Airsoft Action - March 2023

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
ISSUE 147 - MARCH 2023
ISSN 2634-9515

CONTENTS
8 ARMOURY: VORSK VMP-1
Some things are worth waiting for, and some are worth waiting for
more than others! Followers of Airsoft Action will know that we’ve
been involved with a “Special Project”. NOW we can start to talk
about the development of this unique and original design that sees
VORSK set to enter a new era, one that will help bring gas-driven
airsoft to all!
WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
ISSUE 147 - MARCH 2023
ISSN 2634-9515
18 ARMOURY: ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
A long time ago, in an airsoft galaxy not that far from home,
ARCTURUS released their AEG-take on the AK-12, and we were
pleased to feature it back in 2020! Okay, it’s not that long ago,
but in an airsoft market that moves faster day by day this OPFOR
workhorse was well overdue for an update! Bill finds out what new
“tech” it brings to the (not-communist) party!
Editorial Director: Bill Thomas
Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
Ad Design: Deadshot Design
Publisher: Calibre Publishing
Web: www.airsoftaction.net
©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023
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: VORSK VX-14
Last month Bill took a good look at the yet-to-be-released VX-
14 REQUIEM EDITION GBB and thoroughly enjoyed the initial
experience that he had with it… but now the VX-14 has hit
the stores and Bill, Jase, Jimmy and Ben got hands on with the
“combat version” during their day with VORSK, and this is what
they had to say!
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, or talk to
us on Twitter or Facebook.
32 ARMOURY: EMG F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
It’s a bit of a “pistol heavy” issue this month and we’ll continue
this theme unashamedly with something a bit different that’s
based on a real-world firearm and is all the better for that! We like
something different, and the EMG replica of the F1 FIREARMS BSF-
19 is most certainly unique, so Bill dives in to see if it’s any good in
airsoft form!

Contents
MARCH 2023
38 TOD: LOOK AFTER YOUR GEAR!
It’s that time of year again that we
should be keeping our kit up to speed,
so Bill revisits technical fabrics and
takes a close look at why you should
choose them as part of your loadout,
and how you can effectively look after
them without leaving the house!
66 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL
Although Airsoft is the same the
whole world over, there are some
crucial differences from country to
country that allow us to play. It may
be to do with power levels, legal
requirements, or it may just be to do
with how things need to be set up
to allow fields to be run in the first
place… sometimes it’s all about the
teams themselves, and why they run
as they do; Miguel tells more…
44 THE CAGE: FIT FOR PURPOSE?
We’ve kicked properly into a whole
new year and many of us are
reviewing our kit in preparation
for the games and events ahead,
tweaking and fine-tuning our
loadouts to make sure that they are
truly “fit for purpose” and good to
go! With this in mind we’re starting
a new sequence of THE CAGE this
month to talk about scenario-specific
loadouts and what they entail…
70 AA LEGION: TAIWAN
With the close of 2022 in sight and
things easing up increasingly in terms
of what seemed like never-ending
restrictions a somewhat subdued
calendar of national-level shooting
events could finally get back into
its swing! With two long weekends
at the opposite end of the country
one after another crammed into
December, Stewbacca was in his
element with his usual masochism in
the name of content production, so
what happened at the international
Level 3 shoot at the Taiwan Practical
Shooting Association’s newly acquired
shooting centre in Kaohsiung?
48 RED CELL: FAVOURITES –
PISTOLS OF ’22!
Following on from last months Red
Cell overview of their favourite
“longs” of 2022 this time we’re
looking at the pistols that the crew
have used most during last year, and
which models they swear by when
it comes to what’s in their holsters!
Although there are certainly some
newcomers in the mix it would seem
that the saying of “battle proven” is
very much the order of the day! As
usual, Bill kicks things off…
84 AA LEGION: SHOT SHOW 2023
Continuing our coverage of the major
shows this month we’re delighted
to report back on the massive beast
of an event that is SHOT Show as
Boycie, Li’l Stu and Danbring in their
lowdown of the 2023 event in Las
Vegas!
62 AA LEGION: HONG KONG
Games are most definitely back on
for another fabulous year of airsoft,
but let’s be honest and admit that for
many of us the good times just kept
on rolling through the end of ‘22 and
into ‘23 without pause! Larri joins
us again from Hong Kong to tell us
all about one very special event that
he and his UBCA team-mates are
involved in every year!
96 RELOADED: HUNTSMAN
TACTICAL
As the new HUNTSMAN TACTICAL
AEG models from iWholesales have
been out in the wild for a while now
we thought that we would revisit
one of these neat little ARs now that
we’ve had it on and off the range
for a couple of months; Bill recaps
on the features and tells all about
performance so far!
PHOTO COURTESY KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY

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ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
FIELDING
DREAMS
SOME THINGS ARE WORTH WAITING FOR, AND SOME ARE WORTH WAITING FOR MORE THAN
OTHERS! FOLLOWERS OF AIRSOFT ACTION WILL KNOW THAT WE’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH
A “SPECIAL PROJECT” FOR A WHILE NOW, AND WE’VE BEEN SWORN TO SECRECY ABOUT
THE LAUNCH OF THE VORSK VMP-1 GBB SMG! FINALLY WE CAN START TO TALK ABOUT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS UNIQUE AND ORIGINAL DESIGN THAT SEES VORSK SET TO ENTER A NEW
ERA, ONE THAT WILL HELP BRING GAS-DRIVEN AIRSOFT TO ALL, AS THEY LET RED CELL LOOSE ON
THE FINAL, FULLY-FUNCTIONAL, PRE-PRODUCTION MODEL!
I’m not going to lie but a select group even within
the close-knit teams of Red Cell and AA Legion
have been literally sitting on their hands and
bouncing up and down with barely suppressed
excitement since late in 2022, and for me, my
journey with the VORSK VMP-1 started over two
years ago…
As I see pretty much every new AEG or GBB that
comes into the AA office for test and evaluation it’s
hard not to become a little jaded and it has to be
something pretty darn special for me to jump up and
down and rave about a new model these days, and
it’s one of the reasons why you’ll see more of the
team getting involved in the review process… but
the VMP-1 has been on my mind and in my airsoft
dreams for some considerable time, and continues to
be there front and centre!
Again, regular readers of AA will know that I
have a passion for GBBRs and it’s a passion that I
will gladly share with any poor soul that will listen!
However, I understand that for various reasons many
AEG players will find it hard to understand just why
I find gas “the thing” so exciting. In the past gas
in airsoft has been a bit of a hit or miss affair, with
some excellent platforms hitting the market, but
equally some pretty horrible ones too. Gas itself
has been inefficient to say the least, especially in
colder climates, and gas magazines have always
been insanely expensive and prone to failure without
scrupulous maintenance. Then there’s the “realcap”
magazine question… why have just 30 BBs when
you can have 500 in your mag, or even 3000?
As I’ve said many time before, gas airsoft does
require a different mind-set, but I’m still of the belief
that a well-set-up gas primary platform can be a
100% viable option in all game settings, and not just
MilSim or competition shooting, and I have to say
that there are others among the AA team that agree
with me. VORSK have, through their stunning pistol
program, done more than most to improve things for
gas users; they have improved the very fundament
of this side of airsoft by creating new gas formulas
and helped us to understand what we are using in
our platforms and why, and whilst they may not have
made gas magazines “cheap” they have certainly
made them more affordable!
But still you may disagree with me that gas-driven
airsoft is THE WAY, and I admit it is not for everyone
as the challenges may simply be too much of a
reach; it is however, ONE WAY, and one I embrace
for exactly those challenges! Playing airsoft with
limited ammo where each and every BB counts puts
8
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
PHOTO COURTESY KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY
www.airsoftaction.net 9

