issue 18 - jan 2013
DESCRIPTION
Airsoft Action kicked off 2013 with FOUR weapon reviews, FOUR event/site reports and took our first look at Practical Pistols. We also put Wiley-X glasses to the test while Gadge turned his attention to British "Tropical" kit in Cold War Warrior and Billy Basics gave us the low down on Observation Posts.TRANSCRIPT
Act
ion
JAN
UA
RY 2013
THE Airsoft Magazine
01
977
2047
3480
18>
Tokyo Marui MP7 GBB ❱ Skirmish Leicester ❱ Practical pistols ❱ Student ’soft Janu
ary
2013
– £
4.25KWA CQR Mod 1
REviEWEdWe review KWa’s newest rifle – and you can win it!
WilEY-X oN TEsT Wiley-X gloves and glasses go under the ’scope
PRoToCol 7: lARP AiRsofTKarl aston explores the crossover between the hobbies
AiR
sofT A
CTioN
WiN KWA CQR Mod 1 WoRTH ovER £200!
red oneMiLSiMoperAtion:red drAgon
new we GearhAs the tAiwAnese
MAnufActurer turned A new leAf?
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contentsAirsoft Action – January 2013
6 readers’ gallery are you in this
month’s gallery?
9 airsoft News magpul pts pdr teaser,
new site, airsoft show...
12 review: Kwa CQr Mod 1 ratty gets stuck in with
kwa’s latest aeg
16 MilsiM: red oNe oscar p has the action
from red one’s milsim epic
23 praCtiCal pistol: test Baz thakur finds out
whether airsoft pistols are ‘practical’
28 review: tM Mp7 gBB is tm’s latest gBB
smg up to scratch? scott allen has the answer...
32 CoMpetitioN one kwa cQr mod 1 is up
for graBs this month
editor: Nigel streeter assistant editor: anthony plattsub-editors: Natasha Clark, Mike Hine, Natalie parkergraphic design: steve dawsonart director: Chris sweeneyad design: Matt smithadvertising: toni Colegroup production editor: Colin fallon operations director: James folkardassistant 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 streetleamington spa.warwickshire. cV32 5sztel: 01926 339808 fax: 01926 470400e: [email protected]: www.blazepublishing.co.uk © Blaze publishing limited, 2013
Distribution: Distributed to the newstrade by Comag Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE T: 01895 433 800
Copyright © Blaze Publishing Limited 2013. 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 reflect those of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions prior to print.
35 site: sKirMisH leiCester michael Jones Joins the
action at skirmish leicester’s first open day
38 wiley-x Kit test we put wiley-x glasses
and gloVes to the test
42 eveNt: protoCol seveN karl aston discoVers post-
apocalypse larp
48 Big Boyz toyz this month ratty tells
us all aBout the humBle uniVersal carrier
53 deBate: real or repro? is it worth splashing out
on genuine military gear?
54 review: MaruzeN ppK/s Bond fans will adore
maruzen’s ppk/s – But not its performance...
57 Cold war warrior gadge turns his attention
to British ‘tropical’ kit
004 January 2013
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Buses. You know what they’re like – you wait for ages and then a bunch come along at once. Well it would seem that the airsoft industry has chosen to emulate London’s transport network, with guns coming from all over the place
– and we’ve got the spike strips out to make sure they stop at our door!Over the last few weeks we’ve got our hands on long-awaited arrivals from WE and
KWA, and but for a delay in shipment would also have had the PTS Magpul PDR for you – you’re just going to have wait until next issue for that. There is also something else coming that we can’t tell you about (just yet) but it is so close that my trigger finger is already starting to twitch – and I know yours will too when it gets here.
As this year ends and we look forwards I can see a really bright future for airsoft in the UK.
We’re still in the grip of a recession and yet airsoft continues to thrive and grow. Every month we learn of new shops and sites and some truly innovative ideas to promote airsoft generally, like the British Airsoft Show, which is shaping up to be an amazing event (and if you haven’t got your tickets yet, why not?)
More and more people are becoming aware of airsoft and that it is not ‘just like paintball but different’. I think 2013 is the year that we will well and truly see airsoft standing on its own two feet and no longer living in the shadow of a vastly inferior game.
I am pretty sure there will be some bumps along the way but I hope, in 13 issues’ time, to be looking back on the year that belonged to airsoft.
From me and everyone at Airsoft Action, have a really wonderful Christmas and New Year and I’ll see you on the other side.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.
60 Billy BasiCs oBserVation posts are
crucial, says Billy
64 we: froM tHe asHes... are we’s latest releases
enough to change Jay s’ opinion of its offerings?
68 studeNt airsoft how do students Balance
studies and ‘softing?
72 sKills rooM: rooM eNtry andy n teaches proper
room entry techniQue
74 site: uCap wiNg oscar plummer: winging it
78 sKills rooM: war at xMas dan mills on the trials of
deployment at xmas
84 site direCtory find somewhere to Be
next weekend (don’t forget your thermals!)
88 BooK sHop find a good Book to curl up
with this christmas…
facebook.com/AirsoftAction
find us on…
005www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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006 January 2013
Send your pics into [email protected] and see yourself in the mag – the more the merrier!
READERS’ GALLERY
Team OAP’s Kev at the NAE!
Lee Kelly’s Afghan look at Phoenix Airsoft in Nottingham
Zombie Joe at MAW Halloween shoot!
Lloyd Brinkley at RAW War’s charity event
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airsoft | news
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airsoft newsAirsoft Action has it on good authority that Magpul PTS’ Personal Defence Rifle (PDR) will arrive in the UK very soon – and at a much lower price point than we had anticipated. We can confirm that the rifle will retail at around £320 in the UK. Watch out for our February 2012 edition for a full review of this long-awaited RIF.
It seems an age ago that Airsoft Action was chatting with Alex Ko on the PTS stand at SHOT Show in Las Vegas and he showed us the PDR. At that time it was expected to be launched sometime in the middle of 2012, but delays in manufacturing and PTS’ desire to make sure it is perfect before launching it culminated in a series of delays.
If all goes well and the wind sets fair from the Orient, we should have our grubby little mitts on one over the Christmas break and if we do, you, dear reader, will be the first to know about it.
So while we’re waiting, take a deep breath, count to 10 and take one last look at these pictures...
Magpul pts pDr on its way
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010 January 2013
Cerberus Airsoft has agreed the use of Lightwater Valley Theme Park near Ripon in North Yorkshire.
The whole grounds of the park have been divided into areas and Cerberus intends to use each area for various airsoft-related activities throughout the year.
The first area, around 300 acres of disused golf course and woodland, will open in January 2013. The area contains one of the rollercoaster rides at the theme park, which is closed until summer,
leaving the whole area open for use. This area includes a mix of woodland types, undulating terrain,
roads, streams and even a couple of tunnels.The first open day on the site is scheduled for 6 January 2013. If you
want to be among the first to experience a new, unplayed site in what should be an awesome, unique location, get in touch with Cerberus via its website. Events dates and full details can also be found on the website at: www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk.
new Cerberus site in theMe park
Propper International – the company behind A-TACS
camouflage – has launched three ‘premium apparel
collections’: Sweep, LS1 and CCMF.
“These new collections are about looking at the public safety
market a little differently without compromising fit, function
or style,” said Propper’s president of international sales, Bryan
Griggs. “Propper has experienced a dramatic shift in product
creation, but will stay true to our heritage of quality and value.”
The Sweep collection is designed for use in the covert, non-
uniform environment, while the LS1 is engineered to enhance
your speed and agility. The CCMF range is built to withstand
merciless heat and humidity. A portion of proceeds from the
sale of all three collections will benefit Sheep Dog Impact
Assistance, a volunteer organisation that supports military and
law enforcement personnel in times of need.
For more information about Propper visit: www.propper.com.
propper unveils new ranges
Armex has finally caught up with the tech-savvy airsoft world and launched its airsoft-specific website.
Armex, the exclusive UK distributor of Umarex products, has
registered the domain www.armex-airsoft.com. The website details the full list of Armex’s airsoft weapons and accessories and includes a dealer locator for customers to find their nearest Armex stockist.
arMex airsoft website launCheD
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airsoft | news
011www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
CorreCtion In our last issue’s Xmas Gift Guide we
misprinted Abbey Supply Company’s website – the address is: www.abbeysupply.com. Our apologies to Abbey Supply Co and any
readers that found themselves wondering what a charity consultant had to do with demisting goggles or gassing guns…
By the time you read this there will be just over a month to go until the first ever British Airsoft Show, held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on 9-10 February. If you’ve not yet bought your ticket there’s still time to buy advance tickets and save some pennies on the door price.
The dedicated website for the British Airsoft Show is now live too (previously it had been incorporated in the British Shooting Show website) – visit www.britishairsoftshow.com for more info.
Visitors to the show will have access to both the Shooting Show and Airsoft Show, so if you’re looking to expand your interest in shooting there’s no better time. Last year’s show was an excellent showcase for airsoft and this year is set to be bigger and better.
We’re very excited to be supporting what is shaping up to be a
very important event in the airsoft calendar. If you’ve not yet bought your tickets visit the website; advance tickets for both days cost £28 for an adults and £12 for children (aged 8-15; free entry for under-8s).
CountDown tobritish airsoft show
xMas CoMpetition winnersLast month we gave you the chance to win lots of goodies,
including the new Medal of Honor: Warfighter for Xbox
360, courtesy of EA Games, and two fantastic pistols from
Redwolf Airsoft.
Results are in and we are very happy to reveal the winners
as follows.
The answer to our pistol competition was Dr No – and the
Maruzen PPK/S goes to Gary Steel of Surrey. The second
pistol, the RWL/Nighthawk Custom Talon, goes to Bart
Kondratiuk. Congratulations to both.
The winner of the MoH competition – with the correct
answer ‘Brazil’ – is Cameron Rimell of Middlesex.
If you’ve missed out this time, flick to page 32 for yet
another chance to blag yourself some freebies.
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012 January 2013
Before you flick over to the next article, tutting to yourself and thinking, ‘Oh look! A review on yet another M4…
Yawn…’ hold your horses!
For some time now KWA has been producing outstanding AEGs in the mid- to high-end sector of the airsoft market. So what makes the CQR range different from its existing M4 range? The line from KWA is that the CQR range (Mod 1 = M4, Mod 2 = CQB) have been designed to be strong and durable yet lightweight, specifically for players at indoor and CQB venues.
Only one way to find out if these goals have been achieved, really…
First impressionsAs with all KWA RIFs it comes in a sturdy, plain box, which leaves you in no doubt that you have bought a KWA item. The only identifier is the label on the side, which states precisely what goodie is hidden inside and has the weapon’s serial number on it.
I must say that the manual for the CQR is well-written and very comprehensive.
Taking out the CQR, my first thought was that it is a mix of traditional M4 and a more modern, funky version. It has the newer-style six-position collapsible stock, and at the back end of the receiver is a single-point sling mount (which is often overlooked as a standard feature on many brands of M4). The metal upper receiver is a normal M4 flat top version with a rail to mount optics of your choice, as it doesn’t come with the usual M4 carry handle/iron sight set up. Instead it comes with an adjustable rear sight assembly, which you can either leave on as a back-up battle sight or remove totally depending on your optic option.
The lower receiver is where the real differences in the CQR range lie. Made
Ratty puts KWA’s lightweight M4 CQB variant to the test.Is it just another M4, or something a little bit different?
KWA CQR Mod 1from a lightweight polymer, it is stamped with the KWA logo as well as its unique serial number. The word ‘lightweight’ does it a bit of a disservice, really – the polymer is stiff and looks like it will take a knock, so do not confuse it with ABS/plastic receivers found on other M4s costing much the same. The layout of buttons, catches, hop adjustment and so on are all in the places they should be, so no dramas there.
The insidey partsThe magazine supplied is a 120-round polymer mid-cap which looks similar in many ways to a P-Mag, adding to the funky M4 look and feel. The one I tested came with an extra pair of these poly mags in the package – I’m not sure that this is a standard feature or whether mine was a special edition.
The front handguard is a standard M4 style made of reinforced fibre. This is where your battery is contained. A normal front foresight assembly is fitted as standard and the Mod 1
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the Armoury | KWA CQr mod 1
“At 100ft the 0.20s werethwacking away into the target.on semi the trigger was really
responsive, allowing doubletaps without any real obviousdelay that you sometimes get
in a normal AEG. I moved backanother 10 feet and put somemore rounds into the target.”
has a standard 14in metal outer barrel, with a 14mm CCW thread fitted with a an M16 A2 flash hider – so a pretty plain front end on what is otherwise a nice-looking M4.
This does, of course, allow end users to fit their choice of rail system if desired and customise their own rifle. The only downside I can see here is the fitting of your battery, as it would mean rewiring the rifle to the rear to fit a LiPo battery pack in the stock/buffer tube.
Internally, the CQR range is fitted with the ever-popular and bombproof 2GX
gearbox. These gearboxes have enjoyed rave reviews in other models, but for those who have not come across these before, I’ll enlighten you a little. With its
reinforced gearbox casing, a set of steel gears and 9mm bearings, these gearboxes are deemed by many the best available on the market today for build quality and fire rate. Having had an AEG that had one of these gearboxes fitted, I can vouch for their robustness and reliability – and I’d add that I found it had a really good, quick trigger response.
Most AEGs have an internal barrel diameter of 6.08mm, and folks then fit a tightbore barrel (usually 6.03mm or 6.04mm). However, the CQR comes fitted with a 6.05mm as standard.
This, along with the superior gearbox, helps make this gun a fantastic CQB weapon, given that speed, accuracy, quantity of rounds down and aggression are the name of the game.
on testKWA says that the CQR range is able to run on 9.6v NiMh, through to 7.4v and 11.1v LiPo batteries. So for this test I charged up a 9.6v 1600mAh GP cell battery and an 11.1v 1300mAh crane-stock-style battery. I set up a static target at a range of roughly 100ft and a course of five targets in one of our on-site buildings, and it was time to put this Mod 1 through its paces.
I took a bottle of both Blaster Devil 0.20g and Blaster Devil 0.25g BBs to give it an across-the-board test. After a little squirt of silicone spray where necessary and a quick barrel clean, I estimated where the hop adjuster should be set to. I loaded three
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120-round mags with 0.20g BBs, along with three hi-caps to bed it all in first.
First hi-cap in, I just blatted off the whole thing in a half-dozen trigger pulls. The BBs were flying past my static range target before dropping. By the time the third mag was emptied and I’d done a bit of fiddling of the hop adjuster, it was time to do some proper testing.
At 100ft the 0.20s were thwacking away into the target. On semi the trigger was very responsive, allowing double taps without any real obvious delay (which you sometimes get in a normal AEG). I moved back another 10ft and put some more rounds into the target; they were still achieving a decent grouping. With another 10ft added it started to lose its impact, and groupings started to suffer. Still, 120ft with a standard rifle is no mean feat.
From there it was into my multi-target CQB area. With a fresh mag in I set off round the course. As I worked my way round the various rooms and engaged the ‘baddies’, the gun felt light, agile and manoeuvrable, with the fire selector giving an audible click when it went into position, so I was certain it had actually selected what I was after.
Flicking between semi to full and back again, the trigger was impressively responsive, and with an 11.1v LiPo fitted, this
some readers may think the Mod 1 is too long for CQB work – in that case opt for the CQR Mod 2, which is the short-barrel CQB version.
The Mod 1 is also a fantastic all-rounder. The performance of that KWA 2GX makes this gun special for the price. I was impressed by both accuracy and rate of fire on my tests. I even like the 120-round mid-cap mags.
Overall I think it’s a great offering from KWA and would make a good addition to anyone’s armoury. If you are playing predominantly at a CQB site it should be a serious contender on your shortlist. In old saying terms, it’s an airsoft wolf in sheep’s clothing.
ConstruCtion: Metal/polymerLength: 774mm (stock retracted) 857mm (stock extended)Weight: 2,770ginner barreL Length: 395mminner barreL diaMeter: 6.05mmbattery: 9.6v niMh, 7.4v or 11.1v 15c LiPo/LiFeMagazine: 120-round mid-capVeLoCity: ~320fpsPriCe: expect to pay around £200ContaCt: defiance airsoft www.defiance-airsoft.com
KWA CQR Mod 1
thing has a wicked rate of fire. At this point I thought it best to chrono the beast and see what it was pumping out as standard. On a mag of 120 BBs, readings varied from 315-335fps. Not bad at all, given it is designed for CQB work.
I repeated the process again with 0.25g BBs; after adjusting the hop, off we went. On the range the heavier rounds made a noticeable difference: at 100ft the grouping was much tighter and at 120ft they were still achieving a definite group, even though they took a little longer to get there. On the CQB scenario it was just awesome – especially with the 11.1v Li Po fitted. On the chrono with the heavier weight BBs, the CQR was still achieving 291-306 fps.
SummaryThis AEG has proved a bit of a toughie for me. I am an M16/M4 fan and from the back end the KWA looks great. The standard M4 front end is a bit of a let down in comparison, but I can understand the reason. That said, I do still like the simplicity and ease of battery changing in this configuration. The fact that it’s a full metal upper receiver with a polymer lower is a novel idea. You would be surprised how agile and lightweight this CQR is: it certainly would make a top-performing CQB weapon. I know
the Armoury | KWA CQr mod 1
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Copehill Down lies hard in behind Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain. While the latter is a focal point
for tourists, druids and other assorted crusties, Copehill is a permanent fi xture in the training regimen of the British Armed Forces – which means it’s not uncommon to see MTP and tie-dye gear in the same coffee shop at the nearby Solstice Park services.
But regardless of your dress sense it should be on every airsofter’s list of places to play. Built in the 1980s as a FIBUA training area it simulates a typical Bavarian village found on the former border with the Warsaw Pact – and therefore would
have been a key battleground in the event of WWIII.
Of course history intervened; the Berlin Wall and the entire Iron Curtain came tumbling down. Nonetheless, Copehill has remained one of the key urban training areas for British Forces and recent changes mean it more closely replicates the current area of operations.
It’s a fully formed battleground – streets, houses, hotels, shops, barns, church – every form of building you would expect. That means a very complex environment to take, secure and hold, starting from FOBs which act as foundations for patrolling security forces.
I was at Copehill to take a look at Operation Red Dragon, a 36-hour MilSim event organised by Red One Airsoft in association with UTAG. The background scenario is chilling: the US, weakened economically, has succumbed to a Chinese-sponsored attack and fallen from the world stage.
Meanwhile, a coalition of former Eastern Bloc states are revolting in other western countries, and have brought open warfare to the towns and cities of the UK.
