issue 15 - nov 2012
DESCRIPTION
In this issue of Airsoft Action, Mr. Sniper One himself, Dan Mills, discovers how close it is to the real thing as he joins Stirling Airsoft on Operation Hurricane; Andrew Bagg reports from New England, USA and we cover more events than you can shake a stick at. Its all action at Airsoft Action!TRANSCRIPT
ACT
ION
NOV
EMB
ER 2012
THE Airsoft Magazine
cold war warriors ❱ G&P m870 review ❱ generation gap ❱ new england airsoft
NOVE
MBE
R 20
12 -
£4.2
5EVENT REVIEWEXTRAVAGANZAWe've got reports from eight events – where were you?
ELITE PISTOLSBaz C gets hands-on with some stunning airsoft pistols
DEFENCEPHOTOGRAPHYWho's taking the incredible photos on the frontline?
AIR
SOFT A
CTION
WINVFC/UMAREX HK417DWORTH
£450!
WEEKENDERSPECIALOPERATION: GREENBACKWWII MEETS
SCI-FI
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CONTENTSAIRSOFT ACTION – NOVEMBER 2012
6 READERS’ GALLERY YOUR CHANCE TO GET YOUR
FACE IN THE MAGAZINE
9 AIRSOFT NEWS SILVERBACK BIZON, DRAGON’S
LAIR AIRSOFT AND NEW ICS PROMOTION – AND MORE!
12 REVIEW: ELITE PISTOLS BAZ COLLINS INTRODUCES THE
ELITE SHOOTING CENTRE
16 EVENT: STIRLING AIRSOFT DAN MILLS SWAPPED RIFLE
FOR CAMERA TO REPORT FROM OPERATION HURRICANE
20 AIRSOFT ABROAD ANDREW BAGG HIGHLIGHTS
AIRSOFT IN NEW ENGLAND
25 COMPETITION ONE VFC/UMAREX HK417D UP
FOR GRABS THIS ISSUE!
26 COLD WAR WARRIORS THIS MONTH GADGE HARVEY
RECREATES A LOAD-OUT OF THE SOVIET VDV
Editor: Nigel Streeter
Assistant editor: Anthony Platt
Graphic Design: Steve Dawson
Art director: Chris Sweeney
Ad design: Anna Makwana
Advertising: Toni Cole
Operations director: James Folkard
Assistant publisher: Ruth Burgess
Publisher: Wesley Stanton
Full UK 12-issue subscription rate: £59.40For overseas prices visit:www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Cover photograph: H Photography
Tel: 07979 912146 W: www.hphotography.me.uk
Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street
Leamington Spa.Warwickshire. CV32 5SZ
Tel: 01926 339808 Fax: 01926 470400
W: www.blazepublishing.co.uk
© Blaze Publishing Limited, 2012
Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800
Copyright © Blaze Publishing Limited 2012. All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express permission of the publishers in writing. The opinions of the writers do not necessarily refl ect those of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.
32 REVIEW: G&P M870 SCOTT ALLAN JUMPS ON G&P’S
REWORKED M870
37 GENERATION GAME KARL ASTON ON AIRSOFT AS
FAMILY TIME
40 DRAGON’S LAIR H4H GAME NIGE WENT ALONG TO
DRAGON’S LAIR’S CHARITY GAME IN AID OF H4H
44 DEBATE: CODSOFT GARETH HARVEY PONDERS
THE IDEA OF CODSOFT
46 SOCOM TACTICAL OSCAR PLUMMER CHECKED
OUT SOCOM TACTICAL’S BRAND NEW RETAIL SHOP
48 GRANGE BIRTHDAY BASH GUNMAN AIRSOFT MIDLANDS
CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH BIRTHDAY IN STLYE
52 DEFENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS LA(PHOT) IGGY ROBERTS ON
THE ROLE OF MILITARY PHOTOGRAPHERS
55 NATIONAL AIRSOFT EVENT INSPECTOR DUVAL REPORTS
FROM THE UK’S BIGGEST GAME
004 November 2012
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I guess that’s summer over and done with for another year. Although not much was happening on the new gun front there were loads of events around the country – so this issue we’ve got after-action reports from some of the best,
along with one or two surprises.In my editor’s letter last month I mentioned that I have been trying to fi nd out what
effect, if any, the VCR Act has had on the number of offences committed using an airsoft weapon. I also mentioned that I had not received any information from the Freedom of Information requests I had made to various Police Forces. Well now I have – all one of them – so a big thanks to Essex Police.
I won’t bore you with the minutiae but this is what it boils down to.Since the introduction of the VCRA to present day there have been 359 offences
recorded involving imitation fi rearms in Essex. Of those, just one was recorded as being an ‘imitation – soft airweapon’ and was described as ‘a replica M9 imitation fi rearm’.
This does not necessarily mean that was the only offence committed with an airsoft gun, as there were 287 offences committed using an ‘imitation – ball bearing gun’, which might (or might not) be an airsoft weapon, as there are plenty of other types that fi t this description.
Bottom line? Huge grey area, so no further forwards I’m afraid!I would love to believe that there was only one offence using an airsoft weapon
committed in Essex over the course of fi ve years but, sadly, I very much doubt that was the case.
All we can collectively do is make sure we keep getting our message out there: that airsoft is played by responsible people, not gun-toting lunatics screaming round the streets frightening old ladies and robbing banks (pity there isn’t a law to stop the banks robbing us)!Until next time – play well, play safe, play fair!See you out there.Nige
Search ‘Airsoft Action’
Letter, idea or question?Got something to say? A question for our experts? Or an article, or article idea? Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the assistant editor ([email protected]), send us a letter at the Blaze Publishing address on the previous page – or talk to us on Twitter or Facebook.
58 KIT TEST: 5.11 RUSH WE’VE BEEN USING 5.11’S
RUSH 12 BACKPACK – HERE’S THE LOWDOWN
60 OPERATION: GREENBACK GARETH HARVEY REPORTS
FROM GUNMAN MIDLANDS’ WWII(ISH) WEEKENDER
65 MONEY MATTERS WHAT’S WITH THE AIRSOFT
OBSESSION WITH TINKERING?
68 SNIPER INSTRUCTOR THIS MONTH DAN MILLS TALKS
ABOUT THE SNIPER INSTRUCTOR’S COURSE
71 REVIEW: FCS ACADEMY WE’VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT
FCS’ NEW CQB VENUE
74 SPEC OPS AIRSOFT: BADLANDS TOLD YOU WE HAD A FEW
EVENT REPORTS THIS MONTH...
78 VEHICLE CHECKPOINTS BILLY BASICS BRINGS REAL-
WORLD SKILLS TO AIRSOFT
80 YOUNG GUN KIT CHOICES MIKE BUTTRICK FINDS OUT
WHICH EQUIPMENT SUITS YOUNGER PLAYERS
82 MEDIA REVIEW ALEX WHARTON GETS STUCK
INTO THE PLANETSIDE 2 BETA
84 SITE DIRECTORY FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE NEXT
WEEKEND...
facebook.com/AirsoftAction
Find us on…
005www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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006 November 2012
Send your pics into [email protected] and see yourself in the mag – the more the merrier!
READERS’ GALLERY
John Cass’ fi rst time at UCAP Green Ops
Mark Warrier at Urban 6, Staffs
Sent in by Michael Wilkes – that’s all we know!
Johnny Eaves’ team at the NAE – complete with Alien sentry guns!
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AIRSOFT | NEWS
009www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
AIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSAIRSOFT NEWSThe UK’s longest established independent
paintball site has seen the light. After 28
years Dragon’s Lair (as featured on page 40
of this month’s issue) has decided to stop
holding paintball events to focus exclusively
on airsoft.
The site is situated at Kelvedon Hatch in
Essex, right alongside The Secret Nuclear
Bunker and has been the location of some
truly epic games and tournaments but,
as the popularity of paintball continues to
decline owners and operators Ray and Jean
Cain have made the decision to put those
28 years behind them and concentrate
solely on airsoft.
Speaking exclusively to Airsoft Action,
Ray said: “Paintball has been my life for
nearly 30 years. It has been very good to
me but, in all honesty, I’d been considering
the future of Dragon’s Lair for some time
although I didn’t want to just walk away
from it.
“I have known Nige for longer than I care
to remember and when he took me down
to Ground Zero’s National Event last year I
was completely blown away. I simply didn’t
realise just how good the game could be
and on the journey home made the decision
to switch Dragon’s Lair to airsoft.
“A year (and a lot of hard work on the
site) later and I know it was absolutely the
right decision.”
For more information about Dragon’s Lair
check the article on page 40, or contact Ray
and Jean: 01708 764036 / 07703 530189,
www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk.
DRAGON’S LAIR CONVERTS
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010 November 2012
Airsoft manufacturer ICS has launched a new ‘fi rst come, fi rst
served’ promotion offering upgrade parts free with its M4
series of rifl es. These give new buyers a free kit of parts to
immediately upgrade their rifl e on purchase.
The ICS M4A1, CXP.08 and M4 RIS Crane Stock are eligible
for upgrade kits A-E – including the ‘Unleash Fury’ upgrade kit
containing steel gear set, high-torque piston set, CXP tactical
sling ring and ‘special upgrade gearbox package D’.
The Sportline versions of each of the above rifl es are
eligible for upgrade package F, containing: tappet plate, hop
bucking, second gen metal spring guide, POM piston set,
piston head and 7mm metal bushings.
Offi cial ICS distributors in the UK are Firesupport and Elite
Airsoft; at the time of print neither has confi rmed how many
of the various upgrade kits will be available. ICS has stated
this is a ‘fi rst come fi rst served’ promotion with limited kits
available, so be sure to get in early so you don’t miss out.
Queries can be emailed to [email protected].
In other ICS news, the company has confi rmed its long-
awaited M1 Garand is currently being fi eld tested “and
shouldn’t be too far from production.” ICS’ G33 should also
begin shipping to distributors by the time this magazine hits
the shelves.
ICS: www.icsbb.com
ICS UPGRADE PROMOTION
Airsoft Action is the fi rst airsoft magazine to be granted offi cial permission by Landmarc to photograph airsoft events held at Copehill Down Village MOD training area at Salisbury Plain. Fortunately the licence has come through in time to cover Tier 1 Military Simulation’s October event Operation: White Knight.
Operation: White Knight, 12-14 October, will be the fi rst airsoft event held at Copehill Down to be covered journalistically by a consumer magazine. While it has involved a few months of discussions and more than one headache, obtaining the licence means we will be able to provide good quality coverage of events held there in future.
Operation: White Knight is
a 36-hour combat operation which sees special forces units clash with Afghan insurgents and a small band of Al-Qaeda terrorists. As with all Tier 1 MilSim events players will be expected to supply and carry everything they will need for the weekend (Saturday morning through Sunday lunchtime).
The cost to play for the weekend is currently discounted and just £75 (those willing to pitch in afterwards to help clear up can knock a further £10 off their ticket fee). To read the event background or book a place visit Tier 1’s website – www.tier1militarysimulation.com.
For more information contact: [email protected], 07967 225739.
LANDMARC VICTORY
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AIRSOFT | NEWS
011www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Body Armour & Tactical now stocks a complete range of night vision (NV) products.
With everything from Gen1 rifle scopes up to Gen3 goggles, and a host of digital NV devices, Body Armour & Tactical has a
dedicated range of NV products at every price point.
While use of NV is limited in airsoft – it is mainly used in bigger MilSim events – we have seen more and more NV devices in play
in the last 12 months. In layman’s terms, the higher the ‘Generation’ of a device the better the
clarity of the images it gives. Digital devices use different technology, but are often
comparable to Gen1+ or Gen2 devices.
Body Armour & Tactical’s offerings begin with the Pulsar Recon 325 Digital
Monocular, which will set you back £340. A Cobra Optics Gen1 weapon
scope costs £450, while a top-of-the-range Gen3 set of goggles costs nearly
£8,000.
Body Armour & Tactical: 01223 502133, www.bodyarmourtactical.co.uk.
NIGHT VISION INCOMING
Just Cause Airsoft has been appointed UK distributor for Silverback Airsoft’s PP-19 Bizon. The first shipment should be in the UK by the time this issue has been printed.
Silverback states that the PP-19 Bizon is a full steel AEG and 100 per cent original in design (rather than a clone of an existing replica).
Just Cause Airsoft has confirmed that the retail price of the PP-19 Bizon will be £350. A package deal including a total of five magazines will be offered at £430. In the future the company plans to sell pre-upgraded ‘high cycle’ style set ups.
Guns headed for the UK will have a muzzle energy of 1.1J
out the box. Less powerful versions are designated for Italy and France, and a more powerful version initially designated for Canada may follow.
It features a V3 gearbox with 7mm bearings. Each weapon has an individual serial number. The magazine supplied is a 160-round mid-cap.
Just Cause has already taken a good number of pre-orders for the PP-19 Bizon. Watch out for a full review in Airsoft Action in the very near future.
Just Cause Airsoft: www.justcauseairsoft.co.uk, 07901 648952, [email protected].
SILVERBACK BIZON DISTRIBUTOR APPOINTED
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012 November 2012
Most airsofters will end up getting a
pistol. It’s just the natural order of
things: get a primary, must have
a secondary! After a while, though, stock
guns just don’t cut it and you might want
something a little better. This is where Mike
Cripps and Elite Shooting Centre come in.
I fi rst contacted Mike around three years
ago, to buy a simple Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa.
After a year or so I sent it back and got some
upgrade work done to it, which is the best
thing I have spent money on in airsoft to date.
The pistol is still with me, all this time later.
It was clear Mike knew his stuff, and with
this article coming up I got speaking to him
and was amazed at his background. Mike
started shooting at the age of four as he was
brought up on army camps and such, and has
been shooting competitively for around 40
years. He has shot all over the world and was
even a member of the UK national squad in
World Shoot X.
After the pistol ban in 1997 Mike gave up,
until a conversation in 2002 led him to airsoft.
He has been hooked ever since. Mike quit
his job and started Elite Shooting Centre,
which specialises in pistols, equipment and
upgrades. Mike has entered most practical
airsoft pistol competitions – winning the UK
PP Open fi ve times between 2003 and 2009!
So obviously the guy is mega-qualifi ed –
but what are his custom pistols like? Well, I
asked Mike to send me down a couple of his
fi nest examples to try out.
The pistolsUpon opening the package I was greeted
with a Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa and a Tokyo Marui
Night Warrior. I must point out that Mike only
really works with TM pistols as they are the
most reliable and there’s a wide range of
readily-available parts for them.
I opened the Night Warrior fi rst, expecting
some souped-up MEU, but instead found a
gorgeous full metal Kimber – probably the
best pistol I have ever seen (though I am a
sucker for 1911 pistols). It weighed a ton,
featured genuine markings and was upgraded
to the max; what more could you ask for?
It’s made up of a full Hurricane kit with
alloy frame and slide, steel outer barrel and
magwell, uprated recoil spring, Nineball
THEPISTOLBaz Collins checks out some incrediblecustom Tokyo Marui pistols built byMike Cripps of the Elite Shooting Centre
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THE ARMOURY | ELITE PISTOLS
6.03mm tightbore barrel and a Nineball
hop rubber. All said this will set you back
£365 delivered, but for the cash you get an
absolute monster of a pistol. I took this out on
the range and was hitting man-sized targets
at 40m. with 80 per cent of shots on target.
Now for a pistol that is simply unreal – I have
never shot anything like this, it just reeks of
quality.
After getting to know the Kimber I opened
the Hi-Capa, and saw one of Elite Shooting
Centre’s own creations – the Elite Perses.
Again this was sheer quality, weighed what
a pistol should and looked top-notch. This
isn’t a kit set-up like the Kimber but is made
from parts of several different brands. The
grip is made by Tanio Koba and has a very
“The Perses also performed way beyond expectations, reaching targets further than any stock pistol could – but again you pay for this quality and ability”
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THE ARMOURY | ELITE PISTOLS
Mike Cripps, one of the UK’s most accomplished shooters, runs the Elite Shooting Centre which exclusively sells Tokyo Marui gas blowback pistols including his own custom work. The two pistols featured here The Elite Shooting Centre does not sell any products online; you will need to call Mike, who will work with you to meet your requirements.PRICE: Both featured pistols cost £365CONTACT: 07816 992417, www.eliteshootingcentre.co.uk
ELITE SHOOTING CENTRE
cool tactical look and feel; the alloy slide is
by Guarder and has ST markings; and again
this has steel barrel, magwell and a Nineball
tightbore and hop rubber. The magazine has
been fi tted with Nineball gas routers, only
available for the TM Hi-Capa and Sig 226 (a
real pity as they are incredible for getting the
most out of your gas).
The Perses also performed way beyond
expectations, reaching targets further than
any stock pistol could – but again you pay for
this quality and ability. The Perses is around
the same price as the Kimber.
Of the two the Kimber is my defi nite
favourite, but I am very partial to that gun.
That doesn’t detract from the Perses,
which is clearly a fantastic gun. They may
seem expensive but the pictures speak for
themselves. These are the PTW of pistols!
If anyone is interested in something of this
calibre but unsure of parts, model or cost give
Mike a shout – he is one of the most down to
earth guys around and really is a master in his
fi eld. Now, it’s time to go and sell my other
pistol and get that Kimber! Any takers?
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016 November 2012
Old memories resurface as Dan Millsreports on the latest instalment ofStirling Airsoft’s rolling scenario
OPERATION:
“The patrol took hits
(lots of them) while the remainder
scattered itself into the background to lick
their wounds. And yes, they were shooting
at me too – I was an observer!
Perhaps they didn’t like journos?”
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MILSIM | STIRLING AIRSOFT
So there I was, talking to myself
while halfway through digging
a fi re trench to stage two in my
back garden, when the phone went.
It was Nige, telling me he was jetting
off somewhere much nicer than my
overcast position and asking if I wouldn’t
mind covering a task for him over in
Herefordshire.
It would be with Matt at Stirling Airsoft,
he said. I wondered if I’d need a balaclava!
I found myself loading my truck
with what amounted to a CQMS store
deploying on ops for a month, and driving
myself to the Pilgrims Lair in deepest
darkest Herefordshire hill country.
As I drove into the hills I wondered what
lay in store for me. It had been overcast
all week but someone had promised to
deliver some sun during the weekend’s
activities. I’d already spoken to Matt on the
phone and he had agreed to sort a map
and directions by email – but when he said
the phone and email would self-destruct in
60 seconds I knew I was in for some fun
times!
In the shadows of Offa’s Dyke I drove
uphill until I arrived at the Safe Zone
car park at the grid directed and was
immediately welcomed by a smiling Matt.
As I chatted to Matt cars continued to
arrive, bringing shooters from afar. I also
met Ben who, along with Matt and Dave,
runs Stirling Airsoft Group.
As we walked over to the CP I saw a
nice little set-up displaying two armoured
Snatch vehicles from Northern Ireland/Iraq
operations. The last time I was in one was
not good, having had many of them blown
up in my time in Iraq. I was hoping for
something less strenuous this time! Laid
up beside these was a Pinzgauer and a
WMIK, looking like they had been dropped
in from Afghans BRF. This was setting itself
up to be a nice weekend.
Ben gave me the current operational
scenario about recent activity and what I
could expect to see during the next day or
so. There were no shops or anything on
site so ammo, food and water was to be
supplied and carried by the individual.
Stirling Airsoft was set up back in 2001
and was intended to create the realistic
o there I was, talking to myself In the shadows of Offa’s Dyke I drove
uphill until I arrived at the Safe Zone
HURRICANE
immediately welcomed by a smiling Matt.
met Ben who, along with Matt and Dave,
nice little set-up displaying two armoured
Snatch vehicles from Northern Ireland/Iraq
operations. The last time I was in one was
not good, having had many of them blown
something less strenuous this time! Laid
up beside these was a Pinzgauer and a
WMIK, looking like they had been dropped
in from Afghans BRF. This was setting itself
Ben gave me the current operational
scenario about recent activity and what I
could expect to see during the next day or
so. There were no shops or anything on
site so ammo, food and water was to be
supplied and carried by the individual.
Stirling Airsoft was set up back in 2001
and was intended to create the realistic
operational tempo found on current
operations. This weekend was all about
MilSim and a continuous rolling series of
events, much more like modern warfare.
