Airsoft Action - July 2022

NORMANDY SPECIAL
WINNER BEST AIRSOFT MAGAZINE
ISSUE 139
JULY 2022
ISSN 2634-9515

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CONTENTS
8 ARMOURY: ARES WWII RIFLES
It will come as no shock to keen WWII airsofters that ARES have
recently released a batch of new models for both AXIS and ALLIED
would-be-troops, and we were able to access them thanks to
iWholesales in the UK who very kindly showed the only ones “in
country” at the time of writing this.
NORMANDY SPECIAL
WINNER BEST AIRSOFT MAGAZINE
ISSUE 139
JULY 2022
ISSN 2634-9515
Editorial Director: Bill Thomas
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
Ad Design: Deadshot Design
Publisher: Calibre Publishing
18 ARMOURY: VFC COLT M733 GBBR
With yet another shift in the ever changing landscape of real steel
licensing within the authorised airsoft replica arena, Vega Force
Company (VFC) have managed to reacquire the rights to the Colt
trademark through Cybergun after a few years of it being the sole
realm of another local competitor.
Wyche Innovation Centre,
Walwyn Road,
Upper Colwall,
Malvern,
Worcestershire,
WR13 6PL, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 1684 878 003
Web: www.airsoftaction.net
©Calibre Publishing Limited 2021
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 publisher in writing. The
opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those
of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit
submissions prior to publication.
FIND US ON…
26 ARMOURY: SECUTOR RAPAX M6
As an ongoing project Bill is in the process of building his “.308 AR
DMR” and has become slightly obsessed with “long rifles” of late,
so when he had the opportunity to get his hands on the very latest
RAPAX M6 you can bet he was all over it! But does the SECUTOR
rifle tick all his boxes for what he believes makes a great AR DMR?
LETTER, IDEA OR
QUESTION?
Got something to say? A question for our
experts? An article or article idea?
Drop us a line and let us know. Either email the
Editorial Director: bill@airsoft-action.co.uk, write to
us at the Calibre Publishing address above, or talk to
us on Twitter or Facebook.
34 ARMOURY: G&G GK-12
After much waiting suddenly it would appear that there are a lot
of options now when it comes to buying an AK-12 replica, and the
latest manufacturer to enter this fray is G&G! After a long wait Bill
finally gets his hands on their GK-12, but is it all that he’d hoped
for!

Contents
JULY 2022
40 GEAR: RAGNAR RAIDS
We are always on the look-out for
cool, functional clothing and gear
that will stand the test of regular
skirmishing and longer-duration
airsoft adventures! We got our hands
on some superb new gear from
RAGNAR RAIDS and will be torture
testing this in the months ahead.
80 ARMOURY: AW CUSTOM VX9
When it comes to compact
handguns, Bill is an absolute fan!
When he got the chance to check
out one of the latest from Armorer
Works, you can bet that he was very
happy to get their Custom VX9 on
the range!
44 THE CAGE: WWII AIRSOFT
Getting into our main theme for
this month, that of WWII airsoft,
The Legion broke from their current
pattern to look at “historically
themed” games and what can be big
deciders for those taking part.
84 ARMOURY: SPECNA FLEX
It seems that each month Specna
Arms are releasing more new models
of AEG, and heading in many exciting
directions at the same time! Bill has
spent some time with one of the
latest models to be released, the
“entry level” SA-F01 FLEX.
48 RED CELL: D-DAY SPECIAL
As we find ourselves now in June it
seemed apt to look back to the same
month in 1944 and to the weapons,
and airsoft replicas thereof, that
would have been used by both sides
facing one another over the beaches
and countryside of Normandy on
D-Day!
88 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL
Miguel has really cemented his place
as a key member of the Airsoft
Action Legion, and we love him for
it! This time we bring you his report
on a very special game indeed for his
fellow GHOSTs and he in Portugal,
their Birthday Game, “15”!
62 ARMOURY: HISTORIC PISTOLS
Continuing our theme of weapons
that would have been used on D-Day,
Bill and Stewbacca delve into their
personal collections - and back in time
- to focus a number of famous, and
indeed infamous, models that would
add perfectly to any “Normandy”
loadout!
92 AA LEGION: HONG KONG
We’re delighted to carry the first
report from our newest “AA
Legionnaire” Larri, known to his
friends around the world by his
callsign UBCA Lar, as he visits WZ
Studios Limited’s CQB Site “War Zone
HK” and lets us into the world of
airsoft HK-style!
70 TECH: ULTIMA MG42
WWI-era airsoft replicas, both AEGs
and GBBs can be hugely treasured
items, and keeping with our WWII
theme in this month’s Airsoft Action,
Dan takes an up close and personal
look at a rare bird indeed, the Ultima
MG42!
96 HISTORICAL: SAS SMOCK
It is said that a soldier lives with what
is in his or her pack, fights with what
is on their belt and survives with
what is in their pockets. AA resident
kit historian, Will F, takes a look at
an enduring garment which has its
roots firmly in WWII but is still superb
today!
74 FEATURE: NORMANDY TOUR
Bill is somewhat of a military historian,
and as well as having played airsoft
for many years, his travels have taken
him to many historical battlefields all
over the world! He now shares his
experiences of visiting Normandy and
gives some pointers for if you wish to
visit the D Day beaches yourself!
98 LAST POST: D(RESSING UP)-DAY
Since this edition has something of
a D-Day theme, we asked Frenchie
if he had any thoughts on airsoft as
re-enactment for his “Last Post” topic
this month - and he most certainly
did! So gird your loins for his as-usual
acerbic and time-enlightened take on
all things “historical”!

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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
BOLT
(AIRSOFT)
ACTION!
IT WILL COME AS NO SHOCK TO KEEN WWII AIRSOFTERS THAT ARES HAVE RECENTLY RELEASED A
BATCH OF NEW MODELS FOR BOTH AXIS AND ALLIED WOULD-BE-TROOPS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO
ACCESS THEM THANKS TO IWHOLESALES IN THE UK WHO VERY KINDLY SHOWED THE ONLY ONES “IN
COUNTRY” AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS. AS WE HAD OUR “D-DAY SPECIAL” ALREADY IN PLANNING
THEY SEEMED THE IDEAL CHOICE TO LEAD OFF WITH THIS MONTH, SO IT’S OVER TO BILL FOR HIS
“FIRST TAKE” ON THEM!
As you’ll see from the contents page for this
month we made the decision a little while back
that for our June issue this year we would bring
a lot of information together to celebrate all that is
good in WWII-soft whilst remembering the events of
D-Day and focus on the AEGs and GBBs that have
been, and are, out there; as luck would have it (or
perhaps fate!) this coincided with the arrival of two
very important rifle models crucial for this period from
ARES AIRSOFT!
When it comes to ARES I am lucky that I have an
exceptionally good relationship with the guys at UKdistributor
iWholesales, and I visit them every other
month to catch up with what’s new from this brand
and all the others that they work with. I had been
given the “heads up” that the new ARES historical
bolt action models were due to arrive, but it wasn’t
until I got there during late May that this became
a reality, and I was finally able to get my hands on
them!
These two new lines in their CLASSIC series are
vitally important for players that favour the WWI
period, and in the context of D-Day were probably
two of the most widespread models in the hands
of the combatants. Tucked behind that “Atlantic
Wall” young soldiers of the German and AXIS forces,
some of them green and untested in battle, would
have nervously clutched their Kar98k rifles as they
awaited the invasion forces heralded by overnight
glider and parachute landings as well as countless
small resistance actions. They must have known that
something was coming, and those rifles must have
seemed very heavy in their clammy hands.
Equally young men of the Allied forces, some
veterans already of many years of war, and some just
as green as their foes waiting for them would have
been huddled against the elements in the bottom of
vomit-filled landing craft heading for the dramatically
beautiful beaches of Normandy; in some cases though
those beaches had become death traps, and the Lee
Enfield No4 MkI gripped tight between their thighs
must have given them some confidence, even if both
that and their youthful bravado were somewhat
forced and strained.
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
So, two massive forces clashed along the
Normandy coastline, while inland a game of cat
and mouse played out! Although movies and TV
shows would have us believe that every German
carried an MP40 and a clutch of stick grenades the
truth is that the Kar98k would have actually been,
alongside their fast-firing light machine guns, the
predominant firearm on that side of the battle.
Likewise, although STENs and “Tommy Guns” were
favoured by the Commandos and Paras, most of the
Commonwealth forces would have been carrying a
Lee Enfield alongside their “Section BREN”.
But why were these two particular rifles so
important and where had they come from? To
answer this I will look into the history of both
models as this gives an indication both of changing
military weapons and the tactics that came with
them.
AXIS
The Karabiner 98 kurz (“Carbine 98 short”) often
referred to as the Kar98k was adopted on 21 June
1935 as the standard service rifle by the German
Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments
in the family of Mauser rifles that had served the
German army for many years, and just like the
models that had gone before it was respected by
all that used if or faced it; it was known for its
reliability, safety and a highly accurate effective
range of up to 500 metres with iron sights and
1,000 metres with a telescopic sight. Although the
arrival of both semi-automatic and fully automatic
rifles showed that the world of the infantryman was
about to change yet again, the Kar98k remained
the main German service rifle until 1945.
Online resources tell me that;
“The Karabiner 98k was born of the classic
Gewehr 98 (G98), Mauser’s bolt action rifle that set
the design standard for battle rifles in a new century
of warfare. The Gewehr 98 debuted in combat in
China in the hands of German troops participating
in the Peking Relief Expedition of 1900. The Gewehr
98 then went on to be the primary German service
rifle until 1935, gaining considerable fame during
the First World War. The famously smooth Gewehr
98 action, its internal five-round magazine —
easily loaded by stripper clips — and the powerful
7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge all contributed to
make the G98 a dominant battlefield weapon in the
early 20th century.”
By the mid-1930s, Germany looked to update
their already excellent infantry rifle, and the Kar98k
was born. Changes in post-WWI tactical doctrine
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
meant that the old days of stalemated trench warfare
were relegated in the main to a distant past, and the
fledgling “manouver warfare” of the Wehrmacht
meant that a shorter barrelled rifle was needed for
troops that would be working in harmony with
motorised transport over a fast-changing, dynamic
battlefield. In trials it was also found that the Kar98k,
featuring a 23.62 inch long barrel, also heightened
the performance of the standard German rifle
cartridge; the 1903 pattern 7.92×57 cartridge,
originally designed for machine gun use, produced
less muzzle flash from rifles that had a shorter barrel
and also provided better accuracy!
The Kar98k actually cut down the overall length
from 49.2 inches to 43.7inches and cut the weight
from 9.0 lbs. to 8.2 lbs. The Gewehr 98’s straight
bolt was replaced by a “turned-down” design that
increased rate of fire by creating an easier-to-operate
action. The new bolt also allowed telescopic sights
to be y fitted directly above the receiver, but more
on this later as it wasn’t quite as straightforward as
that! The 98k also replaced the “roller” rear sight
with a conventional leaf sight, and after 1939 the 98k
was fitted with a hooded post front sight to reduce
glare. Accuracy and rate of fire increased while size
and manufacturing complications went down, and
production of Kar98ks ramped up; by September of
1939 most frontline infantry units were equipped
with the new model, and this would prove to be a
durable, reliable, and accurate rifle that would serve
the German soldier well in multiple theatres!
For snipers, Kar98k rifles were pulled from the
production lines and selected for being exceptionally
accurate during factory tests. These rifles proved to
have an effective range of up to 1,000 metres when
used by a skilled sniper, and scopes fitted included the
German Zeiss Zielvier 4× (ZF39), the Zeiss Zielsechs
6× and Zielacht 8× telescopic sights amongst others,
“THE FLEDGLING “MANOUVER WARFARE” OF THE WEHRMACHT MEANT THAT A
SHORTER BARRELLED RIFLE WAS NEEDED FOR TROOPS THAT WOULD BE WORKING
IN HARMONY WITH MOTORISED TRANSPORT OVER A FAST-CHANGING, DYNAMIC
BATTLEFIELD.”
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ARES WWII RIFLES
and a number of different mounts produced by
various manufacturers were used. Although the new
bolt meant that fitting a scope was “easier” this is
somewhat a relative term, as attaching a scope to
a Kar98k required machining by a skilled armourer!
A scope mounted low above the centre axis of the
receiver did not leave enough space between the rifle
and the sight body for unimpaired operation of the
bolt handle or the three-position safety catch lever!
This problem was solved by mounting the scope
higher above the receiver (not always a good thing as
it changed the sight over bore relationship somewhat),
modifying or replacing the safety lever or using an
offset mount to the left side in relation to the receiver
centre axis. Although these may seem a little “ad
hoc” the Kar98k in the sniper role was actually highly
effective, and it’s believed that some 132,000 of these
sniper rifles were produced!
From the German perspective, the machine gun
was their primary infantry weapon, and during WW
II their riflemen supported the machine gun rather
than the other way round, so Germany’s decision to
continue their use of the bolt-action Kar98k, despite
the development of semi-auto rifles like the Gewehr
41 and Gewehr 43, and indeed the StG44 makes
some sense in relation to the doctrine of the day.
ALLIED
When I refer to “Allied” here what of course I mean
is “Commonwealth”, as we all know that by the
time D-Day arrived the US infantry soldier, traditional
and airborne both, was issued with the mighty M1
Garand, “ping” and all!
I covered the No1 MkIII Lee Enfield in some depth
back in Issue 135 and as I mentioned there this rifle
would go on to see use for many years to come, and
it was most certainly still carried on D-Day! However,
further developments of the Lee Enfield “program”
“WHEN I REFER TO “ALLIED” HERE WHAT OF COURSE I MEAN IS “COMMONWEALTH”,
AS WE ALL KNOW THAT BY THE TIME D-DAY ARRIVED THE US INFANTRY SOLDIER,
TRADITIONAL AND AIRBORNE BOTH, WAS ISSUED WITH THE MIGHTY M1 GARAND,
“PING” AND ALL!”
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
had come about in 1939, although the new No4 MkI
was not officially adopted until 1941. The trusty “old
campaigner” that was the MkIII was long overdue for
some updating, and this began with the replacement
of the notch-and-post tangent sights with long-radius
aperture sights, meaning instead of a post in a notch,
there was a post that was to be centred within a
circle. Initially designed with a ladder-style rear sight,
the final No4 design was simplified for the sake of
mass-production; a dual-position, 300yd (imperial, so
274 metres!) ‘battle sight’ could be flipped for longer
range engagements up to 600yd (548m). The No4
also utilized a far thicker barrel than the MkIII which
improved accuracy and was also mostly floating (ooh,
“old skool free float!” in the furniture apart from the
underside of the stock applying a measured amount
of pressure on the barrel.
The No4 MkI, with its focus set to improving the
accuracy of the MkIII, was designed to group within
50mm from the factory at 100yd (91m). Trigger
modifications were also made, along with a new
button-style of removing the rear sight but the MkI*
reverted to a more MkIII style of bolt removal which
was cheaper and faster. Like with the MkIII “star
series”, the No4 MkI* sought to decrease the cost
per unit, so by 1943 a Lee Enfield cost £7 15s to
produce whilst to put this in perspective a STEN MkII
submachine gun cost just £2 10s! The No4 rifle was
primarily produced for the United Kingdom, Canada
and other Commonwealth countries, and served its
users very well indeed!
In terms of the ‘sniping’ role it is believed that
some 25,000 standard No4 rifles, selected again for
their accuracy during factory tests, were modified by
the addition of a wooden cheek-riser, and telescopic
sight mounts designed to accept a No32 3.5× sight.
The sight had a field of view of 8 degrees 20 minutes
and featured a bullet drop compensation range drum
graduated in 50 yard (45.7m) increments from 0 to
1,000 yards (914m), and these rifles were designated
as the No 4 MkI (T). The wooden cheek-riser was
simply attached with two screws, and the rear “battle
sight” was ground off to make room to attach the
scope to the left side of the receiver; each No 32 and
its mount were matched and serial numbered to a
specific rifle.
ARES NAIL IT… AGAIN!
In an era when semi-auto rifles like the Garand and
the Gewehr 43 had begun to appear more commonly
on the battlefield, and indeed the first “assault rifles”
had started to be issued, it was still the humble
bolt-action that lay in the hands of many of the
infantrymen of both sides on D-Day, and this is why
I feel that the new models from ARES really have a
place in any decent WWII airsoft armoury!
Both models have of course been produced before,
and you’ll find comment on some of them in Red Cell
this month! However, I believe it is fair to say that
all the Kar98ks and Lee Enfield’s to date have been
a little uninspiring when it came to out of the box
performance but one thing that I will tell you about
the two new ARES replicas is that they certainly DO
NOT lack consistent power! They arrive with a chrono
reading on 1.54 Joule/411 fps on a .20g, so although
I’ve (as yet!) been unable to range test them properly
it would indicate to me that with some minor fettling
of the hop/inner barrel these could be absolute nail
drivers!
The power is certainly there, so much so that when
Tim at iWholesales first lifted one from its oh-so-lovely
case (both rifles come in a “crate-style” case!) and
worked the action of the Kar98k it actually gave a
little cough like a gasser, and released a small vapour
cloud from the muzzle! As, at the time, everyone
was still wondering if these were gas or spring (ARES
were REALLY cagey about the power source initially)
I somewhat embarrassingly asked Tim where the
gas went… I can only surmise that there was a little
lubricant in the barrel that got spat out with that first
shot!
Internally we now know that unlike most ARES
spring bolt action guns the new models feature a
direct feed system similar to the Amoeba STRIKER
series to make the action much more realistic, and it
certainly makes the action of the bolt super, supersmooth;
I’d go as far as saying that the action is closer
to the real deal (and I’ve shot both the real rifles on
numerous occasions) and significantly smoother than
most airsoft bolt-actions it’s been my pleasure to try
over the years!
I won’t go into range and accuracy as I don’t
feel that it would be fair to do so yet; we all know
“INTERNALLY WE NOW KNOW THAT UNLIKE MOST ARES SPRING BOLT ACTION GUNS
THE NEW MODELS FEATURE A DIRECT FEED SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THE AMOEBA
STRIKER SERIES TO MAKE THE ACTION MUCH MORE REALISTIC, AND IT CERTAINLY
MAKES THE ACTION OF THE BOLT SUPER, SUPER-SMOOTH”
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
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ARMOURY
ARES WWII RIFLES
that any airsoft rifle takes a while to “bed in” fully,
and this is especially true with bolt-actions, so I’ll
reserve comment on this until I’ve been able to
range test both models over a significant period. As
I said though, the power is there, and the actions
are impeccably smooth, so with a tweak to the hop
rubber I’m expecting great things from these rifles.
Externally all I can say is that the rifles are
STUNNING! The finish is absolutely A1 throughout,
both in the accuracy of replication of individual parts
and the quality of the final finishing! 95% made
of steel with QPQ finishing they also have the most
beautiful furniture I’ve come across as standard in
an airsoft replica, and I’m told that the head honcho
at ARES was unwilling to release the rifles until he’d
found exactly the right wood to mimic perfectly the
look of the real thing… a little bird tells me that this
wood finally came all the way from Turkey though!
Here we have a pair of beautiful, elegant airsoft
rifles, so let’s look at the “numbers” head to head!
SMLE NO.4 MK1
• LENGTH: 1125mm
• WEIGHT: 3600g
• MAGAZINE: 35 rounds (6mm BB)
• 95% Made of Grade 304 Stainless Steel with
QPQ Finishing
• High-Quality Wood
KARABINER 98K
• LENGTH: 1110mm
• WEIGHT: 3800g
• MAGAZINE: 20 BBs (you get two though!)
• 95% Made of Grade 304 Stainless Steel with
QPQ Finishing
• Genuine Laminated Wood
Whilst the basic rifles are superb, ARES have also
gone the extra mile by simultaneously releasing
“sniper variants” of both, and with these DELUXE
versions you also get the correct modifications and
a pre-fitted period-correct scope with mounts! With
some crossover to the STRIKER series we already
know what can be achieved in upgrades, so it bodes
incredibly well for some real sniper-elite-level action
with a little effort.
I’ve always had a soft-spot for the seriously
under-sung ARES “Classic Line” given the sheer
gorgeousness of their L1A1 SLR, and I truly believe
that the No4 MkI and the Kar98K are going to make
a lot of you out there sit up and take notice too!
“Period Airsoft” might always be a niche part of what
we do, but having superbly-finished, good-to-gofrom-the-box
rifles might just persuade a few more
players to get involved and have a go, so well done
ARES, well done indeed!
Will I buy one of these lovely rifles for myself? The
answer is probably no to be honest as I do shy away
from WWII scenarios for personal reasons that will
become apparent in my other articles this month…
but, and it’s a HUGE- UBER-MEGA-BUT I certainly
WILL be buying myself the ARES L42A1 sniper variant
that has also come out at the same time as the WWIIera
rifles and is based on the Lee Enfield for my Cold
War collection! AA
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ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
BRINGING
THE
WITH YET ANOTHER SHIFT IN THE EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF REAL
STEEL LICENSING WITHIN THE AUTHORISED AIRSOFT REPLICA ARENA,
VEGA FORCE COMPANY (VFC) HAVE MANAGED TO REACQUIRE THE
RIGHTS TO THE COLT TRADEMARK THROUGH CYBERGUN AFTER A FEW
YEARS OF IT BEING THE SOLE REALM OF ANOTHER LOCAL COMPETITOR.
WITH THIS RENEWED ACCESS NO TIME WAS WASTED BRINGING A FRESH
PRODUCT TO MARKET BEARING THE PRANCING PONY AND ASSOCIATED
LETTERING, AND NOW STEWBACCA GETS DOWN AND DIRTY WITH IT!
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ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
The Colt M733 is a cult classic for many of us
(more experienced and possibly slightly long in
the tooth!) airsofters and firearms aficionados,
well known for those who grew up, or tried to
avoid doing so, throughout the 1990’s with very
memorable appearances in cinema with the likes of
‘HEAT’ or ‘Blackhawk Down’ in the hands of both
the good guys and the bad, but also more recently
in ‘Blood Diamond’ as well as featuring in numerous
video games!
The M733 is the modernised equivalent of the
earlier Vietnam era XM177 or CAR-15 carbines
which were derived from the larger M16A1 to give
commanders as well as vehicle or helicopter crews
something less cumbersome than the full-size
individual weapon that the US service personnel
were trudging through the jungles of southeast Asia
with.
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ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
My own journey can be said to be somewhat
allegorical; having owned the Marui AEG M733 many
years ago in the UK, and having shifted to almost
exclusive use of GBBRs since coming to Taiwan, I’ve
been trudging through jungles in the tropical heat
for the last few years and have likewise come to
appreciate the lighter weight and shorter overall
profile of SMGs, PDWs or carbines, and as a result
vastly enjoyed fielding the latest offering from VFC.
Having seen the new model announced at the MOA
2022 campfest a few months ago, this was somewhat
of a surprise release compared to some of their other
much awaited offerings. I recently returned once
again to the VFC Pentagon Service Centre not far
from my place in Taipei and met with our good friend
Ray Chang to get the lowdown on this sneak release
for 2022; with so many exciting licensed replica
products from a range of real steel manufacturers
coming out of VFC’s understandably secretive
headquarters as of late, I was keen to find out more
about the return of Colt to this illustrious list.
Ray told me that the M733 will be a limited single
production run release predominantly for Asia and
was intended as a somewhat more economical
offering compared to VFC’s usual premium feature
packed product lines in the GBBR arena. The carbine
itself also presents an ideal entry level Armalite/Colt
style platform for those looking to get into the gas
gun game as well as it being compatible with other
such systems in VFC’s range. With a reduced overall
physical footprint the M733 is ideal for the smaller or
slighter players (somewhat more typical in Asia) after
all, but as well as offering a good gateway platform
it leans on the real steel history of its counterpart,
and finally offers a gas blowback alternative to the
classic AEG many of us enjoyed. Thus it has wide
appeal to new players who might not be old enough
to remember the storied history of the carbine in
real world events and popular culture, while also
giving the older players a retro appeal rifle that has
all the latest internal features as well as the external
trimmings of its original counterpart.
FIRST RATE, INSIDE AND OUT!
Running the latest third generation fire control system
inside, with its steel hammer and simplified, durable
valve striker unit, the VFC Colt M733 GBBR also
makes use of their latest magazine design, with a
cast aluminium alloy internal reservoir encased in a
predominantly aluminium STANAG style grey painted
magazine shell, which is capped off with a reinforced
head unit that encapsulates the feed lips, vent valve
as well as the inlet valve. As is increasingly the case
the gas feed has been placed on the rear spine of the
magazine so that it is protected within the magazine
well when fitted in use, preventing any dirt ingress
during gameplay as well as improving the realism and
aesthetic of the magazines.
The M733 is for all intents and purposes an M16A2
with shortened furniture; the front handguards are
much shortened compared to the full size rifle, with
the cylindrical ribbed profile rather than the earlier
Vietnam era triangular versions, although noticeably
thinner than the M4A1 handguards which followed,
allowing for easier handling even for someone with
longer arms like myself; normally the likes of an MP5
standard handguard will give me wrist ache trying
to C-Clamp or support hand hold it and I default to
vertical fore grips on most guns.
The M733 however just seems to work comfortably
for me, perhaps due to its much lighter overall weight
and slender profile I found it much easier to wield
and manoeuvre during my skirmishing and testing
of it, just like my old beloved AEG version in the UK.
The front handguard and barrel section is in fact
relatively similar in length to the extended butt stock,
giving the carbine a surprising aesthetic and physical
balance to it, perhaps that’s one element to its overall
appeal. The butt stock itself is of the early telescopic
version with just two peg holes for the adjustment
lever actuated spring loaded catch to lock into; at fully
collapsed and extended lengths, although as with the
real steel equivalent there is plenty of material in the
buffer tube extension beneath to drill further holes
into to customise the length of pull to an individual’s
taste and requirements, and fully extended was just
fine for me, thankfully.
Being an earlier variant the M733 lacks any QD
attachment points or a castle nut receiver plate with
sling loops included, although the clean lines do make
“THE M733 IS FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES AN M16A2 WITH SHORTENED
FURNITURE; THE FRONT HANDGUARDS ARE MUCH SHORTENED COMPARED TO THE
FULL SIZE RIFLE, WITH THE CYLINDRICAL RIBBED PROFILE RATHER THAN THE EARLIER
VIETNAM ERA TRIANGULAR VERSIONS, ALTHOUGH NOTICEABLY THINNER THAN THE
M4A1 HANDGUARDS WHICH FOLLOWED, ALLOWING FOR EASIER HANDLING EVEN FOR
SOMEONE WITH LONGER ARMS LIKE MYSELF”
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
www.airsoftaction.net 21

ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
it aesthetically more appealing and less likely to catch
on clothing or obstructions during use, but does
mean your slinging options are going to be likewise
somewhat classical; with the front standard sling
swivel and twin upper and lower integral sling loops
moulded into the butt stock allowing the attachment
of a two point fabric sling. Personally I just threw on
one of my fairly standard Fastex QD buckle units with
a toggle to tighten the loop around the buffer tube
and attached the carbine to my integral sling built
into my plate carrier that I use for all of my own guns,
which also added to my ease of handling allowing me
to effortlessly transition between right and left handed
use for navigating corners and obstacles.
DOWNRANGE
I fielded the M733 just using the iron sights which are
actually M16A1 styled; the earlier prototypes of the
real steel equivalent all made use of M16A2-styled
handguards and pistol grips, however the upper
receiver geometry tends to vary along the lineage,
with the initial examples still employing M16A1 fixed
rear sight units with the simpler adjustment dial rather
than the later fully adjustable floating sight block
inset into the cutout of the later carry handle styles
typified by the M16A2 rifle series. The folks at VPSC
were also good enough to lend me three of their 30
round modernised magazines to fill my plate carrier
with, which worked excellently throughout and didn’t
present me with and feeding or gas issues at all; I
probably put a few hundred BBs downrange with the
testing and skirmishing I did during our game day.
Initially I chronograph-tested the M733 at home
with a few shots using BLS 0.2g BBs and ‘12kg’
or ‘green gas’ from Puff Dino (somewhat industry
standard in country) and clocked it throwing out 1.3
Joule/375 fps max in a reasonably consistent fashion,
while at the skirmish I made use of my own standard
0.3g BLS BBs and the chrono came in at a consistent
330fps in many of the shots with even less variance
for the most part. I also had to tweak the HOP unit
setting as a result of using the heavier ammunition,
and having seen the 4UAD Smart Airsoft team’s
video about the M733 they managed to lift even the
heaviest ammunition with the included HOP unit!
I found that once I got it dialled in the range and
consistency were astonishing for such a short inner
barrel of only 275mm; I’m not sure exactly how many
BBs have already been put through this particular
example as it’s the VPSC demonstration gun as such,
but the HOP is either excellent out of the box or
has settled in well over its use as it was consistently
stretching shots out the length of the disused factory
hall we were playing in; at least 50-60m long,
after only a short time tuning and putting some
rounds down range I quickly managed a first round
elimination with just the iron sights and against a lot
of return fire, so most pleased!
The HOP adjustment itself is accessed via the
horizontal seam between the upper and lower front
handguards, which allows the top and/or bottom
segments to be removed independently by retracting
the spring loaded ‘delta ring’ at the rear of the
handguards where they meet the upper receiver
body; this is admittedly very heavily sprung and can
be somewhat challenging to remove, requiring you
to brace the butt of the carbine against something
and really pull back hard on the ring to allow you
to pop them off, one of my only complaints about
the platform, and admittedly one you shouldn’t
have to endure once the unit is set to your preferred
ammunition weight. This gives access to the drum
wheel style HOP unit beneath the chamber and barrel,
which is conveniently marked with + and - symbols for
increasing or decreasing the HOP effect; it is relatively
stiff which means it won’t move unwantedly but the
large surface area and ribs enable you to easily push it
in the desired direction of rotation to adjust it.
In terms of construction the M733 follows the
other recent releases from VFC, as with their Mk48
LMG it is predominantly aluminium and alloys thereof
to allow for economical and lightweight construction,
but is excellently finished with the familiar hard
anodisation that resembles the surface texture and
colouration of parkerized steel. The steel components
are thus limited to some of the internal components
and wear surfaces, with the receivers, outer barrel and
bolt carrier group being castings of zinc aluminium
alloys which are then finish CNC machined on internal
functional surfaces. The general feel is nonetheless
“THE HOP ADJUSTMENT ITSELF IS ACCESSED VIA THE HORIZONTAL SEAM BETWEEN
THE UPPER AND LOWER FRONT HANDGUARDS, WHICH ALLOWS THE TOP AND/OR
BOTTOM SEGMENTS TO BE REMOVED INDEPENDENTLY BY RETRACTING THE SPRING
LOADED ‘DELTA RING’ AT THE REAR OF THE HANDGUARDS WHERE THEY MEET THE
UPPER RECEIVER BODY”
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
www.airsoftaction.net 23

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VFC COLT M733 GBBR
exceptionally sturdy despite this, and there’s little
if any movement or creak in any of the joins or
components, even the captive receiver retention pins
retain their resistance nicely and are easy enough to
drift out when required, but won’t do so of their own
accord as in some other manufacturers examples.
The buffer and related spring are actually reduced
rate to give them a softer effect on the bolt carrier
during recoil, which gives a surprisingly strong impulse
upon firing, perhaps because the bolt carrier is a more
significant proportion of the weight compared to
larger, heavier AR GBBR platforms, but nonetheless
the very loud and satisfying report are followed by
an equally enjoyable thudding of the carrier within
the receiver. The general feel is crisp and sharp and
follow up shots were fast and accurate during our
more heated game rounds and team training for
marksmanship after we finished skirmishing.
The integral carrying handle also features the
required holes in its upper surface to allow attachment
of top rails or classic optics with the specific bolting
or clamping arrangements, however I found the iron
sights very easy to use even with my ageing eyes. The
magazine well features the M16A2 and Colt name
and “prancing pony” markings, the fire selector is
left side of the body only for right handed use, and
similarly the magazine release is right side only for
right handed index finger actuation, all told it is a very
much ‘no frills’ carbine externally, but I kind of like
that for the classic or retro appeal and just the slimmer
and cleaner lines.
Overall I am extremely impressed with the
Cybergun licensed VFC Colt Commando M733 GBBR,
to the point where I am struggling to stave off buying
one until other priorities have been fulfilled, but I’m
pretty sure this is an itch I’ll inevitably have to scratch.
The only issue I found, aside from the somewhat
stiff handguard retention, was a slight sticking of
the trigger reset towards the end of my morning
shoot; again the 4UAD team found something similar
in their example around the 6000 BB mark, so it’s
worth keeping an eye out for if you do find yourself
with one. Having seen their solution I inspected the
internals and found the same slight uneven wear
on the hammer sear hook surface; it’s merely a case
of evening out that wear with a slight amount of
filing to rectify this issue if you encounter it, and not
something that would put me off given the myriad
other issues I’ve had experimenting with numerous
other gas guns in my time thus far! The M733 has
really left a lasting impression on me for just how
much fun it was to shoot and very comfortable and
easy to handle and transition with.
So, if you find yourself in the market for a new
GBBR AR for the gun wall, or are looking to start
your adventure in gas guns, the licensed Colt M733
GBBR from VFC is something I’d happily recommend
to you; it’s perfect for any player of any build really,
even being a wookiee-esque lumbering giant myself I
still appreciated the weight and length reduction and
the general aesthetic appeal. I’d once again like to
sincerely Thank Ray Chang, Sam Shen and the rest of
the VPSC team for their time and entrusting me once
more with one of their products to test, and for their
commitment to supporting me, and Airsoft Action,
with their very latest creations! AA
“...IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW GBBR AR FOR THE GUN
WALL, OR ARE LOOKING TO START YOUR ADVENTURE IN GAS GUNS, THE LICENSED
COLT M733 GBBR FROM VFC IS SOMETHING I’D HAPPILY RECOMMEND TO YOU; IT’S
PERFECT FOR ANY PLAYER OF ANY BUILD ”
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
VFC COLT M733 GBBR
www.airsoftaction.net 25

ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
DMR...
OR NOT?
26
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
AS AN ONGOING PROJECT BILL IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING HIS “.308 AR DMR” AND HAS
BECOME SLIGHTLY OBSESSED WITH “LONG RIFLES” OF LATE, SO WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO GET HIS HANDS ON THE VERY LATEST RAPAX M6 YOU CAN BET HE WAS ALL OVER IT! BUT DOES
THE SECUTOR RIFLE TICK ALL HIS BOXES FOR WHAT HE BELIEVES MAKES A GREAT AR DMR?
www.airsoftaction.net 27

ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
During my time playing airsoft I’ve often
hankered after something with a bit more
“legs” from time to time, and to this end
have always had a huge soft spot for the Designated
Marksman Rifle or “DMR” where you still get semiauto,
but with a bit more grunt!
When I lived and played in the USA I was the
only Brit on my team, and although I proudly played
in DPM for most of our skirmish games, when it
came to MilSims and weekenders I’d be in the same
digital Army Combat Uniform as the rest of the guys.
Strangely I always liked the Universal Camouflage
Pattern, and in the arid areas of Florida in actually
worked pretty well, greying out into the background
just like it does in that famous “sofa picture”. I also
gave up my MP5, or in the latter days there my L85, in
favour of some form of “M4” variant.
Just sometimes though I wanted some extra range,
and there is one “rite of passage” that in my mind
every airsofter needs to go through, and that’s owning
and fielding a DMR! Until you’ve lugged an ungainly
M14 EBR around an airsoft field all day as I did in the
USA you’ll never fully appreciate the pain of having
“the right rifle”, but one that is going to stretch both
your sinews and your sanity!
But of course it’s the AR that we all love, and as
much as the EBR rightly has its place in history, these
days when putting together a “long rifle” it’s going to
be based on that platform, probably in “7.62/.308”
unless it’s for OPFOR-use or a dedicated USMC M27
IAR! Now
I do fully
understand
that we are
talking about airsoft and 6mm BBs
here, and that the “look” of a larger calibre
rifle has little overall bearing on how the airsoft
version will perform on the field (ie very much the
same as every other 6mm BB platform unless you
do something quite special to it!), but there’s just
something about that big old mag that sings to my
heart.
The SR-25 or Stoner Rifle-25 changed the game for
many airsofters like me, and it is a bit of a legendary
firearm and one that I now see quite regularly fielded
in the DMR-role; it is undoubtedly a fine choice,
with many airsoft replicas available as a project base.
Designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by
Knight’s Armament Company, back in the day when
Colt made the decision to concentrate on the AR-
15 it left the AR-10 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle
design up for grabs, that design went largely ignored
until the early 1990s when Stoner joined Knight’s
Armament Company and continued his AR-10
design work. The end result was the SR-25 (which
added together the numbers of the AR-10 and AR-
15) which improved the AR-10 design with M16A2
advancements and parts commonality. Subsequently
we’ve seen many more dedicated “AR-based” airsoft
DMRs come to be, and I’m lucky enough to have tried
quite a few of them!
It’s true, for the last couple of years I’ve been
““WHEN I LIVED AND PLAYED IN THE USA I WAS THE ONLY BRIT ON MY TEAM, AND
ALTHOUGH I PROUDLY PLAYED IN DPM FOR MOST OF OUR SKIRMISH GAMES, WHEN
IT CAME TO MILSIMS AND WEEKENDERS I’D BE IN THE SAME DIGITAL ARMY COMBAT
UNIFORM AS THE REST OF THE GUYS.”
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ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
playing around with an AR DMR build as
I do have that great love for “long rifles”, and I
think I’m nearly at the end of my quest apart from
finding the perfect inner barrel/hop setup to really
give it those sought-for legs! I’m of the belief that
a really good “designated marksman” can be a real
team-asset in any game, a real force-multiplier of
both the shooter and their rifle are genuinely any
good!
Earlier this month though I was reading one of
the posts in the Airsoft Europe group online on
the topic of “DMR” and it got me to thinking…
what do most people actually mean when they talk
about a DMR though? It seems that the answers vary
wildly.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Let’s start by breaking down that name; DMR =
Designated Marksman Rifle. This is largely defined
as a semi-automatic, larger-calibre rifle capable of
more sustained fire, and accurized and often fitted
with a bipod and a magnified optic to increase
lethality at longer engagement distances than the
average infantry rifle or carbine. “Them what know”
say “designated marksmen are usually considered
an organic part of a unit and are never expected to
operate independently away from the main force,
whereas snipers usually work alone or in very small
teams with independent mission objectives”.
In recent conflicts it was found that the infantryman
with a 5.56mm carbine or rifle was often outranged
by enemies still using older, large-calibre battle rifles,
so the designated marksman became a solution for
helping them dominate the “middle ground”, ranges
deemed beyond effective for a standard infantry
platform, but well inside that of a dedicated sniper
rifle.
Let’s now look at what a DMR is not; it is NOT
a sniper rifle as a designated marksman is NOT a
sniper. A sniper will work with a spotter or as a
standalone entity carrying out specific tasks, often
from concealment or in a hide, at mid to long ranges
at the behest of “higher higher”, whilst a designated
marksman will work within a squad or section
structure at medium engagement ranges slightly
beyond those that a regular rifle or carbine will be
capable of to carry out specific in-mission tasks.
Back in the early 2000’s there was huge debate
in the international airsoft community as to how we
could replicate the “DM” in game, yet differentiate
them from someone with a bolt-action rifle. After
much debate at my own games the team and I made
the decision that a “DMR” could be a semi-auto-only
rifle (taking our lead from what we were seeing in
the real world), and that it had to be obviously and
physically locked to semi, with DMR-users sworn
against spamming of the trigger. It could be more
powerful than regular AEGs, up to 450fps on a
.20g, but would also have a MED of 30m to avoid
unnecessary injury to the player on the receiving end.
We believed this would allow an airsoft “DM” that
little extra bit of “oomph” whilst still not giving them
the total range of a bolty, and we played this role
successfully from that point onwards.
RAPAX ROLLING OUT
At the back end of summer ’21 I had the opportunity
to check out and test the RAPAX M5, and I concluded
that “All things considered I’m really, really happy
with the SECUTOR RAPAX M5 and it’s exactly the
kind of semi-auto “reach out and touch somebody”
rifle that I hoped it would be”, and after substantially
more time with it I’m still of that opinion. As a “stock
DMR” (and it is undoubtedly one) it’s still kicking
out iro 1.78Joule/439fps with .20 BBs, and will hop
substantially heavier BBs with ease and grace!
So, when Tim at iWholesales told me that there was
a new RAPAX kid on the block, in fact two as there’s
““THEM WHAT KNOW” SAY “DESIGNATED MARKSMEN ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED AN
ORGANIC PART OF A UNIT AND ARE NEVER EXPECTED TO OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY
AWAY FROM THE MAIN FORCE, WHEREAS SNIPERS USUALLY WORK ALONE OR IN VERY
SMALL TEAMS WITH INDEPENDENT MISSION OBJECTIVES””
www.airsoftaction.net 29

Image courtesy SecutorArms
ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
an M6 and M7 variant in the mix, I was keen to check
out what they brought to the party, and the bottom
line is that the latest DMRs in the line-up are the latest
in SECUTOR design with great features for those not
wanting to spend a fortune fettling a custom build!
I got hands-on the M6, the more civilian-looking of
the two new models, the M6 (which differs from the
M7 which is more MIL-looking and comes pre-fitted
with a suppressor), and on first impressions this is a
DMR ready to go out of the box with some premium
features and some gorgeous styling.
The first thing you notice about the M6 is just how
lovely it feels, and just how easy it is to manipulate! It
is, as I’ve come to expect from RAPAX rifles, solid as
a rock in every respect, and the mix of the very dark
bronze of the M-LOK rail and the buffer tube really
stand out from the satin black of the receivers; the
finish on all parts is absolutely impeccable! The feature
set itself is extremely well thought out, as you get a
semi-only ambi selector, ambi mag release, and very
cool straight trigger. The pistol grip is very “magpulesque”,
and the sliding stock has five positions so
you can get it exactly as you like it. There are QD sling
points inset to the stock and lower receiver on both
sides, and the rifle comes with a single QD sling swivel
which you can change easily from lefty to righty. Some
pretty darn decent iron sights are included, but this is
a rifle you will definitely want to set up with an optic,
and the use of what looks very much like a Knight’sstyle
7.62 QDC muzzle device really rounds out some
impressive looks!
Internally there’s a lot going on too! First up you get
a programmable electronic trigger and an ARES EFCS
Mosfet so if that’s your thing you can play with this to
your heart’s delight, although as “stock” I see nothing
wrong with the setup! A combination of bearings
and 8mm bushing, a piston with all metal teeth,
a CNC steel cylinder and cylinder head made in a
single piece to improve compression, and silver wiring
throughout make everything nice and tight from the
outset, although compatibility with aftermarket parts
will give you pace to fettle further if you so desire.
There’s a 6.03 mm precision barrel fitted as standard
and married up to what I know to be a reasonably
robust and efficient hop-unit, although this has a
new improved rubber for heavier BBs. Wiring is to the
buffer tube and comes fitted with a T-Plug/Deans.
DOWNRANGE
So, everything, on paper certainly bodes well for the
M6, and I have to say that as new it certainly worked
well on the range. I made use of a longer range
owned by a local club to test out the M6 as I knew I’d
be after some longer ranges having had a good 60m+
from the M5 from the box, and I’m glad that I made
this decision as the M6 really needed more that the
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
SECUTOR RAPAX M6
30m range I have in the woods!
I fitted the rifle with a QD 1.1-4x25E MilDot optic,
added some lo-profile M-LOK rail covers at the midrail-point,
and fitted a Harris-style bipod via an M-LOK
mount. From the box the M6 chron’d very respectably
at 1.85 Joule/447fps with .20g BBs, and once I’d reset
the hop it was more than happy on .36’s although I
felt it could actually hop heavier than this! This is a
bonus as a heavier BB is more in keeping with getting
the range and accuracy you want from a DMR, and
the new hop rubber obviously does its job effectively!
One thing I like a lot is that the CNC trigger has
external travel regulation by means of a screw to
reduce the travel and shooting sensitivity, so again
you can set this as you like it; it’s an easy “in the field”
adjustment too! The big old 160 BB “.308-style”
magazine fits
and feeds perfectly,
although I’ll give
you the heads-up
that this is “mid
feeder” so
you’ll need to find
extra
mags with great care as many of the box-set options
out there are “front feeders”.
So, all set up, .36g BBs in the mag, hop dialled in
and the optic zero’d to 50m on the rifle… how did
it do? Just great, thank you… really great as a new
rifle! The M6 hurtled BBs downrange to 50m without
breaking sweat, and making allowance I was soon
hitting steels at 60m, then 70m most of the time! I
honestly believe that this rifle could actually hit past
80m with little effort other than that of the user, and
a little diligent tweaking of both rifle and shooter
might even break my magic “100”! This is remarkable
for a stock rifle, and I take my hat off to SECUTOR
in all ways for their achievement, as this truly IS a
workable DMR straight from the box!
Thanks as usual to iWholesales for providing the
test model; you can check out all the SECUTOR
models they have by visiting www.iwholesales.
co.uk AA
www.airsoftaction.net 33

