whether you’re heading to

the field or just running errands. They’ve held up,

look great, and most importantly they make me

feel like someone finally designed something with

me in mind.

If you’ve ever struggled finding pants that

actually fit your body and your lifestyle, give these

a try. For me, they’re not just my go-to for airsoft,

they’ve become our go-to for everyday life.

Available in both male and female fit and a

choice of block colours you can find out more by

visiting https://m-tac.pl/en AA

“IF YOU’VE EVER STRUGGLED FINDING PANTS THAT ACTUALLY FIT YOUR BODY AND

YOUR LIFESTYLE, GIVE THESE A TRY. FOR ME, THEY’RE NOT JUST MY GO-TO FOR

AIRSOFT, THEY’VE BECOME MY GO-TO FOR EVERYDAY LIFE”


AA LEGION

SLOVAKIA: WINTER OPS

SNOWBOUND

IN SLOVAKIA!

84


AA LEGION


WE’RE ALWAYS KEEPING AN EYE ON THE AIRSOFT SCENE AT AIRSOFT ACTION,

AND WHEN BILL SAW SOME AMAZING IMAGES FROM A MILSIM EVENT IN EXTREME

CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SLOVAKIA HE HAD TO FIND OUT MORE!

THANKFULLY WHEN HE REACHED OUT HE MANAGED TO SPEAK WITH SAMUEL

(AKA CHSEAAMTUEERL) FROM THE PEACEKEEPERS MILSIM TEAM WHO WAS

ABLE TO SHARE WITH US THE DEATILS OF WINTER-OPS... A MILSIM BORN FROM

SNOW AND NECESSITY, AND ABLY SUPPORTED BY BOTH THE SLOVAK AIRSOFT

FEDERATION AND SPECNA ARMS!

I

am always amazed at the sheer dedication

some people and teams have to create

unique games for the benefit of fellow

players, and when I saw the images of WINTER-

OPS posted by Samuel and the PEACEKEEPERS

MilSim Team I just knew that this was a story that

needed chasing down under the wider remit of

the AA LEGION program to share with the airsoft

community around the globe!

Some of us, even in the UK, have had the

opportunity to play in snowbound conditions,

and indeed personal memories of tracking

BLUFOR through a blizzard rank very high on

my list of airsoft best experiences... it’s not

just about playing, but it’s about playing and

simply existing in a very different, very hostile

environment; if you ever have the chance to do

this, then grab that opportunity with both hands

as it’s simply awseome.

However, a day (or even an overnight

game) playing airsoft in the snow fade a little

when you look at WINTER-OPS as this was a

fully immersive 48-hour MilSim in full winter

conditions! Thankfully when I reached out to

Samuel he was more than willing to share deatils

of the event with me, and I’ll now hand over to

him to tell us all about it!

Samuel: Winter-Ops was created out of a

simple but long-standing gap in the Slovak

MilSim scene. Despite Slovakia being a country

where proper winter conditions and heavy

snowfall are common, there had never been a

truly dedicated winter MilSim event focused on

snow, cold, and extreme mountain operations.

“DESPITE SLOVAKIA BEING A COUNTRY WHERE PROPER WINTER CONDITIONS AND

HEAVY SNOWFALL ARE COMMON, THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A TRULY DEDICATED

WINTER MILSIM EVENT FOCUSED ON SNOW, COLD, AND EXTREME MOUNTAIN

OPERATIONS”


AA LEGION


The idea behind Winter-Ops was

straightforward, to build a realistic, demanding

MilSim that fully embraces winter as an

operational factor, not something to work around,

but something to fight against. The first edition

took place a year ago, and the 2026 edition

confirmed that this concept was not only viable,

but desperately needed.

And the environment

changes everything! The event

takes place in a mountainous

region at approximately

1000 metres above sea

level. Temperatures in the

game area are able to reach

from −10 °C to −20 °C at

night. The entire area was

covered by a solid layer of

snow, significantly affecting

movement, visibility, logistics,

and fatigue.

This is not a classic

MilSim where terrain is just a

backdrop. At Winter-Ops, the

environment itself becomes

a key adversary. Players must

continuously adapt their

tactics, equipment, clothing,

and endurance to survive and

remain operational.

But that’s not for a moment

to suggest that there is not

Mission-Based gameplay

with a real command

structure. Winter-Ops is not a

continuous 48-hour scenario.

Instead, gameplay is divided

into individual, time-limited

missions. Each mission

requires proper briefing,

planning, and preparation,

exactly as expected in a real

military structure. Before every mission, teams

are briefed by their commanders. Players must

prepare a tactical plan, ready all necessary

equipment, and execute the objective within a

defined time window. During the 2026 edition,

most missions had a reserved timeframe of

approximately four hours.

“WINTER-OPS IS NOT A CONTINUOUS 48-HOUR SCENARIO. INSTEAD, GAMEPLAY IS

DIVIDED INTO INDIVIDUAL, TIME-LIMITED MISSIONS. EACH MISSION REQUIRES PROPER

BRIEFING, PLANNING, AND PREPARATION, EXACTLY AS EXPECTED IN A REAL MILITARY

STRUCTURE”

86


AA LEGION


MISSION FOCUSSED

Every mission features a fully active OPFOR

element. Opposing teams actively attempt to

disrupt, intercept, or counter objectives, forcing

players to react dynamically, think creatively, and

make real-time decisions under pressure. After

each mission, formal debriefings are conducted

where commanders, operators, and OPFOR

representatives analyse successes, failures, and

tactical decisions.

And to aid in this use is made of technology

on the battlefield; one of the defining features

of Winter-Ops is its extensive use of modern

battlefield technology. Night vision devices,

thermal optics, and drones are fully permitted

and widely used by players. This significantly

elevates the tactical depth of the event and

allows participants to experience conditions

rarely available at airsoft events.

All teams, commanders, and game marshals

use the ARES Alpha application, providing realtime

situational awareness on the battlefield.

Players are required to mark precise Points of

Interest (POIs), relay MGRS coordinates via radio,

and work with live operational maps. Marshals

also actively add objectives and capture points to

the system, with speed and coordination playing

a decisive role in mission outcomes.