Stirling prides itself on its Hereford
links and the great man John McAleese
himself set up the group’s selection course
weekend back in 2003, which potential
recruits had to pass before they became
badged members. In a nutshell this
involved starting on the Friday night with
physical training, survival, night navigation,
battle PT, team training to test your
fi eldcraft skills, mission specifi c training,
RTI – oh, and a point-to-point over 17 miles
of the Black Mountains!
The group ran a series of weekends
with a theme running from one to the
other. The current scenario has been
twisting and turning and acting out a mirror
of current ops since 2005 – therefore
regular attendees had a knowledge and
experience going back several years.
Something I found interesting was
that the Opfor patrol for this weekend
was comprised fully of Polish airsofters.
They had been drawn together from clubs
all over the UK after joining the Polish
Airsofters UK group online. These Poles
met, trained and attended different events
regularly. I thought it a nice touch that the
enemy would only be speaking a different
tongue, adding to the realism immensely.
At 09:30 all participants gathered at
the CP for the safety brief given by Ben,
who explained the scenario, the area to
be used, the out of bounds areas (where
real people lived and didn’t want a stack
outside their front door unexpectedly on
a Sunday morning!), the fps limits for
each weapon type, the zero tolerance
‘hit’ expectations and all the details of the
exercise.
One of the fi rst things to hit me was
the size of the area involved – several
kilometres of a farmer’s land with its
various outbuildings and paddocks spread
all over. There were streams and public
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018 November 2012018 November 2012
roads to navigate, hills and valleys to climb up and go through, plenty of barbed wire fences to rip your combats on… Just like old times, I thought to myself!The Poles were briefed and sent off to their start points while the friendly forces prepped for their early patrols. The Polish had captured a team member from Stirling while out driving back in June and primarily FF had to clear the valley of any enemy activity and hopefully pick up the poor POW along the way. The setup, as I saw it, was that the enemy would start at one end of the valley infi ltrating back down towards the FF, who would largely carry out mobile ops with patrols deployed on foot from the other side.
The start time was set for 11:00, which came and went with a light splattering of rain. C/S 22 set off uphill after sighting the enemy forces – fi rst stop Target HB. I tagged onto the rear of the patrol and soon found myself recounting training days gone by and making mental notes of points to work on for the debrief such as spacing, hand signals, arcs, observation and radio procedure.The lead scout seemed the most switched on and guided the patrol right on target; the commander briefed his troops and then led a downhill assault. ‘Great!’ I thought, expecting to hear the sounds of battle erupt from all sides.
roads to navigate, hills and valleys to climb up and go through, plenty of barbed wire fences to rip your combats on… Just like
The Poles were briefed and sent off to their start points while the friendly forces prepped for their early patrols. The Polish had captured a team member from Stirling while out driving back in June and primarily
enemy would start at one end of the valley
Nothing. The enemy had eluded us, nowhere to be seen. C/S 24 had sped along the lane carrying a contingent of hoodies from up North somewhere. They arrived in a white pick-up to cut off the retreating enemy, but found nothing. These boys were bouncing, larger than life and disappointed by the disgraceful conduct of the Poles. As soon as they realised there was to be no action they went back to chatting themselves to death!
Subsequent patrols and ground holding tasks were ordered to fl ush out the enemy from wherever they were hiding. At 18:30 an attack is launched on Aubrey’s – but no one is home.A half hour later we attack Firs – no one at home here either! Where were they? There was only one place they could be now, the fi nal building left on the area of operations: Upper Blean.The easterly approach was taken by 22 while 24 went in excitedly from the west. Smoke was seen rising from the trees. At last, somebody was home! While FF had tactically patrolled endlessly up and downhill, through stream and fi eld, the enemy had stayed put for the main part and… barbecued chicken!
They were not found wanting though; as soon as they caught wind of the patrols approaching they were hotfooting it after them – 24 had been seen on overwatch
and were followed up to their fallback position. An old stonehouse would become the fi rst battleground of the weekend. As the enemy patrol commander led his way in front on the heels of those hiding he was caught fair and square by a squirt of rounds from the tail-end Charlie. Nice one.
The Poles had certainly been saving their energy for the encounter as they soon outfl anked the patrol on two sides and chased them from the area. Not only that, they followed up aggressively which caught out the chatting lads.The fi rst counterstrike came while the callsign was crossing a river obstacle. Perfect… Some over, some uphill and some on the enemy bank! They were found because they were still chatting away like mice and the patrol took hits (lots of them), while the remainder scattered itself into the background to lick their wounds. And yes, they were shooting at me too – I was just an observer! Perhaps they didn’t like journos?The surrounding hills and dead ground were used to great effect by the Opfor and patrol heads seemed to pop out everywhere in the hunt for the ‘friendlies’. They certainly showed a keenness for the fi ght now they’d decided to show up!It was getting dark and the aggressive patrolling and counterattack pushed the
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MILSIM | STIRLING AIRSOFT
FF back down the valley for a regroup and rethink of how to tackle the problem. The head shed decided to use one item that they knew the enemy did not possess – night vision.Time was set aside for planning and eating; the attack would go in at 23:00, straight back down the centre of the valley in force to give them what for.At the due hour the patrols lined up ready for action, vehicles were primed to be called in as back up should they be required, mags were charged, fi nal briefs given, and we launched towards the target.Contact front!
The enemy had their own ideas clearly. The forward callsigns were bumped at the crossroads; though the enemy came off worse, through sheer weight of numbers they had certainly upset the plan. The use of night viz was great on route but the Poles had brought along a much cheaper version – shark’s eye torches!The attack was called off after killing three and all patrols were briefed and sent off on tasks. There would be harassing patrols at various times through the night leading to a re-run of the night attack by force, this time at fi rst light.When all patrols had been safely settled back in camp admin was the order of the day until the next prep for battle period. I quickly got my bivi bag out and crashed in a heap by the side of the road and waited for reveille at 05:00.
I was awakened by the bustle of soldiers getting ready to deploy and quickly stowed my kit away and steadied myself for the battle I was about to observe.The troops were set out in formation and at the given hour set off at a fast pace towards the target. We passed by the crossroads, this time devoid of enemies, and quickly marched into the morning mist.At set points just short of the stone buildings looming out from the trees the various battle groups peeled off into planned attacking formations. Standing out against the brown and green backdrop were the white and red stripes of Poland hanging from a large tree at the front gate.Go! Go! Go!In went the assaulting forces, a silent approach. The outer perimeter was breached, no shooting. The outbuildings were breached – nothing, unless you count the bloated dead sheep.
patrols at various times through the night leading to a re-run of the night attack by
When all patrols had been safely settled back in camp admin was the order of the
quickly got my bivi bag out and crashed in a heap by the side of the road and waited
soldiers getting ready to deploy and quickly
Main house go! In the troops went quickly securing the building; no shots fi red. What? Not again?They were all caught asleep in their beds – two in a little tent out front and 14, including the commander, inside. The probing attacks all night had the effect Matt and Ben wanted. Very tired, the Poles had drunk some slivo, had a fry-up and gone to bed in the early hours. Not two hours later Stirling came knocking and captured the lot. Result!
It was quickly established that the POW and two guards were missing and after a fruitless search it was decided to interrogate the enemy commander ‘Red’.Red gave nothing away at all and, sticking to the rules of having to release any captured after 30 minutes, the Stirling head shed had to watch them fi le out grinning, knowing they would soon regen in a nearby building and hastily set about to counterattack.Endex at 11:00 was fast approaching and, wanting to set them up in a strong position for the next instalment in the scenario, Stirling sent out fi ghting patrols to secure as much property as possible. Initial probes led to attack after attack on Target UB, each one repelled by an ever-smaller perimeter of men not yet shot or
medic’d back in. At this stage someone caught a fl eeting sighting of the prisoner, way up on the hills held by his two guards. It was far too late to despatch a patrol to capture them and Stirling had other problems closer to home anyway.Wave after wave came upon the new defenders of UB. Even the mortar and heavy weapons mounted on the vehicles could not hold back the attacking Poles, spirited by some success. The fi nal whistle was blown with casualties mounted on both sides. The remainder would have to settle to live to fi ght another day.All in all I thoroughly enjoyed my fi rst time out with Stirling Airsoft (and the sun did make an appearance eventually). Anyone thinking of giving it a go should look on their website and arrange a visit. Take it from me, you will not regret it. Remember though: joining this group and being ‘badged’ takes more than the average – so come prepared!The cost of a weekend in Herefordshire (Friday to Sunday) is £60. Stirling also operates on the big sites (which cost more rent), mainly holding MilSim or training days, but it’s worth the outlay as many of them are big military sites.Okay, that’s enough from me. I am off to sandbag my sleeping bay!
FF back down the valley for a regroup and
Main house go! In the troops went
Stirling Airsoft runs a range of MilSim events and training days. The next event – Operation: Inceptor – takes place at Catterick on 13 October 2012.CONTACT: 07831 429407,www.stirlingairsoft.com
STIRLING AIRSOFT
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020 November 2012
AIRSOFTABROAD
Over here in the US airsoft isn’t as popular or mainstream as it seems to be in the UK. Our small airsoft
community of New England still manages to get by though.
In the US airsoft is legal in the vast majority of cities and towns, but there are some states and cities with different restrictions laws. In a future issue we’ll cover it in detail as part of our Airsoft Abroad series, but for now here’s an inside look into what a small, perhaps even ‘elite’ force of airsoft players can do.
Game onFriday: My squad and I are gathering our gear together for a privately-held 24 hour game. Guns and gear loaded up, we travel west a short distance before leaving the car and moving down a trail toward the
Connecticut River. Arriving at the riverbank I make a call to the ‘enemy’, who is in position approximately a mile upriver. Our five-man squad doesn’t know where the opposing team is starting, what guns or gear they have, or how many participants for that matter. The only thing certain is uncertainty!
We start moving up river with a single scout up front and two teams of two following at 15m intervals. After cautiously moving forward for an hour we had our first sign of the enemy. The sun was setting behind us and a glint of light caught the eye of the scout. When he signalled with a hand motion we split to the left into the woods.
I swapped my Masada for my L96 and crouched down low. A good look at the glint 100m ahead showed it was a wireless infrared camera. We carefully flanked the camera, making sure no enemy were
NEW ENGLANDAIRSOFTAndrew Bagg gives us an insight intowhat a typical weekend of airsofting is like inNew England, on the other side of the pond
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INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | NEW ENGLAND
021www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
watching us. It was a good trick – if not for the sun giving away its location.
I sent my team back downriver 100m, lightly tapped the camera so it fell over and then hastily took up a sniper position 40m away. Several minutes went by and, sure enough, a team of two enemy players arrived to investigate. As soon as one knelt down to fix the camera I squeezed off a single round to his chest, sending him back to base to respawn. The other grabbed his radio as he ran back for cover and I knew a firefight was fast approaching.
Leaving my position I regrouped with my team and we set up a small ‘killing ground’ between the river and a steep embankment.
WHERE IN THE WORLD?New England is the northeastern corner of the United States. It consists of the states Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont (everything east of
New York state). It is bordered on the north by Canada and on the south and east by the Atlantic Ocean.
021www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Pic caption if needed
“A glint of light caught the scout’seye. It was a wireless infraredcamera which we carefully flanked.It was a good trick – if not for the sungiving away its location”
As we knew nothing about the opposing force we decided to play it safe and hold our position. Still holding my L96 and with my scout sniper wielding a Dragunov rifle, we kept our eyes peeled, scanning the trees for movement. After a bit of quiet I sent a two-man team leapfrog-style up towards the enemy. Once they got well ahead they radioed in and the rest of our team moved up.
I pulled out my phone and checked Google Earth to devise a plan. Just beyond the trees was a 60m expanse of sand (no cover, just sand); myself and the other sniper donned our ghillie suits and set up near the edge of the sand. Through my scope I saw four
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022 November 2012
As we regrouped we could see the opposing team’s camp fire flickering just beyond a camo net. Now we knew where they were located we moved away from the water and set up our camp spot. We do not attack each other’s campsite as it is a Safe Zone, so after our camp was set up I went on a recon mission with a digital camera to gather intel on the enemy. I crept to a spot on a hill above their position, pointed the camera and snapped a few photos. I quietly retreated back to camp where the SD card from the camera went into a laptop and we reviewed the intelligence before turning in for the night at 1am.
Sweep and clearSaturday, 5am: I toss my L96 over my shoulder and switch back to my Masada. Our team splits up into a group of three (Team A) and a group of two (Team B, which I was in).
Team A is sent to flank the left side and Team B to go head-on. We double-checked our comms and separated. Within
enemy posted up on guard detail… Now what?
The sun was setting behind the trees and within half an hour we would be in total blackness. Staying hidden and keeping an eye on the opposing force we grabbed a quick bite to eat and rehydrated. Now it was properly dark. The other sniper and I removed our gear and handed it to the rest of the team – it was time for us to get wet!
Our teammates held their position as we took to the water. About 5m out we were up to our necks so, with rifles held over our heads we slowly waded upriver, passing the opposition by about 50m before heading back to shore. In knee-deep water we took aim; we needed to take out four people with two shots each, and fast!
My sniper quietly said “Three… two… one,” and we squeezed our triggers together before rapidly reloading and firing again. Success! They never expected that. With four (silent) dead men returning to base we radioed our team to move up. That’s how you get people across open ground without being detected!
INTERNATIONAL AIRSOFT | NEW ENGLAND
10 minutes Team A radioed to say we had lost a guy to an enemy scout sniper. They eliminated the sniper and we continued onward, watching as the eliminated player returned to camp (as there was no respawn after 5am). From the intel we acquired on the recon mission we knew five enemies remained.
With visual contact established between our teams we began an area sweep and within 15 minutes had eliminated three more enemy players. The odds were in our favour, four to two.
We heard a firefight between Team A and the opposing force. I heard two people call “Hit!” and radioed Team A for a sitrep. After five long seconds of silence I hear: “We’re all here and they’re all gone!” Good work team!
Saturday, 11am: We meet with the opposing force and all agree it was a great game – and we have to try and top it next weekend. Each time we play it gets more unique and challenging.
I cannot wait to see what happens out there next time!
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024 November 2012
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THE ARMOURY | M2000 SNIPER RIFLE
025www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
QUESTION: How many rounds does the HK417 mid-cap hold?
A 80 ■ B 100 ■ C 120 ■ D 140 ■
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VFC HK417License to use offi cial trademarks held by Umarex
Reviewed in Airsoft Action September 2012!
Thanks to our friends at Armex we have one VFC HK417 AEG up for grabs – worth a stonking £425!
A VFC creation featuring accurate HK trademarks (license held by Umarex), the HK417 is an extremely true replica. Full-metal construction and solid build quality make it a beast physically and out-the-box performance is not to be sniffed at.
For your chance to add this awesome rifl e to your airsoft collection, answer the question below (check the full review in the September issue of Airsoft Action if you don’t know the answer!)
025www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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License to use offi cial trademarks held by Umarex
Reviewed in Airsoft Action September 2012!
Thanks to our friends at Armex we have one VFC HK417 AEG up for grabs – worth a stonking £425!
A VFC creation featuring accurate HK trademarks (license held by Umarex), the HK417 is an extremely true replica. Full-metal construction and solid build quality make it a beast physically and out-the-box
WORTH OVER£400!
AA_025_Camo Comp_Rev2APNS.indd 25 17/9/12 10:27:59
SOVIET AIRBORNE SOLDIER,AFGHANISTAN 1988
One place the Soviet Union really played its hand during the Cold War was the
mountainous battlefi eld of AfghanistanThis month Gareth ‘Gadge’ Harvey takes a
look at Russia’s elite airborne troops
The Soviet Union held a special regard for its airborne forces, and rightly so. Russia had fi elded the world’s fi rst
parachute troops back in the 1930s and so it should come as no surprise that these elite shock troops would become their mainstay in the battle for Afghanistan.
Unlike many nations that keep their paratroopers as a sub-section of the army or air force, the Russians think so highly of their airmobile troops that they are an entirely separate arm of service. Russian airborne formations are almost entirely self-suffi cient, with their own APCs, self-propelled artillery and helicopter air support.
The Russians had in fact been one of the fi rst nations to explore the concept of airborne assault in the dark days before WWII. They dropped small units of men from bombers (pioneering ‘paras’ actually had to slide down the wings of the aircraft on exit as no suitable
drop hatch was available on planes used!) which could then create diversions behind the frontline. This innovative tactic was not properly explored and developed by the USSR though; it would take the German blitzkrieg seizure of the Low Countries in 1940 to show the Soviets how effective paratroopers could be.
A crippling lack of suitable air assets saw the WWII soviet paratrooper fi ght mainly as elite infantry. Immediately after WWII the Russians took the lessons learnt to heart though. In particular they were keen to regain their innovative stance and, rather than rely on the conventional parachute deployment of airborne forces, looked to new technology instead.
The perfect technology was evidently the helicopter, and the Soviet Vozdushno-Desantnaya Voyska (VDV), or ‘air assault force’, quickly learnt to use the parachute and aeroplane alongside this new machine. It’s also worth noting here that the VDV is proud
to boast that there is no ‘parachute’ in its title; they consider the parachute just one option in an airborne assault, something that will become more evident later in this article.
Russia’s VietnamSoviet ‘paratroopers’ were selected from among the very best of the youth of Russia. In each year’s intake of conscripts only the ‘Strategic Rocket Services’ could take its pick of young men before the VDV. While a typical Soviet 18-year-old had no say whatsoever in which arm of service he served, he would be able to signifi cantly increase his chances of selection for the VDV by joining a youth parachute club before conscription!
Training was long, brutal and arduous, even by soviet standards, resulting in hardy, self-suffi cient young men capable of operating in adverse conditions with little to no support. The force’s motto is in fact: ‘Nobody but us!’
026 November 2012
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COLD WAR WARRIOR | SOVIET VDV
027www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
A behind the lines ‘diversionary force’ was not the concept the USSR had in mind though (that would be the role of ‘Spetsnaz’ raiders). Soviet doctrine was for mass airborne assaults; in one 1970s exercise an entire division of 8,000 men and 160 vehicles was able to land in just 20 minutes.
The VDV saw action in the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 but received their harshest test in the 1979-1989 occupation of Afghanistan, a war that would become known as ‘Russia’s Vietnam’.
Russia had been increasingly supportive of Marxist elements in the Afghan military and in a move that shocked the world fi nally invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a pro-Soviet puppet government. The VDV were among the fi rst troops into Afghanistan and in keeping with their ethos arrived by transport plane. Light resistance (including some battles between Afghan tanks and Soviet air portable
assault guns) was soon overcome and with the VDV in control of the capital, key towns and airports, the Soviet ground units moved in.
Afghan resistance would continue until the eventual Soviet withdrawal in 1989, but through the efforts of the CIA- and MI6-sponsored Mujahedeen (Cold War Warriors, Airsoft Action September 2012) rather than the regular Afghan army. This dogged rebellion would eventually force the Soviet Union to withdraw, but in the bloody decade of occupation the Soviet Union relied heavily on the VDV to take the fi ght to the Mujahedeen, often using helicopter assault tactics to drop VDV companies directly onto enemy strongpoints (similar to American ‘airmobile’ operations of the Vietnam War).
‘Flying tanks’The VDV had a slight advantage over the US in this respect: its helicopters were quite
literally fl ying tanks. While the US favoured light troop-carrying helicopters, unarmed and unarmoured, the VDV’s preferred warhorse was the Mil Mi24 helicopter gunship. This massive beast was capable of carrying a fully-equipped squad in addition to its tank-busting missiles, anti-infantry rockets and lethal chin-mounted cannon.
Our Cold War Warrior this month is a desantnik (literally ‘descender’ or ‘those who land’) from the last years of the war, wearing a combination of equipment modifi ed after years of combat experience.
His basic uniform is the summer weight ‘afghanka’ uniform brought into service during the war. This lightweight khaki uniform proved far more practical than the usual M69 service uniform and even found its way into units other than the VDV. It’s worth noting that these are now very hard to fi nd and many suppliers falsely list utility work uniforms and chemical
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028 November 2012
undersuits as ‘afghankas’ – so if you’re looking to recreate this look take care when buying.
Under the Afghanka is the ubiquitous airborne ‘telnyashka’ striped blue and white vest, an item (like the parade blue beret) of great pride to VDV soldiers and which came in both long-sleeved and sleeveless versions. The latter was more popular in Afghanistan for obvious reasons. Despite being quite conspicuous the vest was often worn as outer wear in combat (unlike the blue beret, which was only worn on base and never in the fi eld).