ARMOURY
G&G GK-12
FEEDING
THE
BEAST
AFTER MUCH WAITING SUDDENLY IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS NOW
WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING AN AK-12 REPLICA, AND THE LATEST MANUFACTURER TO ENTER THIS
FRAY IS G&G! AFTER A LONG WAIT BILL FINALLY GETS HIS HANDS ON THEIR GK-12, BUT IS IT ALL
THAT HE’D HOPED FOR!
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
G&G GK-12
I
have to admit that with the horrific events in
Ukraine still unfolding on a daily basis I have
found it hard to write about a replica of a firearm
being used in an active warzone, especially one
that is being used by the aggressors to suppress the
freedoms of another country’s population.
Even to a self-confessed “AK-aholic” like me, the
AK-12 is a model that I find hard to get enthusiastic
about at the moment, although as an extension of
the AK family I can talk about it purely in airsoftdevelopmental
terms. And airsoft rifles, especially an
advanced AEG that combines the very latest internals
and electrical operating systems all married up to
an excellently achieved set of externals needs to be
spoken about, so when it comes to the G&G GK-12 I
will concentrate on, and address, two key areas, the
AEG itself as a move forward in technological airsoft
terms and the misconception that G&G “modern
AKs” can only use proprietary magazines!
I first clapped eyes on the prototype GK-12 a while
back, and I’ve been pestering my good friend Rick at
G&G about this beast ever since! This means that the
development of this latest AEG has taken a number
of years from concept to realisation, and just shows
that G&G continue to change, not just rushing out a
new AEG because others have, and because it’s “on
trend” at that particular moment, but taking their
time to develop it properly so that ultimately what
we as players receive actually is indeed the best thing
they can produce given current technology.
I think we can all point to G&G AEGs in the past
that have been less than “stellar” when released but
that have actually turned out to be darn good guns
after a little fettling and TLC. I can also point to new
developments that haven’t worked quite as they
should from the box, and even to few “dead ends”.
What I specifically like about G&G most these days
though, and the main reason I am always pleased
and proud to work with them, is that they have
actually listened to our gripes of the past, and shown
with their more recent releases that they have taken
note and acted upon our collective feedback.
Now many manufacturers SAY that they do this,
but if you all knew the amount of time I spend
talking to Rick at G&G each week (he is a very
gracious listener!) I believe you’d be shocked! He
always has a question for me as I usually do for him,
and he also listens to what I, and we have to tell
www.airsoftaction.net 35

ARMOURY
G&G GK-12
him; I am certain not going to flatter myself that I’m
the only person he spends so much time with, in fact
I know I’m not! G&G WANT to know what we all
think of their AEGs and GBBs, and they WILL action
problems highlighted by us (and that includes you!) as
users of their products.
Many of you might say that using the community
as “final product testers” should not be a “thing”,
and I’m largely in agreement with this line of thought,
but with the sheer pace of technological advances
in airsoft right now this does mean that AEGs in
particular will be quickly brought to market to
illustrate that “Manufacturer X” is with the program.
That’s why I’m so pleased that G&G have really taken
their time with releasing the GK-12, as although
it does contain all their latest gizmos and goodies
inside (I love a good technical term!), it’s been part
of their long-term development program to bring us
solid, functional, and most important of all, durable
skirmishing tools!
FINE LOOKS!
When it comes to the GK-12 it certainly has all the
right “party clothes” to please anyone that wants
to own an AK-12 replica! I’m pleased to report that
like other AK-12 models I’ve tested and used to
date, G&G have been faithful to the “real” in their
replication on this latest electric rifle! The GK-12 is
built like a tank, and weighs in at a hefty 3565g, so
just a little lighter than some of the others; if like me
you’re used to a “classic AK” then this weight feels
“right”, and this is a bruiser of a rifle with steel and
alloy construction throughout. Like the “real deal” the
receiver cover is another unique feature of the design
as it has a permanently affixed top rail where the rear
sight assembly mounts directly to the cover; this of
course means that the rifle is all ready for an optic
should you desire to fit one, and this is mated firmly
to the dust cover.
This also means that the traditional rear “poplatch”
has gone, and the dust cover is released instead
by rotating the retained front locking arm above the
cocking handle and sliding the entire cover back and
up to access the battery compartment. With most of
the other AK-12 replicas I’ve tested and used to date
this locking arm has proved to be a little “sticky” to
start with, but G&G seem to have got this nailed, and
their locking arm has proved to be the easiest to use
by far; they’ve really got this right, and it means that
“in the field” battery changes are slicker than those of
the competition. It’s a small thing, but oh-so-crucial in
the midst of a skirmish!
There’s an ergonomic pistol grip modelled on that
of the real rifle, more rails on the handguard, and a
solid side-folding, multi-position stock. The excellent
muzzle brake has been 100% replicated from the real
thing, although in the case of the GK-12 it’s highgrade
alloy rather than steel, which helps to shave a
few grams off what is a pretty heavy rifle; thankfully
the GK-12 outer barrel is threaded 14mm CCW rather
than being fitted with a “QD System” (or not so
“QD” in some replicas!) so it’s easy to fit a suppressor
or tracer unit should you wish to, and once again
thankfully the seating pin for the brake is retained
so you won’t lose it if you’re changing out front-end
options in-game.
Externally everything is lovely as far as I can see,
and internally you get the latest G&G ETU, a pretty
solid gearbox setup with 8mm bearings, all driven
along by an Ifrit 25K Short Axis orange (25000rpm)
motor and there’s a proper quick-change spring
function should you need to use it; all you need to
do is swing the stock open, remove the dust cover,
and then… here comes the clever bit… depress the
spring loaded gas tube plug at the sharp end and
rotate it counter-clock to remove it! This becomes an
8mm allen key (the back of the gas tube plug!) you
can then use depress the spring guide, rotate 45˚, and
carefully remove the guide and spring… no need for
an extra tool, you have all you need, and to install the
new spring, simply reverse the steps… genius!
In terms of the latest Gen4 MOSFET functions the
GK-12 benefits from easy to set modes and has:
1. Built-in double-shot selector switch.
2. Programmable pre-cocking mode.
3. Memory function; settings will not change after
the battery is changed.
4. Power-cut activated when there is no BB in
the chamber or empty magazine (this needs a
Proprietary GK12 magazine, more on this later)
5. Warning light and sounds to indicate:
• Low battery power: one warning sound and
“THE GK-12 IS BUILT LIKE A TANK, AND WEIGHS IN AT A HEFTY 3565G, SO JUST A
LITTLE LIGHTER THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS; IF LIKE ME YOU’RE USED TO A “CLASSIC
AK” THEN THIS WEIGHT FEELS “RIGHT”, AND THIS IS A BRUISER OF A RIFLE WITH
STEEL AND ALLOY CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT.”
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ARMOURY
G&G GK-12
flash per 1.5 seconds.
• Malfunction (motor or gear jammed, low
battery power, piston jammed): continuous
warning sound and flash for 3 seconds when
trigger pulled.
• Sector gear misposition: warning sound and
light flashes twice when trigger pulled.
Programming is simple too as you first switch to
semi-auto, hold the trigger down for FIVE seconds
(please note for safety that this will fire one shot), and
when you hear a BEEP three times you release the
trigger to enter the program mode.
After you are in program mode:
Default Setting
Hold trigger down for THREE seconds, continue
to the BEEP and release the trigger to complete the
program.
Pre-cocking
Pull trigger TWICE and hold the trigger on the
second pull for THREE seconds, continue to the BEEP
release the trigger to complete the program.
3-Round Burst
Pull trigger THREE times and hold the trigger on
the third pull for THREE seconds, continue to the BEEP
release the trigger to complete the program; full-auto
has been programmed to 3-round burst mode.
5-Round Burst
Pull trigger FIVE times and hold the trigger on the
fifth pull for THREE seconds, continue to the BEEP
release the trigger to complete the program; full-auto
has been programmed to 5-round burst mode.
MAG FRIENDLY!
So, inside and outside the GK-12 is exactly what I’d
hoped to see, but there’s still one area that I’d like to
address, and that’s the “proprietary magazine” thing!
Like many of you I already own quite a sizeable
collection of AK AEGs and their magazines from
different eras, and although I wouldn’t use the AKM/S
“steelies” in an AK-12, my AK-74 mags might be
useful as you only get a single G-08-196 120 BB
midcap in the box. These will be available to add to
your loadout if you want to stick with G&G, and they
are a cracking replication of the real AK-12 magazine,
but this is indeed a proprietary mag and works with
the power-cut system to deactivate the AEG when the
magazine empties and simulates bolt-lockback, and
it’s true that with other magazines this function does
not work.
However, when I brought this up with Rick
(remember, he likes to give ALL the information!) he
told me that other G&G RK(AK)-series magazines
would work in the GK-12, although the power-cut
www.airsoftaction.net 37

ARMOURY
G&G GK-12
function would be lost. So confident was he in this
that he kindly arranged for a sample of EVERY SINGLE
G&G AK MAGAZINE including the fabulous 2200R
drum to be made available to me for testing… and
yes, EVERY RK mag fits and feeds perfectly in the
GK-12! This is great news if you already have another
G&G AK (RK) in your armoury.
However, with this in mind I got to thinking about
my somewhat sizeable collection of “74” mags, so I
tried examples from many other manufacturers and
blow me if THEY didn’t all WORK with the GK-12
too, apart from one CYMA “waffle”, and frankly that
doesn’t work with anything other than the AEG it
came with bizarrely! Bolstered by the success with the
“74” mags, as I already have a bunch of AK-12 mags
from different manufacturers I duly tried all of these
too… and yup, they worked in the GK-12 just fine,
especially the D-DAY DMAG 30/130RDS variable caps!
So, bottom line is this, if you have an AK already,
and you have mags that work with that, if you fancy a
G&G GK-12 then take some mags with you when you
“try before you buy”; I’m certain that you’ll get the
same result as I did, although you will lose the powercut
feature. Quite frankly, if that’s what’s stopping you
from buying a GK-12 then you’re missing a trick!
So, to the proof of things! Fully up to spec inside
and out, with ALL mags tested and feeding, and
with everything pre-programmed to safe/3 round/
semi, the GK-12 chrono’d in at a mean of 1.36
Joule/384fps using .20g RZR BBs. A quick “in the
field” spring change (easy!) brought this down to a
more friendly 1.06 Joule/339fps. Now properly set it
was time to pop up the steels and see what the GK-
12 was capable of. After correctly setting the sturdy
and steady rotary hop wheel, on semi-auto using
RZR .28BBs and using just the iron sights, the rifle
performed really well out to 30m; flicking the safety
lever to its full-auto mid-point I was soon knocking
over those plates on pre-set three-round bursts.
Back on semi and shooting prone I was still getting a
170mm group consistently, and that was with the hop
still bedding! I reset again to full-auto and had at it
with that big old drum, dumping continuous strings
of BBs like it was going out of fashion, and for once
I was in total agreement with Jimmy… WAY TOO
MUCH GIGGLE FACTOR… and the GK-
12 handled this without a beat!
Whatever your thoughts and feelings
may be at the moment in relation to
the AK-12 as a real-world firearm, the
G&G “take” ticks all the right boxes!
As an AEG it shoots fast, well, and
accurately; it’s solid as a rock, and
it’s a great length for both CQB and
woodland use. Now that I’ve answered
my own question about magazine
compatibility (thank you G&G!) you’ve
got enough capacity available to you
to get in a game straight away, and
ultimately that’s what counts with any
good AEG isn’t it?
Some things take time to get right,
and in the case of the G&G GK-12 it
has obviously been time thoroughly
well spent.
This particular
“AK” has genuinely been
worth waiting for! AA
“BOLSTERED BY THE SUCCESS WITH THE “74” MAGS, AS I ALREADY HAVE A BUNCH
OF AK-12 MAGS FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS I DULY TRIED ALL OF THESE
TOO… AND YUP, THEY WORKED IN THE GK-12 JUST FINE, ESPECIALLY THE D-DAY
DMAG 30/130RDS VARIABLE CAPS!”
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KIT & GEAR
RAGNAR RAIDS
BUILT FOR
RAIDERS!
ALTHOUGH WE TEND TO SPECIALISE MORE HEAVILY IN THE “HARDWEAR SIDE” OF AIRSOFT, THE TEAM AT
AIRSOFT ACTION ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR COOL, FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING AND GEAR THAT WILL
STAND THE TEST OF REGULAR SKIRMISHING AND LONGER-DURATION AIRSOFT ADVENTURES! RECENTLY WE
GOT OUR HANDS ON SOME SUPERB NEW GEAR FROM RAGNAR RAIDS AND WILL BE TORTURE TESTING THIS
IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. BILL SETS THE SCENE WITH AN OVERVIEW…
It’s always a REAL pleasure to see new gear coming
available in our home market in the UK, and last
month I had the opportunity to check out some of
the latest clothing models from RAGNAR RAIDS when
I visited iWholesales to pick up some more new RIFs
for the test pool. iWholesales, one of the largest UK
distributors of AEGs, GBBs, accessories and gear have
got wholly behind this range of clothing and gear,
so by the time UK readers see this overview the gear
should be appearing in your local store, and trust me,
you’re going to want to check it out!
Although RAGNAR RAIDS may be a new brand
for some, it has actually been around for a while
already. Since the creation of the HART brand, the
guys ultimately behind RAGNAR RAIDS, in 1990 (part
of a company which was actually founded in 1948!)
the team there have been working with cutting edge
textile technology and design specifically for hunters
and outdoor users, listening to their needs and
progressing with them. Based in Spain, HART gear
is now well known and well respected as a hunting
and outdoor brand throughout Europe and they’ve
now consolidated and expanded their team and their
horizons to cater fully for new markets, including the
one that we’re all interested in… tactical!
During this time their “outdoor spirit” has led
to them also meeting the requirements of highly
specialized police and military units, which were
looking for very specific developments to perform
their activities. Initially, since it was not intended for
the general public the specialist “professional user
gear” was made to order, and its very existence went
largely unnoticed… apart from “those that knew”.
That all changed in 2019 when RAGNAR RAIDS
was born as the conclusion to a journey that began
over 30 years ago. Uniting the experience of their
explorer spirit and fighting soul that have influenced
every decision and every garment, in 2021 RAGNAR
RAIDS was introduced to the world, and in their own
words “this time we didn’t come to explore, we came
to stay!”
You may wonder of course, as we’re part way
through 2022 already, why it has taken so long for
RAGNAR RAIDS to really get rolling, and my answer
to this would be pandemic-related, and subsequently
the problems that everyone, and not just in the
tactical gear industry, has faced with shipping and
distribution. Thankfully, most professional distributors
like iWholesales have now got a handle on the latter
and gear is beginning to flow more freely again! In
relation to the RAGNAR gear I can tell you now that
I’m very pleased that this is the case!
“INITIALLY, SINCE IT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC THE SPECIALIST
“PROFESSIONAL USER GEAR” WAS MADE TO ORDER, AND ITS VERY EXISTENCE WENT
LARGELY UNNOTICED… APART FROM “THOSE THAT KNEW”.”
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JULY 2022

KIT & GEAR
RAGNAR RAIDS
JOIN THE RAID!
Okay, there’s no disguising the obvious “Viking”
connection when it comes to this new gear, and
personally I think it’s a cool direction! As the RAGNAR
website explains they’ve taken inspiration from the
story of Ragnar Lodbrok who was a legendary Viking
hero, as well as Danish and Swedish king! He is
known from Old Norse poetry of the Viking Age and
Icelandic sagas, and distinguished
himself by conducting many raids
against the British Isles and the
Holy Roman Empire during the 9th
century. As the web-spiel puts it...
“Ragnar Lodbrok, the most
distinguished warrior of the
norsemen, half way between
legend and history. A man
whose exploits in his raids
have been passed down from
generation to generation
all the way to this day. His
persona and his unrivalled
legend has inspired our
ambition to offer you our
commitment, in the
shape of equipment
and clothing that
meets the highest
specifications
and quality.
May his legend
accompany you
throughout your life.”
It is undoubtedly a cool starting
point for any range of gear, but
there’s a couple of things I’ll pick
out of that marketing statement.
“Raids”; yes this gear is all about fast,
dynamic movement that you’ll need as
a “raider”, and the fabric technologies
chosen and designs of the individual
items are very perfectly in line with
the intended use. “Accompany you
throughout your life” is another
interesting phrase as it suggests
gear of a hard-wearing and durable
nature, and again from what I’ve seen thus far the
fabric chosen, components, and quality of finishing
would indicate that everything has durability as a
cornerstone.
STREET AND SCOUT
It’s interesting too to see how RAGNAR have distilled
their initial offering down into two main categories,
STREET and SCOUT. Okay, there’s also VALHALLA, but
that’s a separate thing that I’ll comment on before I
finish.
“STREET” is very much RAGNAR’s take on
the “EDC” area, with a range of clothing
that would be equally at home for
everyday wear as it is on the range
or at the gym. There’s a superb
mix of clothing starting with
TYR ballcaps, the THOR AOR1
tactical jeans (the AOR1 is on
some cool design accents)
that feature a superb fourway
stretch denim, through
technical T’s like the
VANIR, LOKI and FENRIR
polos, to a low-key,
fully-featured pant
in the shape of the
SKOLL. There’s
also a wicked yet
tight collection of
logo T’s and some
awesome morale
patches, and a
very nice hooded
jacket, the EINAR!
In the
“SCOUT”
category you
get more into
the “tacticool”
side of things,
and all the
designs are
indeed both
tactical
with a
healthy
dose of
““ACCOMPANY YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE” IS ANOTHER INTERESTING PHRASE AS IT
SUGGESTS GEAR OF A HARD-WEARING AND DURABLE NATURE, AND AGAIN FROM WHAT I’VE
SEEN THUS FAR THE FABRIC CHOSEN, COMPONENTS, AND QUALITY OF FINISHING WOULD
INDICATE THAT EVERYTHING HAS DURABILITY AS A CORNERSTONE.”
www.airsoftaction.net 41

KIT & GEAR
RAGNAR RAIDS
cool! The technical T’s cross over onto the SCOUT
range, but here you’ll find some excellent full-spec
tactical pants in the form of the RAGNAROK, a
couple of tactical glove models (VALKYRIE Mk1 and
2… the Mk1s are FABULOUS for anyone like me
that likes a snug, lo-pro shooter glove!), and a bit
of a “flagship” garment in the RAGNAROK hooded
Combat Shirt, one model of which also features
AOR1… well, SEALs and Vikings, do I need to say
more!
Now I did mention VALHALLA earlier, and this
I have to admit I have not yet had “hands on”;
VALHALLA is where RAGNAR get into the “hard
gear” side of things, and equates to their plate
carrier and load bearing system. As they put it, again
in their own words:
“Because there are no standard missions, you
cannot use standard set ups. Valhalla System
was created to respond to this need for a real
configuration of combat equipment for each
operator according to their needs. Because all
warriors are different, all configurations should be
different too. We adapt to you and not the other
way around.”
This does look righteous, and if you visit this
product area on www.ragnar-raids.com you’ll find
some excellent video of the gear in action; in fact the
website is chock-full of videos for just about every
item! We’ve been promised a VALHALLA system
to check out as soon as one arrives “in country”
so we’ll be able to tell you more on this later when
we’ve used it.
I had my hands on every model in the range when
I visited iWholesales and to be honest, even after
minute inspection I could find nothing negative
about anything in terms of design, fabrics and
components, and the quality of finishing; all were
absolutely first rate! But of course the proof of that
long-term durability will only come after thorough
testing; as I said, I already LOVE the Mk1 gloves,
and I’ve been wearing a Coyote LOKI T on and off
ever since (in fact you’ll see them being worn in the
main image of my FLEX review!) the guys very kindly
gave me them to test, and thus far both items have
performed in an exemplary fashion, and are very,
VERY comfortable, but of course this is only my initial
appraisal.
Thanks to iWholesales we actually have a selection
of the gear to put through its paces in the coming
months, and both Jimmy and Jase will be getting
involved in the testing process, so expect to see
RAGNAR RAIDS gear revisited later in the year. All
the clothing is already in stock now, and as I said
earlier UK players should see this starting to appear
in their favourite stores soon, if it’s not already there!
The brand is already available throughout Europe,
and even further afield too if you fancy a bit of
“norse” in your life!
To conclude for now I’ll once again give the last
words to RAGNAR RAIDS themselves, and they are
certainly words that resonate strongly in me, as I am
sure they will in you...
“The concept of a special unit is very old and its
commitment in each community was forged under
a single symbol. A brand must convey the values in
which it believes, we do not expect you to be the
fastest, the strongest or become a Special Forces
Operator by wearing our clothes. We hope that
under our symbol you will acquire the commitment
to face your fears, to fight every day for your family,
for your friends and to be better than yesterday.
“You must accept that commitment and you will
soon recognize it in others who, like you, joined the
Raid!”
My thanks to the team at www.iwholesales.co.uk
for providing samples of the latest RAGNAR RAIDS
gear for us to test long-term, and please do visit their
website and social media to get even more detail
on this range of clothing, and much, much more in
relation to high-quality airsoft kit! AA
“BECAUSE THERE ARE NO STANDARD MISSIONS, YOU CANNOT USE STANDARD SET UPS.
VALHALLA SYSTEM WAS CREATED TO RESPOND TO THIS NEED FOR A REAL CONFIGURATION
OF COMBAT EQUIPMENT FOR EACH OPERATOR ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS.”
42
JULY 2022

KIT & GEAR
RAGNAR RAIDS
AESIR EINAR FENRIR
LOKI RAGNAROK VANIR
SKOELL VALKYRIE THOR
www.airsoftaction.net 43

THE CAGE
WWII AIRSOFT
THE CAGE:
WHAT PRICE
WWII AIRSOFT?
GETTING INTO OUR MAIN THEME FOR THIS MONTH, THAT OF WWII AIRSOFT, THE LEGION BROKE
FROM THEIR CURRENT PATTERN TO LOOK AT “HISTORICALLY THEMED” GAMES AND WHAT CAN BE
BIG DECIDERS FOR THOSE TAKING PART; AS USUAL BILL LEADS OFF…
Airsoft is usually an incredibly inclusive thing,
and you can turn up to your average weekend
skirmish in jeans, a sweatshirt, some good
boots and eyepro and nobody is going to comment
on that. Okay, things change a little when you get
into Battlesim and especially MilSim where teams are
usually differentiated in part by their loadouts, but it’s
games with an historic theme where things really do
change pace!
As anyone who knows me will understand, I’ve
been involved with airsoft for many, many years and
over that time I’ve had the luxury of dabbling in many
different genres and building loadouts for them all!
My main passion, and one that has been with me
even before I started playing airsoft, is the Vietnam
war, and my collection of period and repro gear has
grown surely but steadily over the years; these days
I can throw together a decent loadout from “Early
War Adviser” to “Late War LRRP” and everything
pretty much between, and I even had loadouts for
both “VC” and PAVN… with all the AEGs and GBBs
required too for both sides!
Through speaking to friends interested in, and
veterans of, the Vietnam War I also got involved
in a WWII USMC group combining both airsofters
and living history enthusiasts, and slowly but surely I
accumulated the right gear for “The Pacific”. This is
really my only major dabble into WWII loadouts apart
from the “US Airborne” one that every airsofter I
know seems to go through at some point; British and
German WWII loadouts, as I’ve said before are just a
little too close to home for me as my Father fought in
that awful war…
So, I’ve had time to bring my “impressions”
together, although I totally understand why some
players have no interest in the historical side; it may
be, like me that they have a personal connection,
good or bad, to one particular conflict, or no interest
“PUTTING IT BLUNTLY ANY AIRSOFTER I KNOW QUITE HAPPILY DUMPS HUNDREDS
OF BUCKEROOS INTO THEIR RIFS AND GEAR, AND IN MOST CASES IF WE’RE HONEST
THAT RISES TO THOUSANDS! SOME FOLK WILL HAPPILY DROP FOUR FIGURES
ON UPGRADING THEIR “UBER-RIF”, BUT STILL WON’T TRY HISTORICAL AIRSOFT
“BECAUSE IT’S EXPENSIVE”!”
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JULY 2022