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
extra pressure on your accuracy and
indeed on your style of play.
Airsoft, in many, many ways requires
a “suspension of disbelief” in any
game, so for me minimising that
“disbelief” by using a gas platform
that cycles (and potentially suffers
stoppages!) and needs feeding
like the “real deal” enhances my
personal enjoyment, and lets me
live my airsoft dreams the way I like
them!
And airsoft dreams? We all have
them. This brings me onto the
manufacturers and to put it bluntly
they hold our airsoft dreams in the
palm of their hand… they can offer
us up platforms that make our
dreams come true, or they can close
their fist and crush our dreams entirely…
DREAMTIME
Over the past few years VORSK have
time and again shown us all their
“open hand”, providing sensiblypriced
gas pistols that perform well
and consistently, allowing us to live
out our airsoft dreams week in, week
out. I’ve seen VORSK grow from just a
few pistol models to a massive offering
that encompasses MANY models, and
many styles of play from out and out
skirmishing to competition use.
So, knowing what I knew back then
about how the pistol range would be
set to expand you can imagine my
excitement when Ross also told me that
he and the VORSK team were working on their first
“primary”, and that this would be a gas “machine
pistol”! Over the next couple of years, in person
Development Render Courtesy of VORSK
where possible and via
online messaging when
those darn restrictions
kept me in the office I
saw the VORSK MACHINE
PISTOL-MK1 taking shape…
Ross shared with me renders,
designs, and pre-production
images so that I was “in the loop”
the whole time; he wanted me
deeply involved in the process so
that I had my own “investment”
in the VMP-1 project and I shared
in his excitement and also his
frustrations… It was a LONG haul,
but ultimately he wanted to ensure
that when VORSK did a gas primary,
they did it RIGHT!
Ross told me:
“The VMP-1 one is a natural
evolution of obviously what we’ve
been working on for the last three
years at VORSK; pistols with great
gas efficiency, performance and
durability, producing the best side
arms that people could ask for! For
the VMP-1 the whole concept was
to build on our pistol experience
and knowledge to create an
efficient, fun, affordable SMG/MP
but also one that was in keeping
with our high quality standards.
“We wanted to create a striking-looking, supercompact
gas SMG that could be used by anyone and
10
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
true “point man” platform. In fact there are so many
fabulous little design aspects that it’s hard for me to
cover them all in the space I have allotted here, but
when we look at the final production model in range
and field testing we’ll come back to them more!
everyone
at many different
game days, not just in
specific scenarios; when we
started working on the VMP-
1 the concept was driven by
my personal love of gas blowback
rifles and SMGs from my early years
as a keen and avid player…”
And so it was that I watched with huge
interest as this concept started to become
a reality! I saw the fundamental design for
the main body go through numerous changes
over time, each one adding to the ergonomics and
functionality. Every tiny detail was pored over, and
where necessary re-designed and improved, with
3D models and prints being created to ensure that
each and every part worked seamlessly together. The
decision was made that the magazines for the VMP-
1 should be new, but with compatibility to the MP9
so that players who already owned an MP9 could
use their existing mags… but even the mags were
improved and a mag-cover was created to continue
the design aesthetic of the VMP-1… simple (not
really!), but so worth the effort!
The stock of the VMP-1 went through massive
changes during the design process; when we first
discussed the concept I agreed that a side-folding
stock would be the ideal thing to keep the whole
platform compact and tidy, so the VORSK team went
away and designed their own, one that was neat,
lightweight and slimline, but with an innovative 15
degree rotating buttpad that allowed you to keep this
firmly in the shoulder during manipulation, especially
when “cutting the pie”, moving around corners and
clearing rooms!
Again, everyone involved agreed that the VMP-1
just had to have a suppressor as standard, but rather
than just give it a suppressor-compatible muzzle
device the guys went away and designed not just said
device, but a striking new suppressor as well, and one
that was really, truly Quick Detach! I absolutely LOVE
this, and although the VMP-1 looks fabulous “as is”,
with the suppressor fitted it becomes in my mind a
IT’S ALIVE!
Late last year Ross called me to say that the working
pre-production model of the VMP-1 had arrived with
him and asked if I would like to go up to VORSKs
“skunkworks” to give it a try… what can I tell ya… I
was there like a shot!
Although still a little rough around the edges and
with a few final production design-tweaks still to
happen, finally there in front of me was the VMP-
1! The suppressor was still unfinished silver, and
the muzzle device was still 3D printed, but oh boy,
I was smitten! It’s a privilege to have had even the
smallest part in the development of a new airsoft
platform, and I can only imagine the level of pride and
excitement that Ross and the VORSK team must have
felt at that moment!
Ross told me later that:
“We have built an eco-system within VORSK
to support the design and manufacture of our
airsoft replicas. This includes our range of 6mm
ammunition and the V6, V8, V12 GBB Fuel that all
of our replicas are designed around. This ensures a
consistent performance that is tested throughout the
prototyping process as well as enabling us to offer
genuine advice on how our replicas will perform in
different environmental conditions, with different
powered gasses and BB weights…”
And oh boy! Gassed up with V6 FUEL I finally, after
nearly TWO YEARS got to put some BBs downrange
with the VMP-1; all the passion, attention to detail,
design changes, improvements, and sheer hard work
from the VORSK team had led to this moment… and
I WAS NOT disappointed! Okay, it was only a 10m
or so range in the depths of the “skunkworks” but
the VMP-1 went off like a jack-hammer and sent BBs
straight into “centre mass”! There were no hang-ups,
no misfeeds, nothing, nada… it just performed…
accurately on semi, but when you cranked things
up… OH BOY!
I believe that Ross was a little disgruntled when I
made safe and said to him “my, that was pleasing…”,
but honestly even I was somewhat lost for words at
that moment, so pleased was I with the performance
of the working product, and equally so for him and
the VORSK team that their personal dream had
become reality in such a fabulous way!
www.airsoftaction.net 11

