A BRAVE NEW...

THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAS MADE MANY OF US STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY LOVE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PERSONAL “AIRSOFT EXPERIENCE” AND, FOR MANY FORE-SIGHTED SITE OPERATORS, THE ENFORCED “OPERATIONAL PAUSE” HAS ALLOWED THEM TO TAKE STOCK OF WHAT THEY OFFER THE PLAYER - AND WHAT THEY CAN (IN SOME CASES QUITE LITERALLY!) BUILD ON TO OFFER AN EVEN BETTER GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE FOR THEIR PLAYER BASE! HERE IN THE UK, BILL GOT TOGETHER WITH A LOCAL “SITE OP” TO GIVE A VISION OF ONE POSSIBLE FUTURE…

The Cage: Moving Into Winter

Playing airsoft in the summer months is all about freedom in all ways, freedom to play the style of game you want in minimal kit, when all you really need to worry about is keeping hydrated! But as the weather turns cold and grey, and we need to contend with rain and even snow, what kit changes should you consider? Bill draws together opinions from the entire “aa legion” to offer some solutions.

Ratnik: The Way Of The Warrior Revisited

We’re pleased to be joined again by occasional aa contributor ian “taz” stokes, who’s a bit of a diamond when it comes to both current and historical gear used by rusfor and as we’re looking at how kit changes as we come into the winter, taz looks at this specifically for the opfor player.

THROUGH ROSE-TINTED SPECTACLES...

I’M DEDICATING MY COPY THIS MONTH TO BILL PRYCE-THOMAS, MAINLY BECAUSE IT’S ALL HIS FAULT!!

SOFT SHELL - IS IT WORTH IT?

IT WOULD SEEM THAT EVERYONE LOVES A SOFTSHELL, ESPECIALLY A JACKET, BUT ARE THEY WORTH THE MONEY YOU HAVE TO FORK OUT FOR THEM WHEN A HARDSHELL DOES MORE? BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE “SOFTSHELL REVOLUTION” AND BRINGS EVERYTHING INTO FOCUS!

Most Wanted 1911 tactical custom on mission

WHEN IT COMES TO “1911” MODELS RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS TO BE ALL ABOUT THE FANCY “TACTICOOL” HI CAPAS, AND WHILST THAT’S NO BAD THING IT’S WORTH REMEMBERING THAT THE ORIGINAL SINGLE STACK “DADDY” IS STILL A GREAT OPTION FOR SERIOUS AIRSOFT PISTOL SHOOTERS AND THE LATEST TACTICAL MODEL FROM VEGAFORCECOMPANY IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS FROM THE BOX!

SIGHTS SET PROGRESS: IDPA TAIWA

AFTER A VERY BUSY PERIOD IN TAIWAN, AIRSOFT ACTION “LEGIONNAIRE”, STEWBACCA, GETS BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS AS HE REPORTS FROM A RECENT IDPA EVENT - AND IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT “IDPA” IS, READ ON TO FIND OUT...

R YOU READY??

ONCE AGAIN WE’RE VERY LUCKY AT AIRSOFT ACTION TO AGAIN HAVE EARLY AND IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE VERY LATEST RAVEN PISTOL MODELS HITTING THE STORES RIGHT NOW, AND BILL HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE CREATION OF AN ENTIRELY NEW ADDITION TO THEIR EVER-EXPANDING RANGE IN THE FORM OF THE R226!

LIFE ON THE EDGE

IT’S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE SAW THE GUYS FROM SPECNA ARMS AT SHOT SHOW BACK IN JANUARY, WHEN THEY HAD BIG NEWS TO TELL US ABOUT THEIR NEW LICENCE AGREEMENT WITH DANIEL DEFENSE. AFTER WAITING PATIENTLY THEY’VE DROPPED THEIR FIRST “DD” LICENCED MODEL INTO THE MARKET, IN THE FORM OF THE MK18 SA-E19 EDGE AND BILL HAS GONE ALL “NSW” AGAIN!

GETTING TOOLED UP!

HAVING SEEN A REPORT ON AIRSOFT MILSIM NEWS BLOG, PHIL BUCKNALL DECIDED TO INVEST IN A PIECE OF KIT THAT MIGHT HELP KEEP HIS TOOLS (AND THE SPACE THEY TAKE UP) UNDER CONTROL!

BIG BADDA HI CAPA!

IT SEEMS LIKE MANY FOLK OUT THERE ARE IN A HUGE RUSH TO REPORT ON NEW MODELS LITERALLY THE MOMENT AN IMAGE APPEARS ONLINE BUT AT AIRSOFT ACTION THAT’S NOT OUR WAY, AS WE BELIEVE A MORE CONSIDERED APPROACH, BASED ON THOROUGH TESTING AND FULL EVALUATION, WILL GIVE EVERYONE FAR BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEY MIGHT BE BUYING THAN SIMPLY TELLING YOU “WHAT’S IN THE BOX AND ON THE WEB”! THE NEW R604 GBB PISTOL HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, SO NOW’S THE TIME FOR BILL TO TELL YOU WHAT WE THINK!

Training And Competition In The Cloud!