On our soldier’s head is an army pattern M68 steel helmet – earlier patterns were worn interchangeably though, and without any apparent distinction. Equally common was a wide brimmed ‘Panama’ bush hat, often worn underneath the helmet to absorb sweat and provide a little cushioning. It may look impractical but was a very common sight among VDV soldiers.
One of the biggest departures from many of the Soviet load-outs we’ve seen to date in Airsoft Action is our desantnik’s footwear. While the majority of Soviet soldiers wore the calf high ‘jackboot’ in service since Napoleonic times, the airborne forces favoured a more conventional lace up combat boot of the type shown here.
Heavy duty combat kitVDV patrols would often require a lot of ammunition. They could fi nd themselves in contact with the enemy for lengthy periods of time and the standard airborne ‘RD54’ combination backpack and pouches were found inadequate.
Our soldier here takes no chances with a mix of body armour, belt kit and chest rig. The Soviet Union had traditionally held little regard for combat casualties but during the Afghan occupation began to issue body armour to protect its soldiers. The 6B3 armour vest show here was worn to protect against fragmentation and had many built-in pockets and pouches for ammunition and kit. Like all soldiers before him though, our trooper needs more ammo and so has added a ‘trophy bra’ chest rig captured from a Mujahidin warrior (other chest rigs were fi eld-made by cutting ammo pouches from RD54 webbing and sewing them together). This chest rig holds several magazines for his folding stock AK74 5.45mm assault rifl e (as well as having his bayonet and some grenades wedged into it!).
For more immediate ammo supply he has also taped two magazines together; this practice tends to be frowned upon in western armies as it can lead to the second magazine
becoming easily fouled but for the increase in fi repower is worth the risk. Essential survival supplies are carried on the soldier’s belt kit and include the essential water bottle in its carrier, a respirator in a lightweight cloth case and, unsurprisingly, even more ammunition!
Here at Airsoft Action we’re usually surprised (and pleased) at how quickly and cheaply a Cold War load-out can be assembled – but this is one impression where that is defi nitely not the case. Soviet kit from the Afghanistan era has become highly-collectable and there are a lot of bad copies and fake kit being passed off as genuine.
To that end we’re eternally grateful to Tom of the Red Alliance, who has modelled his own ‘re-enactment quality’ kit for this article – even with our collective knowledge and experience it’s a tough impression to put together well. Don’t be dismayed though: if you’re prepared to put the effort in it’s a fantastic, practical and fun load-out for Cold War FilmSims that looks awesome and sets you apart from the crowd at regular airsoft events.
One word of warning though: as with many ‘elite’ units, veterans of the VDV can be touchy about their kit being worn for a ‘game’, so it’s a good idea to leave the prized blue beret out of your collection!
COLD WAR WARRIOR | SOVIET VDV
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032 November 2012
It is based on the Remington Model 870
Wingmaster, a US-made pump-action shotgun
that was used by law enforcement teams all
over the country. Available in many different
bore sizes (shotgun speak for calibres) this was
an extremely versatile and popular system and
has sold millions of units worldwide, proof its
design is as good today as it was 20 years
ago.
Shotguns have always been great
law enforcement weapons due
to their versatility; different
cartridges cater for different
scenarios but when you
want a big hit at close
range few weapons
can match it.
Shotguns? You mean, like, guns that
fi re shot?
The G&P M870 shotgun series has
been gone for many years but is now back
with a vengeance
G&P is (and always has been) rated as a top
manufacturer. Back in the day it only made
accessories and replacement parts for the
Tokyo Marui dominated market. Eventually
G&P started to sell complete out-of-the-box
models. The M870, a direct copy of the
Maruzen version, was a big hit. For some
reason the parts went out of production for
many years – until a few months ago, that is.
If you want a full-metal heavy-weight
shotgun with a great look and feel that doesn’t
have an outrageous price tag, you’ve found it.
It is based on the Remington Model 870
Wingmaster, a US-made pump-action shotgun
that was used by law enforcement teams all
over the country. Available in many different
bore sizes (shotgun speak for calibres) this was
an extremely versatile and popular system and
has sold millions of units worldwide, proof its
SShotguns? You mean, like, guns that
fi re shot?
The G&P M870 shotgun series has
been gone for many years but is now back
with a vengeance
G&P is (and always has been) rated as a top
manufacturer. Back in the day it only made
G&P M870G&P M870G&P M870G&P M870G&P M870
design is as good today as it was 20 years
ago.
Shotguns have always been great
law enforcement weapons due
to their versatility; different
cartridges cater for different
scenarios but when you
want a big hit at close
range few weapons
can match it.
It is based on the Remington Model 870
Wingmaster, a US-made pump-action shotgun
that was used by law enforcement teams all
over the country. Available in many different
bore sizes (shotgun speak for calibres) this was
an extremely versatile and popular system and
has sold millions of units worldwide, proof its
Scott Allan’s been playing with G&P’s revitalisedRemington replica – here’s the verdict...
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033www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
THE ARMOURY | G&P M870
First impressionsA full-metal shotgun is a rare thing in airsoft but this is what G&P has very kindly delivered. Die-cast and machined aluminium, as well as polymer parts, add up to a rock-solid system that sees the models starting just over the 2kg mark. They can be kitted out with fl ashlights and steel stocks (which weigh an extra 1.2kg!), and with a variety of RIS rails and different pistol grips, not to mention stocks rearing their heads, it will not be long before we start seeing outrageous custom Magpul shotguns sporting Eo-Techs and torches with a billion lumens!
Performance is not to be sniffed at either – starting at 350fps with a Blaster 0.2 is pretty darn good. There is even an upgrade set available, but I suspect this puts it right over the limits for almost every UK site. The hop unit is a fi ddle: two screws are removed, so you can remove the outer barrel to access the grub screw. You could drill a small hole in the outer barrel to allow any time access instead though. Once the hop is set I would not expect it to go anywhere so option one is viable for most players.
The magazines are a nice touch – they show a fake shotgun gate on the bottom and hold 22 rounds, plenty for most engagements. The only gripe I have is the single-shot action; triple-shot seems to be more desired these days. So long as you can live with that these are brilliant in every department.
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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034 November 2012
THE ARMOURY | G&P M870
CONSTRUCTION: Aluminium; polymer grip and pump handleWEIGHT: From 2,000gPOWER SOURCE: SpringMAGAZINE CAPACITY: 22 roundVELOCITY: 350fpsPRICE: From £135CONTACT: Landwarrior Airsoft0131 654 2452www.landwarriorairsoft.com
G&P M870
Practical shotgun Woodland sites are always going be a struggle
with a single-shot, but it’s not impossible. It
would not be the fi rst time I heard ‘you and
that bloody shotgun’ at the end of a game
as someone quietly clears an area of enemy
players. In my experience, weight of fi re often
wins in woodland games – not that high-cap
junkies do much better than mid-cap monkeys!
Indoor sites are defi nitely going to be a more
even playing fi eld for these weapons – the
short versions with torches especially. As it’s
made of metal you are not going to be overly
worried that every knock or bang is going to
cause it to fall apart in your hands.
With retail prices starting at £135 it is hard
to fi nd anything wrong with the M870. They
are good value, excellent build quality and a
great primary or back up weapon. They’re also
customisable to suit each players needs – it is
hard to think of a good reason not to have one.
This is great for people who have large
collections. What to buy the man who has a
dozen M4 variants? The G&P M870 full-metal
shotgun! You will not be disappointed.
034 November 2012
“It will not be long before we start
seeing outrageouscustom Magpul
shotguns sportingEo-Techs andtorches with a
billion lumens!”
AA_032-034 Scott Rifle_rev3APNSSD.indd 34 17/9/12 18:10:22
035www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
SUBSCRIBENOW!CALL
01926 339808
035.indd 35 17/9/12 15:15:14
036 November 2012
036.indd 36 17/9/12 16:22:06
FEATURE | FAMILY MATTERS
037www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
I raced across the gap and pressed
myself against a fence for cover.
Incoming rounds beat a dangerous
rhythm against the taut steel fence and
I quickly realised that my eagerness had
put me in a precarious position. I couldn’t
move anywhere without being an easy
target for the enemy. I wondered if
anyone could fi re on me where I was and
had that question swiftly answered when
a burst of automatic fi re hit me on the
head, arm and chest.
“Hit!” I shouted and raised my hand
into the air. Being trapped in that position
was bad, being dead in that position was
worse. It was virtually impossible for
anyone to come and ‘medic’ me without
being hit. A slow fi ve-minute bleed out
and the walk to regen seemed inevitable.
I looked back towards my teammates
and saw that my son, Nat, was among
them. I thought that he would see my
situation and rush to my aid, but he
seemed to have no desire to sacrifi ce
himself to rescue me. It would be a
suicidal endeavour to rescue me, but
hadn’t I treated him to KFC only a few
days ago? Does a Boneless Banquet
count for nothing on the battelfi eld?
Time was short and I had no choice, so
I shouted, “Nat, come and medic me or
I won’t give you your pocket money!” It
was a command unlikely to fi nd its way
into the annals of military history, but it
did guarantee a roll of the eyes from Nat
and laughs from everyone else.
GENERATIONSIN CONFLICT
Karl Aston took up airsoft as a way to spend more time withson Nat – and found it ideal for bridging the gap that separates
parents from teenagers
FEATURE | FAMILY MATTERS
AA_037-039 Family - Karl A_rev2 APNS.indd 37 17/9/12 12:59:57
038 November 2012
Teenagers are funny things, especially
your own. Sometimes it’s funny in a
good way – other times it’s funny in
an ‘I’m beginning to wish they were
someone else’s children’ way. We watch
nervously as our children enter those
tricky years of confusion, mood swings
and lack of confi dence. We wonder just
how that lovely child, who happily held
our hand to cross the road, changed
into something so spiky, ill-tempered
and impatient. As parents the words we
need are understanding, empathy and
communication; they can be elusive.
One of the best ways to spend time
with your son or daughter through their
teenage years is sharing an interest with
them. Something you can do and enjoy
together without it feeling forced. For me
and my son that shared interest is airsoft.
My son has had an interest in guns
since he was a small child and it’s an
interest I did not discourage. Some
people wonder whether it is healthy for
children to have an interest in guns, or
even to play with toy guns. I answered
those questions years ago, but the
question I now had to ask myself was
whether airsoft would be a suitable hobby
for a 14 year old.
I concluded that the benefi ts
outweighed any negatives. My own
experiences have convinced me that
playing combat games does not make
you more violent a person. In fact, I
would argue that playing airsoft can
give you a much better understanding
of how truly horrendous war is. The
vulnerability you can feel when facing
BBs emphasises how perilous your
existence would be on a battlefi eld facing
real bullets.
Once we had decided to try airsoft, we
found a site only 15 miles from where
we live. Checking that my son was old
enough to play we signed up for our fi rst
game, an open day event at First and
Only’s Asylum site.
I have to be honest: the fi rst time we
went neither of us was sure if it was the
right hobby for us. We enjoyed it, but
there was much that had to be learned –
the conventions, rules and unwritten rules
that can mean so much to how a game is
played. But when we went back a second
time the interest suddenly exploded
within us, and as most readers of this
magazine will understand we were soon
indulged in making lists of all the guns we
would get when our skirmishers’ defence
was attained.
From playing airsoft with my son I not
only discovered a shared interest, but a
hobby that we could both play as equals.
Nat wasn’t just a child following his parent
around, I didn’t have to make allowances
for him; he could play the game as well as
me. Also, being a lot, erm, slimmer than
his father meant he was a much harder
target to hit than I was. I felt my son
benefi tted in lots of ways from playing
the game. There was social interaction
(often with people older than himself),
exercise (a day’s gaming can give you
a very good physical workout), taking
responsibility (for your weapons and your
Nat and Karl take a mid-game pause for a photograph
AA_037-039 Family - Karl A_rev2 APNS.indd 38 17/9/12 13:00:11
FEATURE | FAMILY MATTERS
039www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 039www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
the game for its combination of military
tactics, exercise and handling realistic-
looking weaponry. I could remember
enthusiastically playing ‘war’ as a child,
but airsoft has taken that childhood game
and given it an adult edge.
Now all I need to fi nd is an airsoft
equivalent of the Johnny Seven ‘One Man
Army’ gun (ask Google if you aren’t old
enough to remember it!).
We both derived pleasure not only
from playing the game, but also from
discussing tactics, reading airsoft
magazines and debating new gear. After
registering with UKARA I have been
able to take the next step of having my
own weapons – and of course buying a
weapon for my son to use is perfectly
legal. Slowly we are fi nding our feet in the
hobby and losing the label of ‘newbies’
– even if I do still get hit far too often.
But as Nat says: “Just because you have
some experience doesn’t mean you aren’t
rubbish!”
‘Quality time’ has become a
catchphrase attached to the interaction
of parents and their children. Well,
airsoft has given me a lot of quality time
with my son.
If your son or daughter shows any
interest in playing and they are old
enough to get involved, encourage
them to come along with you to try a
skirmish. Airsoft can help build a bridge
spanning the chasm that can exist
between parent and teenager.
FEATURE | FAMILY MATTERS
on-fi eld conduct) and a duty of honesty
(the cornerstone of our hobby whatever
your age).
As for any negatives for young people
playing the game, the only one that
stands out is the salty language that
can come with mixing with adults in
this environment. Maybe I shouldn’t
expect people to change their behaviour,
but perhaps it is okay to ask players to
modify their language if they see young
teenagers are playing the game.
Nat relished the visits to The Asylum
site. His confi dence grew and he was
soon happily talking to people he had only
just met. On the battlefi eld he enjoyed
racing to aid people who were shouting
for a medic. After only a few games he
was keen to move around the battle
unencumbered by his dad. I enjoyed
AA_037-039 Family - Karl A_rev2 APNS.indd 39 17/9/12 13:00:26
040 November 2012
More than 100 players joined forces at Dragon’s Lair to raisefunds for Help for Heroes. Nige reports
R egular readers of Airsoft Action may
well remember that I covered the
opening of a new airsoft site in Essex
(back in our very fi rst issue), called Dragon’s
Lair.
For those of you that haven’t seen the
article: Dragon’s Lair is run by husband and
wife team Ray and Jean Cain, who had been
running the site as a paintball operation for
well over 20 years (making it the longest
established independent paintball site in
the UK).
Ray has been a good friend of mine since
the early days of paintball and in the run up to
the launch of AA he came with me down to
Ground Zero to see what airsoft is all about.
DRAGON’S LAIRCHARITY SHOOT
He was so excited by what he saw that on
the journey home he made the decision to
introduce airsoft at Dragon’s Lair. Immediately
he set about organising his fi rst ever airsoft
event – a free day for players to try the site and
give some feedback.
A year on and it was great to be back at ‘The
Lair’ to see what’s changed and cover the site’s
biggest airsoft game to date.
I don’t think there can be a person in the
UK that hasn’t heard of Help for Heroes but,
just in case you’ve been living on a different
planet for the past few years, Help for Heroes
raises money to support members of the
Armed Forces who have been wounded in the
service of their country. They ask supporters
to ‘do their bit’ to show these extraordinary
young men and women that they are cared
for. Over a million people have responded to
date and millions of pounds have been raised
to buy much-needed services that will aid their
recovery – but more is always needed!
Ray was over at BadgerTac2 chatting to
the guys about all sorts of things when,
according to JB (owner of B-Tac2), the idea of
doing a charity game just “sort of came up in
conversation”. As long-time supporters of H4H
the charity was chosen as the benefi ciary.
The date was set and the call went out for
support, sponsors and players – and, in true
airsoft fashion, the response was excellent.
Many companies offered raffl e prizes or
AA_040-042 Dragons lair rev2APNS.indd 40 17/9/12 14:02:42
041www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
EVENT REPORT | DRAGON’S LAIR
THANK YOU!More than £2,100 was raised for Help for Heroes and Ray has asked us to pass on a huge thanks to all the people, players and companies that helped support the event or donated prizes for the raffl e.In no particular order, thanks to:BadgerTac2Elite Shooting CentreViking Airsoft ArmouryBadgerTacSkirmish Airsoft BillericayBig Mac ModelsMad Badger AirsoftThe Essex RangeArmex LimitedDB Custom GunsRAW AirsoftAirsoft ActionRay also put up Dragon’s Lair walk-on day prizes
I can only think of one word to describe them
– impressive!
The original fort is still there but it’s
now surrounded with defensive positions,
machinegun nests and trenches. It also
features a brand new three-storey wooden
watchtower that wouldn’t look out of place on
a fi lm-set – which is where the site’s pub came
from!
On the opposite side of the valley to the fort,
in the middle of a village, stands The Firetrap
Lock-Inn. Rescued from destruction after use
on a fi lm-set this now forms the centrepiece of
another excellent location from which to launch
attacks, or to defend when necessary.
Elsewhere around the site Ray has
constructed loads of new positions, including
slit-trenches, machinegun pits and defensive
positions. These haven’t just been thrown
up (or dug) in any old location though; much
thought has gone into the siting of each one
to make sure they retain that all-important
playability factor.
support in other ways. One of BadgetTac2’s
regular visitors even offered to hand-build a
totally unique, one-off custom rifl e that would
be auctioned off on the day.
I arrived well early on 2 September to be
there as players arrived, but the car park was
already half full! Players had been arriving
from before 7am. By 9am the line of vehicles
stretched right back along the site approach
road and the smell of cooking bacon wafted
around the Safe Zone as players relaxed in the
sunshine and got some breakfast down their
necks. Ray told me he was hoping to have
about 70-80 players turn up – by game on 115
had arrived, a brilliant turnout.
It was really good to catch up with some of
the guys who were there last time I visited and
all of them said the same thing: that Ray had
been doing an amazing job with the site and it
was now a truly excellent place to play airsoft.
While waiting for everyone to fi nish getting
prepped Ray took the opportunity to show me
the additions and alterations he had made and
“Suicide runners, grenades and smoke in hand, almost broke through before being picked off. Total mayhem ensued but above it all was the unmistakeable sound of laughter!”
AA_040-042 Dragons lair rev2APNS.indd 41 17/9/12 14:02:57
042 November 2012
With all players signed in, every gun
chronoed (and tagged), safety briefi ng
done and teams selected, everyone made
their way out for game briefi ng from head
marshal, Ray Jnr (Ray’s son). Incidentally,
three generations of the Cain family are
involved with Dragons Lair: Ray, Ray Jnr, and
Ray Jnr’s son, Jnr Ray Jnr (only joking, his
name is Nathan!).
Anyway, with the game briefi ng done
in Ray Jnr’s inimitable style (and which I
Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5TLPRICESWalk-on: £20Rental: £45 (including gun, mask and 3,000 BBs)CONTACT: www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk, 01708 765036 / 07703 530189
DRAGON’S LAIR AIRSOFT
EVENT REPORT | DRAGON’S LAIR
couldn’t possibly repeat here!) one team
headed into the village while the other made
for the fort. Warm up took the shape of an
‘attack and defend’ game against the fort.
This game seemed to set the tone for the
rest of the day and is best described as
‘all-out airsoft fun’. With medic and regen
rules kept as simple as possible to ensure
continuous play it was inevitable that there
would be some epic moments, and in both
the fi rst and second games (a reverse of
the fi rst), the word ‘epic’ probably wasn’t
enough!
Mass attacking charges were met by
barrages of return fi re, with defenders
putting up seemingly impenetrable walls of
BBs. Sneaky-beaky attackers crept around
the back and took out lines of defenders
before being despatched. Suicide runners,
grenades and smoke in hand, almost broke
through before being picked off. Total
mayhem ensued but above it all was the
unmistakeable sound of laughter!
With that amount of fi re going on you
would think it inevitable that at least one
player would suffer a ‘sense of humour
failure’, but not today. I didn’t see or hear
anyone bitching, moaning or whining – but
did hear plenty of calls of “Good shot” and
“Nice one player” throughout the day. I
guess uppermost in players’ minds was
that today was all about raising money for
wounded soldiers, not shouting the odds or
pampering egos.
Lunch was followed by a ‘who can get a
smoke, grenade or body into the pub the
quickest’ game, before the raffl e and auction.