“PARTICULAR RESPECT MUST BE GIVEN TO THOSE PLAYERS WHO CHOSE TO FULLY

EMBRACE THE HARSH CONDITIONS. INSTEAD OF USING HEATED ACCOMMODATION,

SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS SPENT BOTH NIGHTS OUTDOORS IN TENTS, ENDURING

EXTREME COLD AND SNOW TO MAINTAIN IMMERSION”


AA LEGION


“THE EVENT TAKES PLACE IN A MOUNTAINOUS REGION AT APPROXIMATELY

1000 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL. TEMPERATURES IN THE GAME AREA

ARE ABLE TO REACH FROM −10 °C TO −20 °C AT NIGHT. THE ENTIRE AREA

WAS COVERED BY A SOLID LAYER OF SNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTING

MOVEMENT, VISIBILITY, LOGISTICS, AND FATIGUE”

During the

2026 edition,

organisers

additionally

tested a dualband

radio relay

system, extending

radio communication

range and reliability

in difficult mountainous

terrain. This experimental

setup proved highly effective

and added another layer of realism to

command and control operations.

To ensure everyone could operate effectively,

organisers prepared a short MGRS minicourse

at the beginning of the event, ensuring all

participants understood positional reporting and

coordinate handling.

Each team established its own Forward

Operating Base (FOB), serving as a logistical

and planning hub. Missions ranged from

reconnaissance

and surveillance

to attack-anddefence

scenarios

and transport

tasks. One of the most

memorable missions

involved transporting a power

generator to a FOB while opposing

forces attempted to intercept and steal it, an

objective that quickly became a player favourite!

Particular respect must be given to those

players who chose to fully embrace the

harsh conditions. Instead of using heated

accommodation, several participants spent both

nights outdoors in tents, enduring extreme cold

and snow to maintain immersion.

Of course when this happens safety and

88


AA LEGION


logistics MUST come into the organisational

structure. Despite the harsh conditions, safety

remained a top priority throughout the event.

Professional medics from FIREMEDICAL were

present for the entire duration with their own

vehicle, fully prepared to treat injuries and

transport casualties directly to hospital without

delay.

Players staying in accommodation had

access to heated facilities, showers, and proper

sanitation. Meals, including breakfast, lunch, and

dinner, were available, allowing players to recover

properly between missions. During downtime,

participants had space to rest, socialise, and

exchange experiences, reinforcing the strong

community atmosphere of the event.

A TRULY SPECIAL EVENT

Winter-Ops is currently a one-of-a-kind MilSim

event in Slovakia, and arguably in neighbouring

countries as well. It pushes players far beyond

standard airsoft comfort zones, testing not only

equipment and tactics, but physical endurance,

mental resilience, leadership, and teamwork.

Those who participate leave with more than

just memories; they leave with hard-earned

experience operating in conditions that very few

MilSim events are willing to offer.

Looking ahead Winter-Ops is planned to

continue in 2027 in an even larger format. With

growing interest and expanding ambitions,

Winter-Ops is set to further refine its realism,

technology, and scope, and if you feel you are up

to the challenge, then we would love you to join

us for a unique MilSim event in Slovakia next year!

For those seeking a true winter MilSim

challenge, Winter-Ops is an experience worth

following closely, and you can keep up to date on

both the PEACEKEEPERS and Samuel via:

www.facebook.com/peacekeepers.team

www.instagram.com/peacekeepers.team

www.instagram.com/chseaamtueerl AA


AA LEGION


“WITH GROWING INTEREST AND EXPANDING

AMBITIONS, WINTER-OPS IS SET TO FURTHER

REFINE ITS REALISM, TECHNOLOGY, AND

SCOPE, AND IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE UP TO

THE CHALLENGE, THEN WE WOULD LOVE YOU

TO JOIN US FOR A UNIQUE MILSIM EVENT IN

SLOVAKIA NEXT YEAR!”

90


AA LEGION


Event:

Winter-Ops MilSim

Location: Slovakia, mountain area

(1,000m above sea level)

Date: 24–25 January 2026

Duration: 48 hours (mission-based

gameplay)

Temperature: −10 °C daytime/−20 °C

nighttime (approx)

Players: 30

Organisers: chseaamtueerl and the

PEACEKEEPERS MilSim Team

Supported by: Slovak Airsoft Federation

and SPECNA ARMS

Photography: @lighttales.by.michal


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

SHOT ’26 – IT’S

VEGAS BABY!

94


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

LAST MONTH A NEWLY-FORMED “AA CREW” COMPRISING OF JOHN “BOYCIE”

TURRELL, JASE CLARKE, AND TEAM NEWCOMER (BUT VETERAN SHOOTER AND

AIRSOFTER!) TIM CRIDDLE (TC) GOT THEIR SHOW-HEADS ON AND SET OUT ON

THE MAMMOTH JOURNEY TO LAS VEGAS AND THE GARGANTUAN ANNUAL EVENT

THAT IS SHOT SHOW! WITH LOTS TO REPORT ON AND SHARE, THE REPORT THIS

YEAR TAKES ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOOK AS “DA BOIS” BRING YOU THEIR

THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK AT EACH STAGE OF THE SHOW… BOYCIE LEADS OFF,

AND IT’S DEFINITELY A CASE OF VIVA LAS VEGAS!

My usual trip is quite a monster of

travelling as I set off down to Pershore,

the home of Li’l Stu on Thursday evening;

I was going to be able to stay over at his house to

prevent me missing the usual 0930 train out to

Paddington and the transfer to Heathrow on the

Heathrow Express. Sailing through bag drop and

security I soon linked up with Tim (TC) and we

made our way to the Virgin Club House where we

could relax in style and grab a snack and adult

beverage before being called to our aircraft for the

planned 10.5 hour flight to Las Vegas. Tim was ‘up

front’ in the aircraft and I was nearer the back.

During the flight, the gent in the seat in front of

me found that his charging cable wasn’t working

and so I volunteered one of my spare ones, and

during the long flight we chatted and it was then

I found out he was an exhibitor at Shot Show

on the MDT booth. Once we landed the queues

at TSA/Border Control were a lot smaller than

I’ve experienced in previous years and the only

comments I got from the TSA officer were “what

are you in the US for?”, “visiting Shot Show” was

my reply. Then he asked if I had any commercial

goods with me and I said no. That was it, passport

stamped and I was on my way to baggage claim

and link up again with TC. A short walk later and

we were in the cab taking us to our hotels and

some much needed sleep.

Jase’s journey began thus: “...and so, it starts.