Regular readers of Airsoft action will know that some of our contributors have been making good use of their “airsoft “tools” to keep their skills and drills up to date with the attacksense smart target system - and now things are getting even more interesting, with live “ranking data” available to all!

Can Glock Block?

Following bill’s article about trademarks and intellectual property rights in last month’s issue, frenchie picks up the subject and ponders what the future might hold for unlicensed replicas.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT HOLSTER

HAVING OUR WIDER, INTERNATIONAL, AIRSOFT ACTION LEGION IS ALLOWING US TO DISCOVER VIEWPOINTS FROM PLAYERS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THIS MONTH OUR “LEGIONNAIRE” FROM CHINA, HANA, HAS GOT TOGETHER WITH FELLOW SHOOTER “DENNIS THE GOOSE”, TO SHARE WITH US A GREAT ARTICLE THAT FIRST APPEARED IN PART ON THE ONETIGRIS BLOG THAT GIVES A SUPER OVERVIEW ON VARIOUS TYPES OF HOLSTER PLACEMENT FOR YOUR “SECONDARY”!

RELOADED

IN ISSUE 117 WE BROUGHT YOU THE “FIRST LOOK” AT THE STUNNING NEW LK-33 FROM LCT AIRSOFT, AND ALTHOUGH WE’VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES ACTUALLY GETTING OUR REVIEW MODEL TO “LAND”, WE CAN NOW BRING YOU THE FINDINGS OF OUR RANGE TESTING AND SEE HOW THE NEW RIFLE FEELS AND PERFORMS!

VERSATILE + TECHNICAL + TACTICAL = FLEECE

I’ve covered the system itself in some detail in the past, so this time I’d like to focus your thinking on one garment that is often overlooked when it comes to “Gucci” shells and softshells - and that’s the fleece.

TIME TO SPLIT

AIRSOFT ACTION HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE TEAM BEHIND THE EVEREXPANDING RANGE OF VORSK GBB PISTOL MODELS (EVEN BEFORE THE VERY FIRST MODEL HIT RETAILER’S SHELVES) AND WITH UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO THE DESIGN PROCESS BEHIND THESE UNIQUE AND STYLISH PISTOLS, WE’RE AHEAD OF THE CURVE WHEN IT COMES TO SEEING NEW VARIANTS! THIS MONTH BILL OPENS ANOTHER PAGE IN HIS ONGOING “VORSK DIARY” WITH A LOOK AT THE NEW HI-CAPA 5.1 SPLIT SLIDE!

THE LAST SHIP

LAST MONTH BILL SHOWED HOW HE PUT TOGETHER HIS VERY OWN “PANDEMIC LOADOUT” INSPIRED BY THE USN UNIFORM WORN IN THE TV SHOW “THE LAST SHIP”. THIS TIME HE AND HIS TEAM-MATES CREATE THEIR VERY OWN “VULTURE TEAM” LOADOUT USING THE SAME INSPIRATION… AND A LOT OF BLACK KIT!

THE EDGE OF TECHNOLOGY

AMONGST THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM WE HAVE MANY TALENTED “TECHS” WHO ARE UP TO DATE WITH THE VERY LATEST INNOVATIONS, BOTH MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL, THAT MAKE UP THE “BEATING HEARTS” OF THE AEGS THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY … AND THEN WE HAVE BILL, A SELF-PROCLAIMED “TECHNO-LUDDITE” WHO KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND A GEARBOX, BUT WOULD MUCH RATHER BE SHOOTING THAN “FETTLING”! SO WHEN WE RECEIVED THE VERY LATEST “V2” MODEL FROM SPECNA ARMS, WHO BETTER TO HAND IT TO?

MODULAR POSSIBLITES

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY GBB PISTOL WE GET THROUGH TO THE AA OFFICE FOR TEST AND EVALUATION (T&E) THESE DAYS EITHER COMES WITH A MINI/MICRO RDS MOUNTED, OR IS AT LEAST COMPATIBLE IN SOME WAY WITH ONE! THE RISE OF THE RDS/REFLEX SIGHT MOUNTED ON A PISTOL APPEARS TO BE INEXORABLE, SO BILL TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT ONE OF THE “ORIGINATORS” OF THIS STYLE, IN THE FORM OF THE G17 GEN5 MOS AND DIGS INTO WHY THIS CAN BE USEFUL.

BORDER WAR MILSIM

THE BORDER WAR CREW ORGANIZE UNIQUE LARGE SCALE INTERNATIONAL MILSIM GAMES AND HAVE DONE SINCE 2008 WITH A PORTFOLIO OF MORE THAN 125 ORGANIZED EVENTS STRETCHING BACK TO 2003. BORDER WAR MILSIM HAS BEEN VOTED THE BEST AIRSOFT EVENT IN THE WORLD FOR BORDER WAR 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 AND 11 IN THE PLAYERS CHOICE AWARDS AND ENTERED THE POPULAR AIRSOFT “HALL OF FAME” THANKS TO FIVE VICTORIES IN A ROW IN BACK IN 2017! IT WAS BILL’S GREAT PLEASURE TO SIT ON THE AIRSOFT SPEAKERS PANEL WITH MIKE FROM THE BORDER WAR CREW AT THE PRESENTATION OF THIS AWARD IN 2017 AND HAVE BEEN SPEAKING EVER SINCE. WHEN MIKE CONTACTED US WITH AN AAR OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT, THE STORM LORD, WE WERE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THIS AND ILLUSTRATE THAT BIG GAMES ARE STILL RUNNING, EVEN IN CHALLENGING TIMES!