As I mentioned earlier, loads of companies
had generously donated prizes for the raffl e
but the centrepiece was the custom-built
rifl e to be auctioned fi rst.
Bidding started at £250 and my bid of
£300 was quickly left behind. Two players
slugged it out until one made the winning
bid of £580 – a great sum of money that won
a very appreciative round of applause from
everyone.
The raffl e quickly followed, with prizes
ranging from rifl es, game days, kit, BBs and
even a remote-controlled helicopter chosen
by the lucky winners before the Help for
Heroes cake was cut and players headed out
for the fi nal game.
Unfortunately, yours truly had to head off
to a family engagement before it fi nished but
I did see Ray Jnr making his way out onto
the site clutching a handful of helium-fi lled
party balloons…
I didn’t ask – I wasn’t sure I wanted to
know the answer!
AA_040-042 Dragons lair rev2APNS.indd 42 17/9/12 14:03:07
043www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
043.indd 43 17/9/12 18:14:39
044 November 2012
A irsoft is a diverse hobby, but a recent online discussion about the influence of
computer games on the sport really got us fired up. Is ‘roleplaying’ a computer game
in real life the peak of excitement, or just a cash-in by lazy game planners?
For many ‘softers the chance to play a ‘real life’ game of Call of Duty or Battlefield is a dream
come true. Others despair at the growing number of ‘computer clone’ game plots. Does airsoft
need to borrow plots and storylines from the console generation? It’s probably fair to say that
some sites see an easy option in running a game based on a best-selling console creation, but
is this giving the playing public what they want or just a stunning lack of creativity?
The phrase ‘codsofter’ is used as a term of derision for this sort of thing and if this style
of play is taken to extremes on a fun Sunday open day – especially if this impacts on your
own style – then perhaps it is right to deride it. (Equally, I can’t fail but see a certain irony in
simulating a simulation!)
I may be dedicated FilmSim player but I can empathise with those that cringe every time
they see a Captain Price clone on the pitch. I appreciate that airsoft is a ‘sport’ for many, and
that the aim is to complete the objectives, shoot out the opposition and have fun. So if your
take on the sport is relatively laidback and focussed on playing well, I can believe that having
orders shouted at you by some guy lugging aaround two tons of real-steel military hardware is
really going to get your goat!
Among the team, the general consensus was (unsurprisingly) that it’s not such a bad thing,
as long as it’s in moderation. No one wants to be railroaded along a ‘scripted’ story where your
playing skill makes little difference if the next scenario has you forced into a desperate defence
despite wiping the floor with the other team in the last game!
Is it too hard for site owners to come up with original plots or is it simply a case of wasting
their time if they do? If most of your players want to ‘capture the flag’ or be ‘king of the hill’ is
there much point inventing an exciting set of missions or linked campaign scenarios?
On the flipside, immersing yourself in a weekend of utter fantasy at a game based on, for
example, the Resident Evil games can be simply brilliant; but for me part of that experience
relies on being with a host of likeminded players. You all have to be into it or the ‘suspension of
disbelief’ is easily shattered.
Furthermore it’s a lot easier to ‘get’ the idea behind said Resident Evil game, than to have to
listen to an hour-long story brief or read a 30 page backstory epic on a website before you can
understand what’s going on and get stuck in.
So to close I’d leave you with this, put to me by my friend Andrew: “It might be a bit
annoying to have a generation of new airsofters running around like they’re playing Call
of Duty, but surely anything that gets them actually out there running about and playing
is a good thing?”
Gareth Harvey asks if basing airsoft games on popular videogames is lazy planning, or givingthe players what they want
JUST AGAME?
DEBATE | CODSOFT
HAVE YOUR SAYWe want to hear what our readers think about the topic highlighted in this article – or anything else airsoft-related that you have an opinion on, for that matter.
We may publish responses or use them as a starting point for future articles, so please include your name and location so we can name and shame you – sorry, credit you for your contribution.
Letters can be sent to the address at the front of the magazine or emailed to [email protected].
AA_044 Opinion_rev2APNS.indd 44 17/9/12 10:34:04
045www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
045.indd 45 17/9/12 10:00:51
046 November 2012
Socom Tactical has opened a new
airsoft shop in Fleet, Hampshire.
After trading online for four years,
Laurence Kay and Melissa Evans-Prosser
have taken the jump and opened their retail
shop, with 1,100sq/ft of space.
Socom sells a wide range of kit – from
rigs to RIFs –that you might need for a
skirmish. Its opening event was brilliantly
attended with nearly 300 people streaming
through the doors to check out the
merchandise, chat to staff and customers
and take advantage of some excellent
opening-day discounts.
What’s more, Socom Tactical has
integrated a social area with big-screen TV,
refreshments and sofas so that visitors can
discuss their purchases and recount stories
from their last game – or just park their
partners while they browse the shelves!
There’s also a notice board for customers
with surplus kit to trade.
The Socom guys are really keen to help
players, old and new, get in touch with
Oscar Plummer reports from a successful first day at Socom Tactical in Hampshire
SOCOM TACTICALShOp LAunCh
AA_046-047 Socom Opening_rev2APNS.indd 46 13/9/12 11:45:58
FEATURE | DEFENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS
047www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Socom Tactical’s new shop is located on: Reading Road South, Fleet, Hampshire, GU52 7SD.Customers can still place orders on Socom’s website or by giving them a call.CONTACT: 01252 616868,www.socomtactical.net
SOCOM TACTICAL
“The Socom guys are setting up asocial club to give local players aplace to meet and make teammates”
other skirmishers in their area. They are
setting up a social club to give local players
a place to meet and make teammates. They
are planning regular events on and off the
skirmish fi eld and got off to a great start
with an afternoon barbeque.
Plans for the future include new products
on the horizon – the company is working
with a UK manufacturer on a new range of
pyro which should be on the shelves soon.
Easy to fi nd, with plenty of parking and
shelf-loads of airsoft kit, you’ve no excuse
not to check it out!
BUSINESS MATTERS | SOCOM TACTICAL
AA_046-047 Socom Opening_rev2APNS.indd 47 13/9/12 11:46:03
048 November 2012
On a warm Saturday morning
I made the trip to Gunman
Midlands’ site at The Grange.
The weekender was an event
celebrating its fifth birthday and as
such I was told there was something
special in store.
Since I fi rst passed through those
gates several years ago a hell of a lot
has changed – buildings, the carpark and
most importantly the game zone. On
their fi rst ever game the fi eld had been
covered with just stalks and the main
compound. Now the trees dominate
much of the landscape and there are
more structures, bunkers and a CQB
area to boot.
After the usual safety brief and
chrono check on the purpose-built
range, site owner Jim Sefton began the
specifi c event brief. It transpired that
we would be split into two teams – the
Golden Monkey Drug Cartel and Griffi n
International Tactical Service (or GITS,
for short).
Within the two teams we were split
further into specifi c squads: assault,
support and assassins, each with a
squad leader and their own set of
objectives. I joined the Monkeys on the
assault squad as we made our way out
to our command position.
Instead of a ‘return-to-Safe Zone’ type
of day we were encouraged to take our
essentials out with us to store in our
own undercover CP. After settling in we
readied our weapons and gathered for
the squad brief, paying extra attention
to the little gem of intel regarding the
fl oating minefi eld that occupied the
bridges in the centre. The whistle blew
and we were off.
Michael Jones joined in the celebrations at GunmanAirsoft Midlands’ fi fth birthday bash
AA_048-050 Grange event_rev2APNS.indd 48 17/9/12 17:38:45
049www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
EVENT REPORT | GUNMAN MIDLANDS
remaining GITS, leaving no stone or
grassy root unturned until all the ghillies
were accounted for.
And that’s when it happened.
A marshal approached. Immediately
I’d wondered what I’d done wrong.
But that wasn’t it. “You’re a sleeper
spy working for the GITS,” he said.
“Respawn from their CP and retake the
farm.” Oh crap!
I took one fi nal look at my fellow team
and headed off. I knew they would be a
little confused at fi rst but it wouldn’t last
long. Actually, it took only a matter of
seconds for them to fi gure it out and in
return light me up like a Christmas tree
while laughing their bloody heads off!
Personally, I don’t blame them.
The battles were fi erce, with neither
side wishing to give any ground or
resource away. At one point in the
morning we were tasked with taking
the farm from the GITS assassins, who
were dug in like part of the scenery. Our
only glimpse was when the heavyweight
sniper rounds struck us. With a little (OK,
lots) of luck we managed to eliminate
their forward defence, giving us a much-
needed buffer of hard cover.
I wasn’t so lucky and had been
standing in the medic position for some
time. After bleeding out and walking
back I saw my team charging the
Day one ended on a particular high as
we all returned to the Safe Zone weary and
battle bruised. On a normal day I would be
straight in the car on my way home for a
hot bath but there was still another day to
get through. Fortunately help was on hand,
and it’s worth pointing out now what sets
The Grange apart from the pack.
When I fi rst visited in 2007 there was
a very clear understanding of what they
wanted the site to be: the ‘country club’
of airsoft. This doesn’t just mean the
amazing facilities like fi tted showers/toilet
block, food area, gun workshop and so on
– there’s all the extra-curricular activities
they run on-site too. From martial arts
to swordplay and, erm, Zumba through
practical shooting, literally every niche
seems catered for. Most importantly,
though, is the way it’s run: everyone’s
helpful, friendly and more than willing to
help.
Anyway, back to business. After a hot
shower I made my way to the après airsoft
taking place in the food marque with
AA_048-050 Grange event_rev2APNS.indd 49 17/9/12 17:38:59
050 November 2012
Frog Lane, Balsall Common, Coventry CV7 7FPGunman Airsoft Midlands operates two skirmish sites in Balsall Common, Coventry: The Grange and the nearby Proving Ground (RAF Honiley CQB site). It also hosts its regular WarDogs FilmSim campaign.PRICESWALK-ON: £30RIFLE HIRE: £20 CONTACT01676 532384, www.suspensionofdisbelief.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT
EVENT REPORT | GUNMAN MIDLANDS
MIDLANDS
The GITS started well, pushing the cartel
right back to their main CP, but it didn’t take
long before King Kong was going bananas
at his troops to get back the ground they
had lost.
The weekend was a success, the
airsofting excellent and the evening’s social
even better. I must admit that The Grange
was never my favourite site in the early
days. But these last few years the site has
exploded with foliage like a forest: cover
geometry is as close to perfect as I’ve
ever seen. These things don’t come from
nature – it’s the persistent hard work and
dedication from the team, always striving to
improve the player experience, that makes
the Grange what it is.
Here’s looking forwards to the next fi ve
years!
licensed bar. It didn’t take long before old
stories and even some pictures from the
last fi ve years surfaced. The night was a
much-needed rest from the day and was
everything I had hoped for.
The next morning started the second
leg with the bright sunlight stinging a few
of the more party-orientated eyes, myself
included. After a coffee and another hot
shower – don’t mind if I do – we got our
heads in the game for another day of play.
As we gathered for the brief it became
apparent that all the efforts of the previous
day played a part in this. Another ‘out all
day’ style was ahead, and a very interesting
game with a supply-chain theme was in
store. Each team had to expand its CP to
satellite CPs, pushing their boundaries to
control more of the map and the resources.
AA_048-050 Grange event_rev2APNS.indd 50 17/9/12 17:39:12
051www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
051.indd 51 17/9/12 18:15:53
052 November 2012
R eports from various confl ict zones
involving the UK feature many images
captured by military photographers.
The Royal Navy, Army and Air Force all have
their own in-house photographers who
take stunning pictures and video footage
of everything from war zones to the Royal
wedding, and every sort of job in between.
Each of the three forces has slightly
different requirements for its photographers,
but the basics are the same. All photographers
go through the same course to qualify as a
defence photographer before being assigned
to their fi rst job in the service they joined.
The main role of defence photographers
in the RN and RAF is public relations (PR)
photography. Other requirements are news
gathering, technical photography for defects
and damages, crime scene photography,
intelligence gathering, portraiture, recruiting,
group photographs, event photography,
sports photography – the list goes on. The
Army photographers have two main roles:
Media Ops (PR) and Operational Stream
(surveillance).
PR boosts recognition for the armed forces
and lets the public know what their nations’
armed forces are doing and where they are all
deployed.
During training, defence photographers learn
the basics of photography and the skills they
will need for a varied career. Filming and video
editing are learnt later in their career.
One of the jobs available to photographers
from all three forces is the Defence Media
Operations Centre (DMOC). Here the focus is
on active operations such as Afghanistan. The
team of photographers consist predominantly
of army photographers with a small contingent
from the RAF and RN. All are deployable, and
there is a team of personnel from DMOC
that is ready to move anywhere in the
world. This readiness is rotated between the
photographers at DMOC to allow individuals
off-duty time. The team consists of two
photographers (one stills camera operator, one
video camera operator) and an offi cer that acts
as a team leader/writer/interviewer.
RN photographers work on various ships
while they conduct anti-piracy patrols or
offshore security patrols. They also work with
the Royal Marine Commandos on the frontline
in places such as Afghanistan.
RAF photographers deploy with their
squadrons or as a small team to Afghanistan
or wherever the RAF is operating, be it
surveillance or air defence.
Iggy Roberts explains the role of defence photographers, and the danger they put themselvesin to bring home images from the frontline
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AA_052-054 Defence Photographers_rev2APNS.indd 52 17/9/12 14:45:11
FEATURE | DEFENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS
053www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Army photographers will deploy with
a brigade or as a small team called the
Combat Camera Team (CCT). The CCT is
made up of the same layout as the teams
sent from DMOC, but solely compromises
army personnel. All army photographers are
individually called upon at times within their
career to make up and rotate the team every
six months. Currently the CCT spends the
entire six months covering frontline operations
in Afghanistan. They are often embedded with
the forward units all over Afghanistan and
cover the various operations from the front.
Defence photographers of all services
find themselves on the frontline. All defence
photographers that deploy to Afghanistan
or any conflict zone are armed. The weapon
systems used are the L85A2 (SA80) Carbine
and Browning or SIG 9mm pistol.
When photographers from DMOC deploy,
we carry either our two professional Nikon
cameras or P2 video camera, attached to our
body armour so they can be quickly swapped
to our weapon systems as required for force
protection or personal protection.
While patrolling we also wear a helmet;
eye and ear protection; gloves; desert boots;
MTP uniform; kneepads; a daysack or Bergen
containing food, water and extra ammunition
for ourselves and link-ammunition for the
squad automatic weapon (SAW) or general
purpose machine gun (GPMG), extra batteries,
extra lenses, flash for the stills camera,
laptop and BGAN to transmit the video and
images back to the UK; and a sleeping system
depending on the length of the operation being
covered. We tend to leave the laptop and
BGAN transmitter back at the patrol base (PB)
if we are returning there.
All photographers on the frontline must
maintain their fitness and soldiering skills so
they are not a burden to the section or unit
they are attached to while covering the story.
This allows them to get to the sharp end
where the fighting takes place and give you all
at home a glimpse of what it’s really like on the
frontline.
The imagery produced by defence
photographers is used by regional and
national papers, internet pages and magazine
publications the world over. Video footage is
used in news and documentaries by BBC, Sky,
ITV and channels from other nations.
During one operation in the scorching
Afghan summer of 2007, an army
AA_052-054 Defence Photographers_rev2APNS.indd 53 17/9/12 14:45:19
054 November 2012
as an enemy opened up with a machinegun.
The lead section closed in and destroyed
the enemy position. As the fi rst bullets went
down range the photographer got used to
the situation unravelling around him and felt
able to do his job. He advanced with the
section he was attached to. At this point he
had one hand carrying his camera and the
other his weapon. That’s when the platoon
commander shouted the order to fi x bayonets.
The photographer took the decision to carry on
taking photographs because that was what he
was there to do. He maintained a situational
awareness and made snap decisions when it
was safe to photograph.
The unsightly scenes of dead enemies
around him were stomach churning, but in
situations like that there is no time to dwell on
the horrors of war.
As a result of his courageous decision the
army photographer had fantastic imagery of
historic interest and his photos were published
in The Telegraph over the next few days,
showing the world what being on the frontline
in Afghanistan was really like.
“The unsightly scenes of dead enemies around him were stomachchurning, but in situations like that
there is no time to dwell on thehorrors of war”
FEATURE | DEFENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS
photographer got so close to the enemy that
the order ‘fi x bayonets’ was shouted over the
radio by the platoon commander.
The photographer had been in Afghanistan
for just 10 days before he went to cover an
Infantry Company attack to clear compounds
containing known enemy positions.
Before he embarked on his fi rst
photographic tasking he tried to exchange
his cameras for the newer Nikon D2
cameras. However he was left to struggle
with two Nikon D1s which have a poor
battery life. As a result he had to carry 12
batteries in two large pouches on a belt
around his waist – one for charged batteries,
the other for dead batteries.
The kit he was carrying consisted of all his
personal soldiering kit, including his Browning
and L85A2 (SA80 A2), a long, cumbersome
weapon compared to the A2 Carbine that
defence photographers now use.
It was his fi rst time into battle. As the
Company advanced he could see the artillery
fi re bombarding the compounds ahead.
They drew closer to the fi rst compound
For RN photographers working with Royal
Marine Commando units or as part of the
Mobile News Team it can get equally heated.
At the beginning of the Second Gulf War
one RN photographer was part of the fi rst push
into Iraq with the United States Marines. He
arrived just behind the initial wave advancing
through to Baghdad. In order to catch up with
the guys at the front engaging the enemy, he
had to walk through clouds of smoke drifting
from the burnt out vehicles of the Iraqi Army.
As he advanced he noticed there was an eerie
silence in the air and through the smoke he
could see the dead Iraqi soldiers littering the
scorched earth.
The silence was broken by the sound
of an approaching truck cab, which came
to a halt 200m in front of him. One of the
two Iraqi soldiers in the cab jumped out
brandishing an RPG. Just as he brought it
to aim at the RN photographer, an American
Hummvee roared out of nowhere, squealed
to a halt just feet behind the photographer
and let rip with a .50 calibre machine gun.
The soft body of the Iraqi truck cab didn’t
stand a chance and immediately blew up.
The Hummvee just drove off in a cloud of
thick dust, leaving the RN photographer to
continue his walk to the frontline.
Every piece of military news or print that
appears in the papers is enhanced by the
images from a photographer, more often than
not a defence photographer. They are your
eyes into the military and can take you to the
harshest combat environments, from the
comfort of your homes.
Our thanks to the following for the images supplied with this article: Staff Sergeant Will Craig, Corporal Barry Lloyd, Sergeant Tom Robinson, Corporal Tim Hammond, Leading Airman (Photographer) ‘JJ’ Massey, Leading Airman (Photographer) ‘Iggy’ Roberts, Corporal ‘Wez’ Calder, Corporal Paul Randall and MOD Crown media
IMAGE CREDITS
AA_052-054 Defence Photographers_rev2APNS.indd 54 17/9/12 14:45:24
055www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
EVENT REPORT | NAE
Airsoft Action’s French correspondent, Charles Duval, reportsfrom the UK’s biggest airsoft event
This might be my fi fth year at
the NAE. Neil, Pam, H, Rich and
everyone I know there always
seem pleased to see me and spend some
moments chatting. I must thank them for
their time and hospitality.
It is now like a second home. Yes, my tent
will give me grief as usual and will be more
like a swimming pool than anything else. Yes,
most of my batteries will be fl at before the
game even starts. Yes, I will lose my car keys
a thousand times and yes, the charcoal will
undercook or burn the meat.
But I believe the game and the players are
getting more and more ready for those two
days each year. The site is usually open from
Friday morning until Monday lunchtime. By
Friday lunchtime everybody is there ready to
play. This is impressive.
EVENT REPORT | NAE
As soon as you have paid your fee you
will have the security procedure, game map,
game schedule, two plaques and the patch.
I spend my Friday night in my personal
swimming pool of a tent. I shall burn it.
It’s 10am on Saturday morning. I am not
ready. Howard is ready; the 1,650-ish other
players are ready; all the marshals are ready.
Let’s play!
Well, after the safety speech. It is always
too long or too short and most of us should
have read the security process anyway. What
I do like is to see and hear the ‘old’ players
teaching the new guys. “Put your goggles
on, mate!” This is a basic need and needs to
be dealt with. I am pleased to see that this
is working.