I exit the busy train and make my way into the

depths of London’s iconic underground where

an empty tube train whisks me off to Heathrow

Airport. As I glide through check-in and security,

I find myself in the warm embrace of the British

Airways lounge and all the treats it brings. Many

of you avid readers will know, I attend IWA with

Bill on a regular basis but Shot Show is a different

beast. It’s been a bucket list industry show that

I have wanted to attend for many years now, so I

have decided to do it in style and travel like a King

in Business class. One marvellous three course

meal and a flatbed later, I awake as my A350

approaches the ‘Sin City’ of Las Vegas. It’s been

twenty years since I was last here but oh my, how

the city has grown!

“Backpack in hand, I thanked the outstanding

crew and head for immigration control. Knowing

how strict things can be I made sure all my

paperwork was in order before leaving home.

‘Next please’ was called out to me and I approach

the immigration officer. With a very dry tone, I was

a asked a few questions to which I courteously

answered. As I looked around the hall, I hear the

immigration agent say, ‘’something is not correct

sir’’. I turn my full attention to her and say “Sorry,

have I done something wrong?” She responds

with “Yes sir, I don’t think you know your states

of the USA”. I look lost and bewildered at her as

she cracks a very, very small smirk and tells me

that my hotel is not in Arizona but in the state of

Nevada; I had made a cock-up on my ESTA form

but all was well, I was being toyed it. At least she

found it amusing. With my heart rate starting to

“SAILING THROUGH BAG DROP AND SECURITY I SOON LINKED UP WITH TIM (TC) AND

WE MADE OUR WAY TO THE VIRGIN CLUB HOUSE WHERE WE COULD RELAX IN STYLE

AND GRAB A SNACK AND ADULT BEVERAGE BEFORE BEING CALLED TO OUR AIRCRAFT

FOR THE PLANNED 10.5 HOUR FLIGHT TO LAS VEGAS”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

return to normal after that wee scare, I grab my

suitcase and headed to meet my mate Sam who

will be Shot Show wingman for the week.”

Back to me and the past week of Shot Show

was great, but still strange as Li’l Stu and Steve

were not with me this time, but I did have two

“Shot Rookies” in TC and Jase. For the weekend

prior to the show Jase was out exploring the

Grand Canyon with is friend Sam, whilst TC and

myself had a leisurely breakfast and waited for

our colleagues Trampas and John P to land after

travelling in from Florida. Over the next 24 hours

we were joined by Nora and her father Kelly,

Jared and Alto. This group would form the Armed

Lifestyle (with who we share a great history and

a very warm relationship) and Airsoft Action

reporting teams for the run of the Show. Sunday

would be when we went to Show registration and

collected our media badges which would allow

us access to not only the show but also Industry

Day at the Range. We were reminded to look

after the badge as if we lost it then it would cost

$200 to replace it! In the evening of Sunday, we

all gathered in a local venue for our traditional

‘family meal’ where we had the chance to catch

up with those we hadn’t seen since last year as

well as introduce the ‘rookies’ to the team.

Jase added “as Boycie mentioned, I spent a

couple of days up in Arizona at the majestic Grand

Canyon. I have been fortunate to have been here

before but I can tell you it will never disappoint

to visit this marvel, truly breath taking. If you can

dear reader, do visit it. You will thank me for the

recommendation.”

“Sun’s out, Guns out...!!!”

For those of us from the UK who are into shooting

this is truly a day to savour; it’s chance to handle

and shoot many types of firearms that we simply

can’t access back home in the UK. Only about

25% of the firearms being displayed and tested

would be “legal” in the UK to those without the

“Section 5” licence. It’s like a Who’s Who of major

firearms brands and many other who we simply

don’t have visibility of on this side of the pond.

The media have access to all the

manufacturers and their products during the

morning before the main group arrive at lunch

time. As is usual we started at the top of the

range complex with our visit to our friends at

Bushmaster Firearms. Last year I mentioned that

Skye had incredibly cold hands as she loaded the

mags due to the wind chill of near freezing point,

but this year the shooting gods were with us and

even at 0900 the weather was a balmy 17 degrees

INDUSTRY DAT AY THE RANGE

It was an early start for us all as we had decided

to be on the first coach out to Boulder City Rifle

and Pistol Club for Industry Day at the Range.

Considering the almost Baltic weather of previous

years, a pleasant 16 degrees greeted us as we got

off the coach at around 0830. TC commented,

“IT WAS AN EARLY START FOR US ALL AS WE HAD DECIDED TO BE ON THE FIRST

COACH OUT TO BOULDER CITY RIFLE AND PISTOL CLUB FOR INDUSTRY DAY AT

THE RANGE. CONSIDERING THE ALMOST BALTIC WEATHER OF PREVIOUS YEARS, A

PLEASANT 16 DEGREES GREETED US AS WE GOT OFF THE COACH AT AROUND 0830.

TC COMMENTED, “SUNS OUT, GUNS OUT...!!!””

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with a very light breeze hardly making the flags

move. This year I brought some hand warming

pads to give to Skye but these obviously weren’t

needed this time. As is now tradition I showed

Skye that I still had the 2024 poker chip that we

were given three years ago.

We had a really good catch up as we waited in

the line to try out some of the latest Bushmaster

rifles including the brand new BA30 straight

pull rifle in .308 which broke cover just that

morning and we were amongst the first to “send

it” downrange. This rifle would be UK legal and a

number of people around were saying they were

looking forward to them landing in the UK in the

future. TC and I passed on our congratulations

to Erik and Skye, as last year she had told us that

they recently got engaged, but since we last met

her at Shot 25 they had got married. We wish

them a long, healthy and happy life together!

We worked methodically down the mass of

ranges, trying to ensure that we prioritised the

more interesting firearms we wanted to shoot

rather simply trying shoot everything that was

there. As we could be at the range for a few

hours there would be time to

circle back and shoot a few

of the more common AR’s,

bolt actions and pistols if we

wanted to. As TC said, “there

was a really eclectic group of

firearms available and some

really interesting calibres”.

One thing that made

my ears prick up was the

loud and raucous, full auto

“BRRRRT” sound coming from

further down the line; this we

later found out to be the beltfed

AR from Fightlite! The rifle

was the latest iteration of the

belt-fed rifle that myself and

Li’l Stu fired as the first rifle on

our first trip to Shot Show in 2023. The guys even

remembered me from four years ago. Both Tim

and myself ‘showed off’ a little as we fired 3 x 3

round bursts leaving us to end on the last round

of the 10-round belt we had been given.