As this is a full MilSim event I did not take part as a player as that would have limited me to just one perspective of the event. Instead I was an observer, and this
Wondering if it could ever happen for real, Oscar Plummer reports fromCopehill Down on Red One/UTAG’s chilling scenario
RED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONOPERATIONOPERATION
RED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGONRED DRAGON
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MILSIM | RED ONEMILSIM | RED ONE
article is a snapshot of episodes from an eight-hour period of a 36-hour game, fought through the streets of a village many of us could recognise as home.
Game onI approach a fortifi ed gate. It’s a quiet, almost silent morning. The sunlight is bright and the ground is still wet from heavy rain overnight, but there is tension in the air.
I’ve been walking through a built-up area for 15 minutes, all the while feeling as though I’m being watched though I’ve seen nothing but the odd fl ash of a face at a window, a fi gure in a distant doorway… It was the faint rumble of a generator that led me to this corner of the village and I know I am being watched. I knock gingerly on the door and receive a gruff challenge – I explain my predicament and the gate swings back, just wide enough for me to step through.
I’m immediately relieved to see Union Flags on the men and kit inside the gate. I’m less reassured by the wary, untrusting expressions on their faces, and the fact that at least three weapons are trained on me. I raise my hands and am gestured inside.
Some 30 minutes later I’m handed a cup of tea and the situation is explained. The base is held by UK armed forces – a mixed bag of regulars and SF have come into the area to re-establish government presence and restore order. Outside the walls, though, is a hostile insurgent
“From concealed positions, thesupporting insurgent squadsopen up a withering crossfi re onthe troops leaving the gate. Withinseconds the net is alive with shouts thatthe entire Callsign is down”
force mixed among the innocent civilian population. I’m shown pictures of individuals and asked if I have seen any on my way into the base – I’m told they are members of the Chinese and Iranian Special Forces who have whipped local malcontents into the near-revolution going on outside the walls. The UK forces are trying to hunt down these individuals – remove them and the insurgency will be left headless, and order can return.
Shortly after, a vehicle comes to life in the courtyard. A Quick Reaction Force is saddling up to act on intelligence that one of the High Value Targets may have been spotted. They look tired – they spent the night patrolling the village and although there was little contact the tension is clearly taking its toll. At least they managed to set up covert OPs in the village, one of which is sending back intelligence.
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then fade away. At other times, the superior organisation and fi repower of the military tells and groups of insurgents are surrounded and either captured or eliminated. Ultimately, though, organisation tells and the teams achieve their goal. They return to the FOB, a debrief is called and food and fl uids are consumed. In the Ops Room, another insurgent photograph is marked inactive.
The men in the FOB are sure there is a bigger plan in action outside the walls, but they don’t know exactly what it is. Around the Ops table intelligence is gathered, insights are formed and a plan is drawn together.
Show of forceBut this is not a one-sided battle. Talking to the men inside the FOB it’s clear that they have been kept on their toes all night and expect a long day to come. There are tales of insurgents harassing the FOB, hiding amid civilians for protection. I witnessed at least one attempted breach of the FOB, with the QRF called out to sweep their own backyard. Throughout the day,
The vehicle roars out of the gate, heading for a building a few streets away. From my position near the main Ops table I can overhear the reports coming in to the team coordinating activity. I sneak a look at
the roster and see that two sections are outside the FOB
and being manoeuvred to dominate the target.
It’s not long before the QRF calls in a contact, with two hostiles swiftly downed as the UK teams work their way professionally towards the objective. But success does not last long. Faces fall around the Ops table as the fi rst casualties are called. With scant reserves of manpower every casualty is a blow. While the teams out on the ground shake themselves into a line of advance, the QRF vehicle is loaded with casualties and sent back to the FOB, pursued by the mocking taunts of the OPFOR.
Over the next hour the situation outside fl uctuates – at times the UK forces seem pinned by a fl uid, unstructured gaggle of insurgents who appear, fi re,
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FOB, who have disrupted an exchange of drugs for guns. The troops, unwittingly, had actually separated one of the HVTs and the consignment of narcotics from his comrades, forcing him to hide under a burnt-out vehicle for several hours. The drugs were stashed in a quiet building while the revolutionaries constructed a plan to recover them, make the deal and then sort out the troops. They proudly show me a map showing an intricate web of IEDs, booby traps and ambush points they are crafting around the FOB. Their intention is clear: as soon as their business is complete they will silence the FOB once and for all. They proudly show me mobile phone footage taken within the FOB – last night they had infi ltrated the site and fi lmed a UK forces orders group.
I remark that it seems quiet; they tell me they are husbanding their forces. They have a small number of combatants effectively tying down the entire FOB and any patrols that push out – either with weapons or by posing as unarmed civilians, while their main strength is bunkered into two heavily fortifi ed positions waiting for nightfall.
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civilians, while their main strength is bunkered into two heavily fortifi ed positions waiting for nightfall.
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I decide to try my luck and ask if they were unable to mount a full-scale assault on the FOB. Grinning they answer me with action, not words. A few swift phone calls are made and squads of insurgents muster unseen, taking cover within striking distance of the FOB. The leaders themselves mount up in the back of the truck, and move slowly in the direction of the FOB.
As they reach the fi nal corner they up their pace and roar towards a sangar built into the corner of the concrete fence. Debussing at speed they suppress the defenders while one of their number tacks in and posts a frag straight through a viewing slit. That almost seems to be a signal for the defenders to bite back – a squad bursts through the gate and a vehicle-borne section pushes out on a fl anking sweep.
What happens next silences the UK forces’ leadership – from concealed positions the supporting insurgent squads open up a withering crossfi re on the troops leaving the gate. Within seconds, the net is alive with shouts that the entire Callsign is down. The QRF vehicle turns
insurgent vehicles and personnel circled the FOB just out of range before sweeping in close to roll grenades towards the gate and send speculative shots towards wary sentries.
After one of these incidents I took my leave of the FOB and set out to try and make contact with the insurgents and get the view from their side.
It doesn’t take me long – I’m less than 100ft from the gate when the fi rst rifl e is trained on me; a pair of lightly-armed insurgents are tucked into a doorway, observing my progress. I try to explain my presence but words fail me – in desperation I ask them to take me to their leader.
The insurgent hierarchy – PLA and Iranian advisers – are clustered around a pickup, planning their next moves. They quickly explain their intentions to me; their strategic aim is clear cut – the overthrow of the remnants of the government. Their tactical objective in this area is similarly straightforward – obtain weapons.
They have been thrown off track by the intervention of the troops in the
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MILSIM | RED ONE
January 2013
sharply and heads back to try and extract casualties and turn the situation around. Luck is with them and their journey brings them neatly up behind a contingent of insurgents who are swiftly eliminated. The PLA advisers, devastating the opposition just moments before, fi nd themselves outfl anked and pinned.
Cooler heads soon prevail – both command teams know that they need to conserve their strength for their main aims and pull in their horns. Both sides step away to lick their wounds and continue planning.
Seven PsAs light starts to fail both teams are completing their plans for the fi nal phase of the engagement, and know that conserving their troops’ stamina is key. In a twist to the tale, both sides are convinced that the other has more resources and more energy than they do, and that affects their plans.
The insurgents need to retrieve their stash and make the trade. They plan to retrieve their resources as soon as possible as they believe that the UK forces
will wait until the early hours to make their move. The UK forces need to push out and capture the fi nal HVT but believe the insurgents will set heavy ambushes during darkness, so intend to move quickly.
As I am pulling out from the confl ict zone the next series of clashes between the two sides begins to fl are up; two insurgents sent to retrieve the stash are fatally surprised to discover that the UK Recce platoon has pushed out to occupy the building in which the consignment remains concealed. This is part of a plan to dominate the village with overwhelming fi repower, plotted painstakingly to cover all arcs, with sniper pairs in covert OPs. SF teams are stacked up inside the gate, ready to swiftly and mercilessly sweep through the buildings dominated by the fi xed positions.
But as the fi rst rounds from the Recce HMG plough into the unsuspecting couriers, the UK forces are suffering their own setbacks – one pair of snipers is discovered by chance, captured and interrogated while nervous trigger fi ngers at the gate lead to a needless civilian fatality. Meanwhile, more IEDs are being
Operation Red Dragon was the first MilSim event hosted by Red One Airsoft in conjunction with Ultimate Tactical Assault Group (UTAG). No future dates have been announced yet but keep an eye on the website for details. The cost of taking part in Operation Red Dragon was £85 for the weekend.RED ONE AIRSOFT: www.red1airsoft.co.uk
RED ONE AIRSOFT
laid and observers are watching carefully for targets moving into their area of effect.
So as I walk out of the village towards open country, two strategies are beginning to collide. Another night and morning remain before the victor is known, but what is already certain is that neither plan is going to survive contact with the enemy.
ConclusionThat’s just a few snapshots of some of the tactical and strategic situations I witnessed in what was a deep, immersive and fl uid scenario. Although I didn’t shoulder a RIF myself the players I spoke with were clearly having a great event. One really important bit of feedback that they gave me on the day was that the level of planning and preparation that had gone into the session was immense, but it had still been designed to allow people to play in a role which meshed with their skills and their style of play. And in MilSim terms, players thought it was top-notch as well. The organisers were set up to provide a real experience for the players and a lot of the insights and structures came from genuine real-world experience.
From my perspective I saw some great decisions and interventions by the organisers to ensure the MilSim aspects of the game were preserved, and to make sure that the players were getting everything they could from the event. The organisation was great, with lots of nice touches, including a tech on hand and a photographer capturing images of players in action and printing them on site. Crucially, they were a really helpful and committed crew with a lot of real-world experience which they were passing on to players in a positive way.
The brilliant news is that more of these events could be on the horizon – and I for one will be making sure I play next time!
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THE ARMOURY | PRACTICAL PISTOL
PRACTICAL
I have been shooting since I was eight
years old – everything from .177
plinkers up to some quite exotic bits
of kit in both civilian and military armed
forces. Shooting has been a part of
my life for so long it just wouldn’t
seem right without it. Unfortunately,
in today’s society it has become
exceedingly diffi cult for responsible
adults to enjoy it as a hobby, sport or
pastime.
When handguns were (for all
intents and purposes) banned in the
UK, those of us involved in pistol
shooting saw our sport wiped out –
even the British Olympic team have
to travel abroad to practice. A few
shooters managed to carry on, using
a variety of weapons, but not until
the advent of good quality, readily
available airsoft weapons have
we been able to get back to any
semblance of how it used to be.
However, airsoft pistols within
the shooting fraternity have got
a dreadful reputation – but is
it deserved? Are airsoft pistols
really practical?
A few weeks ago I had a call
from the Ed, who asked me if I
would take a look at a selection
of Umarex pistols to see how
things have progressed and
whether I felt they would be
suitable for practical pistol
IIhave been shooting since I was eight have been shooting since I was eight
023www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
have been shooting since I was eight
years old – everything from .177
plinkers up to some quite exotic bits
of kit in both civilian and military armed
forces. Shooting has been a part of
my life for so long it just wouldn’t
seem right without it. Unfortunately,
in today’s society it has become
exceedingly diffi cult for responsible
adults to enjoy it as a hobby, sport or
When handguns were (for all
intents and purposes) banned in the
UK, those of us involved in pistol
shooting saw our sport wiped out –
even the British Olympic team have
to travel abroad to practice. A few
shooters managed to carry on, using
a variety of weapons, but not until
the advent of good quality, readily
available airsoft weapons have
we been able to get back to any
semblance of how it used to be.
However, airsoft pistols within
the shooting fraternity have got
a dreadful reputation – but is
it deserved? Are airsoft pistols
A few weeks ago I had a call
from the Ed, who asked me if I
would take a look at a selection
of Umarex pistols to see how
things have progressed and
whether I felt they would be
suitable for practical pistol
have been shooting since I was eight have been shooting since I was eight
Baz Thakur finds out if airsoftpistols cut it when it comes topractical pistol shooting
“Airsoftpistols within
the shooting fraternityhave got a dreadful
reputation – but is itdeserved? Areairsoft pistols
really practical?”
AA_23-26 Practical Pistol_rev3APNS.indd 23 12/12/12 11:55:43
024 January 2013
shooting. I am a member of East Barnet
Shooting Club, where both Malcolm
Dowding and Mark Hurding (two of the
UK’s top PP exponents) also shoot, so I
was more than happy to relieve him of the
box of goodies under his arm!
So what have we got?We have a CZ, a 1911 and a race gun from
Elite Force and a MK23 and USP Tactical
from H&K. They represent a nice range of
sizes, styles and weights, plus the race
gun is CO2-powered, so we can see the
difference there as well. I needed some
help so it was down to EBSC to round
up four willing volunteers (Mark, Richard,
Craig and Lee) and put them through their
paces – the pistols, not the volunteers!
First things fi rst: all the pistols were
taken out of their packaging, gassed up
and left to warm up to room temperature
– that way we knew the ambient would be
the same for each. Before we did anything
else we put each one over a chronograph
to see what sort of consistency we would
get out of the box.
None of them were particularly wild
but the CZ varied by 20 per cent between
the highest and lowest, which was felt
to be excessive. We then each picked a
gun, re-gassed, reloaded and had a go at
024 January 2013
the highest and lowest, which was felt
to be excessive. We then each picked a
gun, re-gassed, reloaded and had a go at
SECOND LAST
ELITE FORCE RACE GUNCHRONO: High 344fps; Low 322fps; Avg 333fpsPOSITIVES: Power, accuracy, trigger action and handling very good.NEGATIVES: Build quality, fi nish and reliability not good. Test gun had issues and similar reports from other shooters experiencing problems.Comment from Mark Hurding: “The Race Gun would be good for limited competition target shooting but not practical pistol until the durability and reliability issues have been resolved.”
BOTTOM OF PACK
HK USP TACTICALCHRONO: High 283fps; Low 266fps; Avg 278fpsPOSITIVES: A reasonable all-rounder that shoots well and has good sight pitch. The trigger guard is large enough to accommodate a gloved hand and it can be worn in a variety of rigs.NEGATIVES: Disappointing when compared to the MK23 with nothing like the power and accuracy.
three standard targets on the 10m
range, over three disciplines. The
fi rst was two shots, rapid fi re on
each target, to see how quickly they
would cycle and what drop-off would be
caused by rapid-fi re. The second was two
shots, aimed slow-fi re to check accuracy
of the stock sights and consistency of
trajectory – did the BB go where the sights
indicated, did they fl y off all over the place?
The third test was a simple ‘load it up and
let it rip’ – not very scientifi c but gives a
good indication of how each would perform
in an environment where consistent
rapid fi re would be required, such as in a
competition. Each shooter tried all fi ve of
the guns.
With all that done, we got together and
January 2013024
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THE ARMOURY | PRACTICAL PISTOL
compared notes. I wanted to fi nd out what
they thought of the gun they shot and
which was overall favourite.
Richard (CZ): The CZ has a really nice
trigger action but shoots a little high off
the sights. It feels nice in the hand and is
very easy to shoot. My overall favourite is
the MK23 as it seems to be more powerful
than the others and pretty accurate.
Lee (1911): The metal construction feels
good and heavy, which helps it sit well in
your hand but the single stack mag is a bit
of a pain. Although it feels good to hold
and shoot, it does suffer from power drop
on rapid fi re. My favourite? I’d like to say
the 1911 because it felt very nice but I’m
going with the MK23.
Craig (MK23): This is not the most
ELITE FORCE 1911CHRONO: High 295fps; Low 279fps; Avg 285fpsPOSITIVES: Feels like a 1911 should – fi ts the hand nicely, points well and has good build quality; a good all round pistol.NEGATIVES: Single stack mag which cools quickly during rapid fi re. The narrow mag also makes it harder to do tactical mag changes.
RUNNER UP
ELITE FORCE CZCHRONO: High 292fps; Low 243fps; Avg 270fpsPOSITIVES: A good all-rounder that is probably best for ‘instinctive’ shooting as it fi ts the hand and presents very well, no matter where it is drawn from.NEGATIVES: Not consistent and power varies. The sight pitch is very bad.
BRONZE
“I have been playing airsoft formany years but have never beena fan of airsoft pistols, and whileCO2 gives some level of accuracythe reloading is poor and simply
not realistic”
comfortable of guns to hold as it is a bit big
and bulky but it shoots really well. It’s got
a right kick and doesn’t seem to suffer too
much power drop on rapid fi re. Although
it’s a bit big in terms of grip I do like it, but
would go for the race gun as my favourite
if it could be made to work consistently.
Baz (USP): The USP Tactical is a nice
gun and even has a decent de-cock but it
was shooting low and left. That said, it has
a nice kick to it and feels good to shoot
although it does suffer a bit of power drop
on rapid fi re. Overall I liked the USP but if I
had to choose just one, I’d pick the MK23.
Mark (race gun): (Note: Mark is a
competition shooter so it was natural
he should test the gun aimed at that
discipline.) The race gun has virtually no
recoil and you get very little feedback from
it. While some shooters like this, others
prefer to ‘feel’ what their weapon is doing
and respond to it, which is very important
in comp shooting. It was accurate and
pretty powerful but I have heard reports
from other shooters that they suffer
reliability problems; the one we tested
has a sticky slide. Would I use one in a
competition? If I could be sure all the
wrinkles had been ironed out and it was
reliable then yes, I probably would. As
things stand though, I am going for the
MK23 as it is more powerful and has
a longer barrel, which makes it more
accurate – although the size of the grip
made it a little uncomfortable to hold (but
that is just my personal preference).
The overall feeling among my volunteers
was that each pistol had positive and
negative points, a view I share. It also
showed that airsoft pistols are making
good progress, and though they’re not
taking huge strides they are slowly getting
closer to what practical pistol shooters
require.
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026 January 2013
THE ARMOURY | PRACTICAL PISTOL
So, are airsoft pistols practical?Yes, I believe some are and others could
be. If manufacturers really got to grips with
producing top quality ‘competition
level’ weapons, with all the
features and benefi ts PP shooters
require, then I am sure they would
be very successful.
While CO2 gives some level of accuracy,
the reloading is poor and unrealistic. For
many, airsoft is about realism fi rst and
foremost – fi ddling around with CO2
capsules out on the fi eld just doesn’t cut
it. Gas is the only other useable alternative
but tends to suffer from cooling and
consistency problems.
For me, the ultimate airsoft pistol would
feature rugged, full-metal construction
with a double-stack mag, powered by a
non-temperature sensitive propellant that
doesn’t drop in performance – and looks like
a 1911 because I love ‘em!