THE CAGE
WWII AIRSOFT
at all in anything other than skirmishing with their mates, but more
often than not it appears to come down to funds, and that, frankly
I’m not so understanding of.
Putting it bluntly any airsofter I know quite happily dumps
hundreds of buckeroos into their RIFs and gear, and in most cases
if we’re honest that rises to thousands! Some folk will happily
drop four figures on upgrading their “uber-RIF”, but still won’t try
historical airsoft “because it’s expensive”!
In perspective you can pick up a good “uniform and equipment
package” from the likes of our old mates at Soldier of Fortune
(www.sofmilitary.co.uk) here in the UK for little more than
the price of a moderately upgraded AEG, and by their own
admission their gear is not cheap (although their range is
comprehensive to say the least!)! In the context of our
“D Day” theme this month, UK£421.93 will get you a
“British D-Day Normandy Assault Uniform Set”, and UK
£598.88 will get you a pretty darn nifty “British Army
No3 Commando Normandy 1944”… just add a Sten,
Thompson or SMLE and you’re good to go! On the
same token, if you prefer an AXIS loadout then UK
£391.39 gets you a “German Heer WW2 M36
Army Uniform Set” minus boots, and c’mon, who
doesn’t LOVE and WANT an MP40 and a
Luger?
Bottom line I guess is that you
have to WANT to put together an
historical loadout, as it is an investment,
although some game organisers like our mate
Josh at Gunman Airsoft (www.gunmanairsoft.co.uk) will
happily get you started. Gunman Airsoft has four sites across
the UK providing all manner of airsoft games from the fast
paced, action-heavy skirmishes to the slower, more in depth
story-based filmsim and milsim games, along with numerous
historical scenarios; these games can vary from one day events
to full weekends (and more!) and offer some real immersion
that you don’t get from single-day games.
Josh and his team are dedicated to providing high-quality,
mission-based airsoft games around a simple ideal, to provide
the experience of airsoft in a friendly atmosphere with honour,
sportsmanship and fair-play at the heart of everything they
do. In order to encourage players to try more historically-based
games (including “Wild West” airsoft!), Josh and Gunman also
offer free loan of WWII, Nam, and Cold War period uniforms
and equipment so that so you quite literally “try before
you buy”, and they even have period-correct RIFs for hire at
reasonable prices too!
Like me though, Josh is a believer that although you should
make every effort to fit into the theme of the game, it’s 100%
the taking part that matters rather than having the gear to
“stitch bitch” standard; although some re-enactors may
also be airsofters, not all airsofters want to “re-enact”,
and that’s fine, there’s room for all, and that’s why many
www.airsoftaction.net 45

THE CAGE
WWII AIRSOFT
of us love airsoft in the first place!
Cultural and social “drivers” like movies, TV shows and video
games continue to create interest in historical themes, so why
not take those self-same adventures of yours from screen to
(airsoft) reality?
TEAM TALK
So, with all this in mind I asked the members of the AA Legion
the following question; “Have you ever played an
historically-themed game? WWII, Nam, or Cold War? If
you have please tell me about it, and if not, is there
something that puts you off this type of game?”
Stewbacca: We played ‘Nam themed airsoft for
a good few months around when I first started
out - maybe
a year or two
into
my skirmishing
activities, while I
was still a poor student.
It was good in terms of
having a team and larger groups
in themed equipment and MilSim style
games with communications, air strike abilities
provided by marshals with pyro and even whole
firebases wired up with claymore mine pyros for
added effects.
The down side was the sheer cost of even repro
M56 gear, plus the weight of it compared to modern
equipment, coupled with a (then newly released) Marui
M14 scoped up as an M21 and a Marui M1911 in a
leather shoulder holster, I certainly looked the part but
the cost and weight nearly crippled me financially and
physically and I almost quit airsoft back then because
I’d be knackered from running up and down hills trying
to just get to an objective then immediately get taken
out. Not my most enjoyable time of things by far…
Jonathan: I’ve planned, written & run WW2, NAM,
80s,90s themed games, and correct loadout and
platforms are very important but there needs to be a
little leeway! If guys make a good effort at the required
loadout it’s normally allowed. Storyline is very important
as everyone likes to get into the role, and rules need to
be adjusted to suit the time period!
Dan: Years ago there was a little more emphasis on
some historically themed events. We had exactly two
Vietnam themed events that I can recall attending. At
best, they had maybe 14 players show up, with only a
handful out of that lot who put an effort into making an
impression. After the lacklustre showing for Nam games,
the emphasis moved to covering the Cold War and more
modern themes, which seemed to have more appeal
and a larger audience. These were MILSIM events
covering things such as the perennially popular
OP: Gothic Serpent, and relatively lesser known
46
JULY 2022

THE CAGE
WWII AIRSOFT
events such as Team Spirit, Urgent Fury and the like.
Still, for but a small handful of events, most of
these were very loose in their requirements and didn’t
really emphasise impressionism so much as “please
don’t show up in blue jeans and a sweatshirt.” It
became somewhat established that the player base
wasn’t really invested in creating impressions and
most wanted to do their own thing. This really did
boil down to generational differences too. GWOT
was looming large then, MultiCam hit like a tsunami,
COD: Modern Warfare and its sequels dropped, and
all the kids wanted to dress up like hard charging SF
guys. So inexorably, events started looking like the
largest gathering of (albeit badly executed) Special
Forces you’ve ever seen arranged around mostly
fictional themes. For field owners, this was simply
a matter of adaptation, survival and keeping the
audience flowing in. For the diehard event promoters
who were invested in historical themes, they weren’t
able to adapt and many just quit out rather than try
and change with the times.
From what I have seen, the big barrier to entry for
historically themed events is the cost barrier. Some
themes are naturally more expensive to pull off
impressions for than others. When things were seesawing
back and forth between Namsoft, to WWII
to some Cold War scenario to the Wild West, people
also just ran out of money and steam. The other
side of the coin is we’ve also noticed the youngest
generations simply don’t seem to have the patience
to invest themselves in researching period correct
impressions. Generation TikTok with their “attention
span of a Goldfish” is literally real (and terrifying)...
For myself, once it became clear historically themed
events were dying, I stopped investing in it and
put that time and effort into creating kit that was
comfortable and durable. I do miss the immersive
quality of a historical themed event when it’s pulled
off well, but on the other hand, there’s a certain
freedom that can’t be ignored when you have the
leeway to create something uniquely “you.”
Jimmy: I’m yet to bridge that gap from skirmish to
themed airsoft. That said I do have an interest in the
Cold War era mainly due to the fact my father served
in the Royal Green Jackets through the 70’s and 80’s. I
feel I would quite enjoy Cold War themed airsoft and
it’s on my ever growing airsoft bucket list!
Hana: I was (at a themed event) on a mission to
stop a missile launch but it wasn’t WWII! But themed
games are always more contextual and immersive,
where we can actually act out our “heroism” without
actually getting hurt. It’s great to work with a team
to complete a task; taking care of each other and
supporting each other makes us really become
comrades in arms. Themed games help us forget the
little annoyances in life and focus on what’s most
important; it’s one of life’s fun little fireworks!
My sincere thanks go to Paul and the guys at www.
sofmilitary.co.uk for letting me use the awesome gear
images in support of THE CAGE this month; if you’re
looking for an historical loadout then do pay them a
visit! AA
“THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IS WE’VE ALSO NOTICED THE YOUNGEST
GENERATIONS SIMPLY DON’T SEEM TO HAVE THE PATIENCE TO INVEST THEMSELVES
IN RESEARCHING PERIOD CORRECT IMPRESSIONS. GENERATION TIKTOK WITH THEIR
“ATTENTION SPAN OF A GOLDFISH” IS LITERALLY REAL (AND TERRIFYING)...”
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RED CELL
NORMANDY
1944!
AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION THE MEMBERS OF RED CELL THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO
UNDERTAKE ONE OF THEIR “SPECIAL REPORTS” AGAIN AND AS WE FIND OURSELVES NOW IN JUNE
IT SEEMED APT TO LOOK BACK TO THE SAME MONTH IN 1944 AND TO THE WEAPONS, AND AIRSOFT
REPLICAS THEREOF, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED BY BOTH SIDES FACING ONE ANOTHER OVER THE
BEACHES AND COUNTRYSIDE OF NORMANDY ON D-DAY!
On the morning of 6th June 1944, the peace
of a new dawn on the beaches of Normandy
was rudely broken by an enormous naval
bombardment, and soldiers from around the world
were drawn into a bloody conflict that was fought out
in Normandy.
“Operation Overlord” began with a massive
overnight aerial bombardment which served to
distract the Germans and upset communications, and
was supported by the actions of the French Resistance
and allied clandestine special units. Landings of
paratroopers and glider-borne infantry shortly after
midnight sought to secure key objectives, and these
operations were targeted mainly at the canal crossings
and the artillery installations; their strategic purpose
was “to secure river crossings for the beach break-out
and to reduce enemy defences.”
Shortly after, in the early light of the day special
units like the Rangers made for their objectives,
often scaling cliffs like those at Pointe du Hoc to get
to their targets. The precision naval bombardment
against the coastal batteries shifted from the beaches
mere minutes before the main landings commenced;
H-Hour was 0630 over five beaches, Utah, Omaha,
Gold, Juno and Sword. British, American, Canadian,
Polish, Australian, New Zealand, French, Belgian,
Norwegian, Dutch, and other Allies who fought
alongside them and against the German defenders hit
those five key beaches and the battle for the liberation
of Europe began in earnest!
“H-HOUR WAS 0630 OVER FIVE BEACHES, UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO AND SWORD.
BRITISH, AMERICAN, CANADIAN, POLISH, AUSTRALIAN, NEW ZEALAND, FRENCH,
BELGIAN, NORWEGIAN, DUTCH, AND OTHER ALLIES WHO FOUGHT ALONGSIDE THEM
AND AGAINST THE GERMAN DEFENDERS HIT THOSE FIVE KEY BEACHES AND THE
BATTLE FOR THE LIBERATION OF EUROPE BEGAN IN EARNEST”
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I still have a very personal connection with D-Day as
my father was amongst those thousands of men that
crossed the deadly beaches and made their way inland
and back in 2019 I made somewhat of a pilgrimage
to retrace his steps on 6th June 1944, along with
members of my Dutch extended family. Although
D-Day is very clear in my mind, and will indeed never
be forgotten, some of the younger members of my
family knew very little about “Overlord”, so I tried to
make history a little more personal for them by telling
the story of my father on that fateful day, as he told it
to me before he passed away, and after some further
research.
Among all the units that landed on that first day
there was only one specific Welsh regiment that
had been detailed to take part in the invasion, the
redoubtable South Wales Borderers, the regiment to
which my father belonged. Taking information direct
from archives and unit records I discovered that, in
1944 the Borderers were part of the 50th Infantry
Division who landed on Gold Beach; the Borderers’
task on D-Day was to wait until the first waves had
gone ashore and then land near Arromanches and
push inland from the beachhead to high ground north
of Bayeaux. On their way inland the Borderers were
expected to capture a radar station as well as the guns
and bridge at Vaux-sur-Aure, and finally, they were
to link up with American troops and consolidate their
position.
A little before midday came the order to land. Sadly
two men were drowned in the landing, and the same
fate nearly befell the CO, so eager was he to get
ashore! Glad to be out of the dreaded landing craft,
the Borderers met little resistance at the beachhead
and pushed quickly forward. D Company drove the
defending Germans out of the radar station and by
nightfall on that first day the bridge at Vaux-sur-Aure
was in their hands.
To put this into perspective you can drive from
Arromanches to Vaux-sur-Aure in under 15 minutes
these days, but it took the Borderers several hours. It’s
actually such a small bridge, but having now stood
on it myself with the chateaux the Borderers liberated
from the German forces behind me, you can clearly
see the spires of Bayeux in the distance! It’s told that
a small number of men actually made their way into
Bayeux that very night to “recce”, and what a bold
move that must have been! To stand where my father
stood, and look forward to Bayeux as he must have
done was a moving moment for me, and certainly
one that I, or indeed my younger relatives who
accompanied me, will ever forget.
When I visited the then-new Overlord Museum
close to Omaha Beach, later I discovered an account
from one of the other soldiers of the Borderers which
recounted the exact same tale of the advance to Vauxsur-Aure
my father had told me before he passed
away, and I’m honoured to know that this small action
will be remembered there for ever more.
ALLIED ARMS
I hope that you’ll pardon me for telling this tale,
but I hope it does go some way to explaining why
I personally can’t get into the whole “WWII in
Europe” thing, it’s just too personal. Have I played in
WWII games, yes I have, as an “SOE Agent” in one
memorable game where I dressed I civilian clothing
“A LITTLE BEFORE MIDDAY CAME THE ORDER TO LAND. SADLY TWO MEN WERE
DROWNED IN THE LANDING, AND THE SAME FATE NEARLY BEFELL THE CO, SO EAGER
WAS HE TO GET ASHORE! GLAD TO BE OUT OF THE DREADED LANDING CRAFT, THE
BORDERERS MET LITTLE RESISTANCE AT THE BEACHHEAD AND PUSHED QUICKLY
FORWARD.”
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OTHER GBB PISTOLS
and carried out “sabotage” tasks… I have to say that
even that made me feel a little uneasy, as seeing lots
of British “squaddies” dressed as my father would
have been made me strangely sad.
So, apart from a little dabble with mates in “US
Airborne” gear for a photoshoot many years ago,
that’s my limit of WWII airsoft… but I have, like
many of the members of Red Cell owned a number
of AEGs and GBBs from that era as they are a true
part of firearms history, and to new tactics that were
developed due to the change in the way even a
humble infantry soldier could operate!
One of the many aspects of airsoft that I truly enjoy
is the fact that, whatever your interest in firearms,
you are more likely than not going to be able to find
a replica that fits into any era. From WWI to current
day there are replicas out there that cross over from
pure airsoft skirmishing to living history display with
ease. Being a re-enactor with group membership and
valid insurance gives you a defence in law to legally
own an airsoft replica in the UK, and there are many
re-enactors I know that will go down the airsoft route
rather than buy a de-activated firearm. Not only will
they end up with something that with a little effort is
perfectly suitable for display, but they will also end up
with a properly serviceable skirmish gun should they
decide to follow this route too!
Now I have to admit that I actually sit in both
camps. I do like to get out to an airsoft game with
my friends, but I also enjoy the historical aspect
immensely too. Many Site Operators take this as read
from their player base, offering specifically themed
days, and WWII airsoft has proved particularly of
interest to many.
Luckily for the allied forces there are some perfect
replicas out there and I’ll kick this off with a replica
that is a real “WWII Icon” and a must-have for
many of us, the Cybergun-licenced CYMA M1A1
Thompson sub machine gun! This is a super replica
and one that is truly not going to break the bank!
The M1A1 was the militarised version of the 1928
model that was made famous by the gangsters and
police officers during the Prohibition years in the USA.
With its distinctive drum mag and angled gangster
foregrip, the Tommy Gun ruled the streets. The CYMA
Thompson ticks a lot of historical boxes; it’s a full 1:1
scale replica constructed entirely out of metal. Out of
the box the M1A1 feels good and hefty in the hands,
the only slight drawback for me being the ‘plastic’
woodwork. Luckily there are numerous manufacturers
out there who provide real wood aftermarket kits
for the Thompson, so a quick search online and a
few extra quid spent will soon rectify this. If you do
invest in the real wood kit then the metal furniture
is simply transferred from the original plastic parts to
the aftermarket ones; the metal sling swivels are very
sturdy and the addition of a period sling really finishes
the gun off nicely.
The battery for the Thompson is stored in the
butt, and is easily accessed; I now run mine on a 7.4
mini LiPo battery that gives great
performance sending a .20g BB
downrange at a healthy 335fps.
Spring quality though has varied
in the M1 models, so do check to
make sure yours complies with site
limits. There are steel gears and
a metal gearbox, both of which
are easy to work on. The hop up
adjustment is situated openly where
the ejection port would normally be,
directly above the magazine. It’s a
wheel type which is easily adjusted
and stays firmly set once adjusted.
The magazine itself as standard is a
380 round HiCap, but both 20 and
“ONE OF THE MANY ASPECTS OF AIRSOFT THAT I TRULY ENJOY IS THE FACT THAT,
WHATEVER YOUR INTEREST IN FIREARMS, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT GOING
TO BE ABLE TO FIND A REPLICA THAT FITS INTO ANY ERA. FROM WWI TO CURRENT
DAY THERE ARE REPLICAS OUT THERE THAT CROSS OVER FROM PURE AIRSOFT
SKIRMISHING TO LIVING HISTORY DISPLAY WITH EASE.”
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30 round MidCap magazines can be purchased as
accessories; much as some of you might wish for the
drum mag, this too was something mothballed with
the demise of the M1928A1 model, although you
can find them if you search hard enough! Whether,
like me, you collect certain replicas because of their
historical significance or are a player that just wants
something different, I would certainly give the CYMA
Thompson your consideration.
Of course “historic airsoft” is one area where
GBBRs can work very well, and handing over to
Stewbacca for a moment he told me:
“I first got hands on a WETech M1A1 Thompson
as soon as I arrived in Taiwan and saw the large WE
booth at the inaugural MOA 2017 show - they had
the Tommy Gun on offer at their range and I couldn’t
say no to dumping a magazine in semi and bursts of
full auto. I was immediately impressed.
“Fast forward a few years and my teammate Kev
here in Taipei acquired one and turned up to one
of our shoots sporting it; he has a habit of fielding
oddball guns just to see if they can be skirmished. He
played with it on a few occasions and it ran flawlessly
until the main recoil spring got tangled up somewhat,
but thankfully parts availability is high over here at
source so he was able to repair it easily
enough. He recently went to Canada with
his wife from there so left some of his guns
among our team to look after and evaluate
in his absence, and I jumped at the chance to
dibs the M1A1.
“I recently fielded it for the whole of a
morning session in Taoyuan and had a whale
of a time playing with it, even managing to
get a confirmed elimination with it on my
second round! The hop unit is easy to adjust
with the dial drum ring being permanently
exposed, and I soon dialled it in to make
use of my somewhat standard 0.30g BLS
ammunition. The range and consistency
were surprisingly good even for a GBB,
especially an open bolt operating one, and a
few of the guys tried it out while I had it on
site and commented on the fun factor and
the somewhat counterintuitive recoil impulse
of the bolt flying forwards on fire then
returning rearward and being held back on the sear.
“Really the only major drawbacks are the archaic
controls which are a bit cumbersome, given the two
separate somewhat industrial looking twist dials with
long stalks that require breaking the firing grip to
take it off safe or switch between semi and full auto.
The magazine release as well is somewhat unwieldy,
although my hands are large enough for my thumb to
reach back and press up the rearmost portion of the
long swinging arm while I ‘beer can’ the magazine
and remove it. Fitting a new one is also a bit of a pain
in the rear as there basically isn’t a magazine well as
such, but a rear dovetail rail that the corresponding
spine on the magazines fit into.
“If you can see past the handling issues, which
are as such a reflection on the original real gun and
WE’s faithful replication of it, and if you’re looking
specifically for a WW2 primary gun, you really could
do worse than pick up one of these; it’s excellently
built, sturdy, and heaps of fun to use, I was carrying 4
magazines, which easily carry 50rnds each and I found
was plenty for the games we were playing.”
Sticking with “gassers” I’ll move on to one of my
own favourite WWII models, and that’s the King Arms
M1 Carbine. I’ve owned a Marushin M1 for some
“HE PLAYED WITH IT ON A FEW OCCASIONS AND IT RAN FLAWLESSLY UNTIL THE MAIN
RECOIL SPRING GOT TANGLED UP SOMEWHAT, BUT THANKFULLY PARTS AVAILABILITY
IS HIGH OVER HERE AT SOURCE SO HE WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT EASILY ENOUGH. HE
RECENTLY WENT TO CANADA SO LEFT SOME OF HIS GUNS AMONG OUR TEAM TO
LOOK AFTER ...AND I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE TO DIBS THE M1A1.”
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OTHER GBB PISTOLS
AGM MP40 AEG
Price: iro UK£150.00
Weight: 2850g
Length: 635m/833mm
Magazine Capacity: 55 BBs (Hi Cap available)
Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps
Hot Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
AGM STEN AEG
Price: iro UK£185.00
Weight: 2650g
Length: 770mm
Magazine Capacity: 55 BBs (Hi Cap available)
Cold Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
CYMA THOMPSON (033) AEG
Price: iro UK£105.00
Weight: 3010g
Length: 813mm
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs (Mid Cap available)
Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps
Available From: www.taiwangun.com
KING ARMS M1 CARBINE (STANDARD
VERSION) C02
Price: iro UK£390.00
Weight: 2450g
Length: 920mm
Magazine Capacity: 15 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.63 Joule/420fps
Hot Chrono: 1.59 Joule/415fps
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
G&G KAR98 (C02)
Price: iro UK£420.00
Weight: 3600g
Length: 1100mm
Magazine Capacity: 9 BBs!
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Hot Chrono: 0.99 Joule/328fps
Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
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REDWOLF LEE ENFIELD SPRING
Price: iro £UK 550.00
Weight: 3150g
Length: 1100mm
Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps
Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps
Supplied By: www.redwolfairsoft.com
ICS GARAND AEG
Price: iro UK£430.00
Weight: 3600g
Length: 1102mm
Magazine Capacity: 42 BBs (2 x Supplied)
Cold Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps
Hot Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
G&G SPRINGFIELD A3 CO2
Price: iro £UK 450.00
Weight: 3500g
Length: 1115mm
Magazine Capacity: 9 BBs!
Cold Chrono: 1.33 Joule/380fps
Hot Chrono: 1.27 Joule/370fps
Supplied By: www.guay2.com
ICS M3 “GREASE GUN” AEG
Price: iro UK£220.00
Weight: 2300g
Length: 570mm/780mm
Magazine Capacity: 430 BB
Cold Chrono: 0.89 Joule/311fps
Hot Chrono: 0.89 Joule/310fps
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
AGM MP44 AEG
Price: iro £UK290.00
Weight: 4300g
Length: 940mm
Magazine Capacity:
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
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OTHER GBB PISTOLS
considerable time, but being the MAXI version it’s
8mm and not easily used as a skirmish, or indeed even
Battlesim rifle! The M1 was approved on October 22,
1941 as the “United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1”,
and entered service with a standard straight 15-round
box magazine. The introduction of the select-fire M2
carbine in October 1944 also brought into service the
curved 30-round magazine or “Banana Clip”.
A total of over 6.1 million M1 carbines of various
models were manufactured, making it the most
produced small arm for the American military during
World War II (compared with about 5.4 million M1
rifles and about 1.3 million Thompson submachine
guns). Despite being designed by Winchester,
the great majority of these were made by other
companies, even the Rock-Ola Jukebox Company! The
M1 carbine was, and indeed still is a lightweight, easy
to use semi-automatic carbine that was a standard
firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, and
way beyond!
Is this model from King Arms finally a skirmishable
replica? In general terms I’d still very sadly have to say
no, as the realistic 15BB CO2 magazines and semiauto
only action will put you at great disadvantage in
your usual “Sunday Skirmish” where your opponents
are probably running full auto RIFs with HiCap
magazines! Let’s stop there for a moment though,
and pause for thought. Other than a regular skirmish
many sites are now proposing limited ammo, semi
auto only, and “gas and spring” days; along with
these, themed historical games usually have strict
limited ammo requirements, and you’ll still see players
with bolt-action Lee Enfields, Springfields and Kar98s;
in this type of environment the M1 can come into its
element!
The King Arms M1 really is a lovely bit of kit,
with full metal and sumptuous wood construction
throughout. It has semi-auto fire mode only, but the
gas blowback system driven by a C02 bulb in the
15BB magazine is a thing of pure beauty, clacking
back and forth with each and every shot fired. The
version I have is the M1A1 “Para” version with the
skeleton metal folding stock, and in either open
or closed position this is solid as a rock; detailing is
superb, even down to the “leather” padded cheek
piece, front and rear metal sling points, and fully
adjustable iron sights. When it comes to range and
accuracy the M1 is really up there with other gassers
that I own, easily sending a .30g BB out to the extent
of my 30m testing range, hitting a sandbag target
time and again whilst in the prone position!
And there’s more on the gas front, as G&G
Armament have the iconic M1903 Springfield!
“A TOTAL OF OVER 6.1 MILLION M1 CARBINES OF VARIOUS MODELS WERE
MANUFACTURED, MAKING IT THE MOST PRODUCED SMALL ARM FOR THE AMERICAN
MILITARY DURING WORLD WAR II (COMPARED WITH ABOUT 5.4 MILLION M1 RIFLES
AND ABOUT 1.3 MILLION THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUNS).”
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Now I’m one of those individuals who never enter
competitions; simple reason why? I NEVER win
anything. At IWA 2013 G&G Armament gave us the
first look at their new, gas-driven M1903 Springfield
bolt action rifles and everyone present had a good
drool over what looked to be a stunningly attractive
replica. Two models were on display, a version with
chromed parts as used by the Rifle Display “Spinning”
Teams in the USA, and a more mundane yet still
beautifully achieved “field version”. Although
only shown then in “sample form” G&Gput on a
“giveaway” of numerous of their new models. At the
last moment I was persuaded by my old mate and
former ASG-er Ben to place my card in the draw, and
beggar me if I didn’t a Springfield on the last draw of
the day!
The finish is absolutely superlative. All metal parts
(and just about everything apart from the stock
is metal!) are finished in a nice dull grey, and the
real wood stock is finished probably more perfectly
than the real thing ever was! After a few trials and
tribulations, overall I have been extremely impressed
with my Springfield; for the dedicated WWII airsoft
player this is most definitely a rifle that will find a
space in any collection, and in a themed skirmish it’s
going to work very well indeed. I can see that this
replica may also be of great interest to anyone who
is a WWII USMC re-enactor, as it really does look that
good. At your local airsoft “Sunday Skirmish” you’re
probably only going to use this is “sniper mode”
due to the low magazine capacity, but it’s certainly a
model that would work well in that role. Suffice to
say it’s a bolt action model I have grown to love for all
year round use!
manufacture the rifle; now fully on a “war footing”
Both Springfield and Winchester operated around the
clock, producing more than 4,000,000 M1 rifles by
the end of the war in 1945! The United States was
the only country to equip its troops with an autoloading
rifle as the standard infantry weapon of WWII,
and it gave American troops a tremendous advantage
in firepower, leading General George Patton to call
the M1 Garand, “the greatest battle implement ever
devised”.
Now while you don’t get the “ping” with the ICS
airsoft replica of the M1 Garand, I’m going to tell
you that this is one of the few things that isn’t there,
as this is a truly stunning replica! I’m lucky that I get
to shoot over a hundred or so airsoft replicas on the
range each and every year, and that’s before I count
the models I get to try at demo days and shows, and
to my mind the ICS Garand is a standout model, as
it’s truly a visual work of art. The linseed-finished
woodwork is absolutely lovely, feeling almost “sticky”
as new; this rifle looks just like it’s come direct from
the Springfield Armory!
Overall the ICS M1 Garand is a truly lovely replica,
and I can really see it acting as your main AEG if you
want something for a living history impression that
will double-date at your local Sunday Skirmish! For the
quality of materials, construction and performance I
do not view this as an expensive replica that comes
with a pair of unique 42BB mags included, and you
are getting a slice of firearms history and a great deal
for your money!
To round out the “Allied Armoury” of course I have
to mention the “Grease Gun”, and again I’m going
to plump for ICS! The M3 was intended as a cheap,
ELECTRIC DREAMS!
Back to electrics now, and onto another
“icon”, the Garand, and my personal choice
here is the ICS version although of course
there are others out there now like to G&G
and the A&K! Mass production of the M1
Garand began at Springfield Armory in 1937,
and the first rifles were delivered to the
Army in 1938, and in 1940, a second line
was opened by the Winchester Repeating
Arms Company who were contracted to
“THE UNITED STATES WAS THE ONLY COUNTRY TO EQUIP ITS TROOPS WITH AN
AUTO-LOADING RIFLE AS THE STANDARD INFANTRY WEAPON OF WWII, AND IT GAVE
AMERICAN TROOPS A TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE IN FIREPOWER, LEADING GENERAL
GEORGE PATTON TO CALL THE M1 GARAND, “THE GREATEST BATTLE IMPLEMENT EVER
DEVISED.””
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easily mass-produced replacement for the Thompson
(much like the STEN, more of that later!), and began
to enter front line service in 1944. Disparagingly
referred to as the “Grease Gun” or simply “the
Greaser,” owing to its visual similarity to the workshop
tool, it was actually a solid design and worked well,
which led to its continued service.
The M3 was designed by ICS from scratch with
careful attention to detail and quality, although it’s
full auto only (as is the real thing), so it’s the ideal
tool for sweeping and clearing, although where sites
enforce a “no full auto” in buildings you may need to
resort to your trusty 1911 when things get close! The
ICS M3 offers great range, and despite the short it’s
more than a match for most guns in the woods and
definitely good for CQB where full-auto is allowed.
Although for me the wood and metal mix of the
Thompson still touches a place in my heart when it
comes to WWII vintage airsoft replicas The Grease
Gun may not be the prettiest AEG on the field but as
Major Reisman says in “The Dirty Dozen”, “I never
went in for embroidery, just results”!
Now I’m not going to spend a lot of time here on
the Kar98 or the SMLE as I’ve already done that in my
main look at the two latest models from ARES in this
issue, but I will say that there has never been a better
time to look at these venerable bolt action models
than now! For sure the new ARES springers are thing
of beauty, but in terms of the Lee Enfield you now
actually have a choice between Redwolf and S&T,
and G&G are STILL teasing us with their entry to this
particular market!
Likewise with the Kar98; the ARES is undoubtedly
lovely, and as a spinger is simplicity itself to work
on, but there’s other choices out there already! I
personally love the G&G C02 model as it operates
much like their Springfield, but if you fancy something
a bit different The D Boys/Double Bell shell ejector may
be the thing! Once again though I’d have to direct
you to S&T for this rifle, as with a bit of fettling you
can have a super K98 for under the UK£300 mark!
CROSSING OVER
Why did I call this sub-section “crossing over”? Well,
it’s because of two of the most user-and-budgetfriendly
WWII AEGs that share a commonality in
magazines, and both of them are AGMs; of course
what I’m talking about here is the MP40 and the
STEN!
Prior to 1941 the British War Department were
purchasing all the Thompson submachine guns they
could from the United States, but both cost and
the entry of the USA themselves to the War meant
an alternative had to be found! The Royal Small
Arms Factory, Enfield, was
commissioned to produce an
alternative. The STEN name came
from of names of the designers,
R. V. Shepard and H. J. Turpin,
and from the factory where they
worked (Enfield Arsenal), and
although the design was crude,
ugly and simple (it was often
described disparagingly as the
“Plumbers Gun”!), it proved
to be one of the single most
effective submachine guns of
WWII.
However, if there’s one single
WWII airsoft replica that you’re
going to own I’m betting, like
me, that it will be the German
“THE STEN NAME CAME FROM OF NAMES OF THE DESIGNERS, R. V. SHEPARD AND H.
J. TURPIN, AND FROM THE FACTORY WHERE THEY WORKED (ENFIELD ARSENAL), AND
ALTHOUGH THE DESIGN WAS CRUDE, UGLY AND SIMPLE (IT WAS OFTEN DESCRIBED
DISPARAGINGLY AS THE “PLUMBERS GUN”!), IT PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE SINGLE
MOST EFFECTIVE SUBMACHINE GUNS OF WWII.”
56
JULY 2022