Of course, amongst the pistols we chose to test

was the newly released Glock 17 Gen 6. Safe to

say we were all impressed with it and specifically

the trigger reset. Katherin Glock spent most of

the day at the stand engaging with the visitors to

the range. After the Glock range, it was time for a

break and TC, John P and I grabbed a coffee and

a muffin from the small van that could usually be

found further up the range but this time was in

the lower food truck park. Whilst we sat talking,

we decided on a few more booths that we would

like to visit. As I approached the SimX stand,

Charles, the owner’s son immediately greeted

me and thanked me for the sweets that they were

given to them last year. I’d been telling TC about

the SimX ammo and he was invited to see what

‘all the fuss was about’ and to fire two rounds

of standard ammo followed by three rounds of

SimX ammo. Needless to say TC was surprised by

“ONE THING THAT MADE MY EARS PRICK UP WAS THE LOUD AND RAUCOUS, FULL

AUTO “BRRRRT” SOUND COMING FROM FURTHER DOWN THE LINE; THIS WE LATER

FOUND OUT TO BE THE BELT-FED AR FROM FIGHTLITE!”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

the differences in recoil and report between the

SimX and more generic 9mm ammo. Later in the

day and we were just about finished and ready

to head to the coach back to the Venetian, we

noticed a .50 cal bolt-action from Kahr Firearms

Group which we all took the opportunity to

test. We were limited to one round each as the

booth staff told us the cost per round was about

$17 a time! Smooth as ever I managed to ‘blag’

a second round of .50. A couple of our other

favourites was the new Kimber Warrior in 9mm

and the new Kimber. 2K11 Pro Comp which John

P was really excited to give a try. We all agreed

this was a cracking pistol and we’re sure it would

certainly get a lot of interest if it were made

available as an airsoft RIF.

1500 arrived and we decided that it was time

to call it a day about an hour before the range

closed. We then boarded the coach back to the

Venetian Expo Center and a quick can of Sprite

before we went off to have a beer and snacks

with an old friend of Airsoft Action as well as Bill

and TC, Graham Horner of GM Tactical. Graham

commented that it’s been a long time since he’s

seen Bill and hoped that they got the chance to

meet up in the near future.

of full auto, today is going to be a good day!! For

a Brit in the USA, this is kind of a big thing as are

rules on firearms are very different, no .22 here, or

arm braces for your pistols, just good old .45ACP,

5x56, 7x62.........the list goes on.

Once we had a catch up with Boycie and TC, we

all headed off to my first stand of the day which

was Glock and their new Gen 6 series; having

been lucky enough to have shot a G17 Gen 5

before I was excited to try this new variation out.

With its new grip and stippling, felt great in the

hand. The trigger was excellent. I was handed a

few variations of this new Gen 6 and managed 20

rounds all in total, so I was very happy and this

was only the start of the day.

The next note worth stand was Flux who not

only had the best sticker of the show (Faux Ferrari

badge!) but a great pistol chassis called the

Raider X that used a P320. This thing shot like

butter. Then we were shown there Scopeswitch

2.0. This effectively mates a short-dot optic and

their Scopeswitch mount. “The Scopeswitch

2.0 is a new type of scope mount that allows

your offhand to remain on the handguard while

controlling zoom. This means you can adjust

JASE AND SAM ON THE RANGE!

Jase here again, and with the alarm

waking us up at a balmy 0700, I stick

the coffee pot on and look out of

the window at a blue sunny sky with

the ‘Sphere’ in the background with

what can only be described as a giant

smiling emoji face looking at me.

Vegas baby! Today is the start of the

show with ‘Range Day’ being held at

the large Bounder Rifle & Pistol Club.

As we navigated the morning traffic

in our F150 pickup, we arrived to the

sound of suppressed rounds plinking

off the steel and the very faint sound

“WE ALL HEADED OFF TO MY FIRST STAND OF THE DAY WHICH WAS GLOCK AND

THEIR NEW GEN 6 SERIES; HAVING BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SHOT A G17 GEN 5

BEFORE I WAS EXCITED TO TRY THIS NEW VARIATION OUT. WITH ITS NEW GRIP AND

STIPPLING, FELT GREAT IN THE HAND. THE TRIGGER WAS EXCELLENT”

98


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

magnification while staying fully engaged on

target, so ideal for high-pressure shooting

scenarios, hunting fast-moving game, or rapid

competition transitions. I liked it but was not sold

on it in the very short time I had to shoot it.

We then moved off to see the fun gang at

Ambient Arms and their fine range of suppressors

and unique design, meaning you could in theory

hold the can after clacking off a few mags without

burning yourself. It also didn’t push gasses back

into my face. For individuals working in Law

Enforcement or the Military, this could mean not

burning yourself or a colleague in close combat

situations. It was also amazing to see the use of

exotic metals like Inconel on their cutting-edge

design.

After this great demo we made our way off to

join the queue at the FN stand; I have always had

a soft spot for the FN firearms and in particular

the SCAR series, bucket list rifles. Containing my

excitement, I was handed a SCAR-L MK2 were I

fire off ten rounds with effortless ease. The “L”

rifle was divine with every round hitting the steel

with that satisfying ‘tink’ sound. I then moved to

the revised MK2 SCAR H. As we all know this rifle

uses a much larger round but even with

the extra recoil, this was as much of a

please sure to shoot as the ‘L’. I exited

the stand a very happy boy!

Another noteworthy gun fired was

the Diamondback DBX57. This was a

fun little SMG mated with one of their

own DBS-22 cans which made for a

great package, I’d go as far as to say in

my top three of the day, low recoil and

quick target accusation. Perfection.

It was at this point we broke for

lunch and some time out of the warm

Nevada sun. As we ate lunch, our

serenity was often interrupted with

‘bbrrraaaappp’ of full auto. So, Sam

took it upon himself to shepherded us

towards the Fightlite stand where we queued to

fire the MCR Dual Fed Rifle. This $8k hand canon

would be a first for me, a belt fed AR, what a thing

to behold, Amazing. Like John and TC, I fired it in

bursts to take it all in and savour the experience

as I’m not sure it will happen again for me.

It was at this point we entered the Fusion

Firearms stand and this was where Sam fell in

love with their XP Pro. The SimX ammunition

company had teamed up with Fusion for the

range day, so not only did we get to shoot this

awesome pistol but try out SimX’s hyper-velocity

ammo. Not only do the round travel faster but

have less recoil and a distinctive sound over

the standard range ammo. These two elements

worked hand in hand making a fantastic firearm.

Even I, a novice shooter could tell the difference

the SimX ammo made.