As in previous years there are three
teams: Bravo with orange tags, Delta with
white tags and the Others in blue. Each
team will have one main offi cer – my team
(Delta) has Woody for the second time. On
arrival to our base his game plan pleases
me a lot. “Play well, don’t cheat, try to get
objectives… But mainly, enjoy yourself.”
Thinking of it, he did not mention the BBQ
which is without doubt the main objective.
Maybe I should talk to him about that.
Here, when you are dead you have to
fi nd a dead zone (which hopefully contains
more of your team members than those of
other teams). What I usually do, in order to
avoid the start of a bad game, is search for a
dead zone. Yes, there is a 30m no-shoot area
around the ‘main’ dead zone. Thanks and all,
but I’d rather walk the extra 20 minutes to
start from a proper dead zone.
It still amazes me to see a group of 50 or
Airsoft Action’s French correspondent, Charles Duval, reportsAirsoft Action’s French correspondent, Charles Duval, reportsAirsoft Action
AA_055-057 NAE Rev rev2APNS.indd 55 17/9/12 17:41:30
056 November 2012
60 guys obeying a chief. In France this would
never happen, never. But here, when the
attack order is given, it is done!
In the village I saw an incredible scene –
80 guys against 80 guys, maybe even more!
The corridor is only 20m long but 5m wide
and it is raining BBs! Some don’t even reach
their target, meeting another in mid-air. Delta
is trying to get in but with no success. While
some are trying to recover from this action, I
am looking for my shoes. Both of them. They
are in the mud – I have walked a few meters
before noticing.
At the end of a day’s play the main
objective is food and drinks. I have been
waiting for this moment. Start the BBQ
“It still amazes me to see a groupof 50 or 60 guys obeying a chief. In
France this would never happen,never. But here, when the attack
order is given, it is done!”
AA_055-057 NAE Rev rev2APNS.indd 56 17/9/12 17:41:44
057www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
EVENT REPORT | NAE
before the raffle – 16 AEGs are up for grabs
but I never win… But it’s not all bad news,
the BBQ is in full swing at least! We meet
people, drink a few brews, try a few weird
recipes.
I will give a miss to the night game this
year – and for the second year in a row the
Saturday night is quiet. It is 11.30pm and not
a noise. Unbelievable!
Tonight I think I’ll sleep in the car.
After a better night’s sleep it is Sunday. I
have been racing after my sleeping bag all
night, and my air mattress – well, let’s not
talk about it. I’m still emotional.
This morning, however, I am ready: I have
my XM177E2 Tokyo Marui with no strap, only
two hi-caps, two grenades and the map.
Let’s go!
A few missions were selected; we are
ready to maintain the pressure. Some of the
French wanted to have a little revenge on a
marshal (they have been chasing each other
for the past three years).
I have killed a little tree. I was trying
to follow the young ‘uns when they all
jumped over a fallen tree. It was probably
about 1m high, and I did jump over – but
the landing was not expected. The face
went first and the beer tummy followed
with both feet close behind. Both heels
landed on my back. The noise woke up the
enemy and I got shot.
The whole day was a succession of
mishaps; my two grenades decided to
explode into pieces. My shoes went AWOL
(again). I did not even fire a single round.
Sometimes I wonder if I ought to just stay
in bed!
Was it a good day for airsofting?
Absolutely yes. Airsoft is not just firing
BBs. It is an open window into others
people’s lives. I made new friends, and
got to meet up with friends made in past
years. Here you can meet a GP without
having to make an appointment, or talk to
a police constable without having to drive
like a maniac. I do love this world! I will be
back next year.
AA_055-057 NAE Rev rev2APNS.indd 57 17/9/12 17:42:09
058 November 2012
The 5.11 RUSH series of backpacks
was designed in conjunction
with SGM Kyle Lamb, who
was decorated for valour for actions in
Mogadishu, Somalia (made famous by
the fi lm Blackhawk Down). That tells you
a little something about the heritage
of the RUSH backpacks, and the
thought that has gone into the
design.
The RUSH 12 is the smallest
of the family, the ideal go-bag size
and perfect for stuffi ng with kit for a
one- or two-day event. It might be the
smallest of the range but that doesn’t
mean it’s small; with a 22-liter capacity
and a main compartment big enough
for a laptop and a pair of boots with
plenty of space to spare, the RUSH 12
is deceptive.
So far the backpack on test has
seen action in two countries at various
events. Filled with spare batteries, food,
hydration bladder (it can take up to a
60oz bladder), lenses, gadgets, spare
socks and a jacket it lasted out an
entire two-day event without feeling
uncomfortable.
That’s partly due to the ample padding
in the shoulder straps, and partly to the
almost obscene amount of adjustments
you can do to get it sitting just right
on your shoulders. There’s also a rigid,
removable back plate to keep it fi rm and
straight, avoiding any long-term back pain.
With 16 pockets and compartments to
organise it is extremely suited to accessing
kit rapidly – so long as you can remember
5.11 RUSH 12 MULTICAMAirsoft Action gets hands-on with 5.11’sRUSH 12 Multicam backpack
organise it is extremely suited to accessing
AA_058-059 Rush_rev2APNS.indd 58 17/9/12 17:43:52
059www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
KIT TEST | 5.11 RUSH
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
which pocket things are in. Big zipper tabs
allow easy access when wearing gloves,
and fi ve separate zipper compartments
mean you can store things logically for
those under-pressure kit changes.
Of course, if 16 compartments isn’t
enough there’s a host of webbing on the
front and sides to allow for some modular
customisation – along with a Velcro fl ag
patch to show your colours!
One thing I’ve never worried about when
using 5.11 kit is construction quality. Made
of water-resistant nylon the backpack feels
rugged and durable; the zips are clearly
designed to withstand some rough usage
and there’s no signs of any wear or tear
on any strap or seam. If it’s reasonably
looked-after I can see this surviving several
years of weekly use. Practical touches like
drainage holes in the bottom and elastic
keepers for excess webbing show the
level of attention that has gone into the
design, and while it comes at some
cost it is more than worth it.
And of course, we’d be remiss if
we didn’t point out the authentic,
all-over Multicam pattern (though it is
also available in black, for £80). That,
combined with its smallish size and
excellent design, mean this isn’t
limited to the skirmish fi eld; this
is a true bag for all occasions,
equally suited to the festival or
fairground as it is the battlefi eld.
I should know – mine is a veteran
of both!
If you reckon you’ll still need more
storage space, the RUSH series
is completed by the RUSH 24 and
RUSH 72, which are essentially the
same beast but a little bigger.
“Big zipper tabs allow easy access when wearing gloves, and fi ve separate zipper compartments mean you can store things logically for those under-pressure kit changes”
MAIN COMPARTMENT: 18in x 11in x 6inCAPACITY: 21.2 litres
CONSTRUCTION: Water-resistant 1050D nylon
COMPARTMENTS: 16FEATURES: Fully adjustable; web platform on front and sides;
padded shoulder straps; glove friendly zipper tabsPRICE: Around £115Our thanks to 5.11 Tactical for providing products for review5.11 TACTICAL: www.511tactical.com
SPECIFICATIONS
AA_058-059 Rush_rev2APNS.indd 59 17/9/12 17:44:10
060 November 2012
Gareth ‘Gadge’ Harvey may be a veteran of theWWII FilmSim, but Gunman Airsoft’slatest ‘secret mission’ put his puristsensibilities to the test
In the last 10 years we’ve seen
WWII airsoft come on in leaps and
bounds, from early ‘open days’ in
1940s kit to full-on re-enactment events
that make Saving Private Ryan look like
a side show. Over the years I thought
I’d seen it all, so was completely
unprepared for Operation Greenback, a
‘secret mission of WWII’.
Now I’m usually something of a WWII
purist and was expecting, if anything,
a bit of cloak and dagger sneaky-beaky
operations from this one. Maybe
raiding a German base for secret plans,
assassinating a General, you know the
sort of thing.
What I wasn’t expecting was
something that resembled the bastard
child of Band of Brothers and The
X-Files!
Once again I’d been recruited by
Gunman Airsoft to lead the allied
contingent in this WWII adventure.
Like all the players I was completely in
the dark about the true nature of the
event and its utter weirdness until the
day. So, in the interest of suspense I’ll
explain how events unfolded as the
players encountered them. If I told
you the mission brief I was given by
Gunman head honcho Josh at the start
of the game you’d accuse me of making
it up.
Strange and sinister…So here’s what my team of plucky US
and Brit commandos knew: somewhere
outside of Salerno in Italy, a renegade
Italian offi cer codenamed ‘Greenback’
was looking to defect and had
information vital to the Axis defences
of Italy. Our mission was to infi ltrate
the German lines, locate Greenback and
then get the hell out of Dodge. So far
so good.
We lost no time setting up a
command post (I won’t bore you with
the details of the usual safety briefs)
and tasking recce patrols to try and
fi nd where the Germans were, what
they were up to and exactly where
codename Greenback was. For once
things went really well; regular readers
will no doubt be aware of my legendary
lack of success as a commander but
within the hour I had accurate reports of
German positions, strongpoints, patrol
routes – and more importantly two
strange and sinister reports.
Firstly it transpired that the Germans
were not just fortifying their positions
but were up to some no-good scientifi c
investigations, a nefarious Indiana
OPERATIONGREENBACKOPERATIONOPERATION
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061www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
FILMSIM | GUNMAN AIRSOFT
“So with a Faustian pact made we decided to form a renegade unit in true pulp fi ction bad guy style and execute all the grunts (I told you I was pretty villainous)!”
061www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Jones style archaeological dig… and in
more chilling news one of our squads
had found the remains of some hastily
covered mass graves. All intriguing
stuff.
After sending out a few patrols to
fi nd out more I received the inevitable
contact reports as the Germans fi nally
spotted our scout groups (our lads were
not that good by the way – the German
team were under orders to deliberately
ignore anyone making a half-decent
effort to hide!) and sporadic fi refi ghts
broke out. Just as I was getting an after-
action report form one of my Sgts a
second group brought in the mysterious
Greenback.
They had found him wandering
about in civilian clothes and managed
to escort him back to our lines to
safety. And around here everything
FILMSIM | GUNMAN AIRSOFT
AA_060-064 Greenback_rev2APNS.indd 61 17/9/12 17:54:18
came under the control of the psychic
alien.
Enough was enough and, under a
white fl ag of truce, my commando
group approached the German
positions. I had a brief in-character chat
with the German leader Herr Bauer
(actually my mate Rich) and in our best
‘Allo ‘Allo accents agreed to have an
hour’s truce to wipe out the mind-slaves
and defeat Moriarty and Greenback.
Here I did something less than
honourable: while the truce was in full
swing I detailed two of my commandos
to steal and hide vital components of
the German dig site and sabotage their
work (just in case we were betrayed).
That wasn’t the end of my villainy... oh
no... but more of that in a minute.
A brutal battle on the hilltop dig site
eventually saw us destroy the alien
forces. Our technicians looked into the
life support systems of Greenback’s
metallic tomb; Moriarty had escaped
and we were in the dark as to what
to do. The boffi ns worked out that the
counter rapidly ticking down would
almost certainly release Greenback (and
doom the world) when it reached zero.
The battle was now truly on, as the
allies battled in the mistaken belief they
were trying to foil a German secret
science plan but in reality were just
helping Moriarty free Greenback and
harness his mind control powers.
As part of the game mechanic, even
while imprisoned in his underground
machine Greenback was able to
harness his mind control powers and
do a ‘body snatcher’ job on any one his
controlled minions killed. This meant
that, as the game wore on, both Axis
and Allies found themselves confronted
by zombie-like mind-slaves loyal to
the alien. This, however, was still
unknown to us until more graves were
found (including one ‘occupied’ by a
real buried crew member) which gave
diary snippets, paperwork and clues to
Moriarty’s true identity and plan.
Scum and villainySoon a vicious three-way fi refi ght was
under way with each faction desperate
to control the dig site. As the game
wore on both the Germans and Allies
began to fi nd themselves hard-pressed
as more and more of their number
went a bit Twilight Zone. Greenback
(as we believed him to be) showed us
paperwork that convinced us he was
actually a British Secret Service agent
and explained that we had to stop the
German archaeological dig as it was of
vital importance to the allies. The details
were top secret, but orders are orders
and reluctantly I decided to send out
squads to act on his information.
Absolutely bonkersNow, Josh had pre-warned me about
what was really happening and it was
pretty convoluted and mind blowing.
Unknown to all the other players,
this new agent was actually the evil
Professor Moriarty (we’re still not sure
if he was the Moriarty) and was playing
each side off each other – pretending
to be a German agent to the Axis lads –
but his real aim was to secure the dig.
Why did he want it? Because it was
the site of a crashed spaceship escape
pod occupied by the powerful psychic
alien who was the real Greenback.
Obvious when you put it like that, isn’t
it? No, actually, it’s ruddy bonkers – but
trust me it was great fun!
062 November 2012
AA_060-064 Greenback_rev2APNS.indd 62 17/9/12 17:57:12
FILMSIM | GUNMAN AIRSOFT
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
The final countdownWe were presented with two possible
buttons to stop the countdown: one
was sure to activate the life giving
machinery. Without any indication as
to which button was which, we were
forced to use the highly scientifi c theory
of ‘eeny meeny miney mo’. I opted for
the red button, and was relieved to see
the countdown stop – and then reset to
30 minutes!
In a situation reminiscent of TV series
Lost it transpired that for the time being
we would have to stay united and press
the red button once every 30 minutes
until our respective main forces could
join us.
Taking Bauer to one side we had a
confl ab… our characters were both
part of top secret science research
commando units and we knew we were
in posession of the galactic equivalent
of dynamite here; together we could be
very powerful, with Greenback’s powers
under our control. So with a Faustian pact
made we decided to form a renegade
unit in true pulp fi ction bad guy style and
execute all the grunts (I told you I was
pretty villainous)!
063
AA_060-064 Greenback_rev2APNS.indd 63 17/9/12 17:59:39
064
FILMSIM | GUNMAN AIRSOFT
064 November 2012
“I’m sure the WWII puristwill be frothing at the mouth
with outrage at Operation Greenback – but it was epic!”
Still, you can’t do war crimes on your
own, so we proposed our plan to some of
the dodgier members of our teams who
decided that potential world domination
alongside us was better than a life in the
army. Hired thugs by our sides we lined
up our respective force in parade ground
style and explained that we needed to
join force to monitor this new power –
and if anyone would like to volunteer
to join our force the rewards would be
immense… Predictably a fair few guys
broke ranks to join us but the loyal and
brave (and honest) solider stood fi rm,
vowing to report us as soon as they got
back to friendly lines – which Is exactly
why Rich and I then gave the order to
open fi re and massacre the lot of them!
(For safety purposes we ‘dry fi red’ the
guys at close range with no ammo in the
thugs’ guns).
So perhaps the weirdest WWII game
I’ve ever been part of ended with two
crazed megalomaniacs and a band of
murderous henchmen camped out atop
a forested hill, trying to work out how to
enslave an omnipotent alien for their own
ill-gotten gains. Totally ludicrous I grant
you, but in everyone’s opinion brilliant fun
(even the gunned-down grunts loved it!).
As I’ve said already this wasn’t a
normal WWII game and if you’ve not
played a WWII FilmSim please don’t
be put off – this was an exceptional,
fun game. Part of Gunman’s ‘secret
missions’ series, which are always
a little bit oddball and mildly sci-fi or
horror-based, its strength lies in it being
a secret from the players until the plot
becomes public. Sure, you know you’re
not going to be in a stand-up WWII fi ght
but you never know exactly what is
going to happen.
I’m sure the WWII purist out there will
be frothing at the mouth with outrage
over ‘Operation Greenback’ but honestly
– you weren’t there man, you weren’t
there… and it was epic!
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MONEY MATTERS | UPGRADES
065www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
I have played for a great many years
now and I know there are all types of
players out there. You have tinkerers,
geardos, high-cap bangers, chairsofters,
MilSim junkies and newbies, to name just
a few. Each group stereotypically has its
pros and its cons and while I probably
cross into a few of these groups, I have
always believed one thing fi rmly – that I
am not a tinkerer.
One of the LWA technicians (both of
them, in fact) love tinkering. But why?
“Here’s my £400 Mr. Retailer – now pass
those screwdrivers.”
You buy a car, fi ll it with petrol, wash it
and keep the service regular and it serves
you well (unless it is a Land Rover, but
that’s another story). But customisation
has long been a big thing with airsoft and it
wasn’t so many years ago that if you went
to 350fps with a 9.6v NiCad
battery you were pretty
crazy. Now, instead
of running
upgrades for rifl es out of the box retailers
have to run downgrades! This is possibly
due to the shift in the manufacturer’s
demographics, away from Japan and more
into Europe, the US and other areas in Asia
where power limits are higher. In the UK
most sites run around 330-350fps and this
works well in my experience.
One thing I do not really understand
is why a rifl e needs upgrades at all. You
have paid your money and bought a
stunning little machine, but the barrel is
not always the best quality. The same is
true of hop rubbers and often the wiring
is a little poor, and why do they
still have a fuse? I am not
knocking any one
GUNNING FORPERFECTION
Are manufacturers giving you yourmoney’s worth? Scott Allan ponders what
qualities he wants from his perfect rifl e
manufacturer in particular and all have their
little niggles – some are very constant
while others appear and disappear from
batch to batch. I will not start listing these
issues for each manufacturer for fear it will
be taken as gospel and by the time you
have read this a different batch can have a
different series of issues.
A perfect rifle?One thing I have found is that there is
no perfect manufacturer,
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066 November 2012
no perfect rifl e and defi nitely no perfect
owner!
So why is there fantastic packaging,
beautifully sculpted externals, free BBs
and a spare magazine, yet poor wiring?
Why not ditch those sub-standard BBs
and spend the extra pennies on silver
plated wiring? Scrap the standard 6.08mm
brass barrels altogether, and the free
spare magazine, and make a quality 6.04
tightbore that will suit most players.
One of my original thoughts for this
was to sell upgrades, but it simply does
not make sense. Companies such as G&P
do not sell tightbore barrels and while
its rifl es are one of the best all round,
in my experience they have one of the
worst standard barrels if you compare all
manufacturers side by side. I change the
inner barrel to either an Ultimate tightbore
or (preferably) a Prometheus tightbore in
most rifl es I own as standard, regardless
of manufacturer. Recently I have been
putting on Deans connectors and changing
to Ultimate Silver Plated wiring as well.
Generally that is all I change and I feel that
this gives a good improvement for about
the £50 in parts.
So if these parts are not massively
expensive why are they not in our AEGs as
standard?
Some companies offer ‘Budget’ and
‘Professional’ rifl es; G&G and ICS are
at the forefront with this. In the test
between the Pro Line G&G and ICS Sig in
Airsoft Action August 2012, you could see
where each company had concentrated
its efforts. Neither was terrible but there
were noticeable different pricing strategies
for various parts inside the rifl e. Some
parts were good, others were average or
disappointing.
Quality as standardG&G has just announced that it will be
adapting its Top Tech professional range to
a higher spec with the following extras:
* 6.03mm nickel plated barrel – good
news!
no perfect rifl e and defi nitely no perfect
owner!
So why is there fantastic packaging,
beautifully sculpted externals, free BBs
and a spare magazine, yet poor wiring?
Why not ditch those sub-standard BBs
and spend the extra pennies on silver
plated wiring? Scrap the standard 6.08mm
brass barrels altogether, and the free
spare magazine, and make a quality 6.04
tightbore that will suit most players.
One of my original thoughts for this
was to sell upgrades, but it simply does
not make sense. Companies such as G&P
do not sell tightbore barrels and while
its rifl es are one of the best all round,
in my experience they have one of the
worst standard barrels if you compare all
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MONEY MATTERS | UPGRADES
067www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
MONEY MATTERS | UPGRADES
* 16 AWG wire set – higher rates of fi re
and less resistance
* Stronger motors capable of running
4,500 rounds per minute with a M150
spring (this should be circa 500fps) – one
can only presume that this is some form of
high-cycle set up
* Zinc alloy hop-up chambers – hopefully
this means consistent fps
So this is all good news for the
consumer. Although metal hop-up
chambers are good the quality can vary; so
far the best we have seen is the Madbull
M4 chamber. I have seen these add 40fps
to a rifl e due to the quality of the air seal
alone. A good quality inner barrel is one of
the best upgrades any gun can have.