Gunfight At The Fireball Corral

It was a good job I was not driving as we drove through the NPF (National Paintball Fields Birmingham), as I would have taken the left turn and carried on through to Fireball Squadron Airsoft Club as normal - but not today! Today we take a right and head into the Wild West village of NPF, which we were playing with special permission. As I started to unload my kit there were a few more folks already doing the same, all dressed up in their Wild West Kit. Wild West airsoft has been around for a while but as the main games have swapped to blank fire and full-on LARP, folks around these parts have been crying out for an airsoft-based game again. This one was meant to give them that, with an amount of roleplay/larp and airsoft action as well.

Moving Forwards... Slowly!

Following a burst of activity when it seemed like UK Airsoft was about to return, frenchie ponders the result and how things are now moving forwards.

LOADOUT SPECIAL - THE LAST SHIP

AT LAST, WE’RE ALL HEADING OUT TO GAMES AGAIN IN LINE WITH THE NEW SAFETY GUIDELINES AND IT’S A GOOD THING THAT WE ARE, AS SOME OF THE AIRSOFT ACTION CREW HAVE BEEN GOING A BIT “STIR CRAZY”, WITH LOADOUT IDEAS HEADING OFF IN NEW AND UNUSUAL DIRECTIONS! TAKING THE “PANDEMIC” THEME (POSSIBLY JUST A STEP TO FAR), BILL AND HIS MATES HAVE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER A COUPLE OF SETS OF GEAR INSPIRED BY THE TV SERIES “THE LAST SHIP”!

IN SEARCH OF THE WEIRD...

IF YOU WANT AN AR- OR AK-BASED AIRSOFT GUN YOU ARE SPOILT FOR CHOICE AND WHILST OTHER STYLES ARE PLENTIFUL, THERE ARE SOME THAT YOU SIMPLY CANNOT FIND FOR LOVE OR MONEY. OVER TO FRENCHIE…

M249 - POLISH STYLE!

EVERYONE LOVES A SUPPORT GUN, RIGHT? OR IS THE THOUGHT OF A SUPPORT GUN THAT REALLY GETS PEOPLE GOING, AS THE REALITY IS THAT UNLESS THEY ARE USED EFFECTIVELY YOU’RE JUST HUMPING A LOT OF EXTRA WEIGHT AROUND ALL DAY WITH NO REAL GAIN! BILL DOES SOME “GRUNTWORK” WITH ONE OF THE LATEST MODELS FROM SPECNA ARMS TO SEE IF THIS IS STILL THE CASE…

ICS CXP-ARK: A MODERN CLASSIC

NORMAL SERVICE (AND SOME DEGREE OF SANITY!) RESUMES AT AIRSOFT ACTION, AS BILL FINALLY GETS BACK TO HIS TRUE LOVE, NAMELY THE “AVTOMAT KALASHNIKOVA” PLATFORM AND TAKES THE NEW CXP-ARK FROM ICS AIRSOFT FOR A SPIN ON THE RANGE! DOES HE, LIKE MIKHAIL IN THE MEME, DISAPPROVE OF ALL THIS “MODERN STUFF”, OR WILL HIS HEAD BE TURNED BY THE NEWEST KID ON THE BLOCK?

.308 RULZ OK!

G&G ARMAMENT HAVE BEEN BUSY WHILST THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS BEEN IN “LOCKDOWN” AND HAVE CONTINUED TO ROLL OUT NEW ADDITIONS TO THEIR LINE, NOT ONLY IN THE FORM OF UPGRADES TO EXISTING MODELS BUT ALSO WITH SOME EXCITING ALL-NEW PISTOLS, RIFLES AND CARBINES TOO! BILL FINALLY GETS “HANDS ON” WITH THEIR LATEST ADDITION TO THE TR16 LINE-UP, IN THE FORM OF THE TR16 SBR 308 MK II

RANGE TO FIELD: GOOD TO GO!

THE “LIGHT IS RIGHT” MANTRA HAS BEEN WITH US FOR SOME TIME NOW, AND NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS HAVE SWIFTLY JUMPED ON THE BANDWAGON WITH THEIR TAKES ON WHAT GEAR THE “TACTICAL ATHLETE” SHOULD BE WEARING THIS SEASON! HELIKON-TEX, HOWEVER, HAVE TAKEN THEIR TIME TO PERFECT AN ENTIRE NEW SYSTEM AND BILL TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT A SETUP THAT’S BOUND TO PLEASE AIRSOFT SHOOTERS ANYWHERE!

AA LEGION RED CELL

Back in 1984 a team of extraordinary individuals, lead by a former commander of SEAL Team Six, Richard Marcinko, was created to test the effectiveness (or otherwise) of US security measures, particularly those surrounding military bases and other sensitive areas.