As the day moved on, we made our way to

HK and shot the 416 rifle which was extremely

pleasant to shoot. For me it was another bucket

list rifle to fire. We ended our day on the long

range, trying out a number of different long-range,

bolt-action rifles and optics. My final shots of the

day were on a bolt action with a sublime Schmidt

“WE ENTERED THE FUSION FIREARMS STAND AND THIS WAS WHERE SAM FELL IN

LOVE WITH THEIR XP PRO. THE SIMX AMMUNITION COMPANY HAD TEAMED UP WITH

FUSION FOR THE RANGE DAY, SO NOT ONLY DID WE GET TO SHOOT THIS AWESOME

PISTOL BUT TRY OUT SIMX’S HYPER-VELOCITY AMMO. ”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

Bender optic, hitting steel at 800m, priceless.

As I sat in the truck on the way home, thinking

back to what I day I had just experienced, I felt

like a very lucky individual to have been able to

experience this and all for free. A big amount of

gratitude has to go out to those companies who

had stands on the range.

Everyone then retired to our accomodation to

discuss the day and prepare our kit for the next

day where it would be our first opportunity to walk

the floors of the show. What a great start to SHOT

Show 2026.....

DAY 1 - THE VENETIAN EXPERIENCE

Thanks to Jase for another “take” on his

experiences, and as Day 1 proper began the

whole team shared a table in the Press Room

where we had a light breakfast prior to beginning

our day on the floors. The first morning is what

I call the ‘recce morning’ and at various times

of the morning we were joined by others of the

Armed Lifestyle Team as we travelled around

looking mainly for the booths that we wanted to

visit later in the week.

One thing though that we had very early news

of and hands on was the pre-production model

of the KWA EBolt airsoft rifle! This seems to

combine elements of the highly popular RM4

(AEG) and also the LM4 GBB into a totally new

package known as the Ebolt. Some of the main

features of the Ebolt are a fully reciprocating bolt

system, the intelligent magazine system with

integrated sensors giving last round stop function

and data awareness during use. It also has

Bluetooth connectivity allowing integration into

other external systems, training platforms and

will allow the use of future digital interfaces.

The Ebolt also uses a highly efficient brushless

motor for improved durability, consistent

performance and reduced wear over time. It was

also great to meet with Debbie Hu, the General

Manager of KWA USA and Tom Sun, the Senior

Director of Marketing at KWA USA who took us

through the features of the rifle and let us give it

a trial run. I really think this is going to be a game

changer as we discussed

similar platforms and their

price point, with the KWA

Ebolt expected to come

in at a really great price

somewhere around half

of the GBLS type rifles. It

was also good to see again

Mr Hu, the owner of KWA.

Tom had said to me that he

wanted Airsoft Action to be

the ones to break the news

of the Ebolt and this ‘scoop’

landed in the “daily” report

that was posted on our

website. We were also given

news of the new 260 BB

magazine, available in both

Tan and Black. The other

“THE EBOLT ALSO USES A HIGHLY EFFICIENT BRUSHLESS MOTOR FOR IMPROVED

DURABILITY, CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE AND REDUCED WEAR OVER TIME. IT WAS

ALSO GREAT TO MEET WITH DEBBIE HU, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF KWA USA AND

TOM SUN, THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT KWA USA WHO TOOK US

THROUGH THE FEATURES OF THE RIFLE AND LET US GIVE IT A TRIAL RUN.”

100


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

new product released at Shot Show 26 was the

replica of the KELTEC SUB2000 which is a folding

rifle running on Glock GBBP magazines. I also

was shown the KWA TAC-9

GBB sub machine gun which

had been released since last

year’s show.

John P, TC and I walked

around the Ceasars halls

to find stands that we were

hoping to go back and visit

properly later in the week.

Once back in the main

hall, we met up again with

Michelle Viscusi, one of

Staccato’s competitive

shooters and had time to ask

a few questions which we’ll

use in a future feature. Before

we left Michelle to go off to a

display of the Ace VR training

system, I presented her with

one of my limited edition

Shot Show 26 patches and

some candy for her and the

family. We also grabbed the

chance to have a photo with

her.

One of the other people

we were hoping to meet

up again with was Katherin

Glock and shortly after

leaving the Staccato Booth,

we found ourselves at the

Glock Booth and looking

to collect a Glock carrier

bag, and this year Glock

was obviously all about

the Gen 6 pistols being

released. I noticed Katherin

and gave a smile, she then

came straight over to talk

with John P and I. Always

very interested in talking with show goers she

asked what we thought of the Gen 6 Glock 17

that we tested yesterday on the range. We both

“JOHN P, TC AND I WALKED AROUND THE CEASARS HALLS TO FIND STANDS THAT WE

WERE HOPING TO GO BACK AND VISIT PROPERLY LATER IN THE WEEK. ONCE BACK

IN THE MAIN HALL, WE MET UP AGAIN WITH MICHELLE VISCUSI, ONE OF STACCATO’S

COMPETITIVE SHOOTERS AND HAD TIME TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS WHICH WE’LL

USE IN A FUTURE FEATURE”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

told her how much we liked it and especially the

trigger reset and new ‘gas pedals’ at the front of

the frame. We both asked if she had time for a

photo with us and she graciously agreed. Prior

to us leaving the booth I handed her one of the

special edition patches that I had taken along.

TC also managed to catch up with Katherin the

following day and she was very engaging and

once again keen to get feedback from the Range

Day. However at this point on day one of the show

TC indulged his nostalgic side and visited the

Henry booth where he saw a couple of modern

takes on their traditional lever action designs.

The Henry team talked him through a couple of

their new releases from the iconic “Spirit of ‘76

Semiquincennial Edition” to the H9 and H10, H12

which are a modern take on their classic lever

action rifles that can accommodate optics, lights

and suppressors.

The remainder of the day we were walking

around, before a meeting with Osight which

included an adult beverage and then headed over

to Aimpoint where we had been invited to their

VIP ‘Happy Hour’ by TC’s friend Rodrigo Roman.

TC had last seen Rodrigo when he was in the

USA some years ago and he was taking a Glock

Armourers Course. Back then Rodrigo was a law

enforcement officer and now he had left that role

and taken on the Director of Marketing in the USA.

As we enjoyed our adult beverage we met up with

Nora and her father, Kelly. We took seats at the

tables behind the Veterans Administration (VA)

booth and we all commented on how nice it was

to take the load off our feet for a while.