HK MK23CHRONO: High 323fps; Low 308fps; Avg 316fpsPOSITIVES: Consistent, powerful and accurate over distance (good groupings). Big but feels good in the hand with manageable recoil.NEGATIVES: Feels like a big lump of plastic until you put the mag in.Comment from Mark Hurding: “Ideally, for airsoft practical pistol, I would want MK23 performance with the same build quality as the 1911.”
WINNER
026 January 2013
So, are airsoft pistols practical?Yes, I believe some are and others could
be. If manufacturers really got to grips with
producing top quality ‘competition
be very successful.
While CO2 gives some level of accuracy,
the reloading is poor and unrealistic. For
many, airsoft is about realism fi rst and
foremost – fi ddling around with CO2
capsules out on the fi eld just doesn’t cut
it. Gas is the only other useable alternative
but tends to suffer from cooling and
consistency problems.
For me, the ultimate airsoft pistol would
feature rugged, full-metal construction
with a double-stack mag, powered by a
non-temperature sensitive propellant that
doesn’t drop in performance – and looks like
a 1911 because I love ‘em!
Many thanks to Armex Limited for supplying the review items.For more information on these and other products, contact Armex on 0121 643 4900, or visit www.armex-airsoft.com.
ARMEX
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028 January 2013
Tokyo Marui has remade its MP7 A1.
Originally an innovative micro-AEG
design, this is the gas blowback
effort – and damn is it pretty. So what’s the
catch?
There are, like most things in life, die-hard
fans. Ducati fans hate everything that isn’t a
Ducati, BMW fans hate everything that isn’t
a BMW, TM fans swear by TM. Personally
I think TM is on a bit of an undeserved
pedestal these days: it is slow at producing
new rifl es and pistols, which tend to be
plastic, very expensive and generally sub-
300fps.
So why should you keep reading?
Unfortunately, Tokyo Marui also makes
some of the most reliable and best
performing rifl es ever available to airsofters.
Hell, TM invented the gearboxes used in
all airsoft guns these days and if that isn’t
something to be impressed by I don’t know
what is.
The MP7 is always popular owing to
several games that pit players against each
other in fi ctional battles online to the wee
hours of the morning. Seems a bit pointless
when you have airsoft, but each to their
own.
There are now two gas blowback versions
and an electric version (I will not count the
various copies of the electric version) so
there are a few variations of this SMG for
you to consider.
Scott Allan asks whether Tokyo Marui isbecoming the ‘Ducati’ of the airsoft world
Real-steel MP7The real version concept was an SMG
designed for tight areas and defeating body
armour with its 4.6x30 round. Working
with a round that is essentially a small
rifl e round, the rest of the rifl e mimics a
modern assault rifl e’s features but on a
smaller scale – and with a reported range
of 200m.
The design allows for pistol-like use,
or you can extend the stock and flip
down the front grip for a compact SMG
design with single or fully-automatic fire
capabilities. The external appearance and
sizing does not seem a million miles away
from the Mac 11 or Uzi, but the different
calibre means it’s a whole different kettle
of fish. The MP7 is a force to be reckoned
with (unlike its ‘spray and pray’ cousins
from years ago), providing accuracy at
longer range.
On testExternally this version looks good. Like
the real version it is largely constructed of
polymer to keep the weight down. Despite
that, the whole thing does feel quite solid
and it is slightly heavier than previous
versions. Selectors, release catches, sights
and rails are metal – these are the parts
that need to be strong. The cocking handle
is plastic, disappointingly, as is the bolt
inside. The only HK markings are on the
MP7 GBB
pistol grip and the base of the magazine
– nothing overly exciting. The only thing I
would say about the externals is that, while
nice, I do not think they stand up well
against the KWA/KSC MP7, which has been
around for a few years now.
During testing it was what you would
expect from a TM gas blowback. It was
good, although I was slightly surprised
that the bolt was more of a gentle thump
rather than the KWA’s sharp crack. After the
external appearance the weaker blowback
did really let it down for me.
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THE ARMOURY | TM MP7 GBB
Chronographing at 330fps on a Blaster 0.20g
BB with Abbey Brut Sniper gas was good,
and it did finish the magazine on single shot,
which was great. The hop-up is always where
a TM product performs well and the MP7 is
no exception. The range easily passed 40m
and although it wasn’t greatly accurate it did
get there. Fully-automatic was, like with all
gas blowbacks, not the best, and it struggled
to finish a magazine. I have never really met
anyone who has used any gas blowbacks on
fully automatic, though, so it shouldn’t be a
major issue.
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030 January 2013
THE ARMOURY | TM MP7 GBB
CONSTRUCTION: Primarily polymerWEIGHT: 2,300gLENGTH: 380mmMAGAZINE: 40-roundPOWER SOURCE: Gas blowbackVELOCITY: ~330fpsPRICE: Around £350
TOKYO MARUI MP7 GBB
The feature list is not bad and the 14mm
suppressor is a very nice touch, and a useful
addition. Overall the package does look good
in almost every way. Personally I prefer the
KWA/KSC version as I found the blowback
better. Plus, there is the major crunch point,
and it is a big one – the TM version is around
£100 more than the KWA/KSC version!
ClincherNow you can take all the little ‘ifs, buts and
maybes’, but at the end of the day £100
is an extra two magazines for the KWA
version, so I guess this is where the TM
name alone sells the MP7. It is by no means
a bad SMG and I think the continuing high
prices for Japanese parts almost seems to
enhance the aura of quality – when in actual
fact they aren’t all that much better in my
opinion. If they are better I would strongly
argue that they are not 40 per cent better,
as the pricing seems to suggest.
MP7s are almost resigned to pistol/
shotgun only or indoor game sites, like
most gas blowback rifl es. They appear out
for the odd game as a primary weapon with
some players but they are in the minority.
Playing against these SMGs in close
quarters is tough and they do tend to fare
well against pistols, rifl es and shotguns,
when the need for a higher number of
rounds is less important and the fl exibility
and the speed of the platform you are using
becomes more important.
If you must own an MP7 you won’t go
far wrong with this version – but if you
do not have the money to burn you may
wish to consider the KWA version instead.
By anyone’s standards £100 is a lot more
money, and it is a real shame because if you
took the price away I would probably prefer
the TM version. I guess this one really does
come down to how deep your wallet is.
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Post your entry to: January KWA competition, Airsoft Action, Blaze Publishing, Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 5SZ. Or, email your entries to [email protected], quoting ‘January KWA competition’ in the headline. Entries received after 10 January will not be valid. One entry per household. Winner will be first correct entry pulled from the editor's hat.
Blaze Publishing would like to keep you informed of other offers and publications. Please tick here if you would NOT like to be contacted by post or email n
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win...win...win...win...win...win...win...
KWA CQR Mod 1WoRth oveR £200!thanks to the generous boys and girls at Defiance Airsoft we’ve got one KWA CQR Mod 1 to give away this issue. We’ve
reviewed this cracking rifle this issue, starting on page 12. The CQR Mod 1 is perfect for CQB airsoft with fantastic out-of-the-
box performance. If you fancy your chances at bagging yourself an extra Christmas pressie, answer the question below, add
your details and get it to us in the usual method.
Name ______________________________________
Address _____________________________________
Postcode ____________________________________
Telephone ___________________________________
Email ______________________________________
Question: The KWA CQR Mod 1 comes fitted with an inner barrel of what diameter?A 6.03mm nB 6.04mm nC 6.05mm nd 6.08mm n
032 January 2013
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034 January 2013
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035www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
SITE REVIEW | SKIRMISH LEICESTER
Michael Jones checks out Skirmish Leicester on its fi rst airsoft open day
On a freezing winter morning I pulled into the car park of Skirmish Leicester’s fi rst open-to-
the-public shoot. Now before I go any further I’d like to clear up a few things. Skirmish, and specifi cally Skirmish Leicester, is a well-known paintball site. When I did a little digging on the internet, most of the advertising was for the paintball side of things – there was
just a smidgen about the airsoft. Initially I was concerned that this was going to be someone just a giving airsoft a go to expand their business. Fortunately that isn’t the case.
Site manager Matt does run paintball, but if you don’t already know him he’s one-third of the recently-defunct Sabreforce/East Midlands Airsoft enterprise. He therefore has plenty of
experience of our much-loved hobby under his belt.
With that out of the way, back to the site. After parking up it was a short walk to the HQ/Safe Zone where I found my greeters and a handful of players already set up and ready to go, two hours before the fi rst game.
As we got chatting, Matt’s enthusiasm was clear to see from the way he spoke about airsoft and his hopes for Skirmish Leicester. His partner in crime (and partner, Mel) kept me entertained while Matt readied the day’s effects and rounded up the troops. Over a mug of coffee and exquisite toffee muffi n, I began to get a feel for the site and the people who ran it.
The site isn’t new to the airsoft scene. Sabreforce and its regulars have used it on occasion over the years – and obviously enjoyed themselves as a large chunk of the 40-odd attendees had shot there before.
The site’s velocity limits are bread and butter stuff and prices are sensible for
SKIRMISHleicester
AA_035-037 Site Review_rev3.indd 35 12/12/12 12:13:02
036 January 2013
what’s on offer. Hire rifl es are available for people who haven’t got their own and include BBs in the package, which is a nice touch. At present the open shoots are scheduled for once a month.
The site is a large wood split into different sections. Some are for the paintballers, with the rest and best (in my opinion) for us. The fi rst game got underway: a fast warm-up to get the blood pumping. After that we moved to the abandoned ‘outdoor pursuit centre’ that had a certain Chernobyl feel to it.
“I was concerned that this wasgoing to be someone just givingairsoft a go to expand theirbusiness. Fortunately sitemanager Matt has plenty ofexperience of our much-lovedhobby under his belt”
Some players were completely new to airsoft and had never picked up a rifl e before. They seemed at ease and didn’t have to worry about making a mistake, possibly messing it up for the team. They really enjoyed the friendly, relaxed atmosphere and told me they would defi nitely go again.
As lunch was coming to an end I had just enough time for another coffee and muffi n. At this point I noticed the ‘ammo drop’ fl ier and asked Matt about the promotion. Essentially, if you pay a small annual membership you get access to essentials and some pretty tasty toys, too. The really important part is the discount this membership offers: even if I were never to play at the site, it’s still worth me getting all my consumables here.
At present, the site doesn’t have full catering facilities but it’s on the cards. They do, however, offer tea, coffee, Pot Noodles and a wide range of snacks. They also sport the usual battery charging facility, portaloos and card payment facilities.
After lunch we headed to the very edge of the site’s limits for a game that saw the Red Team get a chance to
Both teams really got stuck in here, with the Reds desperately trying to destroy the ‘super computer’ and the Blues repelling them like rain off a mac.
As lunch broke I decided to mingle in the ranks to fi nd out what the players thought of the site. Speaking fi rst to the veterans (the loud ones) they told me how the site was everything they wanted from a woodland site and was as good as any other they had played at. The thing they made a point about was how good the marshals are.
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037www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
SITE REVIEW | SKIRMISH LEICESTER
level the scores. The game involved the Reds attacking the enemy to secure the church. Players battled across ditches, water and bridges which made the battlefi eld really challenging.
Skirmish Leicester may not be to everyone’s taste – if you like low-cap limits and MilSim-style play then it probably isn’t for you. Matt has aimed his market at new and seasoned players who want to have fun and not worry too much about anything else. The games are simple yet satisfying and the day went well. If you want a good laugh with good people and, of course, a good game, I recommend it.
Lutterworth, Leicester, LE17 4HPPriceWALK-ON: £25RIFLE HIRE: £45 (includes rifle, magazine, face mask, combats, 3,000 rounds)CONTACT:www.skirmishpaintballleicester.co.uk0844 870 9385
SKIRMISH LEICESTER
Paying for a £30 annual membership gives you access to more favourable prices on consumables and other necessities – take a look at the examples below.BLASTER DEVIL BBS (3,000 X 0.2G): £5BLASTER DEVIL BBS (3,000 X 0.25G): £6.50ULTRAIR GAS: £7.25ASG M4 HI-CAP: £8KWA USP COMPACT: £80
AMMO DROP EXPLAINED
AA_035-037 Site Review_rev3.indd 37 12/12/12 12:14:27
038 January 2013
can really affect your effectiveness. The same goes for choosing gloves – effi ciently manipulating your weapon is at the heart of the game, so good kit on your mitts can make a huge difference.
So when Thomas Jacks Limited sent us some of the latest Wiley-X glasses and gloves to review I got pretty excited. Wiley-X has a reputation for producing some of the best kit in the world – and having had a chance to try some out I can say it is richly deserved.
I n every Safe Zone, at every game, kit is a key topic of conversation. Every player has got an opinion (or several)
about the best camoufl age and rigs and RIFs. But despite that it’s not very often you hear people comparing notes on glasses and gloves. For some reason these seem to be the Cinderella of the gear world.
Strange, really – vision is irreplaceable and eye-pro is mandatory at every single site. People seem to view it as a basic item though, rather than something that
Always wear protectionLooking at the eye-pro fi rst, we got to test out three options: Saber Advanced, CQC Goggle and Gravity Black Ops Glasses.
They came exquisitely packaged in rigid cases with back straps and microfibre lens cloths as standard; the appearance and build quality is top-notch.
The Saber features an interchangeable lens system – Pale Yellow, Light Rust, Smoke Grey, Clear or Vermillion lenses are available, each suited to various conditions
Used by the US military, Wiley-X kit is now available to UK airsofters.Oscar P takes a look at some of their top offerings
+
The Saber comes supplied with interchangable lenses
AA_38-41 Wiley X kit test_rev4NPAPNS.indd 38 12/12/12 17:28:24
039www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
KIT REVIEW | WILEY-X
and similar to the ESS glasses that are common on the skirmish field.
The Wiley-X offering, however, is streets ahead. The lenses themselves are much thicker than ESS’ and the nose and temple pieces are much heftier – and more comfortable! I’d call these the ‘standard’ glasses of the three – mid-sized all-rounders. They’re pretty Goldilocks – not too loose yet tight enough to feel secure without pinching – just right.
The CQC is a lightweight goggle, similar to the Saber but featuring a comfortable foam rubber pad around the inside of the frame. They ship with both smoke and clear lenses, as well as a pair of clip-on sections which fit on the hinge of the frame. These act as a kind of blinker – I presume for bright-light or dusty conditions – but also prevent BBs from coming in at the temple. The foam backing is dense and has sizeable vents to help air circulation. The arms aren’t extendable and feel heftier than those of the Saber.
These goggles are seriously comfortable and feel rock-solid without being heavy. They are slightly higher profile than the Saber, but nowhere near as chunky as conventional goggles.
The Gravity Black Ops are a different proposition altogether. They are solid-framed and come fitted with a smoke lens (unlike the others, the Black Ops do not have interchangeable lenses). They are a slicker cut than the others with a lower-drag feel. The arms are non-extendable.
The Black Ops’ nifty feature is called a ‘detachable climate-control system’. This is
essentially a vented foam lining that clips around the inside of the eyepiece, allowing you to manage the fit and comfort to your own preferences. Overall the styling of these glasses (and the case) feels much more like something that could be worn casually as well as in play.
Glasses: conclusionThese three eye-pro options have different attributes but all are premium products. The build quality is marvellous – they feel like they could take anything that is thrown at them. The Saber and CQC feel more ‘military’ than the Black Ops, which are as much ‘town’ as ‘field’.
But, as always, the biggest test with solid eye pro (as opposed to mesh) is
the fog factor. This is something I really struggle with; I have used lots of different eye-pro options yet never found a product that doesn’t start to mist up eventually.
However, the Wiley-X kit puts up a pretty decent fight. The hidden ace is a lens coating that lives up to its promise, and, while a big part of this issue is always down to personal fit, I can honestly say that each of these products is really high-performing in this respect. The vents on the CQC and Black Ops are great and work wonders when the game gets intense. The Saber’s top rim is cunningly shaped to minimise adherence to the brow without feeling loose. They did fog, but I had to work up quite a sweat before things started to get cloudy.
Covert ops or Xmas shops, the Gravity Black Ops are up to the challenge
The CQC goggles are a more heavy-duty offering than the Black Ops
AA_38-41 Wiley X kit test_rev4NPAPNS.indd 39 12/12/12 17:28:53
040 January 2013
Gloves onAs with the eye-pro, we had three different pairs of Wiley-X gloves to test.
Wiley-X has shaped the design of each of these around a certain environment and utility, though they all have a few common features.
Each is cut to fi t snug around the wrist to prevent it running up the forearm. They also all have a sturdy leather/Velcro fi xing to tighten.
I’ve no doubt that each of these will take a severe battering before starting to wear. Each pair has a
nicely-sited loop for hooking the gloves to your rig when not in use. Also, the logos are restrained and not brash – quality over bling!
First up, the Paladin is described as an intermediate cold-weather glove. It is the
thickest of the three, and has a (frankly lovely) fl eece lining. The palm is goatskin leather with a
padded section across the knuckles. The manufacturer has woven Kevlar through the fi ngers and the back of the
hand to maximise fi re and tear resistance. Obviously I can’t say how effective this is in practice! Available in green and tan,
the Paladins are the bulkiest of the three but are really comfortable and defi nitely the warmest. However, it does feel slightly odd for a cold-
weather glove to be cut short. The CAG-1s feel the most conventional of the trio. They, too, have Kevlar
through the fi ngers and the back of the hand, and the same durable goatskin palm as the Paladin. The main difference is that they sport an injection moulded knuckle-plate that will be familiar to many from Oakley’s Pilot range. However, the plate is cut a tad wider than the Oakley and feels more fl exible, without losing the essential punch of the feature. They are medium weight but feel sturdy, and are available in green, tan and black.
GLASSESSABER ADVANCED (including a single lens): £38CQC GOGGLE: £72GRAVITY BLACK OPS: £84
GLOVESPALADIN: £84CAG-1: £67DURTAC: £59
PRICE LIST
The Wiley-X CAG1 gloves
AA_38-41 Wiley X kit test_rev4NPAPNS.indd 40 12/12/12 17:29:22
041www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
KIT REVIEW | WILEY-X
Many thanks to Thomas Jacks Limited for supplying the review items.For more information on these and other Wiley-X products, contact Thomas Jacks: 01789 264100, www.thomasjacks.co.uk
THOMAS JACKS
The Durtac was the last pair we looked at. These are badged as all-purpose but are defi nitely the most tacticool of the lot – they have a lighter construction than their counterparts with a matte, synthetic leather palm. The Durtac have open-weave materials on the back of the hand and a similar knuckle protector to that on the CAG-1; they also feature hardened plates on the back of the fi ngers for added protection, along with vents. The cuff is neoprene, rather than leather, and Wiley-X has added a tactile rubber grip to the trigger fi nger. Just like the Model-T Ford, they are available in any colour – so long as you want black.