RED CELL
OTHER GBB PISTOLS
Maschinenpistole 40, or MP40!
Commonly known to us all as “The
Scehmeisser” it’s an iconic SMG that
has graced the silver screen in many
war movies, and filled the pages of
our childhood comic books, probably
with accompanying speech bubbles
with unpolticatlly correct terms such
as “Achtung!” and “Eat lead Tommy
schweinhund!”
I’ve been lucky enough to have had
both the AGM STEN and MP40 in
the armoury, and they are two airsoft
replicas that I dearly regret selling;
I also regret that to date I haven’t
bought myself a North East STEN, but
that’s another story entirely! I bought
both the AGMs though as they were totally iconic
WWII (and beyond!) firearms, and having played as
“resistance” in my time they were sensible purchases
and neither were too expensive, and they actually did
share the very same magazines in airsoft guise!
The AGM full metal STEN was a bit of a character
and that’s no lie, and with no safety and full-auto only
it had to be handled well wherever you were! Inside
though, it was pretty interesting though, as it featured
a modified M14-style gearbox with a modified motor
cover-case, and a custom metal gearbox that had fully
upgradeable, TM-compatible gears. The STEN chucked
out BBs accurately to 30+m although I did tend to use
.28s with it as lighter BBs had a tendency to “fly” no
matter how you set the hop!
The AGM MP40 was a totally
different beastie, and I have to
admit I still fancy another one! As
I said earlier, the MP40 used the
self-same 50 BB magazines as the
STEN and mine performed flawlessly
all the time I owned it. The AGM
was basically a reinforced and redesigned
version of the original
Top MP40 from Japan, but with
a price that was affordable, and
performance that was more than
acceptable! With full metal externals
and reinforced high performance
internals and metal gearbox, the AGM was a real
fire-breather, especially if you popped in an 11.1
LiPo (NOT recommended at all if you wanted your
MP40 to last, but huge fun!). It was both a collector’s
item and a skirmish ready AEG with endless upgrade
possibilities; bog-standard though it was no slouch,
kicking out .30g BBs again to 30+ metres. It was solid
as a rock, even with the collapsible stock open, and
I have to admit that is was genuinely one of those
AEGs that I would just take out of the armoury and
admire again and again!
To round “usable AEGs” out I Have to mention
a model that I will admit that I’ve never owned,
but have tested thoroughly, and I’m sticking here
with AGM in the form of their MP44, or StG44
“COMMONLY KNOWN TO US ALL AS “THE SCEHMEISSER” IT’S AN ICONIC SMG THAT
HAS GRACED THE SILVER SCREEN IN MANY WAR MOVIES, AND FILLED THE PAGES OF
OUR CHILDHOOD COMIC BOOKS, PROBABLY WITH ACCOMPANYING SPEECH BUBBLES
WITH UNPOLTICATLLY CORRECT TERMS SUCH AS “ACHTUNG!” AND “EAT LEAD TOMMY
SCHWEINHUND!””
www.airsoftaction.net 57

RED CELL
OTHER GBB PISTOLS
(Sturmgewehr 44)! This in the
“real world” was a German
select-fire rifle developed in the
mid/late years of WWII, and
there’s quite a story about how it
came into being in the first place!
The MP44 was actually “the first
successful and widely produced
design to use a new shorter
cartridge, which permitted
controllable automatic fire from
a weapon more compact than
a battle rifle, coupled with the
recognition that most aimed rifle
fire in combat situations did not
exceed a few hundred metres”.
Of course, if rumour is true
then it also helped form the
template for a later design, that
of Comrade Kalashnikov! The
StG44 was certainly ahead of its time and allegedly
users loved it! It certainly filled its role effectively,
offering a greatly increased volume of fire compared
to standard infantry rifles, and the same can be said
for the AEG version! With a V2 gearbox and many
reinforced parts, the AGM is a surprisingly well
made metal replica; the metal used for production is
mainly alloy and steel, and the butt, just like the real
StG44, is made of wood and also acts as the battery
compartment. On the range the ‘44 gave me very
respectable performance, with pretty solid range and
accuracy too. On 0.28g BBs and
using just the iron sights, which
are also easily adjustable, I was
able to clang the Red Cell “steels”
and group on paper reasonably at
the limit of the 30m range!
So, I’m nearly at the end of our
look at “The Guns of D-Day”,
and I’ll overlook one omission
that SOMEONE NEEDS TO
ADDRESS, and that’s an a 6mm
“Fallschirmjagergewehr 42”; this
was once on the VIVA ARMS
“coming soon” list, but sadly
never came, let alone “soon”. I’d
also be remiss if I didn’t at least give a nod to support
guns… sadly these come under my personal heading
of “hard to skirmish” with for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, by and large they are EXPENSIVE; an S&T
M1918 BAR will set you back UK£400-500 depending
on where you buy it, but this pales into comparison
when you look at the G&G MG42! Of course there
are other makes out there like AGM, but their MG42
is somewhat “middling” and still nearly UK£500, and
VIVA ARMS (if you can still find them!), with their
M1919 .30 cal that’s almost £UK1,000 too!
The other thing is their sheer bulk and weight!
“THE MP44 WAS ACTUALLY “THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AND WIDELY PRODUCED DESIGN
TO USE A NEW SHORTER CARTRIDGE, WHICH PERMITTED CONTROLLABLE AUTOMATIC
FIRE FROM A WEAPON MORE COMPACT THAN A BATTLE RIFLE, COUPLED WITH THE
RECOGNITION THAT MOST AIMED RIFLE FIRE IN COMBAT SITUATIONS DID NOT EXCEED
A FEW HUNDRED METRES”. ”
58
JULY 2022

RED CELL
OTHER GBB PISTOLS
Having lugged various support AEGs around in my
time, the thought these days of hauling 5-10kg of
gun around, and indeed a gun that will not give me
any major benefits over a regular AEG with a Hi Cap,
is not one I relish! However, if you ARE immersing
yourself in the period then of course one of these
models, either AXIS or ALLIED, must be high on your
wish-list, and in a game where most players will be
using bolt-actions or AEGs with limited ammo loads
a support gun will prove its weight in gold, although
Jimmy has had some less-than-ideal experience with
the AGM MG42 which I fely pertinent to include
before I finish up; Jimmy told me:
“I got my hands on the AGM due to it needing
some much required maintenance as it was
misfeeding… sorry, not feeding at all! Velocity was
very poor and in general just sounded horrible. One
thing though that was quickly apparent with it was its
colossal presence; it’s a beast of a machine and when
fully loaded with magazine and its large capacity of
BBs it REALLY is heavy! Anyone running around with
this all day deserves credit. Aesthetically stunning, it is
a well-built platform from its large muzzle device right
down to the fin shaped stock.
“Designed with one thing in mind, ‘suppression’,
the airsoft variant takes quite a beating and sadly
AGM don’t use the best quality internal parts and they
also adopted certain standards which don’t follow
suit of other manufacturer’s parts which makes part
sourcing a bit of a nightmare. When it works it is fun
to use and due to its internal barrel being in excess
of 700mm it
is amazing the
range you can
get; most airsoft
platforms similar
to this have much
shorter barrels
and can’t find
the same range.
I’ll be looking at
solving a number
of issues in this
particular AEG
and will bring you
my full report on
it next month…
suffice to say
that it’s a shame
that a platform
with the price
tag it carries has
so many issues,
issues quite frankly that should never of been there in
the first place!”
I, and the members of Red Cell, hope that you’ve
enjoyed our look at some of our favourite AEGs and
GBBs for “Normandy” games, and we hope that for
those of you just coming into airsoft that this will give
you a real “heads up” for what’s available if you fancy
trying something just a bit different in 6mm form!
Please remember that WWII AEGs and GBBs
recreate a very specific era of warfare, and if you do
decide that this is for you, then please play this type of
scenario with the greatest of respect for the memory
of all those soldiers like my father who fought so we
could actually have the freedoms to play the games
we do!
Please note: All archive images featured found in
the public domain. AA
Red Cell is supported by:
www.airsoftaction.net 59

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ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
PISTOLS
OF
D-DAY!
CONTINUING OUR SPECIAL JUNE ISSUE THEME OF WEAPONS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED BY
THE OPPOSING FORCES ON D-DAY, BILL AND STEWBACCA HEAD INTO HANDGUN TERRITORY, AND
EVERYONE LOVES A PISTOL, DON’T THEY? THEY NOW DELVE INTO THEIR PERSONAL COLLECTIONS
AND BACK IN TIME TO FOCUS A NUMBER OF FAMOUS, AND INDEED INFAMOUS, MODELS THAT
WOULD ADD PERFECTLY TO ANY “NORMANDY” LOADOUT!
62
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
In Red Cell this month we’ve had a good look at
the primary weapons of the Allied and Axis forces
and hopefully given you all some inspiration for
creating a WWII “Normandy Loadout” at least in
relation to the replicas out there, and in THE CAGE
I hope we’ve addressed to a degree just how you
can think about putting that loadout together. But
everybody does love a sidearm, and in a world of
blocky “tacticool” models it’s actually a joy to look
back to an age where elegance of firearm design still
had a place in the military armoury!
In the handgun world at the start of the 20th
century developers and engineers were constantly
striving to find something new like the Luger,
Borchardt C-93, and Mauser C96 but most nations
officers and fledgling “SF” still relied on the tried
and tested revolver or “wheelgun”. Pistols like those
from Webley & Scott, Enfield, Colt, Smith & Wesson,
and the Lebel to name just a few would have been
present in the hands of the combatants in Normandy,
but the newer “semi-autos” were very much in
evidence by 1944 too.
Of course WWII was the “War of the SMG”
and the semi-auto, and many would have course
have had one of the “newer” pistols at their side,
especially the Axis troops. Although the Borchardt
C-93 was pretty much long gone by this time, the
Luger and the Mauser would have seen action,
joined by the Walther P38. On the opposing side
would have been the venerable Colt M1911, and
both sides fielded a version of the 9mm Browning!
The Browning Hi-Power or “GP” (for the French
term, “Grande Puissance”) pistols were actually used
during World War II by both Allied and Axis forces!
During their “Blitzkrieig” through the Low Countries
German forces took over the FN plant in 1940, and
German troops began to be issued the Hi-Power
as the “Pistole 640(b)”. Browning pistols were also
produced in Canada by John Inglis and Company in
Toronto; the plans were sent from the FN factory to
the UK when it became clear the Belgian plant would
fall into German hands, enabling the Inglis factory
to be tooled up for Browning production for Allied
use. Inglis produced two versions of the Hi-Power,
one with an adjustable rear sight and detachable
shoulder stock (primarily for a Nationalist Chinese
contract) and one with a fixed rear sight. The pistol
was popular with the British airborne forces as well
as covert operations and commando groups such
as the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the U.S.
Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the British
Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment.
Now we’ve written about the WE Browning on
many occasions recently so we won’t go into depth
about the airsoft replica again, but suffice to say it’s
a very troubled soul! Of the models I’ve personally
owned the magazines have been lacklustre, and the
pistols themselves are fragile internally and prone to
breaking quite easily… of the two models I’ve owned
my first “Canadian” was sent back to be replaced
(the replacement is still working thankfully!) and the
Mk3 is currently with Jimmy as he tries to find some
durability solutions, and we WILL report back on this
in due course.
“OF COURSE WWII WAS THE “WAR OF THE SMG” AND THE SEMI-AUTO, AND MANY
WOULD HAVE COURSE HAVE HAD ONE OF THE “NEWER” PISTOLS AT THEIR SIDE,
ESPECIALLY THE AXIS TROOPS. ALTHOUGH THE BORCHARDT C-93 WAS PRETTY MUCH
LONG GONE BY THIS TIME, THE LUGER AND THE MAUSER WOULD HAVE SEEN ACTION,
JOINED BY THE WALTHER P38.”
www.airsoftaction.net 63

ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
ALLIED
Rather more robust in airsoft form, the Colt M1911
pistol really needs no introduction as it’s the basis for
a whole family of airsoft replicas that we all know
and love, but to recap in this context it was formally
adopted by the US Army on March 29, 1911, when
it was designated Model of 1911, later changed to
Model 1911 in 1917, and then M1911 in the mid-
1920s, and it’s a pistol model that is still going to this
day and shows no sign of stopping!
it’s the Webley that sticks in my mind! The official
service pistol for the British Army during WWII was
actually the Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38/200 calibre revolver,
but because manufacture of the Enfield hadn’t caught
up with demand a number of other pistols were also
adopted meet the shortfall. As a result, the Webley
With over 100 years of service history under its belt
the “1911” is a true classic that is a pleasure to own
and shoot, both in airsoft and “real deal” form. I’ve
had my current WE 1911 “classic” for over ten years
now, and after many games and many, many range
sessions it still functions perfectly, even if I have had to
replace the original magazine. Like the real thing, the
WE is a thoroughly reliable and durable sidearm that’s
a joy to own!
Staying with the Allied forces there is, of course,
one throwback to the pre-WWII era that was very
much in Action in Normandy, and that’s the Webley
revolver beloved of the British! Other models like the
Enfield were of course there too, but for some reason
Mk IV in .38/200 and Webley Mk VI in .455 calibre
were issued during the war. The Webley’s were
robust and powerful weapons (in fact it’s said that
the Webley .455 service pistols were among the most
powerful break-action revolvers ever produced!), and
they gave excellent service throughout WWII and
beyond!
Marushin did produce the Enfield No.2 MK1
as a “Giga Maxi Weight” model but I must admit
that I’ve never had my hands on one of those! I’ve
tried a number of different airsoft versions of the
Webley though, and although you can still find a
range of different models from WinGun I’ve always
found these a little fragile and slightly insipid in their
performance. Another model, a MKVI, was produced
under the Enfield brand a few years back and these
were much better, but my current favourite of the
“Webley” replicas is that from of all brands, WELL that
came to me by way of iWholesales! This is a CO2-
driven, break-top replica that’s actually a real pleasure
“I’VE HAD MY CURRENT WE 1911 “CLASSIC” FOR OVER TEN YEARS NOW, AND AFTER
MANY GAMES AND MANY, MANY RANGE SESSIONS IT STILL FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY,
EVEN IF I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MAGAZINE. LIKE THE REAL THING, THE
WE IS A THOROUGHLY RELIABLE AND DURABLE SIDEARM THAT’S A JOY TO OWN!”
64
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
to shoot and is reasonably accurate and easy to work
on, and best of all, IT’S CHEAP! It’s an affordable and
eminently pleasing take on the old campaigner that
I’d urge anyone to check out!
AXIS
Although I’ve had experience with both the WE Luger
and the WE C96 I’ll hand over to Stewbacca now to
bring a different “voice” to this article!
could be done, and the long barrel and fast operating
action with its curt recoil impulse and relatively small
low mass bolt makes it akin to an AAP01 with the lack
of moving top slide in terms of its rapid cycle time,
especially when you depress the locking button on the
right hand side and rotate the fire selector to the fully
automatic position!
The select fire true ‘machine pistol’ sidearm
is obviously a little odd feeling in the hand for
those used to a modern semi-automatic, with the
“broomhandle” feeling a little odd in its shape and
with the bore axis and majority of the weight sitting
very high above the grip, but it remains surprisingly
consistent and accurate; I actually ran it better on one
of the IPSC runs than my PPQ! Again, it’s a little odd
to field, especially with the specific holster that my
friend Kevin included with it; there are shorter flush
fit magazines available but he only lent me the longer
type so I was unable to holster it loaded, meaning a
bit of a clunky draw the gun, draw a magazine and
load it affair. But, it’s still very good at throwing BBs
downrange and looks the part right enough.
As Bill rightly said about the Colt 1911, the Luger
P08 also should need little introduction! The Pistole-
The Mauser C96 (Construktion 96) was and
extremely unique semi-automatic pistol that was
originally produced by German gun-maker Mauser
from 1896 to 1937, and it had a distinctive integral
box magazine in front of the trigger, a long barrel,
and even a wooden shoulder stock accessory which
doubled-up as a holster or carrying case, and an
unusual grip that earned the gun the nickname
“broomhandle”!
The WETech “712” is their GBB replica of the
“Broomhandle” Mauser C96, the detachable box
magazine fed variant historically popular with officers
in Germany and mainland China alike back in the
early 1900s and related conflicts. I’d already dabbled
with using it at an Action Air session just to see if it
“ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY GERMAN GUN-MAKER MAUSER FROM 1896 TO 1937, ...IT
HAD A DISTINCTIVE INTEGRAL BOX MAGAZINE IN FRONT OF THE TRIGGER, A LONG
BARREL, AND EVEN A WOODEN SHOULDER STOCK ACCESSORY WHICH DOUBLED-UP
AS A HOLSTER OR CARRYING CASE, AND AN UNUSUAL GRIP THAT EARNED THE GUN
THE NICKNAME “BROOMHANDLE”! ”
www.airsoftaction.net 65

ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
Parabellum to give the Luger its proper nomenclature,
was a semi-automatic self-loading pistol patented by
Georg Luger in 1898 and was manufactured by DWM
from 1901 onwards. Interestingly though the first
country to adopt Lugers for military use though was
Switzerland, not Germany, as the Model 1900 was
adopted by the Swiss, chambered for the 7.65mm
Parabellum round!
Replicas of the Luger pistol are still being produced
today. It has been popularised through its use by
Germany during World War I and World War II,
especially in the movie world, though it was also used
by many other countries. As a firearm “icon” the
creation of Herr Georg Luger is certainly up there with
the best, and in relation to “Pistols of D-Day” it’s a
must-have if you’re going the “Heer” route!
The WETech Luger P08 GBB was something I just
had to have as a firearms enthusiast (and I know that
Bill agrees as he has the longer “artillery” model in
his collection!), as it is really the earliest successful
semi-automatic pistol and has an immediately
recognisable, distinctive, grip angle and outline, with
its toggle locking action, which is faithfully replicated
and operates in the original manner. It’s certainly a
nicely finished piece and anyone who appreciates the
checkered history of it will enjoy the replica, however
practically speaking I’d relegate this to a holster filler;
the action has never been particularly consistent in my
experience, and the magazines are so thin and small
that their ammunition and gas capacity are somewhat
limited, with the gun rarely finishing a full load of BBs
for a full load of gas.
The hop unit and action seem to throw rounds
downrange a little oddly or inconsistently. As with
the WE Browning, the action must also be cocked
prior to insertion of the magazine due to an oddity of
the copied internal system that results in a damaged
spring and sear system if the magazine is pushed
in with the ‘hammer down’ so to speak. Good
enough for the look of it, and the historical aspect
and aesthetic coupled with the odd toggle locking
action, but I wouldn’t rely on it to actually do anything
practical with it as a sidearm besides a holster-filler for
visual purposes! And now I’ll hand this back to Bill…
One pistol remains in our round-up of suitable
D-Day sidearms and that’s one that I personally
love, the Walther P38! The 9mm P38 was accepted
by the German military in 1938 (hence the name!)
but production of prototype pistols did not begin in
reality until late 1939. Walther began manufacture
at their plant in Zella-Mehlis, and developed the P38
as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht to replace the
costly Luger P08. The P38 was a cutting edge semiautomatic
pistol design, which introduced technical
features still used today, and as such it’s fully worthy
of being the last pistol in this list of legends!
This follows a bit of a theme as the P38 I own is
a fabulous little replica made by WETech again! It’s
a solid, full metal replica with a fully functional GBB
system that totally mimics the real thing (and I know
this as I’ve fired the 9mm!) and a great recoil impulse
that really adds to a feeling of realism. The frame,
front sight, slide, slide stop, barrel, rear sight, safety,
hammer, magazine catch and magazine all made
of metal, and only the pistol grip panels are made
of plastic, so it feels “real” too! Although it’s a little
“clunky” in operation, and mine struggles to empty
the magazine completely on a single fill, it IS accurate
and if you need to deliver a few BBs to target as a
last-ditch move then you know that they’re going to
“I’VE HAD MY CURRENT WE 1911 “CLASSIC” FOR OVER TEN YEARS NOW, AND AFTER
MANY GAMES AND MANY, MANY RANGE SESSIONS IT STILL FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY,
EVEN IF I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL MAGAZINE. LIKE THE REAL THING, THE
WE IS A THOROUGHLY RELIABLE AND DURABLE SIDEARM THAT’S A JOY TO OWN!”
66
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
HISTORIC PISTOL MODELS
go exactly where you aim them!
All of the pistols that we’ve listed here are
undoubtedly things of beauty and have earned their
place in the annals of firearms history! Many of the
models have had a direct influence on the modern
pistols that we use today, and whether you use one
to play airsoft with, or simply have them in your
collection, they are all immense fun to own and shoot.
Although this is by no means an exhaustive list, if
you want a pistol as part of a “Normandy Loadout”
then these days you have a choice, and you can easily
find historically correct holsters for all of the models
we’ve spoken about here too! We hope that you’ve
enjoyed something a little different this month, and
that for players old and new it may open up even
more new “airsoft possibilities”! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 67

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■ Stow bag
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TECHNICAL
ULTIMA MG42
ULTIMA
SUPPORT!
WWI-ERA AIRSOFT REPLICAS, BOTH AEGS AND GBBS CAN BE HUGELY TREASURED ITEMS, AND KEEPING
WITH OUR WWII THEME IN THIS MONTH’S AIRSOFT ACTION, DAN TAKES AN UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
LOOK AT A RARE BIRD INDEED, THE ULTIMA MG42!
Even in its heyday, Ultima was a relatively
unknown and obscure company, producing
just a handful of models mainly of the MG42
variety, but also the Sturmgewehr MP44 and MG3.
In 2022, you will be hard pressed to find evidence of
their former existence now. This particular example
has passed a few hands before being graciously
loaned to me by my friend for this article. The
original owner was a US serviceman stationed in
Japan and purchased this from a local shop and
brought it back with him when he returned to the
states. From there, it found its way into the hands of
a WWII enthusiast who eventually hung up his spurs
and sold it to my friend for a song and a dance.
There are scarcely any details regarding this unique
AEG, save for what little references can be gleaned
70
JULY 2022

TECHNICAL
ULTIMA MG42
from scouring the dark recesses of the Internet and
mostly defunct collector’s forums. The Ultima MG42
was not entirely produced by Ultima; it actually
uses a Shoei of Japan body. But where it departs
heavily from the Shoei is in the AEG conversion
department. Inside you will find a custom CNC
machined AEG gearbox and arguably one of the
weirdest arrangement of internals that could be the
only result from the unholy trinity of a Steyr AUG, RC
servos and inspiration from ICS. It is unknown how
many examples of the Ultima MG42 were actually
produced, but I’ve seen some anecdotal remarks that
less than 100 to 200 examples were made.
Owing to age and the inevitable breakdown
of parts, this particular MG42 is no longer stock.
From what I have gathered, and depending on the
version, these would have normally been fitted
with either Tokyo Marui or Systema gears and
powered by the now-ancient Marui EG700 motor.
The only website still carrying a product listing is
DEN Trinity shop in Hong Kong where these have
been out of stock for years. Retail price would have
been US$1800 - US$2350 depending on whether
it was the “standard” or “deluxe” version. Spare
drum magazines fetched a princely sum of US$290
apiece. Aside from gears and presumably some other
internal changes, the main difference between the
two versions is the standard shot in the nature of
0.63 – 0.68J (260 – 270 FPS), whereas the deluxe
was likely intended for export and had a higher
velocity of 1.49J (400 FPS.)
REAL DEAL AND REPLICA
Despite its impressive size, this MG42 is deceptively
well balanced at 7.57kg (16.7 lbs.) with the drum
magazine and steel bipod affixed, owing largely
to the mostly 2.9mm aluminum body construction
and good weight distribution. The grip panels and
stock are actually made from ABS, which have been
cleverly painted to mimic real wood in a manner
that would make Tokyo Marui blush with envy. This
was not how they were normally outfitted from
Ultima, but rather was a bespoke touch from the
former owner. Whether through original design or
addition, there are a number of real MG42 parts
used here. The bipod, sights, charging handle, stock
mount, barrel change door and more are all real steel
components. Even the drum magazine has been
converted from a real MG42 drum!
Once you pop open the dust cover you begin to
get a glimpse of the oddities concealed inside. To
get a full appreciation of the peculiarities of this
AEG, we need to start with the magazine first. As it
is converted from a real MG42 drum, the magazine
is perhaps one of the best feeling and most solidly
constructed drums one might encounter in airsoft.
It has a 1600 BB capacity and is operated by a
continuous-rotation RC style servomotor operating a
www.airsoftaction.net 71

TECHNICAL
ULTIMA MG42
feeder assembly that looks borrowed from the M240
design. The servomotor is powered off the gun, so
technically it’s designed to feed and fire in sync, as
opposed to requiring the end user to constantly work
a switch like a hi-cap magazine.
Contrary to typical LMG/GPMG airsoft designs,
this does not feed directly into the hop up chamber.
Rather, it pours BB’s in from above into a hopper
through a spring-steel Bowden tube. From there,
brand AUG hop up chamber fitted. It is arguably the
most byzantine and unnecessarily complicated feeding
mechanisms I have personally seen. There is certainly
room enough to have just fitted a direct-feed system
and skipped all the complication.
Due to relatively low speed of the servomotors,
the feed and cyclic rates are always at odds with one
another. It is possible that the drum mag will actually
overfill the hopper faster than the ability of the paddle
to feed BB’s into the hop up chamber. This can induce
a state where the BB’s get packed into the hopper too
tight and the paddle starts slipping on the O-ring and
fails to feed. As such, rather than try to perform long
strings of sustained fire, the optimal method of use
is to fire short controlled bursts instead. With good
trigger discipline, you can get to the bottom of the
drum magazine without issue.
There is a large square-cut window on the
underside of the body, which is there to help facilitate
assembly and disassembly. Unfortunately, this also
the BB’s fall into a CNC machined feeder assembly
that looks similar to a much abbreviated version
of the Cyclone paddles found in the Tippmann A5
paintball marker. This “paddle” is powered by yet
another RC servomotor that spins the paddle via an
O-ring stretched over a brass pulley. The paddle then
pushes the BB’s into a single-track channel that’s been
machined into part of the gearbox shell. This channel
curves towards the back of the gun before making
a vertical rise up and into the bottom of the hop up
chamber, which is based off the Tokyo Marui AUG
design. In this case, it has what I believe is a G&P
means the bottom pulley and O-ring are exposed
to the elements or inopportune objects that might
dislodge the O-ring from the pulley; the latter has
actually happened once during an event. And let me
tell you… it’s a pain to try and reinstall that O-ring in
the field without tools and a dental pick handy!
The inner barrel is of an unknown brand and
measures 565mm long and is a 6.01 diameter bore.
It’s also free-floating the entire length, save for a
plastic support that near the end of the crown. The
outer barrel is a large-diameter thin metal tube that
is retained via a friction fit. There’s a chintzy little
aluminum retainer that’s designed to fit over the hopup
chamber and keep it pressed against the gearbox
plate. The fit is so poor that the previous owner used
some heat shrink to take up the slop. Obviously, this
setup is anything but precision. Interestingly, I have
72
JULY 2022

TECHNICAL
ULTIMA MG42
found the best method to removing the outer and
inner barrel assemblies is through the barrel-change
door on the receiver.
UPDATING AN OLD WARHORSE!
Moving over to the gearbox proper, this is a beastly
bit of overbuilt CNC machined aluminum that has a
lot of extra material that mostly exists to fill in voids
within the receiver. This has a quick-change spring
guide assembly, which can be conveniently accessed
through the back of the receiver when the buttstock is
removed. ICS fans will notice that it’s also a split-style
gearbox, where the upper component houses the
compression parts and the lower houses the gears and
motor.
Inside we find an AUG length air nozzle, followed
by a conventional mix of V2 compression parts and
gears. The previous owner had at some point outfitted
this with some old-school Super Shooter 32:1 gears
and half-rack steel piston. It was also sporting a
Guarder Bore-Up cylinder, silent-type mushroom
piston head and bore up nozzle. There was also a V
3 tappet plate installed, which I assume was done
on the mistaken assumption that since the AUG
system uses a V3 gearbox, this should follow suit.
On the contrary, a V2 tappet plate is what is required
in this gun. All of this was gutted out when the gun
received a “modernization update”, including the
original wiring loom, which was quite mangled and
in dire need of replacement. Presently, this has been
equipped with a Warhead brushless motor, 16 AWG
low-resistance Alphawire Ecowire, SHS 18.65:1 gears,
Angel Custom KRATOS piston, a ZCI stainless steel
cylinder, a Lonex POM Piston head, Guarder tappet
plate, and a 70D AirPad and Lonex double O-ring
cylinder head.
There’s an unusual brass ring that acts as the frontface
of the gearbox and indexing point for the hop
up chamber. This actually is an unfortunate design
misstep as it leaves the entirety of the front of the
cylinder head unsupported, which causes all the
stress from the piston impacting the cylinder head to
transfer directly into the cylinder lugs. At some point
in the past this caused both of the original aluminum
lugs to shear completely off. In a conventional V2
gearbox, this would have been a “kill shot” and
meant scraping the shell. But fortunately with this
shell there is enough material thickness and clearances
that I was able to install a set of thick steel screws
coming in from the exterior of the shell to act as
replacement lugs for the cylinder head.
The grip frame is a clamshell design that can
be separated to reveal the motor, bushings, and
gearset. This is also where the trigger switch is
found. There is no manual safety on this gun or
any means of rendering it incapable of firing other
than disconnecting the battery. The safety is actually
cosmetic in function only and does not move or
operate. Years ago, when I first received this gun
in for repair, we were having issues with it burning
through the trigger switches. The original switch
type used had a very low 2.5-amp rating for what
the system is typically pulling. I managed to track
down some switches of the same footprint that had
a higher 10-amp rating, and this seemed to mostly
solve the problem. Still, these switches are inadequate
for the realities of airsoft use. Thusly, for serious use,
one would benefit from the efficiencies and large
amperage reduction a brushless motor would bring to
the table.
The Ultima MG42 is a unique and interesting
historical curiosity in the footnotes of airsoft history.
As they go, MG42’s of any variety are relatively rare
to spot on the field and fewer still will have heard of
Ultima, much less it’s shared parentage with Shoei.
Owing to the age and its rather peculiar design, it may
not be as eminently skirmishable or as reliable as more
modern designs, but there’s no denying that there is
an intrinsic charm in stretching the legs on this old
warhorse from time to time! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 73

FEATURE
NORMANDY TOUR FOR AIRSOFTERS
OVERLORDING
IT!
IT MAY HAVE BECOME APPARENT FOR REGULAR READERS OF AIRSOFT ACTION THAT BILL IS SOMEWHAT
OF A MILITARY HISTORIAN, AND AS WELL AS HAVING PLAYED AIRSOFT FOR MANY YEARS, HIS TRAVELS
HAVE TAKEN HIM TO MANY HISTORICAL BATTLEFIELDS ALL OVER THE WORLD! HE NOW SHARES HIS
EXPERIENCES OF VISITING NORMANDY AND GIVES SOME POINTERS FOR IF YOU WISH TO VISIT THE D DAY
BEACHES YOURSELF!
74
JULY 2022

FEATURE
NORMANDY TOUR FOR AIRSOFTERS
I’ve written in Red Cell this month about the
journey I made to retrace the footsteps of my
father on 6th June 1944, but of course all of us
are the sum of two parents, and whilst the story
of my dad may be more pertinent to this Issue of
Airsoft Action, the fact is that my mother was a
history teacher, and she instilled in a me a strong
adherence to the principles of When, Where, How
and, probably most importantly, Why when it comes
to putting history in context.
Of course when it comes to D Day I know
without any shadow of a doubt the “Where, When
and Why” but it’s the “How” that fascinates me
and continues to intrigue me to this day, and I’ve
travelled to Normandy many times, both on my own
and with my wife and wider family over the years to
find out more, always more…
I’m lucky that my wife understands both my
passion for airsoft and my fascination with all
things “military history”, and over the years we’ve
developed what we refer to as our “Outdoor/Gastro/
History Tours”; in essence this means that we head
somewhere on vacation to enjoy being in the big
outdoors, eating great local food, and for me at least
feeding my inner truth-seeker. It’s a good model, and
one that I’m lucky enough to have experienced with
someone very special.
Our last visit to Normandy was pre-pandemic,
summer 2019 and as I said before it was a very
special trip for me, and it really concentrated my
thoughts on how I could best tell the tale of D Day
to my younger relatives. Some of you may have
undertaken a similar trip, but when recently I was
speaking to Tom at NUPROL he expressed to me that
he would love to visit the places and sites that he’d
seen on-screen in TV series and games, places like
Carentan and Sainte-Mère-Église…
Sometimes I fear that some of you young ‘uns
out there may have lost the spirit of true adventure
that I had when I was your age, and then one of you
comes along and says “I’d love to see THAT place,
and I WILL!”
So, with Tom in mind, and yes, I’ve already loaned
him some books and maps (Michelin 102 “Battle
Of Normandy” is a must-have!) to help him plan
his own trip to Normandy, so I’ve put together this
little “crib sheet” of good places to visit that I hope
may give some of you a starting point in your own
“Normandy Adventure”. I tend to drive down to
Normandy and therefore
tend to begin my journey
at the SWORD Beach end
near Ouisterham and
then head along the
coast to Cherbourg
over the course of a
week, but in fairness
you can do the route
in either direction.
On most of my
journeys through
Normandy I have
camped, and
there are great
campsites
a-plenty
along the coastal
route, although last time with my
extended family we stayed in a rather grand
mini-chateau in the super little town of Douvresla-Délivrande.
There’s also a bakery and traiteur in
every town and village (pretty much!) and remember
that Normandy is the land of cider, calvados, Pontl’Évêque,
Livarot, Neufchâtel and Camembert
cheeses, Andouille de Vire, meadow-salted lamb,
and Marmite Dieppoise… no, not THAT kind of
marmite, look it up!
In my opinion a trip to Normandy, to visit the
museums, memorials and the landing beaches
themselves is an odyssey that should be made by any
self-respecting airsofter that has any interest at all
in military history, but trust me when I say that I’m
certain that when you’ve been once you’ll discover
that there is much more to see and experience than
one visit will allow… Perhaps I’ll see you along the D
Day Route one day as I am sure to return now that
things are back to some normality!
PACKING IT IN!
I’ve tried here to give a sensible selection of
museums and memorials, one that is in no way
complete or exhaustive, you could happily see in a
long weekend, but in reality would be better visited
over a week with some other activities thrown in!
With many of the venues you can now access all
information on your smartphone via QR Codes inside
the museums, or indeed take part in numerous
interactive tours.
www.airsoftaction.net 75