All in all a great first day and with the SWAG

collection starting to grow I collected a total of

the amount of steps we had completed between

us, today alone we reached nearly 100,000,

which equated to nearly 30 miles, all on the first

day! We then decided that it was time to return to

our hotels for some rest and recovery time prior to

dinner… and do it all again tomorrow!

DAY 2 – GROUND-POUNDING

This would prove to be an epic day as our step

count increased substantially today as we

covered even more ground over the floors. We,

again, all met up in the press room for breakfast

and decided our plan of action for the day. As TC’s

friend Graham was appointment-free they went

off to look at kit in the LE (Law Enforcement) and

Mil (Military) hall, whilst John P, Nora, Kelly and I

all toured as many booths as we could.

First off the bat was Bushmaster Firearms

where we met up with Skye and Erik again; we

picked up their patch of the day and were lucky

to each receive their limited edition T-Shirt. Then

on to Ghost patches where they had a patch

based on Bart Simpson as Darth Maul. Next over

to Howitzer clothing who gave each of us a great

t-shirt and were also very generous to give me an

“ALL IN ALL A GREAT FIRST DAY AND WITH THE SWAG COLLECTION STARTING

TO GROW I COLLECTED A TOTAL OF THE AMOUNT OF STEPS WE HAD COMPLETED

BETWEEN US, TODAY ALONE WE REACHED NEARLY 100,000, WHICH EQUATED TO

NEARLY 30 MILES, ALL ON THE FIRST DAY!”

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AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

extra one for my son.

TC and Graham’s visit to the tactical kit/

tailoring part of the show was not wasted. As you

would expect the usual suspects such as Crye

were there with plate carriers aplenty. However,

it was also interesting to see various offerings

featuring belt kits with a full set of ammo, IFAK,

water and sustainment pouches. “Webbing”

as it’s known in the UK of this type has been a

common sight in use with HM forces although it’s

not been so common in the USA. As expected,

these were generally offered in laser cut

lightweight materials with plenty of modularity in

terms of the pouch combinations that could be

put together.

Over then to Caesars and our first visit of the

day to KWA to make arrangements to go back

later today to see another new product in the

TAC-9 GBB. We spent the next hour checking out

numerous booths around the halls before we

broke for lunch and a great cheeseburger in ‘The

Beer Garden’ which we washed down with a Soda

(aka soft drink). We then split again as John P

had a couple of booths that he wanted to visit, so

Kelly and I went to check out a few more booths

as we waited for him to meet up with us again.

Once John P caught up with us we all made

our way over to DED (Dead Eye Designs) where

I collected some special pistol cases that I had

designed as part of the “Project Staccato” series.

We checked out the 5.11 booth where the author

Jack Carr (his pen name) who is a retired US

Navy SEAL was signing books. Also there was

Taran Butler aka Taran Tactical and as I passed

him I said Hi. We passed Lena Miculek, who

looked on a mission, as she was on her way to an

appearance at another booth.

On our way over to Aimpoint we made a stop

at the Mantis booth were I met up again with

Rebecca, now Mrs Johnson, who we’ve met up

with each year and also has got married since

we last met up with her. To round off the day we

made our way back to Aimpoint at the invitation

of Rodrigo Roman for another VIP adult beverage.

Whilst we were enjoying our beverage we were

joined by Kent from Alpen Optics who showed us

their image stabilising binoculars. The show floor

then closed and we made our way over to the

hotel and dinner.

After a terrible time waiting over half an hour

for just the drinks order to arrive, we decided that

we were not going to remain in that venue and

made our way to the Golden Circle Sports Bar. We

had a great dining experience, totally black and

white in comparison, from Cheyenne, our server.

We found the service so good that John P asked

to see her manager so that we could all praise

the service we had received. Prior to leaving the

Golden Circle we all chipped in for a good tip to

leave for Cheyenne.

“CRYE WERE THERE WITH PLATE CARRIERS APLENTY. HOWEVER, IT WAS ALSO

INTERESTING TO SEE VARIOUS OFFERINGS FEATURING BELT KITS WITH A FULL SET OF

AMMO, IFAK, WATER AND SUSTAINMENT POUCHES.”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

Time then to retire for the night and prep for

Day 3 on the floors…

DAY 3 – MEETINGS GALORE!

Day 3 was quite busy for the team and for most

of the morning we were moving around the whole

Shot Show floor, returning to stands that we

had located and not had an opportunity to visit

properly.

My main target was to spend time at Evike and

look at all the great things available there. Stand

out products were the officially licensed Staccato

pistols and also the range of Specna Arms AEGs

that were on display. Before leaving we collected

their ‘patch of the day’ with the last in the series

for this year coming in the morning. We also

revisited Dead Eye Designs to collect the last of

the three gun cases that they had made for myself

and Li’l Stu; the fourth was going to be shipped

directly to our good friend and colleague John P.

Kelly and I went to see the guys at the StopBox

booth on the second floor of the lobby and were

challenged to a game of C.O.D. on the gaming

set up by some of the booth staff. If I won against

vastly more experienced players, I hadn’t played

C.O.D. Force on Force game before, then I could

win a zero-cost discount code when ordering a

StopBox! As I would be flying home in a couple

of days and wouldn’t have enough time to order

it and have it delivered, the guy who gave me

the challenge originally decided to hand myself

and Kelly a StopBox each from their stand; when

we told the main group later in the day we were

congratulated on our good fortune.

Through the day I also went to find airsoft

specific booths including Umarex where I

didn’t notice any new products, although I may

have missed them. ASG and Eduardo, were

in their usual position in the ground floor hall

and I showed John P some of their replicas.

Unfortunately Lancer Tactical’s booth was more

sparse than last year with a wall of replicas and

one display of pistols, where last year there were

a number of racks of different models and also a

couple more pistol displays. I did miss catching

up with Laylax Marck this year…

I had made arrangements to take Erik and

Skye from Bushmaster Firearms out for lunch

and a good chat away from the hustle and bustle

of their booth. We had a really good chat with

them and after an hour and a quarter we parted

company as they had to return to their booth. We

discussed a number of plans for the future which

are under Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and I

can’t mention until I am told that the information

can enter the public domain.

The afternoon was spent around the floors and

being present when draws that we had entered

were being called out. Unfortunately we didn’t

win anything this time but on a couple of booths

“DAY 3 WAS QUITE BUSY FOR THE TEAM AND FOR MOST OF THE MORNING WE WERE

MOVING AROUND THE WHOLE SHOT SHOW FLOOR, RETURNING TO STANDS THAT WE

HAD LOCATED AND NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT PROPERLY.”