Gloves: conclusionsHere we have three horses for three different courses. The Paladin are the bulkiest, heaviest and warmest, and at this time of year they will score high on the comfort factor. For my money they also feel like they will last the longest, but the short cuff does feel odd. For all of that though, they don’t restrict movement; I had no issues at all with my benchmark ‘fi sh-the-BFG-pin-out-of-pouch’ test!
The CAG-1 are clearly the workhorse of the lot. They feel sturdy, comfortable and resilient. They also score big with me for not being too fl ash – workmanship beats showmanship here. I don’t have any doubt these would be a good addition to virtually any kit bag.
The Durtac are a slightly different proposition – if the CAG-1 are ‘steady’ and the Paladin are ‘solid’, the Durtac must be ‘speedy’. They are a little bit fl asher, a little bit lighter, and probably a little bit easier to work in. These, to me, say quicker fi ngers but possibly a shorter lifespan – the materials don’t feel as hardwearing as the others. Which quality is more important to each player is obviously a subjective point.
That aside, the overall verdict is: quality! All six of these products are the proper job; great materials, great build and great design. But they don’t come cheap. Wiley-X kit is designed for serving professionals and is built with real-world needs in mind. That quality translates to cost – and when I say cost, I mean similar to an entry-level GBB pistol.
To return to my fi rst point: if you are going to spend cash on kit, what should you prioritise? Your eyes and hands are two of your main tools in a skirmish – and in the rest of your life. I think they are worth looking after, and Wiley-X will do a good job of that. All airsofters should know the old adage: ‘buy cheap, buy twice ’. There’s truth in that, so when you come to invest in gloves and glasses – in your eyes and hands – give all of these product some serious consideration!
Workhorse: Wiley-X Paladin
Tacticool advantage: Durtac
AA_38-41 Wiley X kit test_rev4NPAPNS.indd 41 12/12/12 17:29:47
042 January 2013
SEVENSEVENSEVEN
042
Children Of Men’.
It was a compelling
tagline and my
curiosity earned
me an invitation to
their next event –
Event Four: Reading
Material – at First &
Only’s Asylum site
near Kidderminster.
The origins of the P7
game go back a few years,
to a conversation between
Ed and Joe about designing
their own game. They had
played other live action
roleplaying systems, including
sword and sorcery themed
games. Ed and Joe wanted
their system fi rmly rooted in
reality, though, where everything that
happened in the game could actually be
seen; there would be no room for gods,
magic or fl ying characters.
They gave their game a post-
apocalyptic setting, which provided
a logical reason for the scarcity of
resources. It also gave a plausible reason
for the game to take place in ‘safe
havens’ surrounded by minefi elds: the
minefi elds help to keep the infected out.
SEVENSEVENSEVENChildren Of Men’.
It was a compelling
tagline and my
curiosity earned
me an invitation to
their next event –
Event Four: Reading
Material – at First &
Only’s Asylum site
near Kidderminster.
The origins of the P7
game go back a few years,
to a conversation between
Ed and Joe about designing
their own game. They had
played other live action
roleplaying systems, including
sword and sorcery themed
games. Ed and Joe wanted
their system fi rmly rooted in
reality, though, where everything that
happened in the game could actually be
seen; there would be no room for gods,
magic or fl ying characters.
They gave their game a post-
apocalyptic setting, which provided
a logical reason for the scarcity of
resources. It also gave a plausible reason
for the game to take place in ‘safe
havens’ surrounded by minefi elds: the
minefi elds help to keep the infected out.
It began with a train crash in London
on the eve of the Olympic Games. The
train had a secret cargo, a virus, which
was released in the impact.
As the world prepared to celebrate the
physical potential of humanity, the virus
began its attempt to extinguish the light
of mankind.
Five years later that light still burns,
but Britain remains a wild and dangerous
place. The infected roam the land, crazed
and cannibalistic; everything is scarce,
including compassion. But life is no
longer just about survival – for some it is
about trying to pull together the threads
of a new society.
If it happened, how would you react?
Would you help the weak or prey upon
them? Would your abilities see you
through or just see you into yet another
unmarked grave? Protocol Seven’s (P7)
live action roleplaying (LARP) game gives
you the chance to fi nd out.
The P7 game is organised and run by
a team of four people: Ed, Jason, Joe
and Dave. All four are, or have been,
keen airsoft players, and I initially met
them at an airsoft event. I asked how
they would describe their game. Dave
said it was ‘28 Weeks Later meets
The Crazies made by the director of
Karl Aston delves into Protocol Seven’spost-apocalyptic LARP adventure
PROTOCOLPROTOCOLPROTOCOLPROTOCOLPROTOCOLPROTOCOL
AA_042-045 P7 Event_rev3NP.indd 42 12/12/12 12:19:00
043www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
LARP | READING MATERIAL
043www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 043www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
“Airsofters used to fi ring hundreds of BBs in a fi refi ght will need to revise their tactics
– ammunition is extremely scarce,and a commodity to be conserved
until you really need it”
LARP | READING MATERIAL
It took the team
about a year and a
half to move from
sketching out initial
ideas to looking for
a site to run their fi rst
game, which took place
in May 2010. That fi rst
game served as a test-bed
for the game rules. Putting
their ideas together was fairly
easy; the real work came
in turning those ideas into a
coherent storyline, one robust
enough for the random questions
players will always ask about the
world they are playing in.
LARPing aboutThe game is run as not-for-profi t and there
are two P7 events each year. Running
the game is a hobby for the organisers,
but one that takes up a great deal of
time. There is paperwork to maintain,
online forums to moderate, story-threads
to develop and props to build. Some of
these props can be very elaborate – one
event required a nuclear bomb, complete
with resettable countdown charger and
radio trigger.
But for all the hard work the team
put into preparing for the game, the
most memorable incident can be the
result of a chance event – such as when
a government representative and his
bodyguards were sent in to pick up two
criminals. As the representative arrived
and stood in the town square, a police
helicopter (responding to reports of a rave
in the area) illuminated the area with its
spotlight. It looked amazing and players
assumed the helicopter had been arranged
just for their game!
The cost to play at a P7 event is £50,
for which you get a day and two half-days
worth of gaming. Players need to bring
their own food, bed and some bedding
(an indoor sleeping area is provided).
The break-even fi gure at the Asylum
event was 50 players, but fell short of
this target when some players dropped
“Airsofters used to fi ring hundreds of BBs in a fi refi ght will need to revise their tactics
– ammunition is extremely scarce,and a commodity to be conserved
It took the team
about a year and a
half to move from
sketching out initial
ideas to looking for
a site to run their fi rst
game, which took place
in May 2010. That fi rst
game served as a test-bed
for the game rules. Putting
their ideas together was fairly
easy; the real work came
in turning those ideas into a
coherent storyline, one robust
enough for the random questions
players will always ask about the
world they are playing in.
LARPing aboutThe game is run as not-for-profi t and there
are two P7 events each year. Running
the game is a hobby for the organisers,
but one that takes up a great deal of
time. There is paperwork to maintain,
online forums to moderate, story-threads
to develop and props to build. Some of
these props can be very elaborate – one
event required a nuclear bomb, complete
with resettable countdown charger and
radio trigger.
But for all the hard work the team
put into preparing for the game, the
most memorable incident can be the
result of a chance event – such as when
AA_042-045 P7 Event_rev3NP.indd 43 12/12/12 12:21:56
044 January 2013044 Christmas 2012
or characters delivering key information
or tasks to other players.
Twists and turnsCombat in the game is resolved using
either hand-to-hand weapons or airsoft
guns, so eye-protection must be worn by
all players at all times (apart from in the
Safe Zones). However, airsofters used to
fi ring hundreds of BBs in a fi refi ght will
need to revise their tactics – as in many
FilmSim games ammunition is extremely
scarce, enough that it becomes an
alternate currency and a commodity to be
conserved until you really need it.
Hand-to-hand weapons provide a
practical alternative to guns and come in
all shapes and sizes: house bricks, axes,
baseball bats and even a fi re extinguisher.
These items are made from foam-
rubber and latex, meaning you can hit an
opponent very hard and do no damage.
I had found out lot about the game,
but I was also keen to fi nd out how I
would feel if placed within it. Fortunately
the organisers devised a way for me to
fi nd out. They had written me into the
game as a reporter from UK PLC, sent to
assess the situation in the settlement.
044 Christmas 2012
out close to the event. Among these
players were some key characters in the
P7 narrative, which led to some hasty
rewrites of the story in the organisers’
car journey to the Midlands!
I arrived at the Asylum site on Friday
afternoon and fi nal preparations for the
game were in progress. As the clock
ticked down towards the start I took a
chance to speak to some of the players. I
was keen to talk to them out of character
before the game commenced.
Andy Farthing, 36, was at his second
P7 event. He was attracted to the game
because of the self-reliance you need
to show and the interaction with other
players. Then there was Danny Wells,
23, who plays a character called Ferret.
For Danny, the attraction is escapism
and he soon fi nds that his character
is swaggering around like a wannabe
gangster! Danny is a big fan of zombie
and post-apocalyptic fi ction, an interest
shared by a good number of the players.
The last person I spoke to before the
start was Jeff Ainsworth, 52, who plays
as John Shamus Lynch. Jeff was born
in Michigan and is an ex-US Marine
Sergeant who saw action in Beirut in
1983. He took up LARPing when he
turned 50 and says he enjoys putting
the skills he learned in the Marines to
use in the game.
Each player’s character details are
contained in a fi le. That information
evolves over each event and is carried
forward to the next one, along with
their injury history, ammunition, money
and any other items they have.
Character development is a key part
of the game, but unlike in some table-
top roleplaying games, characters do
not develop super-strength as they
gain experience. In P7 you are human
and remain vulnerable; reach the end
of your eight-page injury book and your
character is dead.
Death means the character is out of
the game forever, but does not mean
your game weekend has to be over.
The organisers can help you create a
new character or you can assist as one
of the crew who help run the event,
playing key roles such as the infected,
044 January 2013
AA_042-045 P7 Event_rev3NP.indd 44 12/12/12 12:22:41
LARP | READING MATERIAL
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 045045www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
UK PLC appears to be the new
government, though the consensus
among players is that they cannot be
trusted. As a reporter for UK PLC I was
immediately viewed with suspicion,
especially as I was attempting to take
photos of everyone!
My involvement in the game began
with a guided tour of the settlement,
and I was soon involved in an attack by
the infected. I narrowly avoided injury;
unlike in most airsoft games the combat
situations give a feeling of genuine peril –
there is no easy re-gen here!
I met many characters, including
Doctor Watt, who was working on a cure
for the infection and carried a homemade
taser, and the strange religious sect
known as The Hospitaleers – white
crosses emblazoned on their backs, they
took the role of medics while spreading
word of their religion.
In-game events can be as bizarre as
some of the characters – I was told about
a scene that had played out on Saturday
night where some players had apparently
been ‘inside’ someone else’s dream!
The key point of the whole weekend
came on Sunday, in the last hour of
the event. A representative from UK
PLC (Lenton) arrived at the settlement
to arrest a character named Dominic
Green. To assist him in this task,
Lenton was escorted by two ominous
‘Shadows’, black-clad warriors carrying
automatic weapons and reputed to be
virtually unstoppable.
The situation was tense and there was
a heated conversation between Green
and Lenton – suddenly the Shadows
raised their weapons and opened fi re on
Lenton, killing him instantly. They then
turned their guns on everyone else and
streams of BBs fi lled the air. The choice
was simple – run or die.
The future The Shadows rampaged through the
settlement, attempting to slay everyone
in sight. Why? What had gone on
between Lenton, the Shadows and Mr
Green? More pieces of the P7 jigsaw
for players to ponder. The game ended
shortly after the attack by the Shadows,
with surviving players hurriedly
evacuated from the settlement.
I asked Jason and Dave what they
would say to those who aren’t sure
The fi fth P7 event takes place 5-7 April 2013 at Gunman Airsoft’s Tuddenham site. The event costs £50 and is only open to over-18s due to insurance restrictions. For more details visit P7’s website.PROTOCOL SEVEN:www.protocolseven.co.uk
PROTOCOL SEVEN
that the LARP concept is for them.
Jason said that airsofters are, in a way,
already LARPing – imagining they are
in a military unit and fi ghting a battle
against people trying to kill them. LARP
is the same concept but scaled up, so
you spend more time as that character
and more of what happens around
you is relevant to the game world. The
game, Dave said, is like a Wild West
town, a settlement where people will
trade, gamble, mug each other and
(occasionally) try to get along.
Both agree that while LARPing may not
be for everyone, it is surprising how many
sceptics enjoy it once they try it. Some
question how easy it is for players to stay
in character throughout the game – but the
organisers thought of that too: one of the
early symptoms of the infection is that you
start having delusions and talking about
things that can’t be real. So in terms of the
game it is perfectly reasonable for other
players to point a gun at you if you drop
out of character, because they suspect you
might be infected!
I really enjoyed the taste of post-
apocalyptic Britain the P7 team had created.
I was impressed by the world they had
developed and how the game works within
it. The level of detail ensured plausibility; the
unfolding plot twisted, turned and surprised
the players while the nonlinear structure of
the game kept it player-driven. This really
was a chance to step outside of who you
are and live another life, if only for a day
(and two half-days).
Plans are already in place for the next P7
event which takes place 5-7 April 2013 at
the team’s regular site, Gunman Airsoft’s
Tuddenham venue. Players new to P7 or
to LARP in general, are always welcome,
so if you fancy helping as one of the crew,
playing a character, or just want to be
yourself and see how you would cope, get
in touch with the P7 team. You defi nitely
won’t regret it.
AA_042-045 P7 Event_rev3NP.indd 45 12/12/12 12:23:01
046 January 2013
046.indd 46 11/12/12 09:53:39
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047.indd 47 11/12/2012 09:46
048 January 2013
The other day I was playing Top
Trumps with my eight-year-old.
It was an old pack about tanks
(some of them are not strictly tanks, but
that’s another rant!) and one card I had in
my hand was the Universal Carrier, more
commonly known as the Bren Gun Carrier.
Although it was a pretty awful card to have
in this instance (I lost the round to a King
Tiger on weight!) one of the facts that stuck
out, and indeed I could have won on every
time, was numbers produced. While you
would probably think that something like
the Sherman was the most mass-produced
armoured fi ghting vehicle of all time it was
in fact this little machine, with over 113,000
produced in total.
HistoryAt the end of WWI the British army
underwent a massive makeover, with
regiments amalgamated or disbanded and
consigned to the annals of history (sound
familiar?). One area that suffered most
was tanks. Despite the fact that we British
invented the tank, which changed the face
of modern warfare, the ‘top brass’, in their
wisdom, could not for see a role for tanks in
any future confl ict. Money for development
was slashed, tank tactics were forgotten
(not by the Germans – they thought these
ideas and tactics were great, and used them
as part of the Blitzkreig!) and the powers
that be went back to their ‘Tiffi n’ ways.
Minus a few select projects it was down to
manufacturers to continue any development
of tracked armoured fi ghting vehicles (AFVs).
Many of these vehicles were derived
from agricultural machines and adapted with
armour plating and light weaponry. After the
horrors of 1914-918, nobody dreamt that
warfare on that scale would ever be seen
again and that armoured fi ghting vehicles
would be at the epicentre of any modern
battlefi eld.
In the UK ‘tankettes’ were the order of
the day. These little tanks (not Lt Gruber’s!)
were designed for one or two men and
Ratty turns his attention to the most-produced armoured military vehicle of all timewere about the size of a small car. Designed
as a Scout vehicle or for infantry support,
they were very lightly armoured and carried
light weapons. A company called Carden
Lloyd Tractors (founded by Sir John Carden
and Vivien Lloyd) were at the forefront of
tankette design and development. Their MK
VI, fi rst produced in 1927, was very popular
and could be used in a variety of roles, from
a recce vehicle to a battlefi eld towing vehicle
for small artillery pieces, mortars and such.
In the early 1930s Carden Lloyd was
bought by Vickers Armstrong, which
was already very well established in the
production of military hardware and other
equipment. As a commercial venture it
started to develop a light tracked vehicle.
It had to be able to tow a light fi eld gun or
at least carry a machine gun, which at that
time were much too heavy for one man to
lug around. The prototype, known as VA D50
had an armoured area at the front to protect
the driver and gunner and a bench seat in
the back for a gun crew. The War Offi ce was
(BREN GUN) CARRIERTHE UNIVERSALTHE UNIVERSALTHE UNIVERSAL
AA_48-50 BBT_rev2APNS.indd 48 12/12/2012 12:24
BIG BOYZ TOYZ | UNIVERSAL CARRIER
049www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
shown the prototype and ordered an initial
batch of 69, designated the ‘Light Dragon
MK III’ and intended to replace its ageing
‘Dragon’ artillery tractors.
The Universal/Bren Carrier is bornHowever, one was built and designated
‘Carrier, Machine-Gun Experimental
(Armoured)’ and was specifically designed
to carry a machine gun and its crew. This
design was changed. Initially, there was the
‘Carrier, Machine-Gun, No 1, Mark 1’ with a
crew of three (driver, gunner and third crew
member to the rear next to the stowage
area) and a small number entered service in
1936.
Some were converted into the other
variants while the rest were used in training.
Four variants emerged: Medium Machine
Gun Carrier (fitted with a Vickers machine
gun), Bren Gun Carrier (designed to carry the
section light support weapon (.303 Bren)),
the Cavalry Carrier and Scout Carrier (both
designed to support armour and infantry
alike).
The Bren Gun Carrier’s hull differed in that
it jutted forward to allow more movement
of the Bren Gun, which fired though an
armoured slit.
By 1940, with World War II still in its early
days, things were simplified and just one
universal model was to be produced. Now
known as the ‘Universal Carrier’ it looked
much the same as the Bren Gun Carrier,
with its jutting-out hull, but differed from the
earlier models by having a rectangular rear
body which allowed more space for crew or
equipment.
The driver and commander sat side
by side with the driver to the right. The
Commander was in charge of the machine
gun and had the extra hull section in front
of him.
An 85hp Ford V8 sat in the centre of the
vehicle powering its final drive at the rear
and giving it a top speed of around 30mph.
The suspension was a weird mixture,
using Horstmann Springs and parts from
the Vickers Light Tank. The steering was
different to the normal tank ‘tiller’ system
– it used a vertical steering wheel which
turned the road wheels when performing
small turns, causing the track to warp in that
direction and the carrier to ‘drift’ to that side.
Larger turns on the wheel caused braking on
the track in the direction you wanted to turn.