So is it laziness from the manufacturers,
or do they believe they are giving us
what we want? I reckon some may just
be victim to the ‘this is the way we have
always done it’ syndrome. Some, like
G&G, do listen to their customers – ever
since its disastrous launch many years ago
G&G went back to the drawing board and
sorted everything out. Then players said
they want more for less and the Combat
Machines were born. The Raiders are fully
plastic (even the RIS rail) but are tough,
cost £140 and come in either tan or black
and two different barrel lengths. The
internals are okay and the barrel is not the
best, but it fi lls a gap in the market. When
a manufacturer sells us a model for £300-
£400 I believe they should be all-singing
and all-dancing on the specifi cation sheet.
So why not drop your manufacturer an
email saying, ‘Hey, I bought your rifl e and I
really like it but haven’t you thought about
doing this?’
Who knows – it might just work…
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068 November 2012
I n 1994 I passed the Sniper Instructor
Course held at the School of Infantry,
Warminster. Passing this course
enabled me to go back to my battalion,
then stationed in Omagh, Northern Ireland
and select, teach and train potential snipers
and ‘badged’ members of the battalion. It
also allowed me to test and qualify snipers
from other units in the fi eld army.
Over the years the doctrine has changed
and altered to suit the current trend of
thinking in the Infantry but I will concentrate
this article on the course of training I
undertook.
Students on the course (me included)
had to arrive with a ‘Method of Instruction’
course under their belts, which meant they
were qualifi ed to teach. There was no time
on this course to train you to stand up and
instruct; it was all about learning the skills
of the trade while demonstrating that you
could plan and conduct lessons, training
and ranges.
In 1994 the course instructors passed
on the valuable skills that would create a
successful sniper instructor and ‘badged’
sniper.
Map reading: Teaching and testing the
sniper’s understanding of map reading, use
of air photographs and his ability to navigate
by day and night.
A sniper’s navigation and map reading
needs to be well above-average. Many
tasks involve fi nding, locating and fi xing the
enemy, often behind enemy lines.
Training spanned everything from basic
symbols, grid references, measuring
distance, compass use, bearings, resection,
intersection and intervisibility, to the
more diffi cult air photography scaling and
gridding, stereoscope use and day and
night practical and written navigation tests.
Dan Mills, author of Sniper One, looks back at thegruelling task of becoming a sniper instructor
Observation: Teaching and testing the
sniper’s ability to observe and accurately
report the results of his observations.
Lessons included the introduction and
use of binoculars, scout regiment telescope
and the CWS, the common weapon (night)
sight of the period. Tasks, techniques and
indication of targets, observation logs
and fi eld sketching were also involved.
Practical tests often involved observing
a given ‘arc’ for a period of time before
moving to observe the same ground from a
second arc for a further period of time, after
making a fi eld sketch of the given piece of
ground. Students would locate, identify and
describe each item found in the given arcs
on his sketch.
Cam and con: Teaching and testing the
student’s method for hasty concealment,
subsequent observation and defensive fi re
positions.
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Each student had to complete three
hasty arcs on which they would have
several minutes to sprint to a position of
cover, adopt a concealed fire position,
correctly set range to target and remain
concealed while an observer led an
impartial ‘walker’ onto your position.
This is one of the most difficult skills
to master. It represents a meeting
engagement on patrol and is a good test of
competence in selection and use of cover.
Shooting: The aim of the shooting phase
is to teach and test the student’s ability to
shoot accurately by day and night.
Sniping’s end product is the ability to
shoot the target, putting as much distance
between the firer and target as possible.
Long-range shooting must be mastered
after the basic ranges.
Firers need to be an above-average
shot when arriving on the course; the test
demands high standards to pass. Once
the basics are mastered you will group
and zero iron sights, telescopic sight and
common weapon sight allocated to the
rifle. Students will then go on to different
levels of the application of fire using iron
and telescopic sights, snap-shooting,
shooting in NBC conditions and firing at
moving targets.
Judging distance: Teaching and testing
the student’s ability to judge distance with
and without aids. This is one of the hardest
skills to get right.
During lessons you will learn the basic
methods and techniques for judging
distance and be taught to use optics to
measure distance. Other lessons include
the appearance method and unit of
measure, halving, bracketing, key ranges,
squad average and use of air-photo and
map.
Stalking: This is what it’s all about. The
aim here is to teach and test the sniper’s
ability to use the ground by approaching,
selecting and occupying a fire position,
engaging a target and withdrawing without
being observed. This test involves all the
skills that are required to carry out a basic
sniping task.
Map reading is used to plan, then to
navigate in and out of the target area.
Camouflage and concealment is required,
once you have stalked into a fire position;
distance to target is judged during
observation of the target and set onto the
rifle sights. The target is then shot before
stalking back out of the area to safety.
REAL-STEEL | TRAINING
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070 November 2012
The test involves the student being dropped
off in a holding area where he is sent to
prepare himself. Here he confirms his location
and identifies his position on map and/or air
photographs. He then cams up to blend into
his surroundings before receiving a brief.
In the brief he will be given a target
description and location. Stalking towards the
target he must select a fire position no nearer
than 300m to the target. The most important
thing to do at this stage is to ID the enemy
location as soon as possible. After careful
study of map and air photo, plan and use a
route in (and later out) of the target area using
as much dead ground as possible to avoid
being seen.
The course staff will be sat in the enemy
location watching the ground around them
with binoculars. Any movement to their front
and a walker is despatched immediately to the
location. If you are spotted you will be pointed
out (using a fair and accurate walking system)
and you will fail the stalk; in real life you would
be captured and likely killed.
Once you have stalked in, confirm the
location of the target and select and occupy
a defensive fire position. Here you use the
cam and con tips learnt on the course to hide
yourself – but remember you will need to keep
the ability to shoot the target, so the weapon
must be in a fire position (pointing at the
target!).
The student then fires a shot (blank) at the
enemy position. The staff check if they can
see the firing position – if they can you fail. If
not they send the walker to within 10m of your
position where they will again look for you. If
spotted, again you fail.
Here you will fire a second shot at the
target, with the staff watching to find you –
through binos at an area where you are known
to be within 10m. It is difficult! If you are good
(or lucky) and still hidden to the staff they then
instruct the walker to point at you.
You get the picture – if spotted you fail. To
assess your cam and so on they tell the walker
to touch you, to see if the cam you have used
has done the job it is intended for. If that’s all
good they will tell you what they can see and
points to work on.
Finally the walker will check your sight
settings to see if you can judge distance – and
if it’s out, guess what? Fail! You will then be
given a timed aperture of a number board,
usually a Huns head target with a letter or
number displayed; finally, you need to ID the
symbol accurately to pass the test. Phew!
Sniper knowledge: Teaching each student
sniper the history and tactical employment
of snipers and general knowledge of sniping
and associated skills. This takes the form of
continuous information overload and testing
throughout the course – you will need to know
your subject matter thoroughly to pass the
written sniper badge test.
Soak up everything taught on the course
and you won’t go far wrong. You don’t want to
be the poor individual who passes everything
in the field only to fail back in the classroom –
do the revision!
REAL-STEEL | TRAINING
KIM’S GAMESaid to be based on the hero from a Rudyard Kipling novel, Kim’s Game involves placing a number of different objects on a tray before covering them up. Players sit round the tray and it is uncovered for one minute and they have to remember what is on the tray. The items are then covered again and each player writes down what they can remember seeing.
The game promotes the development of observation and memory skills and is known to have been used by both British and American Sniper Training Schools.
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071www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Oscar Plummer learns a valuablelesson at Firefi ght Combat
Simulations’ new CQB site, TheAcademy in Essex
Things we enjoy: Successful pistol shots from a second-storey window onto a rooftop sniper.
Things we do not enjoy: The target standing up to reveal he is on your own team.
Moral of the story: Think before we fi re. That’s just one of the lessons I took away after a day at Firefi ght
Combat Simulations’ (FCS) new site, the Academy. A disused conference centre near Chelmsford, Essex, it contains more than 100 rooms, open areas, stairwells and rooftops to skirmish across. Just to top it off, there is a sizable patch of ground around the buildings which is also in play.
First impressions are great. Admin-wise it’s in a good location for transport, the parking is convenient and the Safe Zone is dead comfy.
The site itself looks amazing: from the outside it’s clear that the multiple levels offer a lot of ground to control and considering the orientation of the site – a slightly curved main block with an outlying annex – there are an awful lot of angles to consider. A quick mooch around the perimeter underlines this; there are a lot of vantage and entry points, both horizontal and vertical. Even before we were briefed into the fi rst game I knew this was not going to be a simple site to play!
The whole site has a great atmosphere to it, pervaded by that fantastic sense of decay you get from a building that’s seen better days. That means variety – and realism. Every room is different – kitchens, conference rooms, dorms, a bar (including tactical wine rack), many with tattered remnants of their former occupants. Frankly, if there was a fairground out back I would have believed I was in Pripyat 20 years after Chernobyl!
FCSACADEMYACADEMYFCSACADEMYFCS
071 October 2012
SITE REVIEW | FCS ACADEMY
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072 October 2012
This is my first time at an FCS event, but its reputation precedes it. I knew to expect something more than the usual, straightforward head-to-heads, and did not leave disappointed. Andy Janson and his team run a set-up that rewards planning, staying on objectives and sticking with your team. Also, ‘spray-and-pray’ is actively discouraged: AEGs are on a 300-round limit per game, but gas and spring are unlimited (common sense required).
On the other hand, there is no minimum engagement distance, and full-auto is allowed. The message is clear: this is grown-up airsoft. We are free to play as we wish but will have to live with the tactical consequences we make for ourselves. Empty your mags in the first 30 seconds and you are going to have a hard time making objectives. The overall rule from the briefing sums it up perfectly: DBAD. Don’t be a dick!
The other key message – teamwork – is hammered home in the Safe Zone. Games are briefed with reference to excellent maps, and each team is split into squads. Over the course of the day squads are often given specific roles and objectives. If they go off-task they will seriously damage chances of overall success.
One touch I particularly like was a variant on the medic rule: each squad has a dedicated medic, who has to return to their respawn point to return players to game. That helps reinforce squad communication – if the medic isn’t kept abreast of the overall situation they can’t make the judgement whether to make (often essential) contributions to an ongoing firefight, or whether to disengage and head back to respawn to bring players back in.
So how does it play? In short, very well.The first couple of warm-up games introduce us to the site. I go in
to the game thinking that I’m going to be on classic CQB sweep and
clear tactics. Instinct dictates that a fair amount of assertiveness and full mags should get us through the complex and onto objectives effectively.
Oh no! I soon learn that there are multiple stairwells and entry points to pretty much every area of the site and I really need my wits about me. The warm-up game is a domination set-up, with a number of points to capture. The team with the most at the end of the game wins.
Straight away it’s clear that the multiple routes through the site means that nowhere is totally secure. The points change hands plenty of times in the course of the game, meaning no dull stalemate and plenty of action.
It’s also very rare that you can consider yourself forted up; there are always too many angles to cover to be able to do it on your own, so movement means a series of short dashes from point to point with at least one other member of your squad – no bimbling or lone wolves here!
I was also struck by the amount of vertical awareness needed – all those windows mean you can quite often find yourself overlooked and pinged out by a sniper.
The opposite is true, though – I managed at least one cheeky shot up into a player with his back to an open window, and rooftop snipers aren’t so high up that they are invulnerable.
The variety of rooms is great, too. You push through a big, open room punctuated by waist-level cover, out into a heavily overgrown courtyard, then up stairs into narrow, crowded, gloomy passageways with dozens of doors leading off. Some of the corridors are very tight – so much so that we found it most effective to break into pairs to make ground.
072 November 2012
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073www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Danbury, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 4ATFirefight Combat Simulations runs open skirmish days at The Academy on the first and third Sunday each month. PRICESWALK-ON: £40 (discounts available for early or team bookings)RIFLE HIRE: £25CONTACT: 07973 240177 (Andy); www.firefight.co.uk
FCS ESSEX ACADEMY
But as always, it’s not just the site that makes the skirmish. The FCS style really sets the tone. FCS is applying its own brand of airsoft to the Academy – planning, preparation and above all high levels of awareness pay massive dividends here.
This comes to the fore in a series of tac-op games. These are a number of short, swift and sharp scenarios, where each team is briefed separately on the overall mission and a number of secondary objectives, then given 10 minutes to plan their execution. Over the afternoon we found ourselves conducting vehicle-borne raids, covert extractions, search and rescue games and hostage rescue. Oh, and being initiated into the Church of Top Gun. Yes, you heard me right!
What really made these ops for me was the way the FCS approach led the teams to work up their own approach, and then carry it through in the face of changing objectives and last-minute curveballs thrown in by the briefi ng teams. I will never again assume that the agent we are extracting won’t have changed sides…
I also liked the way that the FCS gameplans sometimes took players out of conventional shooting, assault/defend roles and wrote them in as unarmed civilians,
So overall I think the Academy is a superb site for teams and individuals who want something more than an everyday blat-around skirmish. It really rewards players who want to get stuck in, to immerse themselves in a way of thinking and playing that’s as much about planning and execution as trigger time.
The day didn’t feel like a full-blown MilSim. While it had elements of that sort of game there was a level of creativity and the unexpected running throughout – all of which was governed by the overall rule of Don’t Be A Dick, making for some good-natured and extremely fun games.Well worth a visit!
covert-carry agents, casevac teams or stood-down OPFOR who couldn’t enter play until alerted. Not knowing the trigger that would awaken the other team (or indeed whether the group of civvies in front of were hiding any sidearms) meant that tension was up the moment you entered play. One note, though: dropping an impact grenade while sneaking up on sleeping OPFOR is generally a bad idea!
So what’s the conclusion? The site has tons of potential and the FCS team has put a huge amount of effort into making it a great place to play. The day I attended was only the second skirmish at the Academy, and although you should always expect a certain amount of bedding in with new sites I came away with a big smile on my face. A big part of that was down to friendly and helpful marshals and players, who really bought into the day and made it work.
But the really big thing for me was that many of the games were as much about assessing your own performance as they were about overall objectives. There was just as much satisfaction in being the guy that got the casualties evac’d as there was in being the team that grabbed the OPFOR leader.
SITE REVIEW | FCS ACADEMY
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074 November 2012
T hree things come from Portland
Bill, Dorset: Portland cement
and stone, staples of the
building trade; a thriving windsurfi ng and
watersports community tucked in behind
Chesil Beach; and a hotbed of anarchist
nutjob Raiders.
Residents of this picturesque south
coast landmark, which sticks out into the
channel like a hitchhiker’s thumb, don’t
know that if British society collapses their
rocky outcrop will be a key battleground
between the remnants of the old British
government and Socialist rebels.
In the dying days of 2012, fuel riots
lead to the collapse of Parliament and the
fracturing of society. Two main factions
form amid the rubble; the British Union
Forces (BUF) struggle to retain the
vestiges of Queen and country, while
the Free Peoples’ Movement (FPM) have
stuck two fi ngers up at the old order and
are fi ghting for freedom and a new way
of living.
The battle has raged back and forth
across the country, but the eventual
victory will go to whichever side can take
control of a strategically crucial supply
dump nestled in the rocky sides of the Bill.
The two factions mass for a fi nal weekend
of confl ict which will decide the future of
the British Isles. Unfortunately, a small
group of renegades who spurn both the
BUF and FPM are also on the ground and
ready to stick their oar in. Typical!
This is the storyline for the Badlands
Weekender, hosted by Spec Ops Airsoft
and Redwolf Airsoft at The Rock, a series
of quarries cut into Portland. As it’s a
weekender I’ve joined about 100 other
players camping up above the quarries.
We’ve got spectacular views; on one side
the English Channel and on the other,
acres of battlefi eld cut down into the earth.
Game onThis really is a special site; the quarries are
still active, meaning that the battleground
can change dramatically every week.
We actually descended from the Safe
Zone into a massive bowl formed by the
quarrying! Once you hit the fl oor of the
site there are tracks, gorges, blockhouses,
machinery and everywhere great piles of
rubble and giant stone boulders. I don’t
think I’ve ever had a similar sense that I
was entering a confl ict zone.
I’ve plumped to join the FPM for the
weekend. This isn’t a political choice – it’s
purely fashion. The BUF are kitted out in
full camo, as befi ts dull and conventional
government forces. The FPM is free to
cut loose with their gear, and take the
With the future of the British Isles at stake, Oscar Plummer joins the FreePeoples’ Movement to report on the fi nal battle, organised by Spec Ops
Airsoft and Redwolf Airsoft
BADLANDS: THE ROCKBADLANDS: BADLANDS: BADLANDS: BADLANDS: THE ROCKTHE ROCK
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FILMSIM | GUNMAN AIRSOFT
fi eld in a ragamuffi n style – there is some
fantastic clobber in circulation! Both sides,
though, are armed to the teeth and ready
for a fi ght.
We start off with a good briefi ng from
the Spec Ops Team – we’re under usual
rules, with one really crucial exception:
an absolute ban on coloured smokes.
This close to the channel they could well
alert the coastguard helicopters, which is
something to avoid. We’re then divided
into our respective sides, with each team
allocated a player marshal to maintain the
fl ow of the narrative and objectives as
well as help out players who are new to
the site.
We are entirely free to play as we wish
though and the teams soon organise
themselves into squads. For once I’m glad
I’ve brought comms – we are defi nitely
going to get spread out over a distance.
Fortunately, the nature of the site means
that reception is really rather good.
The fi rst day is about taking and holding
ground; there are a number of objectives
spread out around the site and we have
to take and hold as many as possible.
Secondary objectives are dropped in every
now and then. The team that captures
them gets bonus resources, such as
mortar rounds and airstrikes.
Both teams took off and got stuck in,
with hostilities triggered by a truly titanic
pyro. Some fi erce fi refi ghts kicked off
immediately, and then coalesced into a
series of running battles for two major
points – a crossroads and a ridge towering
over the site.
EVENT REVIEW | SPEC OPS AIRSOFT
fantastic clobber in circulation! Both sides,
AA_074-077 badlands_rev2APNS.indd 75 17/9/12 16:23:52
the ridge changing hands several times,
and ended with a fairly even score
between the teams. Back at the campsite
we compared notes on the day’s play
and the site. There was a really good
atmosphere between the teams – helped
along by great facilities at the campsite. As
well as Spec Ops providing lovely catering
and good, clean loos (very much a plus…)
Redwolf had brought a shop with a brilliant
selection of custom kit to drool over.
Redwolf also provided goodie bags for
every player and brilliant prizes for a raffl e.
There is always the question of how to
fi ll the evenings at a weekender – and the
Spec Ops guys played a blinder by staging
a spring/gas zombie game. They took us
down to a different, much more open
quarry, and divided us into two teams.
We were briefed that we were trying
to escape a quarantine zone. Whichever
side controlled a central point at endex
would be able to board the last helicopter
out. The quarantine zone was in place
because the dead were rising, of course,
and seeking the brains of the living. This
meant that as players were picked off
in the battle for the central point, they
rose as undead and started harassing the
survivors.
mentalists. Then it cheerily brassed me
up with a roof-mounted .50cal and tore
off into the distance with only the echo of
Black Sabbath to mock me as I bimbled
back to spawn. Awesome!
These were, of course, the local
Raiders, who proceeded to rampage
back and forth across the site for the
whole weekend, giving the good news to
whoever got in their way. I had thought
the FPM were rather natty, but these guys
looked absolutely brilliant: this season’s
raiders were sporting a combination of
leather, rubber, steel and even fur. The
Raiders, who were there to prod the
storyline along and provide a technical-
borne PA for the event, had put just as
much effort into their style of play as their
kit. From my perspective, they were really
even-handed – not hindering either team
unfairly – and did a great job of popping up
in various places to throw a new objective
into the mix and add a real fl avour to the
struggle. At one point, both sides of a
BUF/FPM fi refi ght I was in looked up to
see Raiders massing on the skyline. I’m
pretty sure I wasn’t the only one that
panicked just a little when we saw that
one was lugging a minigun into the fi ght!
The fi rst day saw the crossroads and
The site really is a pleasure to fi ght
through. There’s a lot of high ground
to take and hold, which offers great
opportunities for Dickers who lurk up on
ridges and coordinate their teams. At the
same time, random features and channels
formed by stone and rubble develop into
fi ercely contested infi ltration routes and
strongpoints. The site certainly keeps you
on your toes! I spend the early part of the
day fi ghting around the crossroads, and
certainly hadn’t scratched the surface of
the site by lunchtime – and better still, I’d
never really been out of a contact for more
than half an hour.