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we were given some nice consolation patches.

The last day is usually expected to be a bit quieter

as a lot of people are already starting to head

home due to incoming storms around some parts

of the USA, so we were get around much easier

with less people crowding the aisles. With Nora,

Kelly and TC out this evening at the 5.11 store for

a special event, this left John P and I deciding to

return to the Golden Circle Sports Bar for dinner

and soft drinks.

DAY 4 - THE END IS NIGH!

The last day of Shot Show 2026 began with our

usual breakfast in the Press Room prior to the

final day of walking the floors of the show. We

started our rounds to get the patch of the day

from four of our favourite booths. Once we had

done that and visited a couple of other booths

as we moved between the floors, I headed off for

a meeting with Erik and Skye from Bushmaster

Firearms again. We walked over to Ceasars and I

made some introductions to some other friends

and then left them to talk. I grabbed a coffee from

the concessions stand and then returned to show

Christian from Dead Eye Designs the previous

days ‘Daily Report’ which featured the pic of him

and me with the gun cases that will be featured

in an upcoming article. He was really pleased to

see that they had been featured prominently in

our reporting.

After visiting the facilities I made my way back

down to where I left Skye and Erik to await the end

of their meeting. As we walked back over the Sky

Bridge which joined Ceasars and the Venetian we

chatted about various things, again under NDA,

which means I can’t divulge what we discussed.

After I got back to their booth Skye found some

limited edition stickers for me and I departed

back into the main hall to drop off a small gift to

Kent and his guys on the Alpen Optics booth. I

then grabbed a chair near to the Aimpoint booth

and awaited the other members of the team to

RV with me. We decided to try and find a couple

of booths that had eluded us during the week and

then we went for lunch.

The afternoon was ‘slow and easy’ as we had

to find a number of booths that were hosting

draws that we had all entered. The only one of

“DEAD EYE DESIGNS THE PREVIOUS DAYS ‘DAILY REPORT’ WHICH FEATURED THE PIC

OF HIM AND ME WITH THE GUN CASES THAT WILL BE FEATURED IN AN UPCOMING

ARTICLE. HE WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THEY HAD BEEN FEATURED

PROMINENTLY IN OUR REPORTING”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

who was lucky today was me as I won an 8-32

Monocular at the Vector Optics booth! It was now

getting close to the end of the show and we took

the time to visit a couple of booths which caught

our interest, and at one stand we were gifted a

‘tactical pen’ which is a fully working pen with

an added glass breaker on the top. The second

stand we stopped at was where we had a long

conversation over UK legislation on knives. The

owner of the company gifted each of us with a

small knife which is UK legal, so great for myself

and TC. We had a quick coffee before heading

back up to Altama where we met up again with

Heather, the director of marketing. This was the

time when we, along with other show goers, could

see if we could find any duplicate patches on

their patch column and if we did we could have

them if we wanted. I managed to bag two which

I had had my eye on for the whole week, namely

one special Glock and one special Staccato

patch.

Jase’s look back over the four days of pounding

the floors rounds off the week of the Show, so

over again to him!

And Jase is back in the room! As many of

you will know, Shot Show is a closed show for

industry-based people along with media. Footfall

tends to be around 53,000 mark. That’s about

the entire capacity of Manchester City’s Etihad

stadium! The German IWA show gets around

30,000 visitors in comparison. With the show

being so big and my many notes made, I won’t be

able to list everything I saw and liked, so I have

shrunk it all down to my best bits.

Starting off was meeting Steve Troy of TROY

Industries, a player in the firearms world since

2003 when he formed his company. It was great

to meet him and take time out to ‘just have a

chat’ with me and talk new invocations his team

have up their sleeve. Exciting prospects to come.

Across from Troy was Bilson Arms. This Louisiana

arms company have created a unique pump-style

charging system for the bolt, actioned from the

rail. Pretty cool, I’d loved to have had a play with it

on the Range.

I managed to bump into another old friend of

Bill’s, Darren from Snugpak who I had met before

at IWA last year; visiting his stand, Darren said

how they would not be at IWA this year which

would be sad to miss him but he did show me

a new product they are now making, taking the

slack up from a defunct base-layer dry-suit

manufacturer. He also showed me a smock that

they have been producing with a panel that opens

so you can access your plate carrier’s magazines.

Not innovative or new but cool to see.

At Shot there are so many traders selling

custom slides and handguards and my

noteworthy vendors where MMC Armories and

Unique AR’s with the latter company showing off

some very ‘Unique’ products. It never ceases to

“AS MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW, SHOT SHOW IS A CLOSED SHOW FOR INDUSTRY-

BASED PEOPLE ALONG WITH MEDIA. FOOTFALL TENDS TO BE AROUND 53,000 MARK.

THAT’S ABOUT THE ENTIRE CAPACITY OF MANCHESTER CITY’S ETIHAD STADIUM! THE

GERMAN IWA SHOW GETS AROUND 30,000 VISITORS IN COMPARISON”

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amaze me of how some of these jaw dropping

bits of kit are created, so intricate. I implore you

to check them out. Daniel Defence had a new

pistol that had a smaller shallower slide, ported

barrel to reduce recoil. Not having shot it I cannot

comment but it was getting a lot of attention

when we visited the stand but Sam’s interest was

piqued.

Moving over to training now and a company

called Unhinged Training Systems; over the years

Sam and I have used a couple of different set-ups

but to date this could be one of the best. Its main

focal point was the ease of assembly and quick

set up. Within a water break an instructor could

easily change scenario types with ease, much

faster than we have been used to in the UK.

A stand that did look a bit out of place was

a company called Q Collar. They had designed

and made a collar, to be worn around the neck

in sports that are high contact like American

Football with the aim to reduce brain slosh and

increase blood flow, they have been working with

their FDA cleared Q30 for military application as

they feel it will have massive health benefits to

soldiers who might be caught in situations like an

explosion. Techy stuff. Last but not least, good

old Magpul. They didn’t have anything huge and

new but it’s just super cool to get on stand and

look at the cool stuff which we all know and love.

Boycie is back… at 1600 the show officially

closed and we made our way back to the hotel

to see what SWAG (Stuff We All Get) we had

managed to amass during the day! A short rest

and chat soon lead to us deciding to head back to

the Golden Circle for dinner and bid our farewells

to Kelly and Nora as they were flying out later that

evening.