With a length of just over 12ft, a width
of 6ft 9in and a height of just 5ft 2in, it
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really was a dinky armoured vehicle! On
the downside it was only lightly-armoured,
so the crew and other occupants were
vulnerable to small arms fire. Worse still it
was completely open and everyone was
exposed to the elements and incoming fire
from the air.
Early manufacturers of the various carrier
types were Aveling and Porter, Bedford
Vehicles, Morris Motors, Thorneycroft and
Sentinel Wagon Works and the British side
of the Ford Motor Co. Between them these
companies made some 2,400 of these early
variants.
When the ‘Universal’ carrier was
introduced, Aveling-Barford, Thorneycroft,
Sentinel, Ford and Wolseley became the
manufacturers. By the end of hostilities
in 1945, around 55,000 carriers had been
produced.
On top of this, Ford Motor Company of
Canada also manufactured 29,000 of the
Universal design and in Australia it was
manufactured in small numbers, to a total
of around 5,000. A further 1,300 were even
made in New Zealand.
After the end of the WWII the Universal
Carrier still saw service – and production didn’t
actually cease until 1960! In total 113,000
were made, making it the most produced
armoured fighting vehicle of all time.
Operational historyThe Universal Carrier in all its forms and
variants has seen combat in many theatres
of war. After being taken into service in
1936 some early carriers were serving with
the British Expeditionary Forces in France
and were later destroyed or abandoned at
Dunkirk. They saw service with the 8th Army
in North Africa to great effect, transporting
troops and equipment at rapid speed and
keeping up with the advancing tanks.
They saw service all through the Italian
campaign and, ultimately, landed on the
beaches on D-Day. These little wagons
proved invaluable for transporting vital
supplies and troops from the beachheads up
to the front lines. Even American Forces had
Universal Carriers on their books!
Later they were used in lesser numbers in
the jungles of Burma.
At the end of the war, with more
regiments amalgamated or disbanded, many
Universal Carriers were sold, scrapped
or sent to Territorial Units and training
Regiments. A fair number went to the new
state of Israel where they saw service
in both the Six Day War and Yom Kippur.
Funnily enough, Egypt used Universals in
the same conflict. India also had a sizeable
amount of Universals and some were still in
service until the late 1980s.
Universals today No self-respecting military vehicle museum
or war museum is complete without a
Universal Carrier in some shape or form.
There are many on show throughout the
UK and around Europe, though many were
scrapped and some ended up on various
shooting ranges around the UK.
Universal or Bren carriers do not often
come up for sale and those that do have
either been lovingly restored or look like they
have been dug up from the battlefield last
week. Two came up for sale in the early part
of this year at £6,500 and £7,500 respectively,
but both needed full restoration. Saying that,
you never know what may be in someone’s
barn, garage or tucked down the back of their
yard.
SummaryFor such a small vehicle that started off as
a tractor/tug vehicle, to have seen active
service on every major battlefield throughout
WWII and to then be forgotten about or
overshadowed is a travesty. They saved
many a life, not just as ambulances or by
being able to put down supporting fire, but
by making sure that vital supplies got to
where they were needed, thus allowing the
battle and advance to carry on.
So next time you go to a military vehicle
show or War and Peace and you see one
in the reenactors’ section, don’t just walk
past it in favour of an M10 Tank destroyer
or something more ‘glamorous’. Spend
a moment and take your hat off to a true
unsung war hero – the Tommy Atkins of the
military vehicle world!
BIG BOYZ TOYZ | UNIVERSAL CARRIER
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051www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
051.indd 51 10/12/12 09:51:19
052 January 2013
TOADVERTISE
CALL TONI ON 01926 339808
052.indd 52 11/12/12 16:48:08
debate | xxxxxxxx
053www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
One of the few issues guaranteed to have veteran airsofters at odds with each other is the all-important question
of kit quality. For many players it’s irrelevant - they simply wear what’s comfy and practical for skirmishing – but for others and in particular those going for a real world ‘look’, the big issue is, “Do you buy the real steel kit or the cheaper repro?”
And the crux of the question seems to be whether the cheaper kit really offers better value for money. To many players the feeling is that as long as it looks accurate, they can’t see the point in spending over £100 on genuine CRYE BDU pants when a knock-off repro version looks the same but costs a fraction of the price. Advocates of the ‘real deal’, however, are quick to point out that this cheaper kit doesn’t always cut the mustard.
It’s certainly fair to say that top-end private purchase brands such as CRYE and 5.11 provide well-built, rugged kit, designed for the rigours of modern warfare and a dangerous battlefield… but do you need this at your local woods on a Sunday skirmish? Towards the middle of the scale, military issue kit – while still made by the lowest bidder to the government – can still be shockingly expensive, especially kit recently off the drawing board and designed for Special Forces. For others into historical airsoft, repro might be the only choice. If you doubt it, try finding genuine WWII German combat fatigues for less than the price of a family car.
But the big question is, is it really worth shelling out for the extra readies for genuine kit or will that Viper set of PLCE do the same job as the government issue stuff?
As Gunman Airsoft skirmisher ‘BL4CK0P3R4T1V3’ of Oxford told Airsoft Action, “Buy quality... Buy once. Buy cheap... Keep buying.
“I’m relatively new to the sport but my gaming style means I’m constantly crawling, creating my own path through any woodland that gets in my way, rolling into ditches and wading through swampy ground. Cheap kit wouldn’t last a weekend with me.”
While there is certainly some truth in the argument that kit used for airsoft doesn’t have to put up with the same level of dangerous combat as a real soldier’s kit, it’s worth bearing in mind (as one of my skirmishing buddies pointed out) that an airsofter might do over 50 reloads from a pouch in a day. This is something a real soldier is only ever going to be doing in combat in extreme circumstances. It’s entirely possible that if you play at weekends, your airsoft kit might actually get more of a hammering in a year than someone on the frontline for a few months.
And for some of our readers, repro is the only option as ‘BigKie’ from the West Midlands points out: “One consideration is that of size. I am a big guy, both height and gut, and it is not possible to get real gear so that leaves only one option. The fact is that if you search hard enough, there are companies
AirsOft ActiOn DebAte - RepRo Deal oR Real ‘Steal’?
hAve yOur sAyGot an opinion on the real versus
repro debate? Got an idea for
a future topic? Get in touch –
letters can be sent to the address
on page 4 or emailed to:
out there who happily supply a tailoring service, and some of these can be made to even higher standards than any military issue hands down. It does cost but in this game, just as any other, the phrase ‘You get what pay for!’ is fitting.”
This month we put the question to the Nottingham University Student Airsoft Association. Their responses:
Kalon: “In my opinion the division mainly comes down to an individual’s opinion. In my particular opinion I prefer the ‘cheap’ kit just because it means it doesn’t matter should it ever get damaged or stolen.”
Christopher Jackson: “Cost is always the main thing on my mind when it comes to gear, and given that an airsoft environment is not necessarily going to require the kit to take the same hammering as a real squaddie’s, I would normally err towards the cheaper stuff.”
Kinsey Hodgson: “I had a china-soft chest rig and it lasted two skirmishes before the thing started to disintegrate. After that I bought a plate carrier that cost nearly £200 but the thing is indestructible. I’ve had it nearly a year now and it’s still as strong as when it was new. Camos are the same. Cheap China stuff is ok until you push it too far, whereas the real stuff lasts until you set it on fire or wash the colour out of it. At the end of the day it’s down to personal choice, but in general the more expensive stuff lasts longer.”
Trane Pham: “I go for multicam copy kit, with the whole kit around $300. With the mil standard it could be $300 for only shirt and $300 more for pants. If I had plenty of money and didn’t need to care about what I spent, I would go for military quality, but unfortunately I’m a normal person with poor wallet so I am satisfied with the cheap kit.”
Samuel Buck: “I began to get sick of cheap sets of varying camo patterns that cost about £15 tearing apart after one game. So I have recently invested in some 95 DPMs, which have been with me to about six game days and haven’t shown any sign of wear and tear at all. In my opinion you get what you pay for. If it’s £15 it’ll more than likely die on you within a day. Spend a bit more cash and get some real DPMs that will last a lifetime.”
debate | real or fake?
AA_53 Debate_rev2NSCF.indd 53 12/12/12 16:47:18
054 January 2013
125th anniversary edition
Maruzen is a long-established Japanese company that has produced some unique models
over the years. Due to Japanese laws, it generally produces plastic, low-powered airsoft rifles and pistols.
A plastic pistol that costs £170 and fits in the palm of your hand? I must be mad for even reviewing this. I should be angry and
007 is the epitome of suave style and the Walther PPK has long been Bond’slifeline. how does Maruzen’s anniversary airsoft version shape up?
disappointed with the price, but I’m not (shaken but not stirred, I guess).
The original version of the real deal pistol was first produced in 1929 and, in case you can’t count, that is… er… a long time ago. The PPK or PolizeiPistole Kurz (Police Pistol Short) was, unsurprisingly, a short version of the PP pistol. Like anything that has been produced for a long time, there
have been several variants, slightly larger or heavier and in different calibres. Overall, the pistol has become an icon, a jewel in Carl Walther’s crown, and James Bond made the whole thing cool beyond belief. Of all the things that are iconic about 007, this is one of the most affordable, especially when set against the Aston Martin DB5 or the Omega Seamaster (hey, you can dream can’t you?).
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055www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
the Armoury | PrActicAl Pistol
Maruzen PPKWhen you open the compact box it is hard not to be excited. Like anything a little special, you take an extra second to look just before you pick it up. It is a plastic pistol but the finish looks identical to a blued steel version. Very impressive stuff. The markings are excellent and clear in a high contrast white, and even the magazine markings are nice. The only real shame is that it feels very light. Unfortunately, thanks to Japanese law, there is no way around this, but if you could produce this pistol in a metal with a realistic weight, I would give my arm for it without hesitation.
Japanese gas blowbacks never excite me, except for Tokyo Marui’s, which are generally good performers. I would like a Maruzen pistol to impress me, but the P99 gas blowback crushed my hopes. Instead, I settled for the non-blowback, which has been a solid sidearm for games all year round.
I gassed this up, preparing myself for another dull, asthmatic effort from a Japanese pistol. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by a sharp crack. It produces a fairly sad 220fps on a 0.20g Blaster BBs, but from such a humble velocity comes a surprising range – a nice 30m, which was good enough for me.
For the amount of money I wouldn’t say it rocks my world, but on the other hand I am a giant Bond fan. Still, this is a stretch. If I had that kind of money burning a hole in my pocket then it would be an easy choice. It has the trademarks and licensing of Walther and the 007 franchise, sure; but you can buy any other pistol on the market pretty much for this price – hell for this price you could often get a spare mag to go with it.
It does look absolutely stunning, though, which annoys me because it makes me want it even more, and I find myself trying to justify the pricetag.
ConclusionIf I was going to use this in a game I would unquestionably have to be wearing a tux. Then I would arrive at the casino in an appropriate car with a suitably stunning woman by my side. Following this, I would proceed to walk up to the main bad guy and insult him as he leaves me to deal with his goons.
Of course, unlike 007, I’d then have my furry little arse handed to me, but this scenario aside, I can’t see any real reason to use this pistol in a game.
Maybe just once though… just to see. Argh, there I go, trying to justify it to myself again!
To conclude, if you have £170 spare and you are a big Bond fan you will not be disappointed by the Maruzen PPK, but you will be a bit poorer. Do not expect a heavyweight or powerful pistol and everything will be fine – just enjoy it for what it is.
ConstruCtion: Full plasticWeight: 385gLength: 158mm Magazine: 22-roundpoWer sourCe: gas blowbackveLoCity: ~220fpspriCe: around £170
Maruzen PPK 125th anniversary
the Armoury | mAruzen PPK sPeciAl
AA_054-055 Pistol review_rev4_MH.indd 55 12/12/12 18:54:44
068 January 2013
…to write for Airsoft Action!
WE NEED YOU…RECRUITMENT | WE NEED YOU
CONTACT US NOW!To pitch an idea, submit an article or just introduce yourself,
email [email protected] and we will take it from there!
Do you compose gripping accounts of skirmishes in your head?
Have you got a natural way with words?
Can you take high-quality photos of kit and events?
Do your mates refer to you as ‘the brainy one’?
If so, we’ve got the opportunity to get yourself in print on the pages of Airsoft Action. We’re growing the magazine and we’re looking for freelance contributors to help us do that. If you understand the game, are an excellent writer and want to see your name in lights (well, on a page) then get in touch at the email address below. No arty-farty types, please – we want serious writers and airsofters.
068 January 2013
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COLD WAR WARRIOR | TROPICS
057www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
BRITISHTROPICS
Ready for a rumble in the jungle?Gadge runs through a Cold War-era
British jungle load-out
F rom the Chindits of WWII to the Paras
in Sierra Leone, the British soldier
has shown the world that he fi ghts as
well under the tropical jungle canopy as he
does on the European battlefi eld.
For an island-dwelling nation, raised
in temperate climes, Britons have made
surprisingly good jungle fi ghters, often
outclassing nations far more familiar with the
‘green hell’ of the jungle and quite literally
beating the enemy in their own backyard.
Prior to WWII, Britain showed
little interest in jungle warfare or the
development of any proper tropical kit
(in fact the troops defending the empire
against the Japanese began the war in khaki
shorts and shirts!). But beginning with the
long-range penetration raids undertaken by
the Chindits, Britain began to take tropical
warfare seriously.
Britain’s small warsIn the years immediately after WWII, and
entering into the Cold War era, Britain played a
substantial role in taking on communist-backed
rebels and revolutionaries across South East
Asia and the pacifi c. For these ‘limited wars’,
reliable, comfortable and practical jungle kit
was essential.
Between the end of WWII and the end
of the Cold War, Britain fought successful
‘small wars’ in Malaya, Borneo, Brunei,
Sarawak, Kenya, Cyprus, Suez and Oman as
well as making a signifi cant contribution to
the Korean War. Some of these warzones
were clearly not jungles but the tropical kit
came in equally useful!
Britain kept a permanent presence in
Belize, Cyprus and Kenya after the wars had
ended to ensure these vital jungle skills
were not lost. So successful were British
jungle warfare techniques (many of them
mastered in the verdant hills of Malaya)
that it is even rumoured, though offi cially
denied, that British soldiers were sent to
Vietnam to teach US Special Forces in
counter insurgency techniques.
While the Chindits went to war wearing
hastily-dyed and converted khaki kit, the
1942 ‘Lethbridge Mission’ undertook a
serious study into exactly what the British
soldier needed. It found nearly all of the
issue kit seriously inadequate. With the
fi ndings of the mission to guide them, the
war department quickly developed and
produced an outstanding set of combat
gear, webbing and equipment for jungle
warfare, commonly known as ‘44 pattern’.
This new kit started to be issued to British
troops, unfortunately just as WWII was
drawing to a close – very little of it saw any
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058 January 2013
combat use at all. It was, however, to prove
invaluable in the battles of the Cold War.
While the initial 44 pattern series of items
were largely in plain olive green (a ‘windproof’
camoufl age pattern set was also trialled),
as time wore on and the regular army was
issued disruptive pattern material uniforms in
the 1970s, it was not long before the jungle
uniform followed suit.
In this month’s instalment of Cold War
Warriors we’ll take a slight departure from
our usual policy of replicating the kit and
weaponry of a specifi c uniform and instead
feature a plethora of ‘typical’ jungle kit of the
1970s and early 1980s.
Tropical DPMOur warrior this month wears the distinctive
‘tropical DPM’ uniform, known to the men
simply as ‘tropics’ or ‘tropicals’. It is notable for
the distinctive and incredibly bright shades of
green and brown, which border on lime and
orange. This somewhat garish palette is largely
to make the camoufl age effective when wet
(as it invariably would be in the humid jungles
of South East Asia). The uniform contains a
high plastic/nylon content that allows it to dry
out quickly compared to the heavy, fully-lined
68 pattern DPM trousers.
This quick drying feature made tropics a
popular choice for those soldiers able to fl aunt
uniform regulations and wear them in Europe,
but the high plastic content made them a
liability when under incendiary attacks. Many
units banned them in urban environments.
Completing the uniform is a wide-brimmed
‘bush hat’ in DPM (although a darker shade of
DPM than the trousers and jacket). This well-
designed piece of kit was the evolutionary
apex of the 1944 jungle hat and popular
with the troops, both in the jungle and the
European theatre.
Our soldier wears a pair of 1980s UK
jungle boots, in essence a perfect copy of
the American jungle boot used throughout
the Vietnam War. Earlier UK jungle boots had
been unsatisfactory affairs, resembling a high
leg ‘hockey boot’ but with poor durability
and lacking any real ankle support. While this
original UK boot was almost a disposable item
and become unserviceable within weeks,
the copy of the US boot proved ideal and is
still in service in a modifi ed form today. Its
leather lower, panama sole, drainage eyelets
and lightweight webbing uppers provide
the perfect combination of support, grip and
durability. Completing our warrior’s clothing is
a camoufl age face veil fi rst introduced In the
1940s, here worn as a neck scarf but equally
likely to be worn as a bandana or sweat rag
(given the crippling humidity encountered in
most jungle environments, the face veil was a
popular item to have close to hand!).
The soldier’s machete or ‘gollock’ (as it is
known to British soldiers) is as much a part
of his ‘uniform’ as his actual clothing is. The
gollock, or ‘tree beater’, is so vital to a soldier’s
jungle survival that it is kept permanently
attached to him via a separate utility strap so
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COLD WAR WARRIOR | TROPICS
059www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
that he is never separated from it – even if he
should lose his webbing or be forced to ditch
it for any reason. While Airsoft Action does
not recommend you take a machete on to the
skirmish fi eld we have included it here for the
sake of completeness and accuracy.
WWII vintageEqually of WWII vintage is our model’s
webbing. The 1944 webbing set was
designed to replace the 1937 pattern WWII
webbing entirely but ended up as an item of
tropical issue kit. The 44 set differed from its
predecessor by being pre-shrunk and pre-dyed
a deep green shade (removing the need for
messy and time consuming ‘blancoing’). Its
metal fi ttings are anodised in either a dark
green or black fi nish.
Its broader shoulder straps, which split into
four yoke straps to spread the weight equally,
are a further improvement over the 37 kit, and
allow it to be comfortably worn even when
unbuttoned. The large 44 utility pouches
featured the ‘tab and loop’ fastening system
trialled in very late pattern 37 pouches, but
perhaps the most outstanding feature of the
set was its water bottle and carrier. The 44
pattern water bottle was a sturdy metal affair
with a capacious mug which fi tted around the
bottom. Carried in an oversized carrier with a
small pocket for purifi cation tablets, the ‘44
water bottle was a popular piece of kit that
continued to be seen on webbing until the
1990s. It was even superior to its successor,
the 58 pattern mug and cup, as the latter’s
plastic construction made it impossible to
directly heat over a fi re or stove.