FEATURE
NORMANDY TOUR FOR AIRSOFTERS
THE PEGASUS MEMORIAL MUSEUM
https://musee.memorial-pegasus.com
The Pegasus Memorial Museum, located between
Caen and the sea, tells the story of when the very
first liberators from the British 6th Airborne Division
landed on the night of the 5th to the 6th of June
1944. Period documents, films and objects, along
with guided tours of the museum, of Pegasus Bridge
and of the reproduction of a WWII glider. If you hit
this museum early in the day, then the Café Gondrée
across the street serves a very good coffee and
pastries!
Address: 1 Avenue du Major Howard, 14860
RANVILLE
THE NUMBER 4 COMMANDO MUSEUM
https://www.musee-4commando.fr
This is located in Ouistreham where Allied forces
landed at SWORD Beach and deals with landings in
the regions of Calvados and Cotentin and, above
all, the destiny of the 177 French Navy fighters who,
integrated into British troops, were representative
of the French forces that took part in Operation
Overlord!
Address: Place Alfred Thomas, 14150 Ouistreham
THE D DAY MUSEUM
https://www.arromanches-museum.com/
The official website tells me that “Ten years after
the Allied forces landed, an exhibition was set up
in Arromanches, and inaugurated by President of
the French Republic, René Coty. It’s the first D-Day
museum that recounts June 6, 1944, with the
objective of commemorating the Battle at Normandy”
This is still one of my favourite museums to visit as
both the main exhibition and the surroundings are
constantly updated. It’s also the place to get up close
and personal with the remains of the “Mulberry
Harbour”, and within the museum itself is a
fabulously detailed scale model of the harbour in all its
glory along with some super static weapon, uniform
and equipment displays!
Address: Place du Six Juin 1944, 14117 Arromanchesles-Bains
THE D-DAY SHIPWRECK MUSEUM
www.dday-overlord.com
What made D Day so unique was its amphibious
nature, where troops arrived in many different highly
specialized boats and landing craft. Unfortunately,
some of these craft didn’t make it to the coastline,
and artillery, vehicles and tanks all became wreckage
without ever having even landed. The D Day
Shipwreck Museum displays these artefacts that have
been reclaimed from the sea.
Port-en-Bessin itself is a “must visit” as it lies between
OMAHA Beach to the west in the American V Corps
sector, and GOLD Beach to the east in the British
XXX Corps sector. An objective during Operation
Overlord, the fortified port was captured by No. 47
(Royal Marine) Commando of the 4th Special Service
Brigade, and subsequently fuel was supplied through
the small port by coastal tankers to support the
advance into Normandy until the PLUTO system could
come fully online.
This is now a lovely little harbour town to either stop
at, or indeed stay overnight in as there are numerous
well-priced hotels, and some VERY fine restaurants;
the Bar de la Criée at the top of the main street
overlooking the harbour serves particularly fine “steak
frites”
Address: Route de Bayeux 14520, Commes – Port-en-
Bessin
THE OVERLORD MUSEUM
www.overlordmuseum.com
The Overlord Museum was a new one for me when
I visited in 2019, and it’s SO worth visiting! Named
after the code-name for the Battle of Normandy,
this D Day museum is particularly impressive with
its full-scale displays of the armies who fought on
the battlefield. There’s also a REALLY good café and
even a gift shop selling Warlord games wargame
miniatures… I couldn’t resist picking up some
Commonwealth Infantry and a Universal (BREN Gun)
Carrier for my own WWII games!
Address: Lotissement Omaha Center, 14710 Collevillesur-Mer
THE OMAHA BEACH MEMORIAL MUSEUM
www.musee-memorial-omaha.com
OMAHA Beach is one of the beaches on which
American, Canadian, English and French troops
landed on June 6, 1944, and sadly it’s on this beach
that the largest number of casualties were taken
by the Allied forces, so many in fact that it was
nicknamed as “Bloody Omaha”. It’s a slightly more
sobering visit, but there’s a wealth of information
about the technicalities of the landings themselves, so
it’s well worth the time.
Address: Avenue de la Libération 14710, Saint-
Laurent-sur-mer
POINTE DU HOC MEMORIAL
www.abmc.gov/Pointe-du-Hoc
As airsofters The Pointe Du Hoc Memorial probably
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FEATURE
NORMANDY TOUR FOR AIRSOFTERS
has most direct resonance as it commemorates
the “small unit action” by the American Second
Ranger Battalion who fought there on 6 June 1944
as part of the D-Day landings in World War Two.
Pointe Du Hoc overlooks OMAHA Beach, which was
a vital landing point for Allied troops during the
D-Day operation. Led by Lieutenant Colonel James
E. Rudder, the Second Ranger Battalion of Army
Rangers was tasked with capturing German artillery
at Pointe Du Hoc to ensure the safety of the troops
landing on the beaches below.
During the American assault of Omaha and Utah
beaches, these U.S. Army Rangers scaled the 100-
foot cliffs and seized the German artillery pieces
that could have fired on the American landing
troops at OMAHA and UTAH beaches. This is a
very open memorial site best visited on a fine day,
but it is 100% worth it as you’ll be able to walk
amongst the remains of the fortifications (especially
the quite unique “tobruks”), and standing by the
memorial itself you’ll get a true idea of the amazing
achievement of those brave Rangers… not a place to
stand if you suffer from vertigo!
Address: 14450 Cricqueville-en-Bessin
the image of the US paratrooper hanging from the
church spire (he’s still there in dummy form!) at the
very centre of the town is The Airborne Museum,
and this has become the largest museum in Europe
dedicated to the American paratroopers of the
82nd and 101st Airborne engaged in the Normandy
invasion!
With aircraft and glider displays alongside many
fabulous static displays of uniforms, weapons
and gear, the museum now also offers a host
of interactive exhibits to really make a visit quite
spectacular and memorable; if you’re heading back
to Cherbourg to catch a ferry, then this makes a
fabulous end to a roadtrip!
Address: 14 rue Eisenhower, 50480 Sainte-Mère-
Eglise. AA
MUSEUMS IN CARENTAN
“Dead Man’s Corner” https://dday-experience.com
Of course “Carentan” will be a name familiar with
any of you who have watched “Band of Brothers”,
and it’s an important stop on any tour of D Day
Normandy! In or around Carentan you’ll find “The
D Day Experience”, “The Normandy Tank Museum”,
and “The Normandy Victory Museum” amongst
other interesting points of note.
My favourite though, if I can call it that, is “Dead
Man’s Corner” as this unprepossessing house
was actually the HQ of the German paratroopers;
it’s here that the 6th German parachute infantry
regiment, nicknamed the “Green Devils”, fought
for three days against the American paratroopers
of the 101stAirborne Division. It’s now a museum
dedicated to those paratroopers so actually shows a
different side to the conflict. Visit this small museum
to discover the story and to check out a unique and
authentic collection of memorabilia.
Address: 2 Village de l’Amont, 50500 Carentan-les-
Marais
THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM
www.airborne-museum.org
Again, who could know anything about D Day and
not have heard of Sainte-Mère-Église? Famous for
www.airsoftaction.net 77

TOKYO MARUI
L119A2 CUSTOM BUILD
NEXT GEN RECOIL SHOCK CONTACT US FOR DETAILS
THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR
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ARMOURY
AW CUSTOM VX9
SHORT
AND
SHARP!
WHEN IT COMES TO COMPACT HANDGUNS, BILL IS AN ABSOLUTE FAN AND HE’S ALWAYS GOT HIS
EYES OPEN FOR ANYTHING NEW IN THIS CATEGORY! WHEN HE GOT THE CHANCE TO CHECK OUT ONE
OF THE LATEST FROM ARMORER WORKS, YOU CAN BET THAT HE WAS VERY HAPPY TO GET
THEIR CUSTOM VX9 ON THE RANGE!
I
may
have mentioned
before that I do love
a short, compact,
small-frame handgun, especially
when it comes to airsoft
where performance is not
governed by the round
used, but by the efficiency
of the gas system!
Whereas “IRL”
you generally need a
physically larger frame
and slide to handle bigger
and more poweful rounds,
in one particular way all
(current) airsoft pistols are
equal in that they all fire a 6mm BB. Whilst some may
like the look and the “intimidation factor” of a Deagle
or a Mk23, the fact is that they fire the same BB as
an airsoft derringer, and whilst I don’t like to go THAT
small, I see little point in encumbering myself with a
dirty great hand-cannon when a well-tuned and well
“I “MAY” HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT MY APPROACH TO A “SECONDARY” IS
EXACTLY THAT, IT’S SECONDARY TO MY PRIMARY LONG-GUN, AND IT’S GENERALLY
ONLY WHEN THE SAUSAGE BUTTER MELTS THAT I EVEN REALLY BEGIN TO THINK OF
TRANSITIONING TO MY PISTOL”
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JULY 2022

ARMOURY
AW CUSTOM VX9
set-up semi-auto “compact” will give me the same
overall result.
Again, I “may” have mentioned before that
my approach to a “secondary” is exactly that, it’s
secondary to my primary long-gun, and it’s generally
only when the sausage butter melts
that I even really begin to
think of transitioning
to my pistol. Okay, I
practice regularly with
my pistols because a)
if I have to use one
in-game I need to be
effective with it (as the
situation is probably
dire…) and b) I actually
love shooting handguns!
Regular AA readers will
probably recall too that I’ve
always,
up until the last couple of years, been a dyed-in-thewool
“Glock” (or a “not” a Glock if you’d prefer)
man when it comes to my personal airsoft sidearm,
although of late I have been lured back to Hi Capas.
For a number of reasons a “Glock” still sings to
me though as it’s the secondary of choice for many
military and police units so it has that little sense of
being “real”, and it just so happens to be the make
of pistol I once owned myself, a G17 in 9mm. Sadly
being back in the UK these days I can no longer own a
real handgun, so having the “same model chambered
for” 6mm BBs is as good as it gets!
Now as much as I like a 9mm G17 in real life,
and would head back to that immediately if I were
somewhere that I could carry “real”, when I attend
a skirmish day it’s not a life and death situation, and
when it comes to getting many, many BBs downrange
in quick time anything that does that seems to suit
me well, especially the latest generations of GBB
that seem to fill your hand and deliver BBs with great
gusto and a real thump in your hand.
The latest “Not Glocks” that I’m seeing, just like
in the real world, have moved on considerably in
terms of design, and although they still retain the
classic feature and control set there’s a lot more to
them these days, isn’t there? Although they still retain
the classic feature set, acknowledged to still be one
of the best around, their overall
design means that they’ve
been reinforced,
tweaked,
ported,
vented, lightened, and
made more “ergonomic”
or extremely functional
with highly efficient gas
systems. Some models to me
seem to
be out and out fighting irons whilst others have an
aesthetic that could almost be described as elegant
and even artistic if such a thing is possible for a replica
firearm!
PLAYING THE LONG GAME
Amongst the manufacturers that are really playing
with longevity of design, hedging their bets at both
ends of the “form V function” debate is Armorer
Works (AW). These days AW are no longer the “new
kid on the block” as they’ve been around for a few
years (they launched in 2015 is memory serves correct)
and their products have developed an almost cultlike
following worldwide. New models are eagerly
anticipated, and seem to be snapped up as soon as
they arrive in store; drawing inspiration from the real
shooting world, AW pistols are made with precision
slides coupled with custom-level looks, AW pistols
seem to give their owners something a step above
the average GBB, and certainly pleasure and pride in
“THE CLASSIC FEATURE SET, ACKNOWLEDGED TO STILL BE ONE OF THE BEST AROUND,
(AND) THEIR OVERALL DESIGN MEANS THAT THEY’VE BEEN REINFORCED, TWEAKED,
PORTED, VENTED, LIGHTENED, AND MADE MORE “ERGONOMIC” OR EXTREMELY
FUNCTIONAL WITH HIGHLY EFFICIENT GAS SYSTEMS”
www.airsoftaction.net 81

ARMOURY
AW CUSTOM VX9
ownership!
AW’s apparent flair for the unusual yet functional
means you are presented with great-looking, greatfeeling
products straight out of the box, fully loaded
with parts that you would usually have to add yourself
as expensive after-market additions and upgrades.
However, it would appear that these enhancements
aren’t just for show, as AW scrutinise every detail
that goes into one of their creations, improving the
appearance, efficiency, performance, and usability. I
have shot a fair few Armorer Works pistols over the
years, and they’ve all been very nice, both in the way
they look and the way they perform. I’ve looked at
some and gone “I love it!” whilst I’ve looked at others
and thought “what the hell were they on when they
designed THAT?” but in fairness the former has most
definitely outweighed the latter, and when I first saw
the “Custom VX9” it was most definitely a “love”
moment.
It’s a compact little handgun so for me it’s already
a winner, and weighing in at 664g with the 22 BB
shortened magazine, it just goes to show that looks
can be very deceptive! This is a short, small-frame
pistol that’s designed to feel much lighter and be
more “pointable” when it comes to engaging multiple
targets at speed; the VX9 has all the things that I
now expect from a “modern” compact “Not” from
the box including a nicely-formed and uber-grippy
“stippled” pistol grip, and an extended beavertail.
The finish of the frame on the evaluation model was
excellent throughout, with the frame and the slide in
a complementary metal/polymer satin black; the frame
and slide also marry up beautifully, with a continuous
series of weight-saving grooves cut into the front of
the slide that carry on exactly along to the rear, giving
a pleasing yet aggressive look overall. The top of the
slide at the sharp-end is also cut away “ported-style”
to save weight and aid in fast cycling, and the muzzle
is threaded suppressor-ready, although you will need
an AW adaptor.
The front white-highlighted sight is fitted directly
to the slide as you’d expect so you’re not going to
be changing that to fibre-optic without a fight, but
the white-highlighted rear “U” looks like it could be
changed out for something aftermarket if you wish.
Under the front of the frame is a four-slot rail for
lights and LAMs, and this will accommodate an X300
style pistol light perfectly.
So, the VX9 does in fact look a bit “custom”, but
as it comes out of the box this way, does this make
it truly so? That’s a debate for another time, but if
you want an attractive wall-hanger or something
to look cool in your expensive holster then this fits
the bill exactly, totally cool yet understated with
no extraneous “bling” in evidence, and it’s all the
better for that. However, the VX9 is in no way a
wall-hanger but a “get work done” tool, so I want it
to be blistering in terms of performance more than
anything! Great-looking? Well, beauty they say is
in the eye of the beholder, and personally I love it
although it’s most definitely not a Mil or LE-styled
handgun. Put together to last? Everything indicates to
me that AW have done a great job in this respect as
everything fits and functions together perfectly, and
gives the VX9 a reassuring feel in your hand.
DOWNRANGE
At 10m the VX9 is just fine, thank you and it keeps
BBs on target with consistency, and that’s really all
that’s important at the end of the day, isn’t it? The
VX9 feels like, and acts like an accurate compact
secondary from the get go, and in my opinion, where
the many “Nots” are good, the VX9 is as good if not
better, and is in fact far better than many of the other
AW pistols I’ve tried to date, and as good as most
models on the market in its category!
The VX9 initially chrono’d in at 0.86 Joule/305fps
on .20g BBs and green gas, but it seems to enjoy
being fed .28g best. With this weight of BB you get
cracking performance at 10m, with consistent power
delivery through the entire magazine (just a little drop
off towards the end when hammering it), a smooth,
quick cycling action, good standard sights that let you
get on target fast, and a crisp trigger break that lets
you stay on target too!
So, with that in mind let’s recap; is the AW VX9
is a GBB pistol that’s well made, operates efficiently,
and put together to last? I would say yes, it most
certainly is in all respects, so I believe you will be
getting a whole heap of modern compact goodness
for your money if you plump for one yourself. This is
a great-looking pistol to show off to your mates, but
it’s also a pistol that will serve you equally well in a
skirmish situation when you really, REALLY need your
secondary to perform!
Thanks to www.iwholesales.co.uk for providing
the test model; you can check out all the Armorer
Works pistols and accessories they have by visiting
their website, and keep up with all the latest news by
following them on their social media. AA
82
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
SPECNA ARMS F01/2 FLEX
PRICED
TO
ENTICE!
84
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
SPECNA ARMS F01/2 FLEX
SPECNA ARMS HAVE REALLY BEEN DRIVING FORWARD HARD DURING THE PERIOD OF THE COVID
PANDEMIC, AND IT STILL SEEMS THAT EACH MONTH THEY ARE RELEASING MORE NEW MODELS
OF AEG, AND HEADING IN MANY EXCITING DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME! BILL HAS SPENT SOME
TIME WITH ONE OF THE LATEST MODELS TO BE RELEASED, THE “ENTRY LEVEL” SA-F01 FLEX, AND
NOW BRINGS IN HIS FINDINGS…
As I’ve said openly
before I honestly
think I’d be hardpushed
to think of another
AEG manufacturer that has
consistently released so many models and variants in
such a short space of time, as although Specna Arms
have been knocking around for a while now, their
recent output can only be described as “full-on”!
I remember seeing the brand appear on the Gunfire
stand some years back with a small range of “ARinspired”
models, and now they seem to cover off
some absolutely righteous models whether you’re
new to airsoft or an old hand! I believe it would now
be impossible to make that same mistake, as Specna
Arms have become an “airsoft household” name,
with a wide range of retail stockists throughout
Europe, and further designs on expansion worldwide
if I read what I’m currently seeing right!
And the fact is that they have the goods to back
all this up, and they continue to innovate and inspire
with new models to suit any, and every, airsoft player
out there, models that are well-built, well-priced, and
perform from the box. This, ultimately is what we, the
players, truly want if we’re honest, as although we are
bombarded with words, pictures, and videos from folk
telling us to “fettle, change, and upgrade” our AEGs
and GBBs what most of REALLY want is to get out and
play a game with an AEG that, you know… works!
Although we have been constrained over the
last couple of years in our ability to actually get out
and use our airsoft kit in earnest, the fact is that in
my opinion we are living in “halcyon airsoft days”,
where most firearm models are available as really
quite excellent airsoft replicas, and our choice is
bigger and wider than ever. And that to me is where
manufacturers like Specna Arms (there are others!)
have stepped into the ring with gloves raised to take
on all comers in a thoroughly professional way.
Not only are we seeing the “business model” of
airsoft changing, but as I have said before we are
seeing airsoft manufacturers going their own way
to pursue design concepts of their own, and turn
those concepts into reality. The future of airsoft looks
sunny for sure, and with many new players coming in,
especially after the pandemic, there’s always going to
www.airsoftaction.net 85

ARMOURY
SPECNA ARMS F01/2 FLEX
“THERE’S ABSOLUTELY ZERO MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER
RECEIVERS, AND NO WOBBLE IN EITHER THE BUFFER TUBE OR THE RAIL SYSTEM;
EVERYTHING IS SOLID AS A ROCK, AND FEELS STURDY AND DURABLE… MORE THAN
YOU COULD SAY FOR SOME “FULL METAL” AEGS OUT THERE! ”
be a need for entry level models and
the new FLEX series from Specna Arms
has been designed purposely to fill
that slot!
NEW FOR THE NEWBIE
I personally hate the term
“noob” as it has such negative
connotations, and although some
new players really don’t get the
whole “airsoft/honour” thing
to start with (and frankly some
never do!), there are many that do
from the get-go, and they charge
into the game with energy and
enthusiasm, and are a pleasure to
play alongside! I recently saw a
the
above
friendliness
post by a
young man who’d just
played his first game
and it was full
of praise
for the
site, the
marshals,
game, and
all, the
and openness
of all the more seasoned
players he’d met! This
is what I love to see on
social media, rather than
the toxic rantings of
some poor deranged
“chairsofter!
And of course new
players are going
to need their very
first AEG, aren’t
they? Everyone that’s been playing airsoft for a while
knows what a money pit it can be, and for those
just starting the outlay can be daunting, not just in
relation to their AEG but in terms of accessories and
gear! And this is where the FLEX series come in, as the
two current models available, the F01 (SBR) and F02
(carbine) are priced VERY keenly, with the shorty being
sub-UK£100! So, if you are looking for a lightweight
and reliable AEG to get you rolling then the FLEX
series of AEGs have been designed just for you, and
after thorough testing of the SA-F01, I have to say
that these really are super little AEGs that will get you
going, or keep you going in a pinch, and at the price
they’re certainly not going to break the bank!
Although the FLEX models are super-cheap in
terms of price (and that should make any airsofter
cheerful!) that’s not to say that they are in any way
deficient when it comes to doing their job… okay,
they ARE pretty much 100% polymer as the receiver
set, free-float rail system, buffer tube, CRANE stylestock,
“iron sights”, and the pistol grip are made of
polymer reinforced with nylon fibre; this reinforcement
makes the structure more durable than other polymer
structures. The barrel is alloy, as are the flash hider,
enlarged charging handle, and controls. All screws,
pins, ejection port cover and dummy bolt are all metal.
Overall this means that the FLEX, well… doesn’t!
There’s absolutely zero movement between the upper
and lower receivers, and no wobble in either the
buffer tube or the rail system; everything is solid as a
rock, and feels sturdy and durable… more than you
could say for some “full metal” AEGs out there! All
I can say is that I wish that my first “plastic AR” had
been this solid!
Everything internally is very workmanlike too,
obviously designed to meet a pricepont, but again
not deficient in any way because of this, and it just
shows how far even “entry level” AEGs have come!
The FLEX models come with a rear-wired V2 gearbox,
a decent standard motor, 8mm bearings, steel gears,
a polycarbonate piston with steel reinforcement, and
the guys at Specna Arms tell me that everything is
rated still to handle up to an M140 spring… if you’d
put that spring in one of my old “polymer ARs”
back in the day it would have just climbed back into
the gun case in defeat before I’d even squeezed
86
JULY 2022

ARMOURY
SPECNA ARMS F01/2 FLEX
the trigger! You also get an easy-to-set rotary hop
adjustment and a good 6.03mm inner barrel so if you
want to tweak things it should be easy to do so!
And the FLEX models still have one of the Specna
Arms “standouts”, the ESA quick spring change
system! This lets you easily (really easily!) adjust your
power level for different sites/fields so for new players
it’s a kind if “one ring to bind them” kind of deal!
The FLEX models have also been designed to to work
with LiPo and LiFe batteries so you have options here
too, although I think perhaps Specna Arms missed a
trick by not adding a battery to the basic AEG; this of
course would have meant the pricepoint would suffer.
GETTING WORK DONE
The SA-F01 FLEX is a really simple AEG to work with
due to its compact size. The battery is housed inside
the mock buffer tube that forms part of the stock
assembly, and the compartment is easily accessed
by removing that CRANE-style stock. I fitted an
11.1V LiPo (although you’ll get more-than-adequate
performance from a 7.4V, and probably keep your
new AEG alive just a little bit longer too!), and this
gave a really crisp, positive shooting experience. The
F01 comes with a Hi Cap S-MAG magazine which has
an unusual but visually appealing look as it features
an amalgam of the Specna Arms logo; I’ve used these
mags for a while on and off in testing and they’ve
proved to be excellent, although like other Specna
Arms AEGs the F01 appears to function smoothly on
many brands of magazine!
So, on a sunny morning it was off to the woods
range for me, and the F01 performed just as I’d hoped
and that was very well indeed; it is a Specna Arms
AEG after all! It’s a great little carbine to work with,
with great ergonomics and a good weight at just
2130g; this is heavy enough to feel right, but light
enough that you could run with it all day long. Adding
a short foregrip to the URX-style rail makes it very
easy to drive the muzzle from target to target, and
the overall length of 735mm (full extension, 650mm
compressed) for me, makes it easy to work with, even
in tight spaces so it would be ideal for CQB use. The
F02 has a longer KeyMod URX-style rail, and both
have a 14mm CCW thread on the muzzle if you want
to add a suppressor or tracer unit.
Once the rotary hop was set, an easy control to
adjust, the F01 was shooting a straight shot out to the
end of the 30m range initially at 1.36 Joule /383fps
but changing the spring brought that down to a more
site friendly 0.99 Joule/328fps average on a .20g RZR
BB; Specna Arms very thoughtfully provide an M90
spring in the box if your local power limits dictate
lower rather than higher. The trigger is
light yet crisp, with very little lag so it’s
easy to get consistently accurate shots
away time after time and they’ll beon
target thanks to the pre-fitted, flip-up
“irons”. Switching it up to full auto
sends a nice stream of BBs downrange
sharpish, and it’s easy to fire away for
a while without emptying that Hi
Cap.
At the end of the day I have to
say that the “entry level” area of
airsoft is still VERY competitive,
with some great choices available
for not much moolah! Many of
the models in this price-range
these days are “all -polymer”, but
as I’ve said many times before, so
are many real firearms these days so
that shouldn’t put you off. The SA-
F01/F02 FLEX models are certainly
most worthy of your consideration,
as they are both great looking
replicas (even better when you add
a few accessories!), available in
both black and
black/tan, are solid as
a rock, shoot straight
and far, and are
indeed priced
to entice…
what’s not
to love?
Many
thanks
indeed to
Gunfire who kindly provided
me with the AEG sample for
this review; you can check
out more details on the
FLEX models and the rest
of the extensive range of
Specna Arms models by
simply visiting www.
gunfire.com AA
www.airsoftaction.net 87

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - PORTUGAL
ANOTHER
YEAR...
ANOTHER
GAME!
MIGUEL HAS REALLY CEMENTED HIS PLACE AS A KEY MEMBER OF THE AIRSOFT ACTION LEGION, AND WE
LOVE HIM FOR IT! AS AN AIRSOFTER WITH MANY YEARS OF GAMEPLAY UNDER HIS PLATE CARRIER, AND
AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR BOTH VIPER AND SPECNA ARMS WE REALLY ENJOY FEATURING HIS STORIES
FROM THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY IN PORTUGAL, AND THIS TIME WE BRING YOU ALL HIS REPORT ON A
VERY SPECIAL GAME INDEED FOR HIS FELLOW GHOSTS AND HE, THEIR BIRTHDAY GAME, “15”!
88
JULY 2022

