issue 18 - jan 2013

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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02 January 2013

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03www.airsoftactionmagazine.com

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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…


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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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08 January 2013

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airsoft | news


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


airsoft | news


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.


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


014 January 2013

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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016 January 2013

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

AA_016-020 MilSim report_rev3APNS.indd 16 12/12/12 10:35:12


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.


018 January 2013

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,



MILSIM | RED ONE

www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 019

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.

www.airsoftactionmagazine.comwww.airsoftactionmagazine.comwww.airsoftactionmagazine.com 019019019

civilians, while their main strength is bunkered into two heavily fortifi ed positions waiting for nightfall.


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


020

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!



021.indd 21 10/12/12 09:43:22

022 January 2013

022.indd 22 11/12/12 15:05:21


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


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




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.


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

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



027.indd 27 12/12/2012 13:08

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.

AA_028-030 Weapon review_rev3APNS.indd 28 12/12/12 12:09:21


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.


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.



031.indd 31 11/12/12 09:56:58

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

w

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

AA_32 Comp_rev2CF.indd 32 12/12/12 17:38:03


033.indd 33 11/12/12 09:56:24

034 January 2013

034.indd 34 12/12/12 10:25:53


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.



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


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


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


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



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


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


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”


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


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



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.


046 January 2013

046.indd 46 11/12/12 09:53:39

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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


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


050 January 2013

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



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


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:

[email protected].

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?).

AA_054-055 Pistol review_rev4_MH.indd 54 12/12/12 18:54:37


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

AA_56 rec_rev1.indd 68 12/12/12 12:18:13

COLD WAR WARRIOR | TROPICS


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

AA_57-59 CWW_rev3_MH.indd 57 12/12/12 12:30:43

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

AA_57-59 CWW_rev3_MH.indd 58 12/12/12 12:30:53

COLD WAR WARRIOR | TROPICS


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.

AA_57-59 CWW_rev3_MH.indd 59 12/12/12 12:31:08

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.

AA_060-062 Skills_rev3_MH.indd 60 12/12/12 12:32:17


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


062 January 2013

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



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

AA_64-67 WE review_rev3_MH.indd 64 12/12/12 14:17:06


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


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



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.


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!

AA_68-70 Student_rev4_MH.indd 68 12/12/12 17:34:31

STUDENT AIRSOFT | NTUSAS


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


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



071.indd 71 10/12/12 09:53:25

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

AA_72-73 Skills_rev2APNS.indd 72 12/12/2012 18:22


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

AA_074-077 Site Review_rev3CF.indd 74 12/12/12 18:27:13


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


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



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.


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

AA_78-79 Skills_rev2APNS.indd 78 12/12/12 16:27:13


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.

AA_78-79 Skills_rev2APNS.indd 79 12/12/12 16:27:20

Available to download nowfor iPad and iPhone

080.indd 80 11/12/12 16:38:11


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

AA_81-83 Event Paras_rev2APNS.indd 81 12/12/12 16:34:24

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!”



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


082 February 2013

DEALER LISTINGS

ADVERTISERS INDEXAction Hobbies .......................................................................17

Armex ...................................................................................21

BadgerTac .............................................................................30

Badger Tac 2 .........................................................................82

Bullseye Country Sport ..........................................................65

Dragon Valley Airsoft LTD .....................................................65

Edgar Brothers ......................................................................27

First & Only Airsoft ...............................................................12

Gunman Airsoft .....................................................................12

JD Airsoft ..................................................................33, 69, 82

Just BB Guns Ltd ...................................................................42

Land Warrier Airsoft ..............................................................2

Military 1st ............................................................................22

Outdoor Pursuits / No VAT ....................................................22

Patrol Base ............................................................................12

Pro Airsoft Supplies ...............................................................84

Redwolf ...................................................................................9

Shoot n’ Scoot ........................................................................82

Socom Tactical.......................................................................10

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


Huge thanks to our friends at Airbana (www.airsoftmap.net) for supplying data!

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


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


AIRSOFT SITES | DIRECTORY


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!


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


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 ...........................................................................................................................

Address .......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

Postcode/Zip Code ........................................................................................................

Country ........................................................................................................................

Telephone ...................................................................................................................

Email ............................................................................................................................

Signature ......................................................................................................................

Date ..............................................................................................................................

I enclose a cheque for ______ payable to Blaze Publishing Ltd.

Please debit my Switch/VISA/Mastercard/Maestro for _____

(No Electron or Amex please)

Expiry date ……/…. Start date/issue number ……/….…

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Your credit card statement will read Blaze Publishing Ltd.

Please call +44 1926 339 808 for international postage costs.

Now fax or post this form to: Blaze Publishing Limited,

Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5SZ England

T: 01926 339808 F: 01926 470400 E: [email protected]

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


091.indd 91 10/12/12 09:55:23

092 January 2013

092.indd 92 12/12/2012 13:04

issue 18 - jan 2013

Documents