Here our warrior carries two such canteens
to counter the debilitating effects of sweating
and heat exhaustion in the jungle. Also
attached to our soldier’s webbing is a privately-
purchased jungle knife; many soldiers carried
an additional ‘survival knife’ with a multitude
of ‘survival aids’ including a rudimentary fi rst
aid kit, fi shing hooks and line, a small compass
and matches.
Jungle ambushLastly, our jungle trooper carries the venerable
British Army L1A1 SLR rifl e. The British Army
fi rst began to use this powerful 7.62x51 battle
rifl e in Kenya in the late 1950s. By the Malaya
and Borneo wars it had become the standard
rifl e among British soldiers, although frequently
replaced by the US M16 rifl e.
While a fantastic infantry weapon for a
European battlefi eld, the SLR was found to
have serious shortcomings in jungle warfare.
Its considerable length (and corresponding
weight) made it unwieldy in close quarters and
in fi refi ghts that could occur at incredibly short
ranges. Its lack of automatic fi re capability
made it diffi cult for British soldiers to quickly
put down enough rounds to allow them to
extricate themselves from an enemy ambush
or supress an enemy hidden in the dense
jungle. While the lighter, fully-automatic M16
soon became the British Army’s jungle rifl e
of choice, it was still not unknown to see UK
troops soldiering on with the SLR right up until
the introduction of the SA80 family of weapons
in the late 1980s.
As an airsoft impression, Cold War
British jungle kit is surprisingly practical
and comfortable – if you can fi nd it! It’s
lightweight, hardwearing and ideal for
the skirmish fi eld, but surviving genuine
examples are becoming hard to fi nd. As with
many items designed for jungle warfare,
the harsh climate in which they have been
used often takes a toll on them, with rot
and rips from tropical swamps and foliage
quickly making kit unserviceable. But if
you can fi nd yourself a set it’s a great look
for the skirmish fi eld and just that little bit
different from the everyday DPM which is so
commonplace.
Many thanks to our model for this edition
of CWW: Samuel Buck from NTUSAS
airsoft society.
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060 January 2013
Observation Posts or Positions (OPs) are
hard, dirty, generally very unpleasant
and crap, which is why only the fittest,
best trained soldiers are tasked to do them.
They are a pinpoint use of manpower to
monitor the enemies’ movements, report on
their activities or even provide a trigger for
a strike.
OPs of some description have been
used by the British Army in every theatre
of war since it canned the bright red tunics
and squares formation back in the day, and
started employing forward skirmishers.
They were equipped with light equipment
suitable for the task and led by officers and
seniors who valued skill, discipline, cunning,
shooting and toughness more than a crisp
We all know what they are but how do you set one up and use it effectively?Over to someone who has been there, seen it and done it for real…
ESTABLISHING ANOBSERVATION POST
salute and a pair of boots you could see your
reflection in.
There are as many locations, types and
styles of OP as there are flavours of Ben
& Jerry’s ice cream. Anything from overt
OPs in Bosnia in high rise towers, keeping
tabs on locals and baddies equipped with
sophisticated comms kit; to sniper OPs in
piles of rubbish (and even horse carcasses
in No Man’s land in WW2); to covert OPs in
Northern Ireland where Close Observation
Platoons would go in with troops raiding a
house and stay behind, hiding in the roof,
observing the house opposite by lifting the
tiles to look through.
These types of operations were
particularly unpleasant, as the lads had to
live in such difficult conditions. They had to
urinate and defecate in plastic bags, remain
absolutely silent to avoid being found by the
family in whose house they had taken up
temporary residence, and undertake long,
hard, stressful work in cramped conditions
in constant fear of discovery. The lengths
that some soldiers will go to in order to
achieve a mission is testament to their
unfailing professionalism.
Over the next few editions, we’ll be
taking a look at this fascinating topic in
detail. OPs can make an interesting, fun
and challenging addition to an airsoft event,
where you can get them pre-dug in and
reuse them, and we’ll also show you how
the Forces do it.
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061www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
SKILLS ROOM | BILLY BASICS
Look and listen…OPs are defined as, ‘A position that affords
good camouflage and concealment from
aerial, ground and thermal observation and
fire in order to collect and report information
about the enemies’ activities and
movements by using covert observation.’
Different categories include surface
ops, in which the guys have only an hour
or so before first light to prepare a hasty
OP and occupy it. I have been on plenty of
exercises where the head shed has made
a balls-up of the time appreciation and
we’ve done 10km of knees to chest, knees
to chest to get to the OP site and scrape
something together – and then get beasted
by the DS!
Subsurface OPs require a couple of
nights to complete. They can be back-
breaking work and frustrating if you get re-
tasked almost as soon as you’ve occupied
it. The next two categories are urban and
vehicle OPs, which we won’t really cover
here in too much depth but the principles
can apply to these too.
Right, story time! We can’t have a Billy
Basics article without a tale.
I learnt a good lesson many years ago
about teamwork. I was on an arduous
course which was definitely a ‘pass or fail’
affair and I really wanted to pass. We were
tasked to mount an OP on a building.
We selected our site on the map and arrived
just about 21:00, so we had a good night’s
construction ahead of us to ensure ‘eyes
on’ by first light. There was an ideal location
at the forward edge of the wood but we
wouldn’t be able to get all four of us in, so
decided to go for a split OP-Lay Up Position
(LUP) with the LUP about 70m behind us. I
was the PC so I decided that I would build
the OP to my satisfaction and the 2IC would
take the LUP and we would swap over the
following night.
It was a tough night’s construction and
my mucker and I barely got it done in time;
we were so pressed that I didn’t have an
opportunity to get back to the LUP to check
with my 2IC that all was cool. He did pop
down several times in his warm kit though,
to see how we were getting on – I should
have smelled a rat at that stage.
Anyway, as the sun came over the
horizon my buddy and I were crawling into
our cold hole in the ground for a boring day
ahead. About three hours later we heard the
sound of a heli over our OP. It was loitering
over our heads which made me rather
nervous. It alighted in front of us and six
very angry soldiers got out, most of whom I
recognised as our Instructors. They headed
straight for us at the run. I cursed myself
for what was obviously my sloppy cam and
readied myself for a beating and for the train
ticket home when they’d binned us all.
As the first two crashed into our OP on top
of us I heard ‘What the hell!’ or similar and
realised they hadn’t seen us at all. I still
got a few hefty blows to the face and body
mind you, but they hadn’t seen me and my
mate. When they had gathered us all in for a
debrief they took me and my OP buddy over
to the LUP and showed us why they had
seen us from the air. There were two bivvy
bags covered with two perfectly square
green cam nets, which were so distinct
from the mud they lay on that the lads in
the heli had seen them straight away.
They had made no attempt to cam the
rear LUP and the lazy buggers had not
even offered to help dig the forward OP.
We never saw either of them again and my
mate and I were allowed to move location
and put in as best a position as we could
and continue with the ex.
Bare necessitiesSo what must an OP have, apart from
hardworking teammates that can be relied on?
It must have good eyes on the target for a
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start. It must be close enough for you to be
able to observe the enemy, but not so close
that he can detect you with a routine leg
stretch patrol, so binos and a spotting scope
are a must. It shouldn’t be in an obvious
position – if there’s one small tufted bush in
the middle of a bare field, avoid it. You should
be able to get away if you’re compromised
so an escape route needs to be recce’d
when you’re choosing a site. You should have
cover from view as well as cover from fire,
so a dug-in position with plenty of foliage
over it is good – it must blend in.
You need to be all over your personal
admin and kit; you can’t leave stuff lying
about, or pouches undone, or you’ll lose
SKILLS ROOM | BILLY BASICS
things. I have an admission to make here: I
nearly didn’t survive that incident with the
heli compromise because my skills weren’t
good enough.
An OP log, a detailed account of what
you’ve seen, is always written – and it’s
as important as comms. If you don’t have
either you’re wasting your time. So there I
was in the OP, scribbling down all the things
I could see in front of me, when disaster
struck and we got our kicking at the hands
of the instructors. I was so surprised when
it happened that the log slipped out of my
hand as I reached for my weapon to defend
the position. As you can imagine, before we
got called in for the debrief we were spread
throughout the woodblock like mad things and
I realised I had dropped the notebook – and
basically that was me done for. I was history
for sure, an entirely unacceptable slip up.
So as I walked downcast back to the
position to receive my rifting and my rail
warrant I placed my bergen on the floor to
pack something away. At least if I got binned
I was going to do it with my kit in a good
state. I looked down and there was the log
on the floor next to the bergen! Sometimes
Lady Luck will smile on you, but don’t call on
her too often, she rarely picks up!
Coming up next time, we’ll go through the
construction, occupation and routine in your
OP. Billy out
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063.indd 63 11/12/12 09:52:36
064 January 2013
WE: THE PHOENIX
Once upon a time, WE, a Taiwanese
airsoft manufacturer, had a less-
than-stellar reputation. From its
leaking magazines and faulty parts, its
weapons were a woeful choice on the
airsoft battlefield. Taiwan – better known
for its temples, beaches, smiling faces and
neon-lit bars of scantily-clad maidens – was
a bridge too far in terms of reliability and
performance. Metal-stamped with a dodgy
reputation, WE was criticised as a cheaper
alternative to KWA, TM or WA. Worse yet,
forums buzzed that WE equalled ‘crap
quality’, ‘fail cloning’ and ‘the worst mags
ever’… and once the forums are against
you, you have well and truly had your chips.
But that was then, and this is now...
WE would appear, like a phoenix from the
ashes, to have reinvented itself with some
truly impressive weaponry. With support
from Ra-Tech, an airsoft heavyweight
internationally renowned for its full-steel
internals that improve quality as well as
range and hitting power, WE has turned
over a new leaf. The WE M14 Ra-Tech Lvl.2,
as reviewed in the October 2012 issue, is
perhaps the finest GBB rifle despite its high
maintenance. WE pistols of old were known
to suffer from leaky magazines, while metal
slides would stick and internals of dubious
quality and pot metals would sooner or later
crack and snap.
Take, for example, the iconic M1991 A1.
Every airsoft collection should have one
for its ease of use and reliable firepower.
Arguably the best pistol of all time, Tokyo
WE doesn’t have the best of reputations – but is that set to change?Jay Slater reckons it just might be…
Marui had pretty much cracked it with its
M1911 A1. Smooth, with a devilish gas
blowback action, the TM M1911 A1 is an
airsoft legend. With faithful trademarks and
a plastic upper slide (full-metal airsoft guns
are illegal in Japan) this is a reliable sidearm
of choice. Even in the bitter cold (green
gas and propane will revert to liquid), this
belter gives it her best. And now the new
and improved WE has come onto the scene,
fighting fit with 1911s and more.
WE MeccaIn late November 2012, the editor and I
were fortunate to have a national scoop
at a new WE distributor, Target One Field
Sports in Epsom, Surrey, where we were
proactively encouraged, at gunpoint, to get
to grips with the latest WE hardware. And it
was impressive!
Not only does Target One import rifles
and pistols, it stores thousands of spare
parts and the guys there are only too happy
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THE ARMOURY | WE WEAPONRY
to assist. Make no mistake, this truly is WE nirvana – and I was ordered to arm up and go testing for Action Airsoft. What’s the truth of that unsavoury reputation – has anything changed? Only one way to find out: lock and load, people!
The 1911 needs little introduction. A single-action, semi-automatic handgun designed by John Browning, it was the standard-issue sidearm for the US armed forces before the outbreak of WWI and until 1985. However, it is a favourite for civilians due to its ease of use and man-stopping power, and modern variants are still in use by specialist units such as the US Navy and US Marine Corps.
It is popular due to its slim width and awesome delivery of lead on target. For me, the 1911 is the finest sidearm period; it feels right in the hand, the centre of gravity is perfect and it is simple to maintain and shoot. Above all it does the job incredibly well. For what it lacks in an excessive magazine it makes up for sheer style.
Hi-Capa 5.1 Government Issue On the ‘bling’ side of things, WE’s Hi-Capa 5.1 Government Issue is a monster of a 1911 mutation. Large, heavy and uncompromising, this is the Desert Eagle of the 1911 series. Highly decorative with grooving throughout for an aesthetic, pleasing edge, this is a beastly hand cannon. The magazine is double-stacked and holds around 25 rounds. Like the true 1911 it features a double safety and this version is powered by a 12g CO2 bulb, so it’s more practical for use in cold climates than green gas.
The box art states that it is ‘Hi-Kick and Hi-Grouping’, whatever that means. Despite a little slide rattle, this is a cordite behemoth of a 1911. The trigger response is crisp, however, on the second magazine the bulb vented with five shots left. Perhaps the CO2 bulb was exhausted and unable to slide back the heavyweight infrastructure of the weapon, which does question the practicality of such hardware for blowback
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066 January 2013
slide action. That said, the Tanfoglio KWC EAA Witness CO2 of similar weight is more than delighted to pop off six magazines or more without cooling, and packs a searing punch. Range and power of the WE is within the typical 260-280fps mark.
Baby Hi-Capa 3.8Bella donna: this bambino is a cutie. I was asked to test a two-tone pistol (shudder) and fortunately the all-metal orange top slide is surprisingly high quality – in fact the best I’ve seen. Despite its ‘Baby’ name, this tidy package manages an impressive wallop from its 23-round double-stack magazine. Overall delivery is on target.
It feels just right: intuitive, instinctive. The ‘Baby’ shoots hard with snappy recoil, although its gas efficiency tails off towards the end of the magazine. This is no great shakes though, as this sweet lady gives all. We liked the integrated rail and it boasts attractive cutting curves and creases. With no markings, this is a desirable, petit 1911,
and surprisingly heavy for its diminutive stature. Superbly crafted, its performance is spectacular, even in cold weather. Not only will this fit into an upper pocket for quick delivery, she packs a comparable wallop to the Hi-Capa 5.1. Size does not matter, gentlemen: it’s not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean that counts.
M1991The box art is unclear as to what version of the 1911 this is supposed to be, but the smart money is on the ’43 issue. This highly-impressive package comes with two magazines – manufacturers, take note – and the 1911 is a solid, heavy, matt-black metal piece with a striking muzzle.
Having fired an authentic firearm, this is the real deal with no markings. Its 15-round single-stack magazine is pleasingly gas-efficient and packs a solid punch. A true joy to fire, it is crisp, clean and responsive, just as the 1911 should be. Also, it mimics the weight of the real-life performer.Range and firepower are comparable to the
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067www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
THE ARMOURY | WE WEAPONRY
HI-CAPA 5.1: £115BABY HI-CAPA 3.8: £105M1991: £110 (without spare mag) or £125 (with spare mag)M4 A3 CQBR: £300
A big thanks to the guys at Target One Field Sports for lending us the review guns.Target One Field Sports: 0203 137 1244
PRICES AND THANKS
Range and fi repower are comparable to the
TM M1911, but the WE version does not
feature the same lightweight plastic parts
that can snap and scuff. The genuine clack
is a source of utter joy and airsoft nirvana,
threatening to rival and supersede the
Tokyo Marui. However, prolonged winter
use has yet to be endured to test for the
infamous frozen metal slide issue, and
the lack of offi cial Colt markings may not
appeal to the purist.
M4 A3 CQBRThe M4 semi-automatic rifl e, like the AK-47,
is the airsoft pedigree of choice for many.
The M4 carbine is stomped in the clay
footprint of the earlier M16 and is used
mainly in the US military as a frontline
weapon in Afghanistan, and previously
in Iraq.
Constantly upgraded in performance,
and with modifi cations such as rails and
underslung grenade launchers available,
the M4 is a much-loved and extremely
common weapon in airsoft for its reliability
and common parts.
The M4 A3 CQBR is all metal, all singing
and all dancing. Extremely impressive
from the outset, it is sharp and tidy with
excellent weight and dynamics, remarkably
similar to the real-steel. A lightweight
heavyweight – and combined with the Mad
Bull XM203 launcher for CQB devastation
– the open bolt system offers a crisp
and responsive trigger action and is so
very beautiful. The delightful blowback
complements the hard fi repower and
extreme range. Each shot is delivered
with a racket and plume of spent gas. The
superb engineering and design (including
extendable stock) makes this little devil
ideal for woodland gaming as well as CQB.
Indeed, some have converted their WE M4
A3 CQBR into sniper rifl es – not bad at all
for a small package.
In all this rifl e from WE is superb. I’ve
never been a real fan of the M4 in airsoft,
due to its popularity as I prefer something
a little more individual – but the WE M4
A3 CQBR has converted me. I shall invest
in the Ra-Tech custom model with the
precision 6.01 inner barrel, steel CNC
hammer, steel CNC sear, steel CNC trigger,
valve locker, fi ring pin base, hop rubber and
NPAS. Another bonus is that WE produces
both gas and CO2 magazines, making this
juicy number a serious contender.
Poor man’s chrono resultsAll weapons were tested on a cold
afternoon and the chrono used was a Stella
Artois can topped with water. At a range
of 70-80ft the 1911s were mostly accurate
and caused serious dents or penetration of
the metal, suggesting a 280-290fps or so.
The M4 A3 CQBR ripped the can apart
– the BBs not only shot through the metal
but zapped through the water and out the
other side. One can now appreciate that,
with the Ra-Tech internals and NPAS, this
little fella can be used as a highly effi cient
sniper platform.
The conclusion was unanimous for
all weapons tested: the quality and
performance was second to none and one
shall be keeping a very keen eye on WE’s
future developments.
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068 January 2013
A surprising amount of airsofters we speak to at skirmish sites across the country are students. While many
are still at school, quite a few are skirmishers in full-time higher education. They face the tricky situation of having to make that student loan stretch to green fees as well as life’s essentials of Pot Noodles, pizzas and lager!
So how easy is it to keep airsofting while supporting yourself away from home and on a student loan? Airsoft is far from cheap, as hobbies go, with an average day’s play costing around £30 before you even look into getting your own kit. How do you keep your AEG’s safe in student accommodation and are you risking social suicide by coming across as the ‘resident gun nut’ of your halls of residence?
To answer all these questions and more I went along to the Nottingham Trent University’s
Student Airsoft Society (or more accurately I tracked them down at one of Nottingham’s well-known pubs to join them at their weekly Thursday night social).