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - PORTUGAL
Organizing an event commemorating my team’s birthday is kind of a tradition, and this year it was
no different! So, welcome to “15”, a game that we created that simulated two survivor groups in a
post-apocalyptic scenario, both groups would have to fight for basic resources and then sell them to
reach the end goal, but more on that later on!
The event for us started really early, at 0600 we arrived at the field to get everything ready, place
objectives, set up the check-in, and build the all-important “negotiation zone” that would be a key part of
the game itself. Soon after the players started to arrive and check-in, and in the middle of some good talks
the briefing hour arrived, so at 0900 sharp we started the briefing (we like to follow the schedule!).
www.airsoftaction.net 89

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - PORTUGAL
Now let’s talk about the game! It followed the
struggles of those two survivor groups that had to
fight and control different locations on the map where
they would find four types of resources; gas, scrap
metal, ammo, and coal. With these resources in hand,
they could approach the third faction in the game,
which was controlled by as the organisers, to make
deals to sell the resources, and make as much money
as they could!
These deals had a good part of role-playing, where
each party tried to haggle and push the prices in their
favour (of course!). Now, it’s important to mention
that there was no faction commander in each faction,
we wanted to create a bit of chaos within each team
and see how would they organize among themselves,
and that was evident when each faction reached
the negotiation table. While the Blue team was less
organized as a whole and had a good number of
different players to do the negotiations, which means
fewer resources to bring to the table each time, the
Red team had three or four players in total that dealt
specifically with “trading” and they were able to bring
more every visit, and with that they left with more
money each time.
SHOW US THE MONEY!
The second stage of the game was of course using
the money they got from selling the hard-fought-for
resources. And for that, we had a travelling merchant
in a vehicle making a circuit around the field and
stopping at the factions’ “communities”. In the stops
along the way or in the communities the players could
buy water and food, which was their final goal in the
game. But every time the merchant stopped on the
field and opened for business anyone could ambush
that location, so even if one faction was behind they
could try to steal from their opponent; sneaky stuff,
right?
So the game went on like this; factions collected
resources and sold them so they could, later on, buy
water and food. At the same time, some special
missions would pop up, at specific hours when
someone appeared to negotiate; we would make a
proposition where they would “bet” the resources
they had with them at the time, and if they were able
to complete said mission, they would get paid double
for what they brought to sell.
These missions would normally force them to bring
a specific object to us, that was most of the time close
to places controlled by the enemy faction, so some
conflict would take place. Here both factions had to
to complete the missions on time; if they missed the
time window they would lose the resources!
After we did the math, the Red faction won by a
large margin, although the Blue faction pushed them
hard at every opportunity! Basically the Red faction
followed the brief closely, and every time they came to
the negotiation table they would bring more resources
and with that they made more money! And of course,
with that money, they were able to buy more water
and food for their communities which meant they
were true survivors.
For us though, no game would be complete
without a big BBQ steak, pork chops, cold beer, and
soft drinks, everything was ready to welcome the
hungry and thirsty players at the end of the game
itself, and it’s always great to speak with the players
about the game or just talk airsoft! And in the end,
we had a giveaway with goodies offered by Gunfire
(ww.gunfire.com), to whom I want to give my thanks
for once again supporting my team and our events.
We want to leave our thanks to everyone that took
part in “15”, and we really hope everyone enjoyed
the game. It was great to see all the different survivor
loadouts, different approaches to the role-play
situations, and all-around fair play! AA
“FOR US THOUGH, NO GAME WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A BIG BBQ STEAK, PORK
CHOPS, COLD BEER, AND SOFT DRINKS, EVERYTHING WAS READY TO WELCOME THE HUNGRY
AND THIRSTY PLAYERS AT THE END OF THE GAME ITSELF, AND IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO SPEAK
WITH THE PLAYERS ABOUT THE GAME OR JUST TALK AIRSOFT!”
90
JULY 2022

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - PORTUGAL
www.airsoftaction.net 91

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - HONG KONG
BACK IN
THE GAME!
THIS MONTH WE’RE DELIGHTED TO CARRY THE FIRST REPORT FROM OUR NEWEST “AA LEGIONNAIRE”
LARRI, KNOWN TO HIS FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD BY HIS CALLSIGN UBCA LAR! THIS TIME HE, WITH
THE HELP OF HIS UBCA COLLEAGUES MUUBI AND BEN T, CELEBRATES A RELAXATION OF RESTRICTIONS BY
VISITING WZ STUDIOS LIMITED’S CQB SITE “WAR ZONE HK” AFTER RENOVATIONS, AND LETS US ALL INTO
THE WORLD OF AIRSOFT HK-STYLE!
92
JULY 2022

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - HONG KONG
Greetings Airsoft Action readers! I am UBCA
Lar of the Hong Kong based airsoft group
called Umbrella Corp. Airsoft (“UBCA”).
UBCA has held games every Friday since 2011 (save
for a few exceptions). We are passionate about
CQB airsoft and this passion has also led us to travel
around Asia to play airsoft outside of Hong Kong.
We are delighted to have been given this opportunity
to share with you news of the Hong Kong airsoft
scene in this article as well as future articles!
WZ Studios Limited’s CQB site known as War Zone
HK (“War Zone”) has now completed renovations
to their game zone by injecting both Japanese and
Middle Eastern flavours into their site. There is now
tons of new cover, obstacles and superb decorations.
It is a great way to feel like playing airsoft in other
countries while the pandemic travel restrictions are
still in effect in Hong Kong.
Due to the high cost of rent in Hong Kong,
indoor airsoft venues have shrunk from 20 to 7 CQB
venues within the last 10 years. However, players
are still very passionate about the hobby which has
encouraged the remaining venues to create more
unique sites to both grow and maintain player
interest.
We recently visited WZ Studios Limited’s venue
known as War Zone HK together with a total of 36
players. WZ Studios Limited was founded in 2021
and War Zone was launched in July of the same year.
The venue is well known in the Hong Kong airsoft
scene for providing good air conditioning inside the
game venue of 20,000 sq ft which is important for
indoor venues given Hong Kong’s high temperatures
and humidity. The layout and designs were inspired
by various video games and include larger items such
as actual vehicles, tents and shops. Other smaller
details to replicate a real world environment include
safes, ATMs, cash registers and food.
NEW ZONES, NEW GAMEPLAY!
At the beginning of 2022, the owners gathered
feedback from players and decided to enhance the
gameplay experience through renovation of the
venue. The renovations included two larger scale
modifications: (1) the demolition of an entire wall
to expand the play area; and (2) the installation of
a raised platform to enable players to better secure
parameters inside the play area by providing vision
from higher ground.
www.airsoftaction.net 93

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - HONG KONG
The venue is separated into different zones each
with their unique theme; during this latest visit
of War Zone, we had the Japanese themed zone
which included a replica Japanese torii and cherry
blossom trees that made for great snaps! Within
this Japanese themed zone there were two buildings
that give players a high ground advantage to provide
supporting fire. In addition, there were two shortcuts
that led players to the Middle Eastern themed zone.
If there is too much resistance in the shorter shortcut,
players can opt to take the longer shortcut bypassing
the bamboo maze zone instead. However, both
shortcuts are made of tunnels and small rooms which
may require more teammates’ assistance to secure.
In between the Japanese and the Middle Eastern
themed zones, there is the bamboo maze zone which
includes market stalls and is great for camouflage
loadouts. Within this area, there are two high grounds
for support fire and are key to securing further
attacks.
The last game zone is the Middle Eastern themed
zone which contains: (1) five houses, (2) several
vehicles for cover and (3) barricades in the middle.
Each house has two or more exits so it is impossible
for players to have a perfect camping spot during
gameplay. The green vehicles are great to hop
into to scout the enemy’s cover fire. This zone has
comparatively lower lighting in the corridors which
makes it easier to execute surprise attacks.
As an assault player of UBCA, I enjoyed these
latest changes as the adjustments have made better
use of spaces than before. It is very exciting to plan
and coordinate your attack during gameplay. The
shortcuts that were mentioned above were not easy
to traverse alone and will require teammates to assist
checking all the various corners. It is also important to
secure the area before opposing players take control
of the choke points especially the high ground! For
those who are interested to check out the venue, here
is the video link of the gameplay from our recent visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REgw3uab28E
We had a chat with the venue designers after
playing our weekly games; we were told that the
adjustments completed is only phase one and that
we can expect a lot of more decorative items to be
added soon. We are looking forward to seeing the
upcoming additional changes.
Finally, for any Airsoft Action readers that are
interested in personally experiencing airsoft at War
Zone, you just need a minimum of 10 people to
make a booking. If you are coming with less than
10 people, War Zone also has an in-house organizer
who arranges public games. Either way, please do not
hesitate to contact them for some CQB action if you
are in, or visiting, Hong Kong!
That is it for our sharing this time, hopefully, you
enjoyed our first article. If you have any questions
or ideas for future articles, please contact us via
our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/
UmbrellaCorpAirsoft). If you have made it this far into
the article, thank you for your time and attention! AA
WARZONE HK
Unit 8A, 8F, Hong Kong Spinners Industrial
Building, Phase 1 And 2, 800 Cheung Sha Wan Rd,
Cheung Sha Wan
Website: https://warzone.hk/
Email: inquiry@wzstudios.hk
Phone: +852 2152 9669
War Zone HK Pricing Information for Non-
Members:
HK$160 per person for 2-hour session*
HK$240 per person for 3-hour session*
HK$280 per person for 4-hour session*
HK$100 per person for gear rental per session
* Minimum booking of 10 people
“THE VENUE IS SEPARATED INTO DIFFERENT ZONES EACH WITH THEIR UNIQUE THEME;
DURING THIS LATEST VISIT OF WAR ZONE, WE HAD THE JAPANESE THEMED ZONE WHICH
INCLUDED A REPLICA JAPANESE TORII AND CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES THAT MADE FOR GREAT
SNAPS! ”
94
JULY 2022

GAME REPORT
AA LEGION - HONG KONG
www.airsoftaction.net 95

HISTORICAL
SAS SMOCK
THE
WINDPROOF
“SAS” SMOCK
IT IS SAID THAT A SOLDIER LIVES WITH WHAT IS IN HIS OR HER PACK, FIGHTS WITH WHAT IS ON THEIR BELT
AND SURVIVES WITH WHAT IS IN THEIR POCKETS, AND IF YOU ARE WEARING A BRITISH ARMY WINDPROOF
SMOCK YOU HAVE PLENTY OF POCKET SPACE! AA RESIDENT KIT HISTORIAN WILL F TAKES A LOOK AT AN
ENDURING GARMENT WHICH HAS ITS ROOTS FIRMLY IN WWII BUT IS STILL SUPERB TODAY!
The garment that is often called an “SAS Smock”
owes its origins to a simpler garment developed
in 1942. This was printed in a distinctive colour
-fast brown and green splinter camouflage and
consisted of a pull over garment with draw cord
at the hood and hem with two pleated pockets at
the top and two patch pockets at the skirt. It was
not waterproof
but offered good
camouflage and
was a lot more
practical than a
battledress blouse.
It was initially
issued to the SAS,
SOE and SBS but by
1943 had filtered
down to the
infantry where it
was used by snipers
as an alternative to
the Denison Smock.
A matching set of
over-trousers was
produced to complement the smock.
Variations of the ‘Windproof’ followed in different
colours; white (or at least natural cotton) for desert
operations, olive green and black. The post war
smocks had a full length heavy duty zipper but
retained the same pocket design, and these were still
in evidence with the SAS in the 1970s! In the late
1960s though a new design the Smock, Windproof,
1963 Pattern, was produced in the distinctive
camouflage known as Disruptive Pattern Material
(DPM). The DPM version had large box pleated
pockets with larger than standard buttons that could
be opened by gloved hands. There were draw cords at
the hem waist and
around the hood,
though the hood
was rarely used
and was rolled up
tightly around the
back of the neck.
The SAS Smock
was a distinctive
garment made
from Gabardine a
windproof quick
drying material,
and cut to fit
more loosely, to fit
over other layers
of clothing and
the Trooper’s belt order. Where the standard combat
jackets were closed by a full-length zipper, covered by
a buttoned flap, and buttoned cuffs, the windproof
smock used Velcro to close the flap over the zipper
and to fasten the cuffs. The smocks became
particularly popular as a private purchase item in the
96
JULY 2022

HISTORICAL
SAS SMOCK
1980s when soldiers
found that they
being issued
with very poor
quality combat
clothing that
had ostensibly
been developed
from experience
during the
Falklands
campaign of
1982.
A similar
DPM
Windproof
smock was
introduced
designated the Smock Windproof Arctic and
was primarily issued to Royal Marine Commandos and
Army serving in Norway. Unlike Smock, Windproof,
DPM it had button-on rank loops on the chest and
back, as well as a wire ‘stiffener’ for the deep hood
that allowed it to be moulded around the wearer’s
face. It proved very effective in the Antarctic winter of
1982 in the Falklands.
Since its inception the SAS./Windproof Smock
has formed the basis for a diverse range of combat
smocks Some are startlingly expensive for a garment
that may see the wearer rolling around in mud, or
pushing across rough terrain and prickly woodland.
However they often have some useful features like
extra internal and external pockets. A long poacher’s
pocket across the back of the skirt is one feature
and two first field dressing/compass pockets on the
sleeves. In addition a compass pocket may be added
to the chest. Deep zippered inside pockets that can
be accessed from the outside are handy for maps or
other documents like TAMs. Though the cuffs are
secured with Velcro tabs other modifications can be
knitted para smock cuffs; these are great in cold wet
conditions but do not allow the sleeves to be rolled
up if it gets hot. There are cheaper copies around
probably manufactured in the Far East and to be
honest if you want a knock about jacket/smock they
will do the job perfectly well. I had one which I was
happy to modify in many ways with extra pockets and
an elasticated draw cord at the hem for a snugger
fit. The newer smock may be windproof but it is still
not waterproof; one solution is to add a MVT layer
jacket underneath. There is a very handy Dutch
Army MVT jacket on the market that with some small
modifications will offer this protection.
CURRENT DAY
The current issue Windproof Smock is in Multi Terrain
Pattern (MTP) camouflage and uses the Canadian
looped toggle pattern buttons; it has been upgraded
and redesigned from the earlier CS95 smock. The
significant improvements include angled pockets
and more, reinforced panels. The cut is also more
generous than earlier smocks, allowing for easier
movement when it is worn as a top layer over other
layers. The hood is wired and can be rolled and
buttoned in place when not needed, and the two-way
heavy-duty zip at the front is full length with a Velcro
secured storm flap. For pockets, you have plenty of
options; two large expandable chest pockets with two
zipped internal chest pockets alongside. There are also
two large expandable hand-warmer waist pockets
which are fleece-lined as well as two angled sleeve
pockets with Velcro panels for attaching Zap patches
or other badges/panels.
For protection from the elements, the
cuffs
are windproof with Velcro
fastening and there are
drawcords at the
waist and hem.
Useful additions are
zipped ventilation
armpits to allow the
wearer’s base layers
to breathe, front
rank loop and a
mesh lining. The
rear rank loop has
been discarded
because it had a
tendency to snag
on camouflage netting.
Soldiers will always have
opinions about kit and clothing and there have
been criticisms of the mesh lining saying that it can
snag on fleeces and other layers. If it gets wet the
hand warmer pockets take time to dry out and many
soldiers have commented that hands should not be
stuffed into pockets or indeed hoods worn.
The “SAS Smock” is, after many years of service,
and man redesigns a thoroughly valid garment; while
it is harder to find genuine olive green smocks they
are great general outdoor clothing and less of a
“signature” garment than DPM or MTP, so perfect for
more every-day wear.
Product images shown are of the reproduction
“WWII SAS Smock” sold by www.silvermans.co.uk,
historical images found in the public domain. AA
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D(RESSING UP)-DAY AIRSOFT
D(RESSING UP)
-DAY AIRSOFT
SINCE THIS EDITION HAS SOMETHING OF A D-DAY THEME, WE ASKED FRENCHIE IF HE HAD ANY THOUGHTS
ON AIRSOFT AS RE-ENACTMENT FOR HIS “LAST POST” TOPIC THIS MONTH, AND AS IT HAPPENS, HE MOST
CERTAINLY DID, SO GIRD YOUR LOINS FOR HIS AS-USUAL ACERBIC AND TIME-ENLIGHTENED TAKE ON ALL
THINGS “HISTORICAL”!
As it stands, all airsoft is enactment of one form
or another. When the Statutory Instrument
that granted UK airsoft its exemption was
drafted, the definition of airsoft that we came up
with was ‘acting out military and law enforcement
scenarios for the purpose of entertainment’, or if you
prefer, ‘playing soldiers for fun’. A big component of
that is dressing the part and there are damned few
airsofters who don’t become conscious of what they
wear when playing. Sure, most of us started with
really basic gear, but over the years we all tend to
invest in more and more specific kit to achieve one or
more looks. That basic principle applies
to historical airsoft as well, as does the
insistence by some that you’re not doing
it properly. I’ll come back to that little
cherry later.
Whether it’s SWAT black or the most
modern variant of Multicam, all of us
are acting out something, and we’re
no different from those who choose to
find their inspiration in the past. I wrote
about a ‘flintsoft’ game a long time
ago where every player looked to have
stepped out of the Napoleonic wars
and rubber swords were responsible for
more kills than BBs! This was a bit of a
niche exception; WWII and subsequent
wars such as Vietnam are much more
likely to inspire players.
On many airsoft sites you will probably come across
the odd US G.I. or Heer soldat (German infantry from
WWII) but only a few sites in my experience have
these in excess. One of my old haunts, Players of War
in central Scotland, had more than their fair share of
these, but even so, on anything other than themed
game days, they would still be in the minority.
There are a bunch of obstacles to pulling off a
decent historical look and the lack of weaponry is one
of them. It is the case that over the last twenty years
or so there has been something of an improvement in
“A BIG COMPONENT OF THAT IS DRESSING THE PART AND THERE ARE DAMNED FEW AIRSOFTERS
WHO DON’T BECOME CONSCIOUS OF WHAT THEY WEAR WHEN PLAYING. SURE, MOST OF US STARTED
WITH REALLY BASIC GEAR, BUT OVER THE YEARS WE ALL TEND TO INVEST IN MORE AND MORE
SPECIFIC KIT TO ACHIEVE ONE OR MORE LOOKS.”
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LAST POST
D(RESSING UP)-DAY AIRSOFT
the situation with MP40s, PPSh41s, Stens, Thompsons
and M1 Garands appearing in usable forms as you’ll
see in Red Cell and the WWII pistols article this very
month. Others are still problematic, especially the
more widely issued rifles such as the No4 Enfield and
the Mauser Kar 98k, although I’m led to believe this
may be changing. They are available but the amount
of noise such releases generate in the airsoft press and
online is, in my experience, inversely proportional to
the number of players who will actually buy and use
one, assuming they are functional.
The long-term standard for the airsoft Kar98, made
by Tanaka, was a beautiful piece but it was somewhat
fragile and being a gas rifle, a bit temperamental as
well. Fortunately upgrade parts were available which
WWI through to the present day. It should come
as no surprise that their range covering the events
of 1935-1945 is more extensive than any other era
although it does centre around British, American and
German equipment. While nothing is particularly
cheap, everything will be more than adequate for
airsoft unless…
THEY’RE THE WRONG BUTTONS OLD
CHAP!
Like all truly enthusiastic enthusiasts, re-enactors
can get a little fussy about details. I once endured a
monologue from a young man at the Military Odyssey
show on the subject of buttons, or it might have
was just as well because alternatives such as the gaspower
G&G version of the same rifle were shockingly
rubbish. If I recall correctly, a company I worked for
at the time ended up selling them off as wall-hangers,
stating very clearly and explicitly that if they actually
shot, it should be considered a bonus!
Uniforms and equipment are less of a problem as
the continuing success of companies like Soldier of
Fortune (SoF) attest. (Quick disclaimer: other suppliers
are available but I’ve used SoF and had good service).
Subject only to stock availability you can outfit
yourself with uniforms and equipment from before
been underwear, I honestly can’t remember. What
I do recall was a certain admiration for his grasp of
detail and minutiae and a strong desire that one of us
suddenly cease to exist, and frankly I didn’t care who!
These are the people for whom merely mentioning
SoF can cause an aneurysm followed by a lengthy
lecture about all the heinous sins they commit. Should
they encounter you onsite you may face a polite but
insistent lecture about why the stitch count on your
tunic is incorrect, the colour is at least two tones out,
that your epaulettes should be 3 mm narrower and
“...THE COLOUR IS AT LEAST TWO TONES OUT, THAT YOUR EPAULETTES SHOULD BE 3 MM NARROWER
AND 2 MM LONGER, THAT THE COPPER CONTENT OF YOUR BRASS BUTTONS IS TOO LOW TO BE
ACCEPTABLE AND THAT, ALL THOSE MINOR ISSUES ASIDE, YOU’RE WEARING IT ALL WRONG.”
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2 mm longer, that the copper content of your brass
buttons is too low to be acceptable and that, all those
minor issues aside, you’re wearing it all wrong. Please
feel free to scream. Loudly!
I totally get that if your passion is recreating an era
as accurately as possible, these things matter but so
does context. If I were going to attend a show and
be part of a living history display, fine, accuracy would
be more important. If on the other hand I am going
to clamber through dirty buildings or crawl through
woodland trying to shoot my fellow players, I’m really
not certain that that level of detail is necessary or
relevant. Be honest, by modern standards historical
kit sucks anyway. Wool uniforms? Leather load
bearing gear? It’s very much of its era and there are
exceedingly good reasons why modern gear uses
neither of those materials, not smelling like a wet
sheep being high on my personal list.
So, if you have gone to the expense of recreating
German infantry from the Eastern Front, 1943, as your
preferred airsoft loadout, I’ll happily salute your effort
without feeling the need to get out my colour chart or
stitch ruler. If you have added SS runes, I’ll consider
you deeply dubious, but that’s just me, or is it? For
hard core re-enactors I can understand the desire
or even necessity to go there, for airsoft I just don’t
get it. Leaving that personal niggle aside, the aims
of the two pastimes are different. Airsoft for most
players is about having fun (remember ‘..purpose of
entertainment’) whereas for re-enactors it seems to
be more about accurately capturing and recreating
specific periods in history. I strongly suspect that
they too have fun doing their thing (what’s the point
otherwise?) but accurate presentation is much more
important to them if they are to achieve their goals.
We cross each other’s paths now and then but I
have always found the number of airsofter hailing
from a period of history that isn’t ‘now’ to be in
the minority. My guess is that this is the case for a
number of reasons, not the least of which being that
the Second World War ended nearly eighty years
ago and may not really be relevant to many younger
players. Modern gear is more functional and generally
cheaper and there is a mountain of current weapons
to choose from so matching one to your loadout is
much easier.
Historically inspired airsoft won’t go away, but I
don’t think it will ever enjoy widespread popularity
or find itself vying with Speedsoft as an alternative to
what we all think of as skirmishing. Like so much in
life, it is what it is, and no one has ever told me that
my Multicam is the wrong colour! AA
“SO, IF YOU HAVE GONE TO THE EXPENSE OF RECREATING GERMAN INFANTRY FROM THE EASTERN
FRONT, 1943, AS YOUR PREFERRED AIRSOFT LOADOUT, I’LL HAPPILY SALUTE YOUR EFFORT WITHOUT
FEELING THE NEED TO GET OUT MY COLOUR CHART OR STITCH RULER. ”
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JULY 2022

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