It wasn’t long before the locals paid
us a visit though. I was bunkered down
behind a pile of stone, dodging some
very canny BUF snipers, when I heard an
engine in the distance. I didn’t pay it too
much attention, being slightly distracted
by rounds bouncing off the boulder above
my head, until some music started. Odd,
I thought, and continued cowering in the
dust.
But then it started to get closer, and
closer… until a battered, jury-rigged,
tattered and heavily armoured technical
roared around the corner, screeched to a
halt and disgorged a horde of screaming
076 November 2012
AA_074-077 badlands_rev2APNS.indd 76 17/9/12 16:24:09
Portland, Dorset DT5 2EGSpec Ops also runs a woodland site at BloxworthPRICESWALK ON: £25RIFLE HIRE: From £15CONTACT: 07984 656947, www.specopsairsoft.co.ukRedwolf Airsoft www.redwolfairsoft.com
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT, THE ROCK
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 077
I got pinged out early on, so got to
spend the next hour or so charging around
like an utter moron, trying to separate
survivors from their team and turn them
into a walking corpse with a judicious blow
from my foam baton. I can honestly say
this was some of the best fun I have had
at an airsoft game – ever! As the numbers
of undead increased it almost turned into a
sheepdog trial – moaning lurchers herded
the teams (many of whom were yelping
amusingly) around the site. Every time a
survivor was tagged there was a massive
cheer from both survivors and zombies.
Eventually, though, it had to end. While
the blue team (wusses!) hid in a pile of
boulders, the red team found themselves
surrounded in the centre of the site and
bunched up into a last redoubt, which held
out for a few desperate minutes until they
were swarmed under. It was absolutely
brilliant, and only the failing light stopped
us starting all over again.
Seek and destroyDay two picked up the storyline again,
with each team having to secure and
deploy components for a rocket system
which would enable them to destroy their
opponents’ base and seize control of the
EVENT REVIEW | SPEC OPS AIRSOFT
“It cheerily brassed me upwith a roof-mounted .50cal
and tore off into the distancewith only the echo of Black
Sabbath to mock me as Ibimbled back to spawn.
Awesome!”
supply dump. Objectives which had been
fought for the day before now became
targets to destroy and deny to the enemy.
The fi ght rolled from one end of the site to
the other, ensuring new areas for players
to discover – a nice touch which helped
avoid any repetition. Energy levels stayed
high across both teams and there was no
second-day lull. The Raiders kept up the
pressure, with some daring raids on key
points or simply loitering in a threatening
manner – not to mention challenging
people to pistol duels!
We enjoyed the sunshine for much of
the day, although the temperature meant
a lot of fl uids were needed. Portland
stone is white and refl ects sunlight very
effectively! Everything came to a head
with both teams battling to move rocket
components up to the highest point of
the site, where they could be assembled
and fi red. A Hamburger Hill struggle
developed, with the FPM and BUF fi ghting
toe-to-toe for the summit.
Here the Spec Ops team had prepared
a real treat. The FPM narrowly edged
the battle (despite harassment from the
pesky raiders) and secured the launch
site – a multiple launch rocket setup. The
victors triggered the launch and got the
satisfaction of massive blasts destroying
the BUF base.
Badlands was an absolutely brilliant
event. I normally come away from a
game thinking of a couple of things that I
would have liked to see done differently,
but on this occasion I can’t. The only
downside for me was that my knees took
a battering from clambering around rocks
all weekend!
The Spec Ops team, the site, the
scenario and most importantly, the players
were all fantastic. There was great play,
and atmosphere, and a healthy dose of
humour throughout. I’ve got my fi ngers
crossed for another Badlands soon!
AA_074-077 badlands_rev2APNS.indd 77 17/9/12 16:24:43
078 November 2012
V ehicle checkpoints are used by armed
forces, terrorists, militias, guerrilla
groups and criminals throughout
the world. They are a method of controlling
movement of the opposition and access to a
specific area.
Sanctioned armed forces will use them to
deny terrorists and criminals the freedom of
movement along roads and highways, forcing
them to use harder, more arduous routes to ply
their deadly trade. This uses up their valuable
time, energy and resources. In a similar way,
law enforcement agencies deny criminals free
movement of drugs or trafficked people.
Vehicle checkpoints (VCPs) have several
things in common regardless of who’s
manning them. The one thing I am most aware
of (having driven through quite a few) is that
they are all dangerous – and I mean properly
dangerous, to everyone! You can’t fail to have
seen news footage of the twisted chassis of
cars in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq,
or seen horrible YouTube clips of truck bombs
tearing through VCPs.
The danger doesn’t come just from this kind
of incident though: the guys manning them are
a real danger too. Imagine for a moment that
you are given the job of manning a VCP for
24 hours. Recently there have been drive-by
shootings from AK47-wielding motorcyclists,
drivers charging through not being able to
understand you and the threat of suicide
vehicle borne improvised explosive devices or
car bombs – and all you’re armed with is your
personal weapon, body armour and your wits.
You’ll be bricking it! You’ll be tired, scared,
apprehensive, nervous and looking for threats
everywhere and in everyone. The safety catch
will be off and your finger will be nervously
caressing that trigger. You’ll be wired. You can
imagine these are not ideal circumstances
for keeping a cool head while looking for the
combat indicators.
Combat indicatorsThese are things around you that will let
you know that something is not right.
They’re a big one for troops in Afghanistan
currently; ask any soldier recently returned
or just about to go (having completed his
pre-deployment training) and he’ll reel them
off like his mobile number or email address.
The absence of the normal; presence of the
abnormal; empty streets that are normally
buzzing; evidence of recent digging near
roads; wires, unusual items around, things
that don’t belong… Even just the hairs on
the back of your neck standing up.
Our brains are incredible processors of
information (well mine is anyway) and we are
aware of only a fraction of what we take in. If
your conscious self didn’t spot it, maybe some
other part of you did and is letting you know
that it ain’t happy however it can. It’s also called
intuition.
When you approach a VCP it’s likely that
you’ll be unaware what has taken place in the
past few hours, so you need to do as little
as possible to make them twitchy or to draw
attention to you and your vehicle.
It doesn’t matter what rank you are or what
task you’re on; sights may well be trained on
you from the time you enter the approaches
to the VCP until you pop out of the other side,
and until they identify you as a ‘friendly’ you’re
at risk. You’re under someone else’s control,
so for your own safety put your ego in the
glove compartment or it may be shot off!
A few years ago an Italian rescue mission
went badly wrong in Iraq at a VCP. The hostage
had been successfully liberated from captors
in a daring raid and the relieved team, high
on their success, sped towards a friendly
checkpoint straight into a twitchy soldier – who
mistook the speeding vehicle for a threat. I
believe both the team leader and the girl they
rescued were killed.
Whether in the war zonesor part of a roleplayingevent, vehicle checkpointsshould be handledcarefully. Billy Basics explains…
AA_078-079 Skills_rev3APNS.indd 78 17/9/12 11:08:41
079www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
SKILLS ROOM | BILLY BASICS
You can also never guess at the mental
state of the bloke who asks you to wind
down your window. Years ago I drove through
a VCP in Bosnia and shared some cheerful
banter with the bored-looking Canadian guard
in the hut with an M203 in his hands. I think
I commented that it was “another glorious
day in the Corps” and that we were all living
the dream (which I borrowed from James
Cameron’s Alien).
By the time I had parked up and had a
coffee in my hand in the camp cook house, the
poor guy had blown his head off in the guard
hut. It turned out that he was on his fourth
tour of the same area and he’d had a ‘Dear
John’ that week. Of course I felt dreadful, and
I still think about him occasionally but it’s a
frightening illustration of the potential dangers
that you can only avoid by being really careful.
Established, permanent VCPs are for all
intents and purposes static ambushes which
“Until they identify you as a ‘friendly’ you’re at risk. You under someone else’s control, so for your own safety put your ego in the glove compartment or it may be shot off!”
no longer rely on the element of surprise to be
effective. They have the same elements (if you
need a detailed reminder refer to the ambush
articles): left cut-off, main body, right cut-off.
The cut-offs front and rear will have some
stopping power, often in the form of caltrops
they can pull quickly across the road to pop
tyres; there will be somewhere for them to
take cover and there’ll be a few of them, to
search but also to cover the searchers while
they are about it.
You’ll then pass into some form of
chicane, which can be formed of either
vehicles or barriers. The point of this is to
slow you down so they can pull you over.
There will be some form of command
element here where the boss will be.
Somewhere close by will be the big guns
with overwatch of the whole scene and
will provide advance warning from both
directions.
Illegal or rural VCPs might be just a few
barrels and a hut manned by some ill-trained,
unmotivated guys that have been there for
weeks, so what’s the best way to get through
unmolested? I always think of these kind of
checkpoints like school bullies. They’re not
manned by the brains of the operation or the
high flyers; they’re bored, looking to wind you
up and get a reaction. You might be the only
interesting thing that’s come along all day.
So the way to get through is to just be the
most boring person you’ve ever met at a party.
Just think dull, dull, dull. Approach slowly, keep
your hands in sight, don’t do anything unless
they tell you to, do what they tell you, don’t
offer any information unless you’re asked for it
and if they want to see in the trunk, open it.
Don’t answer back or get annoyed. If you do
they’ll be laughing to themselves and will delay
you until they get bored, and they have all the
time in the world. When you’re on your way
they’ll go back to mulling over how crap life is.
A rather impetuous colleague of mine took
the same route day in, day out with his driver
down a road in Africa. Each day he’d roll up to a
VCP and go through a pantomime with a guard
who wanted a little bribe, but didn’t want to
make it too obvious. So they’d haggle a bit, play
out the mock surprise for the dozenth time,
and they both knew where it was going.
One day my colleague was in a hurry and
gruffly said he didn’t have time and offered him
some notes, and probably didn’t even bother
to lift his sunglasses (he was a bit of a muppet
to be honest). The guard had them all out,
stripped off and sitting in puddles by the side
of the road for hours – and made them eat the
money!
So be careful and patronise at your peril.
Take care out there. Billy out.
AA_078-079 Skills_rev3APNS.indd 79 17/9/12 11:08:48
080 November 2012
Younger players are an important
group of skirmishers that are regularly
overlooked in the airsoft community.
Thankfully Airsoft Action has begun to buck this
trend through its Young Guns articles which
gives a valuable perspective from the younger
player’s perspective, now Michael Buttrick and
Nick Lawrence look to continue this good work
by looking at a sample of the loadouts available
for younger players to use and what may be
the best option for smaller players.
At a recent game a young player complained
of a headache. It was one of the hottest days
of the year (around 25°C with no cloud cover)
KEEP COOL AND CARRY LOADS
Mike Buttrick and Nick Lawrence have been working outwhich kit works best for younger players
1. DPM CHEST RIGA more compact piece of equipment, due to its design the chest rig sits comfortably across the torso. We felt it would be easier for smaller players to access the pouches, too.
Kristian rated this kit as his favourite: “You can reach the pockets easier, it is light and comfortable, though it is awkward to get on and off.
“You don’t notice it is there until you need to get something out.”
2. PLATECARRIERThe platecarrier was included as it is such a common piece of kit in airsoft these days, though at £100 for an
average item it may well be out of the price range of younger
players. This was Kristian’s
second favourite: “It’s good for carrying things and
easy to get to the pockets; it is
difficult to get on but once on it feels heavy but fine.
“I like the style and the
amount of easy access pockets.”
and the player was carrying around an AEG
with full magazines and was wearing a full-face
mask and tac vest. Despite several warnings in
the safety brief he hadn’t thought to take out
any water. Mike gave the player a drink and
suggested he remove his vest at lunch to carry
less weight.
We rarely consider the weight we are
carrying around at games. Neither of us is a
shining example of masculine physicality, but
we are not particularly small. We found out a
long time ago what load-out suited us best and
what weight we can carry without straining
ourselves. A few days later we talked through
the issue; it was obvious to us both that
younger players, while vastly smaller than the
average adult, will still try to carry the same kit.
What is the best kit for a younger player to use
though?
We called upon the help of Kristian, 12
years old and a regular player at our local club.
He’s typical of the younger demographic that
we encounter as marshals and players, and
his opinion would be invaluable in finding out
which load-out is best for the smaller player.
We gave Kristian the opportunity to try on
all of the different pieces of equipment and to
get into shooting positions while wearing them
AA_80-81 Load Carrying equip_rev2APNS.indd 80 18/9/12 09:16:51
081www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
YOUNG GUNS | KIT CHOICES
so that he could get the feel of how each one
would restrict his movement.
We also asked him to access the different
pouches to find how easy it was to get to
magazines and equipment. This last point
was one of the most vital issues – after all it’s
equipment designed for an adult with longer
limbs.
For the purposes of this article we have
chosen: DPM Chest Rig, Tan Platecarrier with
MOLLE pouches, Personal Load Carrying
Equipment (PLCE), Olive Green Belt Rig with
pouches, and a DPM Tac Vest.
ConclusionWe were quite surprised by this result; we
thought Kristian would lean more towards
the lighter and compact equipment. The
plate carrier was his second favourite
and when we asked if his choice was
influenced by console games he stated
that it wasn’t – he simply liked the design.
On a very hot day it may be better for
younger players to choose the chest or
belt rig, or the PLCE, as the lack of weight
will cause less water loss and help avoid
dehydration.
The tac vest may be a better option than
the platecarrier as it is lighter weight and has
a vented back piece to stay cooler. For winter
conditions the platecarrier and tac vest could
be better, as the increased weight of the kit will
keep you warm when the temperature drops.
Younger players should think wisely about
what kit they want to buy – the kit that looks
the coolest may not be the best choice for you.
You may want to consider different load-outs
for winter and summer games, but whatever
you do choose get out there and have some
fun!
4. BELT RIGThe belt rig was chosen for similar reasons to the PLCE, but didn’t impress Kristian – the design doesn’t work so well for smaller players.
Kristian summed up the belt rig: “It is light, easy to get on and take off and the pockets are easy to get to.
“The straps didn’t give much support and felt loose, and it was obvious it is meant for someone bigger.”
3. PLCEThe PLCE was included as it is
a good piece of equipment that allows the player to balance the weight they are carrying
on their hips, rather the torso. Ranked behind
the chest rig and platecarrier, Kristian said: “It is quite light and easy on the shoulder; it’s fairly easy to get to the pockets and easy to
get on and off.”
5. TAC VESTThe tac vest ranked last in Kristian’s list, surprising as it is a lightweight design falling between the platecarrier and chest rig.
Kristian said: “It has loads of pockets and is fairly
light; the pockets are easy to reach and it is easy
to move when wearing it.”
AA_80-81 Load Carrying equip_rev2APNS.indd 81 18/9/12 09:16:55
Having managed to get an
invite to the PlanetSide 2 beta
I thought I’d write a preview to
get you all excited for it. I need more
players to shoot at after all! By the time
you read this it may well be out and
have changed greatly, but currently
there’s no offi cial release date so who
knows?
The original PlanetSide was released
in 2003, and while older PC gamers may
hold it dear it had some pretty serious
issues that made it a little frustrating
to play. That aside it broke ground that
even to this day no other game has
attempted. It is the original Massively
Multiplayer Online First-Person Shooter
and while others have popped up over
the years, none come close to the scale
of PlanetSide.
The game is based around the
planet of Auraxis and the three factions
fi ghting for control over it. The map
currently in the game is 64km/sq of
uninterrupted fi ghting ground. It’s truly
huge, and if the original is anything to
November 2012082
With a business model emphasising free content over paid-foradvantages, PlanetSide 2 could be a revolution in MMOs.
Alex Wharton gets in on the beta actionAlex Wharton gets in on the beta action
go by there will be multiple content
expansions too.
The land is broken up into areas with
small outposts to sneak in and take
or huge bases that will require some
serious force to out the opposition.
Picking the side you will fi ght for
quickly becomes a matter of pride.
Your faction becomes your home and
you will fi ght to the death for it (usually
many times over!).
The three races are: Terran
Republic, New Conglomerate and
Vanu Sovereignty. The Terrran are the
government-backed military force and
the powerhouse on the planet. Their
ideals are built around the premise of
peace through war. They are the red
team and usually the most populous as
newer players usually join in droves.
The New Conglomerate are the
rebels and freedom fi ghters. They fi ght
against the Terran Republic to gain their
freedom and are represented by blue
on the map.
The Vanu Sovereignty are the new
thinkers of the human race, believing
that humans need to evolve by
adopting alien technology. They are
represented by purple and have some
of the most powerful weaponry of all
the factions. They are built around
speed and stealth, so hit hard and fast,
utilising laser and plasma weaponry.
No matter which faction you choose
there are seven classes to pick from,
each with its own strengths and
weaknesses. Nothing is quite as simple
as it seems here though: even the Light
Assault class, the basic all-rounder,
comes equipped with a jetpack allowing
you to launch onto roofs and over walls.
Strike fast from the skies!
Through Medic, Infi ltrator and MAX
Suit, the classes are hugely varied and
the range of abilities and weaknesses
makes teamwork vital. Each class has
different weapons you can unlock and
extra abilities or equipment to lug
around.
You can also change the way the
class is played. For example, on my
AA_82-83 Media_rev2APNS.indd 82 13/9/12 16:24:38
MEDIA REVIEW | PLANETSIDE 2
083www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
PlanetSide 2 is set to challenge the ‘pay
to win’ model. The game’s ‘cash shop’
doesn’t sell guns and vehicles that
give players a clear advantage; instead
it sells equipment already obtainable
in the game, as well as exclusive
visual customisations and 24-hour
‘XP boosters’. There is a small amount
of exclusive paid-for content, players
unwilling to part with real money can
use in-game currency to unlock the
majority of the upgrades.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait too
long for PlanetSide 2. I would urge
everyone to give it a go. The fi rst time
you roll out of a base in a tank, with
Heavy Assault class I have unlocked a
foregrip and a 3.5x scope. This means
I can sit at range and suppress players
as they assault instead of getting right
up close. I’ve also unlocked a 10x sniper
scope for those extra-long range shots.
Next I’ll be looking to pick up some
explosive packs so I don’t need to waste
my rocket ammo on stationary items.
There are a number of different
vehicles you can purchase. From the
small one-man quad bike used to get
you into the action to the massive
Galaxy support craft which holds a
huge number of players and acts as a
resupply and respawn point. There are
also some light or heavy gunships, a
couple of tanks and a big APC. Vehicles
are customisable too.
The game is ultimately free-to-play.
You create an account, download the
game and you can get stuck straight
in – no initial outlay required. While
most games using this model require
players to sink real money into their
character in order to be competitive,
another 30 beside you, squads in APCs
behind with gunships and Galaxys
overhead, you will realise exactly what
PlanetSide 2 is about – combat on a
truly epic scale!
DEVELOPED BY: Sony Online Entertainment
PUBLISHED BY: Sony Online Entertainment
PLATFORMS: Microsoft WindowsRelease date unconfi rmed (2012)www.planetside2.com
PLANETSIDE 2
AA_82-83 Media_rev2APNS.indd 83 13/9/12 16:24:54
SITE DIRECTORYFind somewhere to be this weekend…
084 November 2012
SYMBOL KEY Is it woodland or urban? Check the key!
UKARA
£
UKARA MEMBER
UKASGB MEMBER
URBAN
WOODLAND
PYROS ALLOWED
SHOP ONSITE
BATTERY CHARGING
REPAIR SERVICE
DESERTDESERT
ATROOP AIRSOFTClocaenog Forest, LL16 4SP07967 394976www.atroop.co.uk
ABSOLUTE AIRSOFTMaidenhead, SL6 3SS07871 314951www.absolute-airsoft.co.uk
ACE AIRSOFT WAR GAMESPenkridge, ST19 5RE07786 192832www.aceairsoft.co.uk
ACE COMBATKent, TN12 7DG01303 814803www.acecombat.co.uk
AIRBORNE 101 AIRSOFT CLUBDownpatrick, Co. Down, BT3007718 [email protected]
AIRSOFT ASYLUMNorth Lanarksire, ML7 [email protected]
AIRSOFT COMMANDOSSutton, near Ferrybridge07723 [email protected]
AIRSOFT KGBPorkellis Moor near Helston, Cornwall, TR13 [email protected].