Having made contact with the guys (and girls) of the society via Facebook, it was easy to spot ‘social secretary’ Samuel Buck – largely due to the impressive Mohican haircut he sports. After making my introductions I ventured upstairs to the pub’s function room to be introduced to a score of young airsofters, including this year’s president, Tom ‘Cotterz’ Cotteril. As soon as a decent amount of society members were there, Tom took to the DJ box to make a few announcements about the society’s upcoming games and issues.
I was quickly impressed. After outlining plans for the society’s next day out, Tom turned his attention to some issues within the
Airsoft Action took some time out to visit Nottingham’s NTUSAS airsoft societyand find out exactly how tricky it is to balance lectures and load-outs
group. Accusations had been made by some of their local site’s regulars that a few of the new players were not taking their hits and it was reassuring to see the society tackle this tricky issue head on. Nobody likes to deal with this sort of thing in their team and Tom’s ‘no nonsense’ approach, with a strict warning that any future infringers would face a ban from future games was quick, to the point and fair.
We’ve been airsofting for a long time and all too often teams are quick to whinge about ‘the other side’ having Teflon characteristics, while brushing their own infractions under the carpet. It was promising to see a young and relatively new society with a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to one of the sport’s trickier issues.
With this unpleasant issue dealt with, it was time for the society to start having fun; as Samuel started DJing for the evening I took
BAKED BEANS,BBS AND BEER!
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STUDENT AIRSOFT | NTUSAS
069www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
head honcho Tom and former president Sean Lawless to one (quieter) side of the venue to chat about being an airsofting student.
Team advantageThe society has been skirmishing in its present form for around four years, but surely the university didn’t approve of its students running around with RIFS of a weekend?
“At first, when the society was proposed, there was a bit of concern from the Students’ Union, but we took in some AEGs and showed them it was all pretty harmless and they agreed to help us out in forming a society,” said ‘stealth specialist’ Sean.
As the guys explained, while the university doesn’t help out directly with green fees, it has been more than helpful in providing equipment and other aid to the group.
“With the university’s help, the society now owns five AEGs with four mags each, batteries, chargers, eight radios with headsets and even a chrono to make sure all guns are safe,” Tom told me. “We also get to use the university’s mini bus to help get players to our regular events which helps cut down costs.”
The society currently boasts about 20 or so members (which traditionally rises to about 35 later in the academic year and drops off again in July as third-year students graduate). This roll call has allowed the society to negotiate very favourable ‘hire fees’ with local site Phoenix Airsoft. “We can get a discount for our members and, as we all play once a fortnight, it works out well for the site too as they have a large body of regular players provided by us – although we usually split up and play alongside the regulars on both teams,“ said Sean. “We also try and make sure that a new player’s first
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070 January 2013
If you’re a student and interested in joining the NTUSAS, challenging them to a game or perhaps just after some advice in setting up your own society, can contact them at: [email protected]
NTUSAS
game is a ‘private hire’, against other NTUSAS members, to ease them in gradually. Having a society AEG and comms on loan means they are not disadvantaged by playing with a hire gun that may have had a battering in the past, or by being out of the radio net.”
In fact, fi rst time players are in their element here. Many NTUSAS members are more than happy to take new ‘softers under their wing; at the social I met a few members yet to try their hand at airsoft. Tom Seddon, a second-year student, was keen to get to grips with an AEG despite having some experience of real-steel shooting: “I’m not expecting the range or the recoil to be the same but I am expecting a great game,” he said. “While I’ve had a go with a lot of the guys’ guns already, I’m really looking forwards to an actual battle. I’ve played a lot of paintball too but one of the things that I’m really looking forwards to is trying out a sniper rifl e – I know it’s not everyone’s thing, but I think I’ll like it.”
Starting from scratchSo with cheap green fees, free gun hire, and free comms, it does seem to be almost ideal to be skirmishing while at university – but there is a downside. Unfortunately, you can’t keep your own AEG in most university-owned accommodation.
So what advice does the society have for those at university and starved of airsoft? Sam and Sean suggest checking out your university’s students’ union and freshers’ fairs to see if there are any airsofting (or similar) groups, and if all else fails set your own up!
“Apply for a maintenance grant! Get in touch with your university’s society and, if there isn’t one already, take the plunge and set one up – then apply for all the grants and funding you can.” said Sam. Sean added that quite often the university’s wargames, computer gaming and even rock societies will have members who are highly likely to have an interest in airsoft: “It’s such a fun sport and a great way to meet new people that you then enjoy hanging out with every week.”
The society clearly pulled in a large cross-section of the student population, with a higher proportion of female airsofters than you’d fi nd in your average team. Many were no strangers to airsoft before moving from their home city.
Karen, from Buckinghamshire, was a regular skimisher back home with her boyfriend and found the society allowed her to carry on playing. Yorkshire lad Kinsey, meanwhile, discovered airsoft via an interest in fi rst-person shooters, and seeing the guys displaying their wares at the freshers’ fair.
“Other students see us at freshers’ fair and go ‘Oh my god! That guy’s got a sniper rifl e!’ and then come over to see us and we can explain the game to them. Many see it as like paintball and we can explain how it’s different. A lot of people come to us from a background of FPS games and that’s an easy transition for them, as Kinsey found out,“ Sean told me.
The society doesn’t just stick to its local site. In the past couple of years they’ve challenged societies from universities including Loughborough and Reading, and even combined forces with other universities to fi eld the ‘Combined University National Taskforce’ at the recent Ground Zero weekender.
So, far from airsofting as a student being a case of battling against a budget, it can actually pay off to play more – assuming you can get the backing of your students’ union. One thing is for certain: you won’t be short of like-minded people to join in!
“The University provides us with secure storage for all our AEGs and comms gear,” Tom explained. “But it’s against halls of residence regulations to have any sort of fi rearm, replica, blade or weapon in a halls room or university-owned house. This means that players have to leave them with friends, or risk getting into serious trouble.
“In the early days of the society one guy left his entire arsenal out on his bed and went away for a while, only to fi nd the police waiting for him when he came home!” Equally, as Sam was keen to point out, if you don’t have a car then getting your AEG around campus can be a challenge. “Using public transport with a ‘gun shaped bag’ isn’t too discrete; it’s like getting a wrapped up bottle of wine as a gift on your birthday – you can always tell what it is. It’s really obvious when a bag has guns in it so it pays to be extra careful.”
It was clear though throughout the interview (and at our later photo-shoot) that the University really was supportive of the airsoft hobby, even allowing Airsoft Action access to the NTU’s ‘crime scene training centre’ (a mocked up family house used to train forensic scientists) to take some pictures of the guys in their load-outs! (All pictures here are posed, with guns made safe. Always wear eye protection when playing for real.)
STUDENT AIRSOFT | NTUSAS
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072 January 2013
There are many different ways in which to enter and clear a room during a skirmish scenario, but do they all
work? The best and safest option is always to work as part of a small group – at the very least as part of a pair. Real-world tacticians spend months planning and prepping for the real thing but for an airsofter, time to plan and prep may simply not be an option.
At your home site you may have the best plan available to execute the attack or rescue, but if you’re a visitor at another site the layout won’t be familiar, and what works for one building or structure may not work for another.
Although there are many different ways to enter a room, there are several things to take into consideration before we make any moves.
NumbersFirst we must make sure we are not going to be outnumbered and outgunned. It’s no fun entering a room only to find that you and your
Continuing his look at all things tactical, Pro-Tact’sAndy Nightingale gives us the low-down on one
Room enTRy: wAll floodmate are standing face to face with the entire opposition, and the fact that you are armed to the teeth with a pistol and shotgun may not be a match for a squad of AK47s and a couple of M249s bearing down on you.
Make sure you have the numbers (as far as possible) and guns to take on whatever is in the room, and if in doubt try to get some intel first.
light and noise disciplineBe as quiet as possible when approaching the entry point. Don’t give your position or intentions away to the enemy forces as any sign of your attack will force them to set up an ambush. Approach with care, and don’t just concentrate on the avenue of approach: you will need 360° protection as you move onto the target area.
Take note of the light around you and look for shadows. Your shadow crossing the threshold of a door or a window will alert the
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skills room | CQB TaCTiCs
enemy to your presence. Likewise, look for their shadows – anything that can give you away can also give them away. Make sure that any switches on lasers and torches are not inadvertently activated during the approach phase as even in daylight they are very visible.
Make sure that none of your equipment or weapon systems make a noise as you move. Keep close to walls do not come into contact with them; kit scraping along a wall is a very distinct sound and will surly give you away. Tread carefully, placing your feet down softly. Talking should be at a minimum and when
you need to talk it should be done in a whisper or by radio.
EntryBefore entering, line up outside the room one behind the other. Keep the security tight;
never let your guard down for one second. Your weapon should be up into your shoulder ready for anything that may come through the door. Stay back from the doorway. Often during a game you will see people hugging the doorway with the weapon or even part of their leg protruding past the door jamb and into the room – a dead giveaway that you are just the other side of the door!
Signal to moveWhen you are in position and everyone is ready, you will need a signal to go. The first person into the room will need to know that everyone behind them is ready and set to move. I don’t know how many times I have seen the group standing in line only to find that the first person has entered the room on
their own, because the second person wasn’t ready. That sense of being out-numbered becomes painful as you walk back to the Safe Zone covered in hits!
Keep your eyes to the front and your weapon ready. The easiest way for all members of the team to know that everyone is set to go is by a physical signal. When the last person in the line is ready, they should tap the person to their front on the back of the thigh (use a knee to leave both hands free). If you can’t reach the man in front with your knee then you are standing too far back.
This is a positive signal that the person behind you is set to go. Pass the tap on to the next person in front only if you are 100 per cent ready to move. When the first person in the line receives the tap they will know that the entire team is ready for the entry phase.
EntryHow many people you have in your team and the size and shape of the room will determine the type of entry you make. This is a typical ‘Wall Flood’ entry with a four-person team.
The easiest way to enter a doorway is to follow the path of least resistance, known as a dynamic entry. If for example you are standing to the left of the doorway, the first person into the room should go to the right as they enter the room and follow the wall down. The second person will enter and turn to the left, doubling back. The third person should enter the room and follow the first person then the last person enters and turns to the left to follow the second into the room. As each person enters the room the other members of the team must follow as close as possible, to get the group into the room as fast as possible.
If there are any bad guys in the room they will have too many targets to concentrate on one at a time. Keep your weapon up into the aim as you enter and point the muzzle into the centre of the room, then to the direction that you are moving. If you see a target in the opposite side of the room then leave it be and get on with clearing your own side – the other team members will deal with that threat. At this stage you should be in one long line along the wall.
SearchingOnce in, turn to face into the room and start your search. Sweep your muzzle in a figure of eight as you look for the bad guys. First look at things at eye level then down to the floor as you sweep, then look above head height. Deal with any threats as you come to them. If you need to search deeper into the room then
you can either all move forwards as one line or send one person forwards to search as the rest of the group cover their move.
ShootingIf there is shooting during the entry or searching phase then before you leave the room you must conduct a weapons reload. Handguns run out of rounds very quickly and fast firing will drop the gas pressure pretty quick as well, but don’t all reload at the same time. Half of the team should reload then once done the other half will complete the drill – and don’t forget that long guns run out of ammo too. Once the search and reload is complete the team can get ready to exit the room.
This is a typical four-person entry into a single room. There are lots of other considerations to take into account during high risk entry scenarios, such as distraction devices, stairs, odd shaped rooms and also adjoining rooms. If you are moving down a corridor with multiple rooms to check and clear, you must have at least one person in the corridor at all times as security.
Stay safe and happy airsofting.
074 January 2013
Disregarding his propensity for injuring himself, Oscar Plummer headed off to UCAP’s new CQB site - The Wing
I should probably start with a
declaration: My first ever game
(and first concussion) was at the
UCAP Bunker at Portsmouth. Following
that, I spent inordinate amounts of time
charging around their now-closed Virus
site (and being stitched back together
at the A&E department of nearby
Chichester Hospital) and although
I’ve not yet picked up an injury at the
Sandpit in Kent, I did manage to set
part of my rig on fire in a typically cack-
handed Mk5 related incident in that
u c a p :
particular quarry. The less said about
the IED/brown pants episode at Green
Ops, the better...
So I was understandably excited to
hear that they have opened a new site -
“The Wing”, in Bicester.
Based in an ex-MoD facility, it’s a 99
per cent indoor, CQB experience jam-
packed with rooms, corridors, stairwells
and a fair supply of bigger, open spaces
which have been judiciously sprinkled
with barricades, redoubts and sundry
items of cover. Parking facilities and
the Safe Zone are excellent, as are the
location and amenities.
And there are a lot of lasers. Yes, you
heard me. Lots of lasers... and smoke...
not to mention a lift. More on that later.
The site offers a tonne of possibilities.
Built over two levels connected by
three staircases, you have to fight your
way through corridors, open rooms,
passageways and the aforementioned
stairways. UCAP rules are pretty simple:
there are no restrictions on frags other
than the standard less-than-9mm/Mk5
volume level, and 350fps max on RIFs at
this site.
The day I play is one of the first
games on the site and we’re on single
shot, though with no ammo/mag
regulations. There is no bang rule in
play – and no minimum engagement
distance – though a common-sense stab
arrangement is briefed in.
The arrangement’s as much about
sportsmanship as anything else. If
someone gets close enough to tap
you on the shoulder, then you really
should take that as a hit. The alternative
is to take a double tap out of the end
of a barrel at close range, and I think
we can all agree that’s to be avoided.
Nonetheless, it’s the sort of trust in player
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Site review | the wing
discretion that I think raises the bar and
makes the game more immersive.
However, UCAP do operate two rules
which may divide opinion - you may or
may not have a strong view about either
of these restrictions, but it’s an important
part of the character of the site.
Firstly, no box mags are allowed in
play – UCAP feel that a 3,000rd mag
would totally over-balance this close-
in site, and I have to agree with that
judgement.
Secondly, no two-tones are in play.
As I understand UCAP’s position, they
feel that they undermine the immersive
experience. I totally understand that this
is a significant debate on which people
have strong opinions, particularly in
with regard to getting new younger
players into the game. I can see both
sides of the argument on this one, but
despite the restriction there was a really
good quota of younger players at The
Wing, and they certainly were punching
above their weight!
We kicked off the day’s games with
a sweep and clear affair. Starting from
“It was a great feeling when the doorsrolled back to reveal an empty corridor,but rather less fun to be confronted witha phalanx of OPFOR on stag. Or worse, a BFG casually posted in by your feet!”
to a fight-hit-respawn-overrun battle on
a corner, only to realise that there was
a flanking opportunity staring me in the
face – if only I took the time to stop, look
and listen.
One thing we learned to listen for very
quickly was the sound of the lift. The
elevator swiftly became a major element
of the day, with both sides using it to
alternatively pop up behind the lines,
or mount raids into enemy territory.
It was at the same time a wonderful
opportunity and a terrifying prospect
– it was a great feeling when the doors
rolled back to reveal an empty corridor,
the top floor of the site, each team had
to work their way through the level,
eradicating the OPFOR until they were in
a position to call that tier clear and start
on the next. Immediately the tactical
complexity of the site jumped out at
me; there are doors everywhere, and a
really varied layout. Lighting has been
cleverly controlled throughout to ensure
contrast between pools of light and
dark shadows – perfect for ambushes
and sneaky lurking. There’s also a nice
pitch between fiercely-held corners and
flanking opportunities. On more than
one occasion I found myself committing
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076 January 2013
but rather less fun to be confronted with
a phalanx of OPFOR on stag. Or worse, a
BFG casually posted in by your feet!
The main game of the day was a
bomb mission – each team had to find
the components of a briefcase bomb,
assemble them and then start a timer.
The quality of the props was astounding
and probably the best I have seen on
a game. The briefcase itself was fully
wired up and once assembled (two
dummy charges and a wiring loom),
it had a fully operational timer in it
which counted down. It’s things like
this that really make a game for me but
finding the pieces was no picnic, mainly
room lit with coloured lasers and fogged
with masses of dry ice, with eerie SFX
pumping through a tannoy. But the next
time you enter the room, you find that
the overhead lights have been triggered,
and what was previously a place of refuge
is now a spotlit, target-rich environment.
Oh, and the PA is now blaring out the
theme from Peppa Pig! (Ed’s note: How did
you know it was the theme from Pepper
Pig, Oscar?)
So what’s the verdict?I’m not going to hide the fact that UCAP‘s
style of skirmish is close to my heart, just
as various parts of their sites have been
in too-close proximity to my increasingly-
battered carcass. But (in the way that
all close couples can see the worst as
well as best of their other half and you
have to be most honest with your closest
friends) just like every other airsofter
in the UK, there will have been the odd
occasion when I’ve come away after a
game with a touch of disappointment. So
I’m going to be honest.
because of the Wing’s defining factor; its
ground floor.
I didn’t really make it downstairs in
the first game, contenting myself with
a game of cat-and-mouse with some
rather sneaky and fast moving elements
of the other team. That was a shame
because I was soon to discover that the
lower level is a treat.
Down there it’s all about sensory
deprivation. The UCAP team have loaded
the bottom floor with lighting effects,
smoke machines and noise – and it is a
complete blast. The setup is built to vary
across the day and during games, so at
one point you may be fighting through a
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Site review | the wing
Full Day Walk on fee (own kit): £25Evening/Half Day Walk on fee (own kit): £15Full Day Rental fee: £45 - includes AEG, full face mask and max 3,000 roundsEvening/Hal Day Rental fee: £30 - includes AEG, full face mask and max 2,000 rounds.WEB: http://ucap.co.uk/thewingTEl: Matt - 07910 371034
Halfway through my day at The Wing I
wasn’t having a good time. I was cold,
battered, knackered and frankly, a bit
narked. 90 per cent of that I chalked up
to a head-cold, a mild hangover and –
most of all – a thoroughly uncooperative
RIF. Nothing irritates me more than a
loose battery connection! But the other
10 per cent of was because I was getting
annoyed with the single shot rule. I
found it, on this site, to be restrictive
and frustrating rather than helpful and,
crucially, to be weighting the games in
favour of the defensive team.
But my doldrums didn’t last. To their
credit, the UCAP team were keen to
learn from every single game and
clearly wanted to learn from feedback
from players during the day, as well
as between games. On the day I was
there they asked people how they were
finding play and asked if people wanted
to try auto – with the proviso that short
bursts only were to be used. The general
consensus was to try it, and it was
totally the right thing to do!
The low down
The move to burst fire was great. It really
unlocked the site, things opened up and
the games went up a notch, from my
perspective. The character of the site came
to the fore, and the speed and fluidity of
play was amazing. I swiftly went from
a snivelling wreck to a grinning loon,
sticking my neck out rather than lurking
in a corner. Other players also totally
grabbed the spirit of the change, but I can
honestly say I didn’t see or hear a single
Arnie-esque hi-cap-emptying fusillade.