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
NAILING THE SHOOT!
And so it was that last month Red Cell Jase, Jimmy,
Ben and I made our way at zero-dark-thirty to an
“undisclosed location” to attend a photoshoot for
the VMP-1 and the “combat version” of the thenunreleased
VX-14 that you’ll see next in this issue
of AA. I’d had a thought to make this a bit special,
(even more special!) by speaking to Ian at VIPER about
getting their latest gear and especially their new
VX SMG Mag Panels to feature, and also to Taig at
KYDEX Customs for some Multicam-wrapped Hi Capa
Holsters for the VX-14s. I prepped the “background
platforms”, all VFC GBBRs, as I wanted this to look
great for the VORSK team; they’d put in a huge effort
to have the VMP-1 ready (although Ross was horrified
when we “tactically rattlecanned” the suppressor!),
so I wanted to make and equal effort to make things
“look just so”; I’ll be coming back to this preparation
and all the gear we used in detail next month…
We were also joined on the day by Legion Associate
Josh and his team from KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY; I really
like working with Josh as he “gets it”, and as part
of The Legion it means he’s also covered under our
NDA so I can keep him in the loop with our plans.
With Matt from VORSK also taking pictures, as you’ll
see from the images, we had a GREAT day, and
there’ll even be a video to follow from Josh that will
be posted in our new MIXED MEDIA section on the
website soon!
And of course it was time for other members of
Red Cell other than I to get their first taste of the
VMP-1, so I’ll pass over to Jimmy and Ben now for
their initial impressions…
Jimmy: A LOT of thought has gone into the allnew
design of the VMP-1, in fact around two yearsworth
of thought so I was expecting it be good. The
little time I did get up close with this platform didn’t
give me a chance to get the full lowdown on the
internals, but that said on the outside it does look
pretty cool! To look at it you can see likeness to other
very popular RIFs and indeed real firearms, and it
strikes me as a mixture between the Uzi, MAC, MP9
and MP7 and Ross based it on all the good bits of old
favourites of his, but has brought a modern twist to it.
In terms of size it is about the same size as an MP7
but with a more modular ethos. The ability personalise
to your tastes, a folding stock with rotating butt
pad will please many, but a standard AR buffer tube
giving the ability to adjust the length will be more
to my liking given that I have long arms… this will
come! Alternatively you could go for a blanking plate
with a swivel loop for a sling, “K-Style” and
eventually I believe
you’ll be able to affix
all options to the
same threaded
section which is a
fantastic idea in my
opinion. The pistol grip
is nice a chunky which for my large hands
is just perfect, and the angle of dangle is spot on and
not so upright like the MP7. The charging handle is
easy to use too also.
Upfront is a truly mammoth QD suppressor and
I do feel they made the right choice on the sizing!
Push down and twist and off it comes reducing the
size by around seven inches. It definitely would not
be out of place in the hands of the main protagonist
from “Escape from New York” and the VMP-1 just
screams “Snake Plissken”! At present we have only
been fortunate enough to see the pre-production
model as delays in shipping thwarted us from seeing
the finished article, and although I am not a GBBR fan
I am really looking forward to seeing and fielding the
finished item, which speaks volumes I feel…
Ben: The VMP-1... hot diggity dog! Now this is
a bit of me! GBB, and it comes with a look of an
uber-modernised MP9/MAC! It’s very comfortable in
the hand, perfect for CQB or your team’s pointman.
There are four standard rails top, bottom and sides for
attachments, a choice of different stocks, long and
short (collapsible), extendable M4 axehead to come,
“THE VMP-1... HOT DIGGITY DOG! NOW THIS IS A BIT OF ME! GBB, AND IT COMES
WITH A LOOK OF AN UBER-MODERNISED MP9/MAC! IT’S VERY COMFORTABLE IN THE
HAND, PERFECT FOR CQB OR YOUR TEAM’S POINTMAN.”
12
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
a beefy, genuinely-QD suppressor and a QD sling
attachment available as well!
The standard stock has a pivot point at the butt
end which allows for a smooth twisting of this SMG
when it’s shouldered (love
primary platform I believe that VORSK chose the right
direction in the first place with an SMG/MP, a logical
step forward from their existing pistol lines, and as
usual have nailed it in their usual understated way!
Like Jimmy and Ben I too am
REALLY looking forward to getting
hands-on the
that feature),
and a magazine that
holds 50 BBs that will
be adaptive to “future
unspecified projects”
to come (perfect!).
It’s a very impressive
for the new kid on
the block!... very
well done here TEAM
VORSK!
As a GBB MP7
user the VMP-1 will
be a new SMG for the
people who like to
bring the party to the
enemy (me), and will
make for an excellent
back up gun for snipers
or if your main RIF
goes down. You could
happily run it as your
primary in any style
of game play though;
it’s small and compact
and will fit nicely in
your gun case alongside a
rifle! I am definitely looking forward to
testing this against my MP7 and giving my feedback
in a future issue of the magazine and on my own fun
YouTube channel where I’ll have it in gameplay action
for you our devoted reader’s and follower’...TEAM
VORSK… watch this space!
So there you have it, the launch of a new VORSK
model, and one that is absolutely ensured of having
a proud place in airsoft history! For the first run at a
Development Render Courtesy of VORSK
production model, and whilst
they’ll be giving it a proper beasting
in-game I shall be hammering one
on the range! VORSK have promised
us production models just as soon
as they land here in the UK, so we’ll
be reporting back once we’ve had a
chance to put them fully through their
paces!
In closing I’ll turn again to Ross, as he commented
to me:
“The VMP-1 has been designed from the ground
up by the VORSK team here in the UK. With our
in-house prototyping capabilities, we were able to
get this project off of the ground, but it also took a
few rounds of production samples being delivered
from our manufacturing plant to perfect the VMP-
1. Ultimately there have been many, many hours of
blood, sweat and the occasional tears to deliver the
VMP-1 to market and it is with great excitement that
we’re now able to announce it.”
And I cannot help but agree! Two years on and the
VMP-1 will be hitting the stores soon, and I personally
am delighted to have played a tiny part in bringing
this particular airsoft dream to life! “Build it and they
will come” has never been truer, and I can see the
VMP-1 creating more airsoft dreams for many, many
players in the future!
My genuine thanks go to Ross and the VORSK team
for giving me unprecedented access to the entire
VMP-1 project process!
Thanks to of course to Ian at VIPER and Taig at
KYDEX CUSTOMS for helping us out with kit, and
to Josh at KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY for making us look
good! VORSK will be exhibiting at the IWA 2023 show
this year in Nuremberg, to give Airsoft businesses and
media the opportunity to get up and close with the
VMP-1. Expected Launch date is late spring 2023! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 13