AIRSOFT SKIRMISHStoulton, WR7 4QW07764 587410www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
AIRSOFT SKIRMISH CQBStudley, B80 7LY07764 587410www.airsoftskirmish.co.uk
AIRSOFT XCALIBREMacclesfi eld, SK10 4SZ07921 837658www.airsoft-xcalibre.co.uk
ALL ARMS AIRSOFTNear Trawden, BB8 8SN07909 683464www.allarmsairsoft.co.uk
ALPHA ELITE GAMINGLe Mont de Rozel, Jersey, JE3 501534 733697www.aegairsoft.je
AMAZON EVENTSHellingly, East Sussex, BN27 4HL0844 2570433www.amazonoutdoorevents.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES – CHOBHAMChobham, Surrey, GU24 8SL01252 315225www.ambushadventures.co.uk
AMBUSH ADVENTURES – SOUTHAMPTONNew Forest National Park, SP5 2DW01252 315225www.ambushadventures.co.uk
APOCALYPSE AIRSOFTSittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7QP07872 348 576www.apocalypseairsoft.com
ARENA AIRSOFTGrimsby, DN31 3JD07752 404060www.arenaairsoft.com
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 84 17/9/12 18:47:50
AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY
085www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data!
DOGS OF WARHouston, Renfrewshire, PA6 7BP07853 195290www.dow-airsoft.co.uk
DRAGON’S LAIRBrentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA07703 530189www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk
DRAGON VALLEY AIRSOFTCaerwent Training Area, South Wales, NP26 5XL07921 336360www.dragonvalley.co.uk
EAST MIDLANDS AIRSOFTEarlswood, B94 6SF0844 870 9785www.sabreforce.co.uk
ELITE ACTION GAMES – DORKINGDorking, Surrey, RH5 5AB01784 433023www.eliteactiongames.com
ELITE ACTION GAMES – EPSOMEpsom, Surrey, KT1801784 433023www.eliteactiongames.com
ELITE ACTION GAMES – WORTHINGWorthing, BN1301784 433023www.eliteactiongames.com
ELITE BATTLEZONEBexley, Greater London, DA5 1NX07968 448475www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
EXPERIENCE AIRSOFTSwindon, Wiltshire, SN5 0AN01380 728982www.experienceairsoft.co.uk
FIREFIGHT COMBAT SIMULATIONSLewisham, SE13 5SU07973 240177www.fi refi ght.co.uk
FIFE WARGAMESSt Andrews, KY10 3XLinfo@fi fewargames.co.ukwww.fi fewargames.com
FINMERE AIRSOFTBuckingham, MK18 4JT07976 184897www.fi nmereairsoft.com
FIREBALL SQUADRONSutton Coldfi eld, B75 5SA07582 684533www.fi reballsquadron.com
FIRST AND ONLY – ANZIO CAMPLeek, ST13 807862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY– BATTLE LAKESRoyal Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9AP07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – BUNKER WOODKidderminster, Worcs, DY11 5SA07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – KHE SANH WOODSOtley, West Yorkshire LS21 2NA07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – MANCHESTER WOODLANDBolton, BL7 9TS07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – THE ASYLUMKidderminster, DY10 3PT07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – THE EMBASSYLeicester, LE2 6EA07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
FIRST AND ONLY – THE MALLReading, RG1 1NR07862 288359www.fi rstandonlyairsoft.com
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - RIVOCK EDGEKeighley, BD20 0LS07891 469492www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - SHEFFIELD WOODLAND Sheffi eld, S6 6JE07891 469492www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CLOSE ACTION AIRSOFTCorby, NN17 3BB07740 165787www.close-action.co.uk
COMBAT ACTION GAMESMaryland, Norfolk, NR10 401328 711867www.combatactiongames.co.uk
COMBAT SOUTH URBANPortsmouth, PO6 3LS02392 655636www.combatsouth.co.uk
COMBAT SOUTH WOODLANDFareham, PO17 5ND02392 655636www.combatsouth.co.uk
CONTACT! FIGHT SCHOOLKelvedon Hatch, Essex, CM14 501438 368177www.thefi ghtschool.demon.co.uk
COOL UNDER FIREDoddington, Kent, ME9 0JS07960 532613www.coolunderfi re.co.uk
CORNWALL AIRSOFT ASSAULTTruro, Cornwall, TR207837 475012www.cornwallairsoftassault.co.uk
CUMBRIA AIRSOFTDumfries, [email protected]
DELTA TEAM 3Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 8UT07986 053076www.deltateam3.co.uk
AWA HERTSSawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ07732 184957www.awaherts.com
BARNSLEY AIRSOFTShafton, Barnsley, S72 8RE07779 236166www.barnsleypaintball.co.uk
BATTLETEC AIRSOFTLa Couture, Guernsey, GY1 207781 104068www.battletec.co.uk
BETTER BATTLESRavenshead, Notts, NG15 9DH07967 940043www.better-battles.com
BRAVO 2-2 AIRSOFT Leisure Lakes, Mere Brow, Southport. PR46JX07790 715059www.bravo22airsoft.com
BRISTOL AIRSOFTBristol, BS1 2HQ07776 288826www.bristolairsoft.com
BRIT-TAC AIRSOFTSheffi eld, S2 5TR07795 631331www.brittacairsoft.com
BUNKER 51Charlton, SE7 8NJ0870 7549653www.wolfarmouries.co.uk
C3 TACTICALLonghope, Gloucestershire, GL17 0PH07597 938011www.c3tactical.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE COMPLEX Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RP07891 469492www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - THE SANDPITBradford, BD2 1BQ07891 469492www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 85 17/9/12 18:48:08
SITE DIRECTORYFind somewhere to be this weekend…
086 November 2012
FREE FIRE ZONEFarcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH01733 247171www.freefi rezone.co.uk
FRV AIRSOFTAnnacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ07730 586926www.frvairsoft.com
GASS AIRSOFT – PENNPenn Bottom, Bucks, HP1007907 788970www.gassairsoft.co.uk
GASS AIRSOFT – PIDDINGTONPiddington, Oxfordshire, OX25 107907 788970www.gassairsoft.co.uk
GRANGE FARM AIRSOFTLeicester, LE9 9FPwww.gingerliberationfront.com
GREENZONE COMBATCo. Armagh, BT60 1NE07772 919974www.greenzonecombat.com
GUN HO AIRSOFTGuisborough, TS7 0PG07525 435696www.gunhoairsoft.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – CAMBRIDGEBury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP2807854 277264www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk
GUNMAN AIRSOFT – NORWICHNorwich, Norfolk, NR1007854 277264www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk
HIGHLAND TACTICAL AIRSOFTIV25 3PY07702 846090www.highlandtacticalairsoft.co.uk
HILTON PARK AIRSOFTWolverhampton, WV10 7HU08000 354490www.paintballuk.com
HOMELAND TACTICAL AIRSOFTSpanby, Lincs, NG34 0AT07971 560249facebook.com/HomelandTacticalAirsoft
INVICTA AIRSOFT – RAINDEN WOODSFolkestone, Kent, CT18 7AY01227 763335www.invictaairsoft.co.uz
ISLAND RECON AIRSOFT COMBATNear Shorwell, Isle of Wight, PO3007964 751047www.islandrecon.co.uk
LAND WARRIOR AIRSOFTGorebridge, Midlothian, EH23 4LG0131 654 2452www.airsoftedinburgh.co.uk
LAC SITE 1Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH07775 877057www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LAC SITE 2Gainsborough, North Lincs, DN21 4JH07775 877057www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LAC SITE 3Saxillby, LN1 2JW07775 877057www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LAC SITE 5Kirton Rd, North Lincs, DN1607775 877057www.lincolnshireairsoftclub.co.uk
LINDSEY AIRSOFTManby, Lincolnshire, LN11 8HE07955 487983www.lindsey-airsoft.co.uk
MATLOCK COMBAT GAMESMatlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5FW07974 507166www.matlockcombatgames.com
MAWMelton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE1407562 [email protected]
MIACornwall, EX23 9JL01288 331748www.airsoftsouthwest.co.uk
MILITARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURESWrightington, WN6 9PL01942 514724www.*militaryoutdooradventure.co.uk
MILSIM UKCheckley, Staffordshire, ST10 4NS07523 916607www.milsimuk.co.uk
NCIS AIRSOFTEdinburgh, EH14 [email protected]
NOMAD AIRSOFTFenwick, Ayrshire, KA3 6AY07904 998250www.nomadairsoft.com
NORTHERN ALLIANCE AIRSOFTThirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3LQ01845 565465www.northernallianceairsoft.co.uk
NORTHFLEET CQBNorthfl eet, Kent, DA11 9AA07968 448475www.elitebattlezone.co.uk
NSC AIRSOFTHetton, Sunderland, DH5 007983 333521www.nscairsoft.co.uk
NTACDurham, DL4 2ER01642 281220www.ntac.co.uk
OBAN AIRSOFT – HILL ARGYLLArgyll and Bute, PA37 107967 710185www.argyllsurplus.com
OP-TACTICAL UK – TEAN-OPSTean, Staffordshire, ST10 4JT07964 990831www.op-tac.co.uk
PATHFINDER GROUP AIRSOFT MILITARY SIMULATIONFormer RAF Camp Sopley/Merryfi eld Park, Hants, BH2302380 899369
PHOENIX AIRSOFTBudby, Notts, NG22 9FG01623 812483www.phoenix-airsoft.co.uk
PLATOON 1HQRochester, Kent, ME1 1 HQ01634 829063www.ptt-1hq.co.uk
PLAYERS OF WARHigh Bonnybridge, FK1 3AD07767 203979www.playersofwar.co.uk
PREDATOR COMBAT GAMESBallynahinch, BT24 8NF028 4377 0566www.predatorcombat.com
RAVEN’S NESTSuffolk, IP8 401473 831563www.ravensairsoft.co.uk
RAW WAR AIRSOFT CUMBRIAWigton, Cumbria CA7 3SZ01900 85645www.airsoftcumbria.co.uk
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 86 17/9/12 18:48:25
AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY
087www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Email [email protected] to add or change a site listing
RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ07751 586781www.riftairsoft.com
RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)Cambridge, CB24 8RL07751 586781www.riftairsoft.com
SECTION 8 AIRSOFTShotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB07974 026517www.s8airsoft.com
SECTION 8 AIRSOFTShotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB07974 026517www.s8airsoft.com
SG1 COMBAT GAMESCo. Londonderry, BT45 8NA07713 273102www.sg1combatgames.co.uk
SKIRMISH AIRSOFT BILLERICAYBillericay, Essex, CM11 2TX01277 657777www.airsoft-billericay.co.uk
SKIRMISH EXETERExeter, Devon, EX4 501548 580025www.airsoftexeter.co.uk
SOUTHDOWN AIRSOFTPetworth, West Sussex, GU28 0LR
07766 770830www.southdownairsoft.com
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – BLOXWORTHWareham, Dorset, BH20 7EU07984 656947www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
SPEC OPS AIRSOFT – THE ROCKPortland, Dorset, DT5 2EG07984 656947www.specopsairsoft.co.uk
STIRLING AIRSOFTCoventry, CV3 6NX07831 429407www.stirlingairsoft.com
STORMFORCE AIRSOFTRugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4LD07515 937633www.stormforcepaintball.co.uk
SUSSEX AIRSOFTSlinfold, RH12020 8150 9284www.sussexairsoft.co.uk
SW WAR GAMES – SCRAESDON FORTAntony, Cornwall, PL11 3AB08456 345011www.swwargames.co.uk
SW WAR GAMES – TREGANTLE FORTAntony, Cornwall, PL11 3AZ08456 345011www.swwargames.co.uk
TA EVENTSHemel Hemstead, Herts, HP2 7QB07894 059794www.ta-events.co.uk
TACTICAL WALES AIRSOFTReynoldston, Swansea SA3 1AS01792 473336www.tacticalwales.co.uk
TACTICAL WARFARE AIRSOFTWarlingham, Surrey, CR6 9PL020 8665 1299www.tacticalwarfare.co.uk
TASK FORCE SKIRMISHCowbridge, S Glamorgan, CF7102920 593900www.taskforcepaintball.co.uk
THE DESERTERS AIRSOFTRedford, DD1107751 878175www.thedeserters.co.uk
THE EX SITEMold, CH7 407840 001975www.theexsitewales.co.uk
THE WARGAMES CENTREStevenston, Ayrshire, KA20 3LN08456 434326www.scottishadventurecentre.co.uk
UCAP AIRSOFTPortsmouth, Hants, PO17 6AR07590 818881www.ucap.co.uk
UCAP GREEN OPSLinch, West Sussex, GU30 707590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
UCAP SANDPITBean, Kent, DA2 807590 818881 www.ucap.co.uk
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – FAWKHAMFawkham, Kent, DA3 8NY01268 796130www.ultimatewargames.co.uk
ULTIMATE WARGAMES – LIMPSFIELDOxted, Surrey, RH8 0RHwww.ultimatewargames.co.uk
URBAN6AIRSOFT – ZONE 13Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0QN07432 291729www.urban6airsoft.com
URBAN6AIRSOFT – IVYWOODElmhurst, Lichfi eld WS13 8EUwww.urban6airsoft.com
URBAN6AIRSOFTStone, Staffordshire, ST15 0QNwww.urban6airsoft.com
URBAN ASSAULTRamsey, Cambridgeshire, PE26 101733 247171www.urbanassault.org.uk
VIKING AIRSOFTWelwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 0UNwww.vikingairsoft.co.uk
WARMINSTER AIRSOFTWarminster, BA12 7RZwww.warminsterairsoft.co.uk
XSITE AIRSOFT OUTPOSTDunstable, LU6 2EE01494 881430www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk
XSITE AIRSOFT – LANE ENDHigh Wycombe, HP14 3NP01494 881430
Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data!
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 87 17/9/12 18:48:40
088 November 2012
DEALER LISTINGS
ADVERTISERS INDEXAction Hobbies .......................................................................29
Airsoft Innovations ................................................................35
BadgerTac .............................................................................36
Badger Tac 2 .........................................................................88
Combat Action Games ............................................................36
Dragon Valley Airsoft LTD .....................................................35
Edgar Brothers ......................................................................43
Enola Gaye ............................................................................30
First & Only Airsoft ...............................................................88
Gunman Airsoft .....................................................................30
JD Airsoft ........................................................................23, 88
Just BB Guns Ltd ...................................................................15
Land Warrier Airsoft ........................................................2, 88
Military 1st ......................................................................15, 88
Outdoor Pursuits / No VAT ....................................................30
Patrol Base ............................................................................24
Pro Airsoft Supplies .....................................................3, 88, 92
Redwolf ...................................................................................7
Shoot n’ Scoot ........................................................................88
Socom Tactical.........................................................................8
Surplus Store ...................................................................35, 88
Tactical Airsoft UK Ltd .........................................................36
Thatchreed ............................................................................91
TLSFx Ltd .............................................................................45
Wolf Armouries ...............................................................51, 88
Xsite Airsoft Ltd ....................................................................24
Action Hobbies ................................................................................................................. 29Airsoft Innovations .......................................................................................................... 35BadgerTac ....................................................................................................................... 36Badger Tac 2 ................................................................................................................... 88Combat Action Games ...................................................................................................... 36Dragon Valley Airsoft LTD ............................................................................................... 35Edgar Brothers ................................................................................................................ 43Enola Gaye ...................................................................................................................... 30First & Only Airsoft ......................................................................................................... 88Gunman Airsoft ............................................................................................................... 30JD Airsoft .................................................................................................................. 23, 88Just BB Guns Ltd ............................................................................................................. 15Land Warrier Airsoft .................................................................................................. 2, 88Military 1st ................................................................................................................ 15, 88Outdoor Pursuits / No VAT .............................................................................................. 30Patrol Base ...................................................................................................................... 24Pro Airsoft Supplies ............................................................................................... 3, 88, 92Redwolf ............................................................................................................................. 7Shoot n’ Scoot .................................................................................................................. 88Socom Tactical................................................................................................................... 8Surplus Store ............................................................................................................. 35, 88Tactical Airsoft UK Ltd ................................................................................................... 36Thatchreed ...................................................................................................................... 91TLSFx Ltd ....................................................................................................................... 45Wolf Armouries ......................................................................................................... 51, 88Xsite Airsoft Ltd .............................................................................................................. 24
088.indd 88 17/9/12 18:25:11
089www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
AIRSOFTACTIONBOOKSHOP
Total War - SRP £25.00AA Price £21.00
The Retreat - SRP £10.99AA Price £9.00
Cadet Pocket Book - SRP £8.00AA Price £7.50
Kill Switch - SRP £6.99AA Price £6.00
SAS Operation Storm - SRP £25.00AA Price £21.00
Soldiers Pocket Book - SRP £10.00AA Price £9.00
Killing for the Company (hdbk) - SRP £18.99 AA Price £16.00
The Kill Zone (hdbk) - SRP £18.99AA Price £16.00
The Kill Zone (pbk) - SRP £6.99AA Price £6.00
Never Surrender - SRP £8.99AA Price £7.50
Tank Men - SRP £8.99AA Price £7.50
Skill at Arms - SRP £6.50AA Price £5.00
Air Cadet Pocket Book - SRP £8.00AA Price £7.50
Army Cadet’s Log Book - SRP £4.00AA Price £3.50
AA_089-090_Bookshop_Rev2AP.indd 89 18/9/12 09:30:45
90 November 2012
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Elite:163 Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan - SRP £11.99AA Price £8.50
Raid:11 Pegasus Bridge – Benouville D-Day 1944 - SRP £11.99AA Price £10
Weapon:2 The Rocket Propelled Grenade - SRP £9.99AA Price £8.50
Elite:170 Special Operations Forces in Iraq - SRP £11.99AA Price £8.50
Soldier I – The Story of an SAS Hero - SRP £8.99AA Price £7.50
Weapon:7 The Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger - SRP £9.99AA Price £8.50
Elite:160 World War II Infantry Assault Tactics - SRP £11.99AA Price £10
Elite:168 World War II Street Fighting Tactics SRP £11.99AA Price £10
Title Author Category Code SRP AA price
Tank Men Robert Kershaw Non-fi ction 1112-001 £8.99 £7.50
Never Surrender Robert Kershaw Non-fi ction 1112-002 £8.99 £7.50
Total War Michael Jones Non-fi ction 1112-003 £25.00 £21.00
The Retreat Michael Jones Non-fi ction 1112-004 £10.99 £9.00
SAS Operation Storm
Roger Cole & Richard Belfi eld Non-fi ction 1112-005 £18.99 £16.00
Kill Switch Bill Shaw Non-fi ction 1112-006 £6.99 £6.00
The Kill Zone Chris Ryan Fiction 1112-007 £18.99 £16.00
The Kill Zone Chris Ryan Fiction 1112-008 £6.99 £6.00
Killing for the Company Chris Ryan Fiction 1112-009 £18.99 £16.00
Soldiers Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd), Rupert Godeson and John H Harris Non-fi ction 1112-010 £10.00 £9.00
Cadet’s Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 1112-011 £8.00 £7.50
Air Cadet Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 1112-012 £8.00 £7.50
Army Cadet Log Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 1112-013 £4.00 £3.50
Skill at Arms And Shooting Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 1112-014 £6.50 £5.00
World War II Street-Fighting Tactics Stephen Bull Non-fi ction 1112-015 £11.99 £10.00
World War II Infantry Assault Tactics Gordon L Rottman Non-fi ction 1112-016 £11.99 £10.00
Pegasus Bridge Benouville 1944 Will Fowler Non-fi ction 1112-017 £11.99 £10.00
Soldier I – the Story of an SAS Hero Pete Winner Non-fi ction 1112-018 £8.99 £7.50
Special Operations Forces in Iraq Leigh Neville Non-fi ction 1112-019 £11.99 £8.50
Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan Leigh Neville Non-fi ction 1112-020 £11.99 £8.50
Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger Leroy Thompson Non-Fiction 1112-021 £9.99 £8.50
The Rocket Propelled Grenade Gordon L Rottman Non-Fiction 1112-022 £9.99 £8.50
Total
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099www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
099.indd 99 17/9/12 16:21:16
0100 November 2012
100.indd 100 17/9/12 10:03:43