So, to sum up. A great site, a great team
and great possibilities. Crucially, this is a
site which is developing with every game
and has a lot to give. Give it a go, and let
the UCAP guys know what you think It’ll
be worth it.
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078 January 2013
Operational deployments often overlap important times and events for many service personnel. No date is more
important or emotive to those deployed than 25 December. Christmas is our main celebration of the year – a time for family and friends, of feasting and entertainment.
A typical deployment lasts for around six months; time off in this period is called rest and recuperation (R&R). With so many soldiers, sailors and airmen to get home to their families for some well-earned time off, the R&R tour plot usually starts shortly after deployment did – around six to eight weeks after ‘fl ag change day’. Flag change day is the day one unit hands over responsibility of a given area of operations to another.
Where the tour is somewhat dictates where the time off takes place. During my time in Northern Ireland it was relatively easy enough to fl y or even drive home, but in Iraq R&R was taken in the UK or Germany (depending on the location of the unit or base for each soldier’s family). It is the same today for Afghanistan – I was lucky enough to get Christmas at home after fl ying out from Kabul. Short instances of
With Christmas just around the corner Dan Mills explainswhat it’s liketo be deployed at this time of year
OPERATIONSAT CHRISTMAS
leave can be taken relatively locally.During WWII soldiers could take a spot
of leave in major liberated cities like Paris and Rome, and during a tour in Iraq I took some men over the border into Kuwait on a three-day pass by driving for several hours in convoy along deserted roads. Time out from constant hostilities was enjoyed, frayed nerves relaxed, decent food was eaten and plenty of sleep taken. Trips into the shopping centres of Kuwait city were arranged, visiting the famous towers and market souks among other things.
The leave taken also depends on the requirements of the army, not the individual. A certain percentage of the fi ghting force must be in theatre at any given time and through history we can see a mixture of local and home leave.
Early R&R could be bad news for those who drew the short straw, normally a fi rst-timer. After some experience I found that the more experienced soldier would usually break the back of the tour by completing at least half of it or more before taking leave.
Some units organised a system in which those with children would get fi rst pick on
spending Christmas at home; those without had their names put forward to the pool for New Year’s Eve. Those left behind on tour (the majority) would have to mentally deal with events as normally as possible considering the circumstances. For most the reality was: get on as normal.
Sentries still had to occupy sangers or trenches and patrols still had to be conducted – although throughout history there have been occurrences of warring factions setting aside their differences and attempting to celebrate the day. The most famous instance of this truce was probably the fi rst Christmas of WWI.
Yuletide truceThe truce took different forms all along the line of opposing positions; in some areas hostilities completely stopped, while in other areas fi ghting continued as on any other day.
After the British, Belgian and French armies had stopped the German advance at the River Marne, defensive positions sprung up for around 500 miles, from the North Sea to the Swiss border. Defensive stalemate had set in. The opposing armies didn’t move much more
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SKILLS ROOM | XMAS DEPLOYMENT
than 10-15 miles further forward or backwards for the remainder of the war.
Positions that started as entrenching tool scrapes in the ground evolved into individual fi re trenches, then into connecting trench systems that spread the whole distance. These included communications and support trenches front to rear. The trenches further back from the front became areas for soldiers to be sent for some rest out of the daily grind, harsher conditions and killing on the front, as did local towns and cities.
As Christmas fervour built up during that week many widespread unoffi cial ceasefi res took place on the Western Front, ranging from a reluctance to carry out aggressive action to singing songs and shouting exchanges. There are reports of soldiers on both sides openly venturing into ‘No Man’s Land’ to talk with the enemy. Some exchanged gifts, as was their tradition, and swapped souvenirs.
Various events against the opposing nations were arranged and football matches took place out in the open, Germans versus British. It also became time to collect and bury the dead and hold memorial and burial services.
I can recall one particularly cold tour of Belfast at Christmas, 1989. I was a Corporal in West Belfast with One Queen’s and on Christmas day itself all nonessential patrols and duties were cancelled. During the build up to Christmas there had been plenty of snowfall and the city was looking pretty festive so to avoid any incidents most patrols were limited to friendlier areas.
It was not uncommon to have a can of beer thrust into your hand (to save for later), or for a young girl to kiss you and wish you a Merry Christmas. Patrols were cut short so the call
OPERATIONSAT CHRISTMAS
sign could drop off its booty before continuing. Some very nice people even opened their doors and invited you in, offering a wee drink or hot glug to warm you up. It was sometimes hard to excuse yourself from the hospitality and get back out into the harsh snow falling outside, but it had to be done.
On one occasion I had been given so many crates of beer I had to call in my mobile supporting snatch vehicles to carry my stash back for me! In those days in Northern Ireland you had a ‘two-can rule’, meaning we could drink two cans a day without getting in trouble.
Wherever I have been posted and found myself serving at Christmas time we have had some sort of Christmas dinner. Some of these have been full-on with tree and trimmings; some have been much smaller affairs. Generally speaking the postal system has been fantastic at this time of the year too – in the early days parcels would be sent out by loving parents and families with nice little bits of home in: decorations, cards, food… These all helped create a special atmosphere, nothing like being at home, but different all the same.
Nowadays there has been such an upsurge of support from well wishers that often the system becomes clogged up. Charity companies and organisations do a brilliant job raising morale at this time of the year but there has been some call to limit the parcels sent because the system becomes too busy.
Current and recent tours have seen small isolated positions spread out over wide areas. To get parcels and mail out to these, as well as the normal resupply, has often led to diffi culties if the system is overloaded. Add that travel is often very dangerous to and from these locations and you get a better picture.
After all, nobody wants somebody to get killed or injured delivering niceties or nonessentials.
Also, if you are going to send something then think about what it is: do not send rubbish, send something useful. Sending chocolate into the desert is not wise!
I can’t speak for the military in this day and age but throughout the 1980s and ‘90s there was one tradition in the cookhouses that was looked upon favourably: the food fi ght.
If often started with the odd verbal shout at one of those serving the food – traditionally Christmas dinner is served by the Offi cers and Senior Non-Commissioned Offi cers to the seated, enlisted men. You would also see them go round fi rst thing in the morning waking up the men and issuing a tot of rum and wishing all a merry Christmas.
Yuletide was seen by some as the perfect opportunity to get back at one of the offi cers or seniors who you didn’t like particularly. It usually started with the odd spud or carrot being thrown in the general direction, which would escalate and often end up as a massive free-for-all. It was a waste of food and did not make any friends among the catering corps!
Nowadays this is rightly frowned upon – the massive amount of effort and lives risked to get supplies to the table does not warrant such a waste. These days you’re more likely to see very civil, excellently-prepared dinners and bunting and decorations up. Most people have by then been sent a Santa hat in the post, pictures and videos of the event are made and some go as far as making a pop video for Youtube! My, how things have changed!
To all our service personnel at home or (by the time this gets to you) abroad – have a good one.
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Available to download nowfor iPad and iPhone
080.indd 80 11/12/12 16:38:11
081www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
EVENT REPORT | ENDURANCE RUN
THE PARAS’ 10
subject in our household and quite often comes up in conversation between my mother and I. I mentioned the Paras 10 to her in a conversation, and she told me I couldn’t complete it. To be fair I didn’t really think I would be able to run, let alone complete a Tactical Advance to Battle (TAB) and a 10-mile endurance course created by Paras.
However, I’m not a huge fan of taking my mum’s advice (who is?) so I signed myself up for the Paras 10 Colchester run (not the TAB – I’m just a civvy!). I
Ever heard of Paras’ 10? Neither had I, until I stumbled across it searching for a replacement
Parachute Regiment wristband. Having found the wristband on Airborne Shop (the offi cial shop of the Parachute Regiment charity) I noticed a category called ‘Paras’ 10’. Being a curious shopper I decided to check it out and discovered a ‘P Company Challenge’ and a ‘running race’ option.
My dad served with 2 Para, so the Regiment was not an uncommon
JB, owner of BadgerTac 2, had never heard of the Paras’ 10 – but four weekslater found himself taking part in the charitable endurance run
may have missed one small detail – this was just four weeks before race day!
The only information I had to go on was what was on the Paras’ 10 website: ‘10 Mile Endurance Run: The Parachute Regiment challenges you to complete this gruelling running course in the fastest possible time. NB. This is not a PB course nor is it suitable for spikes – trainers are advised. The Route: A multi-terrain endurance event, the race will follow the same route as the Parachute Regiments ‘P’ Company Selection Ten
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082 January 2013
Mile March Route. There will be water stations located along the route and at the start and fi nish. The First Aid Station will be located at Race Control with a roving back up facility.’
History of the Paras’ 10Founded by WO1 JJ Wilson PARA, the Para’s 10, was hosted by the Parachute Regiment in Aldershot, 1982-1993. The Paras left Aldershot in 1993 and the event was dormant until Major Sam McGrath revived it in 2008; now it is run by Pegasus Company, the Parachute Regiment’s own training and selection
wing. Now in its fi fth year the Paras’ 10 is well established as one of the UK’s ‘must do’ endurance challenges as indicated below by the fact over 8000 runners and ‘TABbers’ have attempted it over the last 3 years. This year saw the addition of a new Paras’ 10 in Colchester.
All profi ts generated by Paras’10 are donated to the Parachute Regiment charity, which was established to support soldiers of the Parachute Regiment and their families, as well as Airborne Forces members. The charity has three main goals: the relief of need,
hardship and distress among past and present members of The Parachute Regiment and their dependents; the promotion of effi ciency of the Parachute Regiment; and the promotion and maintenance of the heritage of the Parachute Regiment.
At the racesRace day soon came around. Was I prepared? Let’s just say that I had been running no more than 10 times – and the farthest I had ever run was eight miles. I didn’t even own a proper pair of running shoes until the night before the race!
On race day I arrived at 9am and instantly thought to myself ‘What have I got myself into here’ –looking around I felt I was the only civilian entering. As time went by more and more runners had turned up, all TABbers bergens were weighed in to ensure that everyone entering the P Company challenge had the correct weight (even though a friend of mine did end up
“Just as I slowed down as if to stopa group of guys on the corner of the main camp shouted out to me‘Don’t stop now son, not far left!”
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EVENT REPORT | ENDURANCE RUN
and didn’t stop once for the rest of the course.
I had around half a mile left when my legs just couldn’t take any more. I kept trying to push on, struggling, and just as I slowed down as if to stop a group of guys on the corner of the main camp shouted out to me “Don’t stop now son, not far left!” This spurred me on, back over the Abbey fi elds.
The cheering of the crowds as I came through to the fi nish line really did make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! What a run; I had completed the course in 90 minutes dead which truly put a smile to face, ear to ear. I received my medal and fi nisher’s t-shirt with a tremendous amount of pride. God only knows how I completed this course as by no means is it easy, but I must have been fi tter than I gave myself credit for. The Paras’10 is well worth training for, even if just it to give you that confi dence boost you need – and your pain and suffering is all for a good cause, so get stuck in!
completing the TAB with a 60lb bergen). The Red Devils were set to perform a
free fall display but unfortunately due to the weather it had to be called of. That was a shame, but more importantly the poor weather meant the course itself was even harder than it would usually be.
Not long before race started someone had told me that there is a section of the course nicknamed ‘The Travelator’ – an inclining cow fi eld where you feel yourself slipping down with every step you take. With that unhelpful titbit fl oating around in my mind it was soon time for all runners to be one side of a fence, with TABbers the other. There was a quick warm-up session with an instructor then the countdown to the race start; at this point I was starting to become nervous, mainly due to the fact that I weigh 4st when wet and had done about as much training as Elmer Fudd on a hunting course. A 105 sounded for the start and everyone was off!
Across the Abbey fi elds into the main camp, I paced myself with the intention of a constant 5mph to get me across the line in two hours and save myself the embarrassment of being a straggler that fails to complete it in three hours
and gets a lift back in the back of a wagon – not an option!
Soon the route took us into the woods and the real work was about to start. Straight away there was a copious amount of mud – at least my new trainers weren’t going to stick out like a sore thumb now. I did, however, strike gold when everyone in front of me had to cross a chest-height stream, and the guys marshaling started telling people to take the bridge. Don’t mind if I do! I did feel bad, almost a cheat, for not going through the stream though, so made the effort at subsequent streams and got stuck in (at waist height…).
I soon reached the dreaded Travelator which I mentioned earlier. This was tough – guys were walking and panting their way through this part of the course but I remembered some sound advice that had been given to me: the worst thing you can do is stop. I pushed on through
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082 February 2013
DEALER LISTINGS
ADVERTISERS INDEXAction Hobbies .......................................................................17
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Bullseye Country Sport ..........................................................65
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Surplus Store .........................................................................22
Thatchreed ......................................................................47, 62
The British Airsoft Show .......................................................29
Wolf Armouries .......................................................................3
082.indd 82 11/1/13 14:37:58
SITE DIRECTORYFind somewhere to be this weekend…
084 January 2013
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
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
AWA HERTSSawbridgeworth, Herts, CM23 4BJ07732 184957www.awaherts.com
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 84 12/12/12 09:44:05
AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY
085www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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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 – 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
GROUND ZERO WOODLANDRingwood, Hampshire, BH24 2DF01329 849818 www.groundzerowoodland.com
FREE FIRE ZONEFarcet, Peterborough, PE7 3DH01733 247171www.freefi rezone.co.uk
FRV AIRSOFTAnnacloy, Downpatrick, BT30 8JJ07730 586926www.frvairsoft.com
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, Lancs WN8 8UT07986 053076www.deltateam3.co.uk
DOGS OF WARHouston, Renfrewshire, PA6 7BP07853 195290www.dow-airsoft.co.uk
DRAGON’S LAIRBrentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA07703 530189www.dragonslairairsoft.co.uk
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
CERBERUS AIRSOFT - RIVOCK EDGEKeighley, BD20 0LS07891 469492www.cerberusairsoft.co.uk
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 85 12/12/12 09:46:42
SITE DIRECTORYFind somewhere to be this weekend…
086 January 2013
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
RIFT AIRSOFT COM’S SITE 3Chipping Warden, OX17 1LZ07751 586781www.riftairsoft.com
RIFT AIRSOFT (COTTENHAM)Cambridge, CB24 8RL07751 586781www.riftairsoft.com
AA_084-087_Site Directory_Rev1AP.indd 86 12/12/12 09:49:11
AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY
087www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
Email [email protected] to add or change a site listing
SECTION 8 AIRSOFTShotts, N Lanarkshire, ML7 5AB07974 026517www.s8airsoft.com
SECTION 8 AIRSOFTShotts, North 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 0LR07766 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
TROJAN AIRSOFTMacclesfi eld, SK10 4SZ07921 837658www.airsoft-xcalibre.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 12/12/12 09:50:55
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
088 January 2013
AA_088-089_Bookshop_Rev1.indd 89 12/12/12 17:48:42
090www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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
Visit www.virtualnewsagent.com for these fantastic offers. Either fi ll in the form below – don’t forget to put a tick by the books you’re ordering – and post/fax to us, or call us on the number at the bottom
Name ...........................................................................................................................
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Title Author Category Code SRP AA price
Tank Men Robert Kershaw Non-fi ction 0113-001 £8.99 £7.50
Never Surrender Robert Kershaw Non-fi ction 0113-002 £8.99 £7.50
Total War Michael Jones Non-fi ction 0113-003 £25.00 £21.00
The Retreat Michael Jones Non-fi ction 0113-004 £10.99 £9.00
SAS Operation Storm
Roger Cole & Richard Belfi eld Non-fi ction 0113-005 £18.99 £16.00
Kill Switch Bill Shaw Non-fi ction 0113-006 £6.99 £6.00
The Kill Zone Chris Ryan Fiction 0113-007 £18.99 £16.00
The Kill Zone Chris Ryan Fiction 0113-008 £6.99 £6.00
Killing for the Company Chris Ryan Fiction 0113-009 £18.99 £16.00
Soldiers Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd), Rupert Godeson and John H Harris Non-fi ction 0113-010 £10.00 £9.00
Cadet’s Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 0113-011 £8.00 £7.50
Air Cadet Pocket Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 0113-012 £8.00 £7.50
Army Cadet Log Book Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 0113-013 £4.00 £3.50
Skill at Arms And Shooting Maj John Hobbis Harris(retd) Non-fi ction 0113-014 £6.50 £5.00
World War II Street-Fighting Tactics Stephen Bull Non-fi ction 0113-015 £11.99 £10.00
World War II Infantry Assault Tactics Gordon L Rottman Non-fi ction 0113-016 £11.99 £10.00
Pegasus Bridge Benouville 1944 Will Fowler Non-fi ction 0113-017 £11.99 £10.00
Soldier I – the Story of an SAS Hero Pete Winner Non-fi ction 0113-018 £8.99 £7.50
Special Operations Forces in Iraq Leigh Neville Non-fi ction 0113-019 £11.99 £8.50
Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan Leigh Neville Non-fi ction 0113-020 £11.99 £8.50
Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger Leroy Thompson Non-Fiction 0113-021 £9.99 £8.50
The Rocket Propelled Grenade Gordon L Rottman Non-Fiction 0113-022 £9.99 £8.50
Total
AA_088-089_Bookshop_Rev1.indd 90 12/12/12 17:48:50
090 January 2013
DEALER LISTINGS
ADVERTISERS INDEXAction Hobbies .......................................................................31
Airsoft Innovations ................................................................15
BadgerTac .............................................................................22
Badger Tac 2 .........................................................................90
Bulle UK Ltd / Flecktarn ........................................................22
Bullseye Country Sport ..........................................................52
Dragon Valley Airsoft LTD .....................................................52
Edgar Brothers ................................................................21, 91
Eton Guns ..............................................................................34
First & Only Airsoft ...............................................................90
Gunman Airsoft .......................................................................8
JD Airsoft ........................................................................27, 51
Just BB Guns Ltd ...................................................................52
Land Warrier Airsoft ........................................................2, 90
Military 1st ..............................................................................8
Outdoor Pursuits / No VAT ......................................................8
Patrol Base ............................................................................34
Pro Airsoft Supplies ...........................................................3, 92
Redwolf ..................................................................................7
Shoot n’ Scoot ........................................................................90
Socom Tactical.......................................................................46
Surplus Store .........................................................................34
The British Airsoft Show .......................................................33
UK Tactical ............................................................................63
Wolf Armouries .....................................................................71
090.indd 90 11/12/12 16:53:10
091www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
091.indd 91 10/12/12 09:55:23
092 January 2013
092.indd 92 12/12/2012 13:04