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ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
“THE VMP-1 HAS BEEN DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP BY THE VORSK TEAM HERE
IN THE UK. WITH OUR IN-HOUSE PROTOTYPING CAPABILITIES, WE WERE ABLE TO
GET THIS PROJECT OFF OF THE GROUND, BUT IT ALSO TOOK A FEW ROUNDS OF
PRODUCTION SAMPLES BEING DELIVERED FROM OUR MANUFACTURING PLANT TO
PERFECT THE VMP-1. ”
16
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
VORSK VMP-1
PHOTO COURTESY KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY
www.airsoftaction.net 17

ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
AK GOES
TECH!
A LONG TIME AGO, IN AN AIRSOFT GALAXY NOT THAT FAR FROM HOME, ARCTURUS RELEASED THEIR
AEG-TAKE ON THE AK-12, AND WE WERE PLEASED TO FEATURE IT BACK IN 2020! OKAY, IT’S NOT THAT
LONG AGO, BUT IN AN AIRSOFT MARKET THAT MOVES FASTER DAY BY DAY THIS OPFOR WORKHORSE
WAS WELL OVERDUE FOR AN UPDATE, AND THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS AT PERUN THIS HAS NOW
HAPPENED! BILL FINDS OUT WHAT NEW “TECH” IT BRINGS TO THE (NOT-COMMUNIST) PARTY!
It’s still a fact that many European players are loathe
to buy into the AK platform at the moment for
reasons that are patently obvious, and for many
“Russian” guns n’ gear have been relegated to the
very back of the gear cage until events in Ukraine
ultimately come to some kind of resolution. Although
we at Airsoft Action have very strong views in relation
to his horrendous ongoing war we cannot be oblivious
to the fact that for many players around the globe it
is not as “personal” as it is for us, and that OPFOR
players everywhere are still picking up their AKs and
having at it in-game!
This would not be quite so apparent if it weren’t
for the sheer number of “com-bloc” AEGs and GBBRs
that are appearing at the shows around the world
right now; in the comprehensive report of new models
appearing at SHOT ‘23 that we also have in this very
issue, amongst the highlights are some righteous
new PP-19-01 Vityaz models from Lancer Tactical
and Arcturus, and Dan commented on the latter that
“The build quality was absolutely fantastic, with these
sporting some really smart features from the true
quick-change spring guide, to the realistic magazine
dimensions, and a (soon to be updated) rotary hop
up chamber that will sport a top-down-center hop up
arm…”
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MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
And it would appear that Arcturus are not just
changing SOME internal operating systems when it
comes to their AEGs, but a LOT of them, and the first
production model that has appeared is none
other than their AK-12, but with
an upgrade from our good mates
at PERUN that really brings the
platform right
up to date in
terms of playerfriendliness!
Yup, that’s
right, for
those that
may have
missed
it the
Arcturus
AT-AK12-
PE (PE
“Performance
Enhanced… or
possibly for PE-
RUN…) now comes
pre-fitted with PERUN
goodies as standard!
Speaking to PERUN direct
they told us that;
“The electronic board inside
AK12 PE is a modified V3 Hybrid, which has slightly
altered selector sensors and software. It’s supposed
to work with 3- and 4-position selectors (because
it’s also utilized in other Arcturus V3 replicas of the
“PE” line). Software is meant to be more a little bit
more accommodating for inexperienced users than
the V3 Hybrid. Other than that, it has most of the
characteristics the V3 Hybrid.”
SAME, BUT NOT!
So what does this mean in reality? I won’t go into
all the history of the AK-12 as a real platform again
as I’ve covered this off so many times already, but
starting with the
AEG itself it’s
essentially the
same AK-12
that I looked
at back at
mid-2020.
This is no
bad thing as the
AT-AK12 in my opinion hit
the global airsoft market at precisely the
right time. As I said way back then, whilst trends
are driven in the main by manufacturers pushing
forward with new models, the whole “AK Thing”
seems to have grown more organically, and to my
mind has been driven by the players themselves. The
move to OPFOR and the rise of themed teams has
certainly helped in this, but I would go further and say
that the adoption of the AK platform by many more
seasoned players has filtered down via games and
sites to the newer player.
Although there are a few of us that love the classic
47/AKM/74 wood and metal models, the newer
players in the main seem to look for something far
more funky, far more “modern”, with all the bells
and whistles as standard. Just like its forebear the
base Arcturus AEG is solid as a rock, and weighs in at
a hefty 3500g, 20g heavier than its predecessor, but
for a good reason that will become apparent! If like
me you’re used to a “classic AK” then this weight
feels “right”; this is a bruiser of a rifle with steel and
high-quality alloy used throughout the construction.
Like the “real deal” the receiver cover is another
unique feature of the design as it has a permanently
affixed top Picatinny 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 of course means that the rear latch has gone,
and the dust cover is released instead by rotating the
retained front locking arm above the cocking handle
“IF LIKE ME YOU’RE USED TO A “CLASSIC AK” THEN THIS WEIGHT FEELS “RIGHT”;
THIS IS A BRUISER OF A RIFLE WITH STEEL AND HIGH-QUALITY ALLOY USED
THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION”
www.airsoftaction.net 19

ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
and sliding the entire cover back and up to access
the battery compartment. This is easily done, and
although the locking arm on the test rifle was a little
“sticky” to start with, it doesn’t feel at all flimsy and
will put up with some abuse until it frees up. There’s
also a great ergonomic pistol grip modelled on that
of the real rifle, more rails on the handguard, and an
extremely solid side-folding, multi-position stock.
The muzzle brake has been 100% replicated from
the real thing, and thankfully the Arcturus version is
threaded 14mm CCW rather than being fitted with a
“QD System” so it’s easy to fit a suppressor or tracer
unit should you wish to. Included with the AT-AK12
“package” are two excellent polymer DMAGS, one
30/130BB variable-capacity magazine and one 500BB
hi-cap magazine; both are solidly made, replicate
the real-deal perfectly down to the “round-countwindow”,
and fed perfectly in testing.
The “PE” mech though is a new reinforced gearbox
with electronics from PERUN… that extra 20g… quite
possibly! The AT-AK12-PE still has the Quick Spring
Change System, bearing spring guide, bearing piston
head, full steel-tooth polycarbonate piston, and CNC
13:1 Steel Machined Gears mounted on 8mm ball
bearings that ably transfer all the power from the
motor to the piston gear, which is mounted on a
bushing to be able to withstand the highest loads; you
can happily give the AEG some real abuse, knowing
that the mech will take it! The “PE” also features a
CNC POM nozzle that works in complete harmony
with the Rotary Hop-Up Chamber and a PCP Grade
Precision Inner Barrel. The latest innovation is a 21TPA
High-Torque Neodymium Motor with MIM steel pinion
gear, so this is quite the package, and a 100% step
forward from the older version!
AS UNIQUE AS EVERY PLAYER
But of course, with this “PE” version there’s more, SO
MUCH MORE!
With the new PERUN board installed this latest
AK-12 can be programmed just as you would like it to
be, and it can end up being just as unique as you are
when it comes to setting how it operates! Jimmy has
been massively impressed from a tech-standpoint on
the quality, ease of installation, and versatility of the
PERUN electronics, and as a player rather than a tech
having now had chance to get up close and personal
with the settings illustrates to me just how right he is!
I spoke directly with Jakub at PERUN and he told
me;
“Programming of all the settings is done solely by
using quick and easily memorable sequences of fire
selector switching and trigger-pulls supported by
sound signals and multicolour LED diode. That allows
changing the settings in any moment, in a matter of
seconds, even in-game!
“All settings are set independently for each selector
position, so you can program the MOSFET exactly the
way you want, for example semi on semi and binary
trigger on auto. It works without problems with any
battery from 7V do 17V. It can also be used with the
most extreme setups…”
And it really IS that easy… how can I say that? Well,
as I’ve admitted many times in the past I am definitely
no tech; okay I know my way around a gearbox and
hop chamber, and I can certainly change out a motor,
but anything more than that and its “back to the
armourer”, or in my case, Jimmy! However, as the
“PE” comes with everything pre-fitted all I needed to
do was follow the clear setup steps and I was AWAY!
What this offers me is;
• Adjustable trigger sensitivity – The trigger
“WITH THE NEW PERUN BOARD INSTALLED THIS LATEST AK-12 CAN BE PROGRAMMED
JUST AS YOU WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, AND IT CAN END UP BEING JUST AS UNIQUE AS
YOU ARE WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING HOW IT OPERATES!”
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ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
can be set
to 5 sensitivity
levels, ranging
from a very short pull
needed to fire a shot,
to a very long one. No
modification to the trigger
or the gearbox is needed
and the trigger sensitivity
change is possible even in the field
• Programmable firing modes – You
can use one of pre-defined firing modes
for each of the firing selector positions +
safeStandard:
SAFE-AUTO-2RD BURST-SEMI
Alternative 1: SAFE-AUTO-BINARY TRIGGER-
SEMI
Alternative 2: SAFE-3RD BURST-BINARY-SEMI
Alternative 3: SAFE-SEMI-SEMI-SEMI
• Active brake - Active brake stops the motor
after each shot preventing spring compression
or in case of replicas with high rate of fire,
overspin (double shot issues)
• Precocking – A fast trigger response can be a
matter of victory or defeat, especially in CQB
situations! With precocking enabled, the piston
will remain in the rear position after each shot
with the spring already compressed, ensuring
that next shot will be fired immediately after
you pull the trigger. To release the spring after
using precocking, pull the trigger and hold it
for 2 seconds, after which a second shot will
be fired, this time with no precocking and fully
braked
• Rate
of fire
reduction – You
can reduce the rate
of fire in automatic or
burst modes to save ammo or make the replica
shoot in a more realistic fashion
• Low battery voltage alarm - Dedicated for
Li-Po and Li-Ion batteries. Should the battery
voltage fall to a dangerously low level, you
will be notified by short sound signals that are
repeated every minute. This may also be freely
switched on and off
• Diagnostic system – This constantly monitors
the replica and the MOSFET itself. In case of any
problems, it immediately lets you know what
the issue might be, making troubleshooting
much easier
• Electronic fuse – This will save your AEG and
battery in case of a major malfunction. It will
automatically disconnect the battery when a
short circuit or blocked motor is detected
DOWNRANGE
With all this worked out I loaded the 500BB Hi Cap up
with a full complement of my usual RZR 2.0g test BBs
and got to work; Ten BBs through the chrono gave me
a wanging 1.59 Joule/415fps so it was quickly back
to the tool kit and make use of that Quick Change
Spring system as obviously this was WAY above where
I should have any AEG in the UK! With a new spring
installed I retested and things were happily down to a
perfectly acceptable mean of 1.0 Joule/329fps…
“THE TRIGGER CAN BE SET TO 5 SENSITIVITY LEVELS, RANGING FROM A VERY SHORT
PULL NEEDED TO FIRE A SHOT, TO A VERY LONG ONE. NO MODIFICATION TO THE
TRIGGER OR THE GEARBOX IS NEEDED AND THE TRIGGER SENSITIVITY CHANGE IS
POSSIBLE EVEN IN THE FIELD”
www.airsoftaction.net 21

ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
This was now perfectly acceptable legally and
made the AEG “game ready” for any local field,
and setting targets out to 30 metres I was
able to get reasonable groupings on semiauto,
with things opening out marginally
when I switched the selector up to full;
my thought is that with a bit of care
and extra fettling you could really
have a very, very accurate AK on
your hands here
although it’s no
slouch straight
out of the box.
The thing that
REALLY gives the
AK-12 “PE” the
edge over other
“burst” replicas
though is the
sheer amount of
easily-set choice
you get from the
PERUN electronics.
Squeeze the trigger
and you get a BB
away in a flash!
Squeeze again,
24
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
ARCTURUS/PERUN AT-AK12-PE
another flies downrange. Then switch the selector
up to full auto and choose anything from “full chat”
through three round burst, to the new TWO ROUND
BURST… I LOVE this as it’s like getting an accelerated
pair or double tap with one squeeze of the lightly preset
trigger, and this is just about perfection for me!
As a lover of straightforward “military style”
AEGs the AT-AK12-PE ticks
boxes for me; as an AEG it
all the right
shoots fast,
well, and
accurately, it’s built
like a tank, and it’s a great
length for both CQB and woodland
use (700mm stock folded/880mm stock
open/950mm stock fully extended). With
the two magazines that come with it (there
are also now some great DMAG AK12
30/130RDS variable cap magazines easily found
at just over £10 a pop if you want to up-load)
you’ve got enough capacity from the box to get in
a game straight away, and in my opinion you would
have to go a LONG way to find as good a thoroughly
modern AK right now.
If you’re following ultra-modern OPFOR route
then the Arcturus AT-AK12-PE is going to be a
“must have” item to complete your loadout, but if
you fancy something bang-up-to-date as a general
skirmish AEG then it will not disappoint you either.
With the addition of the easily-programmable PERUN
electronics this AEG makes me smile, A LOT, and I am
really looking forward to running it in a game as soon
as I can!
My sincere thanks go to Jakub at www.
perunairsoft.pl for providing the Arcturus AT-AK12-
PE for testing; he’s also been kind (and confident!)
enough to let us add this model to the long-term
“torture test pool” alongside our other AK-12 models
so watch out for updates in future issues of Airsoft
Action! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 25