ALL WRAPPED UP

And then it was job done! Well not quite, as I

still had to write this show report and collate the

photos. Saturday was a breakfast with TC and

John P before we all checked out of our hotels

and began our trips home. Jase called at Treasure

Island to collect me and it was here that I bade

John P farewell and he called his Uber to get to

“MOVING OVER TO TRAINING NOW AND A COMPANY CALLED UNHINGED TRAINING

SYSTEMS; OVER THE YEARS SAM AND I HAVE USED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SET-UPS

BUT TO DATE THIS COULD BE ONE OF THE BEST. ITS MAIN FOCAL POINT WAS THE

EASE OF ASSEMBLY AND QUICK SET UP”


AA LEGION

SHOW REPORT

the airport. We, Jase and I, then drove the short

distance over to TC’s hotel and had a coffee at the

lobby concessions stand.

Once TC had checked out we then travelled

over to Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas to

visit the Evike Outpost which Li’l Stu, Dan and

I had been to the opening of some three years

ago. It was great to see the store doing so well

and I took the opportunity to buy a couple of

spare magazines for my Staccato P and a couple

of patches for my son. We’ll be writing a shop

‘revisited’ report very soon!

On the way back to the airport, we took the

chance to drop into a local shopping mall to get

our last pieces that we were taking home for

our family and also grab a light lunch. Onward

then to Harry Reid International Airport, formerly

McCarran and bag drop before heading through

the TSA security checks and getting airside. Once

airside we all met in the lounge to enjoy an adult

beverage and some snacks whilst we waited to be

called to the gate and our ride home.

By the end of the week, I calculated that the

whole extended team of nine members, with an

average age of 52.75 years, had exceeded 1.25

million steps, some members averaging 35 to

40,000 steps in a day, from getting up to going to

bed! It’s an incredible number and just illustrates

how much work goes in to bringing you the news

from the show. To give you an idea of the scale

of the event, if you had all of the floor space in

one large area you would be able to park 547 x

F18 fighters within it. On average the Las Vegas

economy receives around $88 Million from the

Show, exhibitors and visitors. Jase mentioned

earlier that he thought about 53,000 people

attended the event but this year the event staff

had given me an estimate of somewhere between

60 and 65,000 industry professionals! It’s just

on a scale that you couldn’t really comprehend

unless you go and see it for yourself.

TC’s final thoughts on his first SHOT… “I’ve

been to many trade events over the years as art of

my usual day job, however even events in London

and Frankfurt can’t really match SHOT show for

scale. Some of the Tier 1 vendors booths are

simply huge and some such as Aimpoint have

large meeting spaces in private upstairs areas

incorporated into the design. The Industry Range

Day really does give unprecedented access to the

brands and products that can only be read about

in the UK. The show itself is simply packed wall to

wall with all things shooting (as the name implies

;-) ) This means it does require a bit of thought and

planning if you want to see specific things taking

place on some of the larger booths, for example

the competitive/celebrity shooter sessions on

the Staccato booth. There is a SHOT Show App

to assist Show goers and that’s something we all

took advantage of.

“So, after the Range Day and four days on

the show floor, I felt there was firearm and kit

overload, something I didn’t anticipate “ever”

experiencing. It’s also possible to totally overload

on “show swag” and my family certainly has

a copious supply of caps and t shirts as a

result of my attendance. Did I enjoy the show?

Absolutely...!! However with the knowledge

gained from this first visit I would diarise a few

more priority visits to ensure that I could be

at some of the Tier 1 vendors booths to more

effectively cover key presentations and product

launch sessions.”

Jase rounds off with... “Well, after a week of

being in the thick of the action, it is great to be

able to sit back in the airport lounge and chew

the cud with the boys as to what they like/didn’t

like and what their favourite experiences over

the week were. Then with a blink of eye, it was

all over and I was sat on my own on the plane in

my booth decompressing all that had gone on.

What a week, what a show. So many guns racked,

mags slapped and hand shook. To everyone I met,

thank you, I had a blast and I appreciate you all.”

“ONWARD THEN TO HARRY REID INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FORMERLY MCCARRAN

AND BAG DROP BEFORE HEADING THROUGH THE TSA SECURITY CHECKS AND

GETTING AIRSIDE. ONCE AIRSIDE WE ALL MET IN THE LOUNGE TO ENJOY AN ADULT

BEVERAGE AND SOME SNACKS WHILST WE WAITED TO BE CALLED TO THE GATE AND

OUR RIDE HOME”

108


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SHOW REPORT

What an awesome event again with my Armed

Lifestyle Magazine and Airsoft Action family! I’m

hoping that in 2027 we’ll see the return of this

year’s team as well as the return of Li’l Stu and

Steve, and perhaps even “show vet” Bill might

join us. I wonder who I can take as the rookie next

time though?

I was the last of the whole

team to report in that I had finally

arrived back at home some 30

hours after getting up on the

Saturday morning. When I woke

up on the Monday morning I

had what I thought was “Shot

Show Flu” but after talking with

Jase and TC, we all had caught

something and were under the

weather. Subsequently TC and I

tested positive for Covid and this

explained why it had knocked us

off our feet for five days…

My huge thanks go to Gillian

(my wife) and Louie (my son) for

letting me go again, to Trampas

(Bill’s one-time “padawan” and

now the main man behind The

Armed Lifestyle magazine), John

P, Nora, Kelly, Jared, Alto and to

TC and Jase of course. As the

Shot Show Rookies, they had a

fresh set of eyes on the event,

which enhances the reporting

as they notice things that us “old

sweats” may miss. Thanks also

to Vector Optics, Evike, Geiselle,

Shot Show and those who may

have one of their photos included

in this report. A special thanks to

TC’s wife Lucy, for allowing me to

use her place and sample half a

bottle of bubbly in the Clubhouse

at Heathrow. Finally, my thanks as

always go to Bill for again entrusting me with the

role of the Airsoft Action Team Leader.

I wonder what next year will bring? To find out

more of course just keep your eyes on https://

shotshow.org/ and I hope that we’ll see some of

you there in 2027! AA

“WHAT AN AWESOME EVENT AGAIN WITH MY ARMED LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE AND

AIRSOFT ACTION FAMILY! I’M HOPING THAT IN 2027 WE’LL SEE THE RETURN OF THIS

YEAR’S TEAM AS WELL AS THE RETURN OF LI’L STU AND STEVE, AND PERHAPS EVEN

“SHOW VET” BILL MIGHT JOIN US”



Airsoft Action - Issue 183

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