ARMOURY
VORSK VX-14
COMBAT
EFFECTIVE
LAST MONTH BILL TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT THE YET-TO-BE-RELEASED VX-14 REQUIEM EDITION GBB
AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE INITIAL EXPERIENCE THAT HE HAD WITH IT… BUT NOW THE VX-
14 HAS HIT THE STORES AND BILL, JASE, JIMMY AND BEN GOT HANDS ON WITH THE “COMBAT
VERSION” DURING THEIR DAY WITH VORSK ...AND THIS IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY!
26
MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
VORSK VX-14
What a day we had with the guys from
VORSK, and oh boy, do they have some
hotness hitting the stores in the coming
months! As our photoshoot with them encompassed
not only the VMP-1, but also other models we’re
going to roll straight into their latest pistol…
As you’ll see from our headline report this month
we were extremely privileged to be able to get our
hands on the new VMP-1 and spent a fabulous day
getting into the intricacies of a brand new model, and
direction, from VORSK, and a VERY exciting direction
it is too! As I said, the AA Crew and I are extremely
interested to see just where the VMP program goes,
but now it’s time to look at one of the other new
VORSK releases, the “combat version” of their VX-14!
It’s a solid starting point commercially to be honest,
as who doesn’t love a 1911-inspired pistol? I know
that some of you will favour something other than a
1911 or Hi
Capa as your
secondary, but
just like the AR
platform when it
comes to your primary,
the “1911” remains one of the mostused
pistols in airsoft, so doing something different
with it, updating it, and making it unique is a pretty
tall order!
But I have to say that VORSK seem able to create a
viable re-invention not just once, but time and again,
with different design flourishes and just a little bit
more performance each and every time. Again, it’s no
secret that I am intimately involved when it comes to
the VORSK brand as I’ve been following their amazing
story right from the very beginning, and their pistols
get better and better; the initial models were good,
www.airsoftaction.net 27

ARMOURY
VORSK VX-14
and a solid grounding for a new-at-the-time brand,
but the past couple of years have seen them grow,
expand, and stretch their design and manufacturinglegs
in the best possible way.
I see VORSK doing well in my local airsoft shops,
to the point that they are a “best seller”, and by
looking at different groups and forums throughout
Europe that appears to be the story everywhere! This
comes from having a collection of quality products
that have a uniqueness and character all of their own,
products that appeal to us as airsofters not down only
to performance but also in how they excite us to own
them. “Special Edition” pistols are one thing, and I
know of many of you out there that collect these as
soon as they appear, but it’s the “fighting pistols”
that will get the attention of everyone, those that you
and I will use week-in, week-out when we play, and
VORSK seem able to provide a little extra bit of value
for money, don’t they?
Whether it’s attractive (ultimately performancerelated)
design touches, hi-vis “irons” as standard,
suppressor-ready threaded outer barrels, green
gas or C02 compatibility as the norm (with all the
necessary parts included in the box!), or indeed, as in
the case of the VX-14, an extended inner barrel and
accompanying suppressor as part of the deal, VORSK
pistols continue to impress and offer us simply….
MORE! None of us that play airsoft are made of
money (c’mon, we play airsoft, it’s a money pit!) so
it’s vitally important that what we spend our money
on not only does the job intended, but does it in an
exemplary fashion, and all those extras that come as
standard with a VORSK pistol mean that our money is
being well-spent.
Although the colours and finishes of the “combat
VX-14” are different to the REQUIEM, the allimportant
feature set is the same, so I’ll direct you
to my review last month of the REQUIEM for those
details. I will make comment here that the VX-14
fits perfectly without the suppressor fitted into the
excellent Hi Capa holster from Kydex Customs, and
my thanks go to Taig for the loan of some fabulous
multicam-wrapped models for use in the shoot.
Suffice to say that the “combat VX-14” looks fabulous
in the more muted “tactical” palette and performs
just as well as the “special one”, and I’m looking
forward to having even more rangetime with it.
RED CELL READY
I’ve been lucky enough to have spent some time
already with the awesome REQUIEM EDITION of the
VX-14 and already love it, but of course for Red Cell
members Jase, Jimmy, and Ben our day with VORSK
was the first time that they’d got hands-on the latest
pistol, so I asked them for their initial impressions to
share with you.
Ben: VX-14, a nice modern take on a 1911 style
pistol! For those who use or are familiar with a
“1911” the VX-14 will feel much alike; in operation
the top slide recoil is light and it cycles well, the
trigger pull and wall are also very light and short,
and I managed to get 27 BBs out before the gas had
depleted from that big old Hi Capa style magazine.
Okay, so not the greatest of gas holding magazines
but then it was super-cold and it’s decent enough to
empty fully, and I managed to get a maximum range
of (out the box) of 53 meters/ 177 feet!
The pistol has a good weight to it and its grip
covers are chunky which aids with retention. It has
a modern under-barrel rail segment for your laser/
lights, and when fitted with the suppressor the
extended inner barrel works well. The overall look
is nice and slick and it comes in a choice of colours
for the “tacticool” out there! Not being much of a
pistol person myself I would say the VX-14 is a decent
platform that performs well and would suit any level
of player looking for an all-round affordable pistol.
Hats off to the team VORSK for bringing another
good quality piece to the market and for allowing us
to be a part of its reveal; having one to test long-term
will mean more honest reviews for you, our dedicated
reader’s and hardcore players, in time!
Jase: I’ve not had any real lovin’ time with the
VX-14 yet, and I’m waiting for some rangetime with
bossman-Bill to really give it a good hammering! It is
however a beautifully presented pistol, and straight
out the box it’s perfectly fine, it just needed a little
clean up and wash up on the rubber and I would
be happy to field it; this is just my preferred routine
with a new shooter. The finish is very cool indeed (I
have the grey/black model) and all the features are
thoroughly functional and good to go. The only niggle
I have is with the barrel extension going into the
suppressor as it doesn’t always mate up perfectly, but
that’s more user error and lack of watching what I’m
doing; I need to be “Smooth Jase” in this so practice
will make perfect! As I’ve been more recently a SIG/G-
Series kind of guy for MilSim then the layout of the
1911-style will take a bit of getting used to again,
but I’m looking forward to seeing what this baby can
really do!
Jimmy: The VX-14 is the latest offering from
VORSK and some would see it as a Hi Capa but
technically it is still a “1911” in my eyes. Yes it has
a double stack mag but only when you look at its
design will you see it is not “standard”. TM Hi Capa
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ARMOURY
VORSK VX-14
(and most other brand) magazines do fit, but the rest
of it is different! The slide has non-adjustable fibre
optic sights that are fixed by two pins, and this sits
on a one-piece frame and magwell with removable
grips. The hammer housing is a two-piece design
which is removable from the frame making it easy
to work on. I did discover a small error on the finish
of the hammer housing of my test pistol which has
been reported back up the chain and investigation
at the factory means that actions have already been
implemented to have this rectified; of course, anything
manufactured can suffer from a glitch, but as long as
it is dealt with effectively as part of a scrupulous QC
program as it has been here, then it’s not a biggy, and
won’t affect performance in the long run.
The adjustable trigger is a nice touch allowing the
user to remove a lot of the trigger travel. Running
the extended inner barrel requires the use of the
suppressor and does up the velocity quite a bit; using
it without the extended barrel does bring that down
and make it site legal but it does look tacti-cooler
with the suppressor. Also included in the package
is a separate nozzle which should bring the power
down, but I am yet to confirm this. The adjustable
hop unit allows you to dial in your BB trajectory; the
one I received struggled a little to lift a 0.30g BB at
full adjust, but can handle a 0.28g BB which is fine
for a pistol being used at its intended engagement
distance. I like the packaging; yes, I said it, I am an
“unboxer” after all! The VX-14 arrives in an updated
box very similar to earlier VORSK boxes but with the
addition of EVA foam which is very neatly cut; it does
actually look better than Shadow Foam! Overall I
like the VX-14; it is aesthetically pleasing and well
presented, it works well and so far is ticking all the
right boxes. I haven’t really stress-tested it yet but time
will tell…
I hope that Jase, Jimmy and Ben have given you
a taste of both the VMP-1 and VX-14 this month,
and thanks to VORSK we have now placed the new
models in the pool for longer-term testing, so expect
to see more on these in coming months as they start
to get some serious rangetime and in-game testing; as
far as we’re concerned the VX-14 is every bit as much
of a winner and the VMP-1!
Our sincere thanks go to the guys at VORSK and
also again to AA Legion Associate Josh and his crew
from www.kriosphotography.com who spent the
day with us; we’ll be looking in more detail next
month at how Red Cell went about preparing for this
photoshoot with VORSK and some other very special
people! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 29

ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
MCBLK
MAGIC
IT’S A BIT OF A “PISTOL HEAVY” ISSUE THIS MONTH AND WE’LL CONTINUE THIS THEME
UNASHAMEDLY WITH SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT THAT’S BASED ON A REAL-WORLD FIREARM AND
IS ALL THE BETTER FOR THAT! WE LIKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THE EMG REPLICA OF THE F1
FIREARMS BSF-19 IS MOST CERTAINLY UNIQUE, SO BILL DIVES IN TO SEE IF IT’S ANY GOOD IN AIRSOFT
FORM!
You may have gathered from what else I’ve
written about this month that I’m definitely
starting the year with my eyes firmly focused
on handguns, and why not? We all love our pistols
and although they may not generally see quite so
much action in a skirmish setting as our AEGs there’s
just something about your pistol that is deeply, and
meaningfully personal isn’t there?
Let’s face it, when we head off to our local site for
gameday there is inevitably a lot of ”Show & Tell”;
somebody is bound to have something new to share,
and we’re always interested to see what turns up.
Undoubtedly the reveal will be generally received with
approving nods and coos of “ooh, gucci”, and “can I
have a shoot of that?” followed by many BBs heading
down the test-fire range… and of course we always
balloon up with pride in our new acquisition when
the general consensus among our peers is “that kicks
ass…”
Nowhere I’ve found is this truer than when we
first field a new pistol, as just about everyone LOVES
their handgun; in an airsoft world still dominated by
AR-style AEGs the GBB “secondary” is where your
personal taste can really shine through, and as you’ll
see from Red Cell this month everyone has VERY
strong opinions of why they have chosen the pistolmodel
they have, and I’m certain this is just as true of
you!
More and more manufacturers are seeking licences
to replicate “real” handguns for us as airsofters
to cherish, and as much as I do love striking and
innovative directions in this aspect. I have no issue
whatsoever owning and using a pistol that is not
based on an existing firearm IF it is an effective airsoft
platform, but there is still something about a true,
100% as-the-real-deal model that excites me.
I fully understand that many firearms manufacturers
are loathe to see their creations replicated as (as they
sometimes see it) “toys”, and are wary as some of
their designs have been ripped-off with no recognition
by airsoft companies (yes, REALLY! Shocker…).
Thankfully there are companies like EMG ARMS out
there that work closely with the real innovators in the
shooting world to ensure that proper licences are in
place to ensure recreation-accuracy, and that means
that we get to play with things that are as close to
“real” as they can possibly be!
LET’S TALK LICENCING!
I’ve said this many times before, but I’ll keep on saying
it; you may have noticed in many of the reviews I carry
out on “replica firearm models” that I regularly make
“I HAVE NO ISSUE WHATSOEVER OWNING AND USING A PISTOL THAT IS NOT BASED
ON AN EXISTING FIREARM IF IT IS AN EFFECTIVE AIRSOFT PLATFORM, BUT THERE IS
STILL SOMETHING ABOUT A TRUE, 100% AS-THE-REAL-DEAL MODEL THAT EXCITES
ME.”
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ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
use of the
words FULLY
LICENCED, and
it’s something that is increasingly important to
me. There are many ‘replicas’ out there that may
on first glance look like the original that they are
designed to resemble, but in many cases it is just
that, a ‘resemblance’ rather than a true replication.
Whilst this may seem unimportant, in fact it’s a vital
part of how the airsoft industry works.
Development of any real firearm takes years, and
costs many, many thousands of buckeroos, and both
aftermarket parts and accessories form yet another
part of the process. Trademark infringement is a
serious matter, and failing to work with real world
firearms manufacturers could potentially see them
withdrawing their products altogether from the airsoft
replica market; it’s happened before, and we’ve seen
some companies try it again and again, and licences
DO change hands as we’ve seen recently in relation to
B&T!
You might be able to buy something that looks
like (in this instance) an F1 FIREARMS BSF-19, but will
that necessarily come with the same after-purchase
backup, or indeed will it even fit a holster that has
been designed for the original? Many copies vary
in overall size, especially frame size, to get around
licence infringement and in my mind there is nothing
quite as annoying as buying a holster or a taclite for
your replica and finding they don’t fit!
In my opinion EMG ARMS are one of the best in the
business at getting their licensing agreements right,
and ensuring that what we as buyers get is 100%
correct. In relation to the F1 FIREARMS BSF-19 this
means
that EMG
have
worked
hand-inhand
with
F1 FIREARMS,
even down to
the original specifications of the “real deal” to provide
a replica with a completely authentic look and feel.
And EMG are also very good a bringing together
development and manufacturing partners to ensure
that the model they are replicating actually, you know,
works, and the BSF-19 is an awesome collaboration!
EMG really seem to be making the most of the
licences they’ve managed to secure from real firearms
manufacturers in the USA, and this latest pistol model
sees them working with no other than the somewhat
www.airsoftaction.net 33

ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
legendary
APS/Hakkotsu to
create something
quite unique and utterly
stunning in appearance
from real-deal creators F1
FIREARMS!
F-1 FIREARMS was
incorporated in 2012 and
their technological expertise
and experienced team strive
to be the best in the gun
manufacturing industry and
this gives them a very competitive
edge. They take great pride in bringing advancements
through modern weapons design and features into
semi-automatic and automatic rifle systems. The
company’s advanced weapons manufacturing facility
is state of the art and F1 have assembled a top-notch
team of experienced designers and machinists to
ensure they manufacture and provide the finest 100%
American-Made weapons and parts around. They also
take great pride in employing U.S. Veterans from all
facets of the United States Military.
REAL SPEC
Thanks to iWholesales in the UK I’ve been lucky
enough to have a green gas-driven BSF-19 (C02
models are also available) in for testing for a while
now, and even before I got it to the range it became
much appreciated by all in the team that got “handson”
when it arrived with us.
F1 are probably better known to AR-shooters then
pistoleers to be honest, as their superlative rifles have
already found their way into the hands of shooters
like Jerry
Miculek and
Matt Carriker,
the main guy
behind Demolition
Ranch. But their pistols
are no less impressive,
undergoing scrupulous
in-house machining processes using state-of-theart
technology. A real BSF-19 will set you back
somewhere iro US$2000; built in Texas, the pistol
has its roots in Glock 19 Gen 3 and was designed
to deliver the same level of dependability and
performance but to take things to a whole new level!
The real firearm is made with a 7065-T6 aluminum
frame, and the frame and slide are aggressively
detailed, with a multitude of serrations and machinecuts
which are there not so much to enhance the
visual appearance but to aid in comfort, balance
and the overall ergonomics; cuts for instance on the
front and back-strap area provide solid retentionaid
without affecting comfort. The standard slide
machining also means that you get both “irons” and
RMR compatibility from the get go.
And all of this is faithfully and accurately replicated
in the 6mm BSF-19! First off the pistol features an
alloy slide AND frame that straight away feels very
different from its Big-G forebear. It’s an attractive,
modern-feeling pistol that has the specially designed
machined cuts to reduce weight and assist with
operation, and a spiral-cut outer barrel offers lighter
weight and a distinct look.
Also as per-the-real the BSF-19 comes optics
ready design to accept RMR dot sights, and a framemounted
rail allows for the attachment of lights,
lasers, and other standard accessories. The pistol
even comes with an 11mm positive (CW) to 14mm
negative (CCW) adapter so you can add the allimportant
suppressor or tracer if you want to round
out your in-game accessory package!
IRL F1 FIREARMS are known and respected for their
head-turningly cool anodized finishes, and this too
is replicated in the airsoft version of the BSF-19; I’m
STILL working on my MCBLK loadout and the pistol
I received in for testing was actually in that pattern,
and it’s a beautifully-achieved look right enough!
EMG also offer the BSF-19 in a multitude of colours
“F1 ARE PROBABLY BETTER KNOWN TO AR-SHOOTERS THEN PISTOLEERS TO BE
HONEST, AS THEIR SUPERLATIVE RIFLES HAVE ALREADY FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE
HANDS OF SHOOTERS LIKE JERRY MICULEK AND MATT CARRIKER, THE MAIN GUY
BEHIND DEMOLITION RANCH. ”
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MARCH 2023

ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
that include regular MC, Black and a very striking grey
colouration along with some outrageous two-tones
and even my favourite “Bazooka Green”, and they’re
all finished off with some really nicely achieved deepengraved
trademarks.
DOWNRANGE
Weighing in at 919g this is a hefty handful of compact
pistol, and it feels super-positive; the alloy pistol grip
is quite short and initially feels a little strange, but
the extended-style 23+1 BB magazine and the gripcuts
all go to make it feel somehow “right”, and the
magazine certainly makes reloads quick and easy!
In use the BSF-19 is pretty flawless although the
sample did need a bit of degreasing first; the action
is very crisp indeed, the slide easily moved to the rear
thanks to those deep serrations on either side of it.
Loaded up with .20g BBs and gas the BSF-19 sends
BBs downrange with astonishing accuracy given
the short 86mm, 6.03 inner barrel and the trigger
breaks smoothly and consistently, providing excellent
groupings at 5-10 metres; I was easily able to group
10 BBs “in the black” straight from the box with no
adjustments!
On .20g BBs it chrono’d at a steady and reliable
average of 0.78 Joule/290fps. EMG do offer a CO2
version and this I’m told raises the power a little
giving an increased average of 1.04 Joule/335fps; I
see this as a real positive as the CO2 model may well
give greater consistency in terms of rapid competition
shooting and use during the colder months of the
year. I shot mostly on .30g when punching the targets
and the BSF-19 appears to have zero issues lifting that
weight of ammo at short to medium range.
Overall this is a really superb airsoft pistol and is
worthy of a place in anyone’s armoury. It feels great,
shoots consistently and extremely accurately, and
cycles perfectly on green gas… as well as looking
drop-dead gorgeous! EMG pistols are stocked by most
good airsoft retailers, and the BSF-19 in my opinion
offers excellent value for money considering the
outstanding build-quality and overall finish along with
the fact that it is fully, and properly, licenced. If you’re
in the market for a new pistol for either skirmishing or
competition then I would thoroughly recommend that
you give the EMG replica of the F1 FIREARMS BSF-19
your full attention!
My thanks go to www.iwholesales.co.uk for
supplying the review sample, and I certainly hope that
I can persuade them to let us keep the BSF-19 in the
long-term test pool… I did mention it’s a proper little
ass-kicker, right? AA
www.airsoftaction.net 35

TOKYO MARUI
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T.O.D.
CLOTHING & GEAR MAINTENANCE
LOOK AFTER
YOUR GEAR!
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN THAT WE SHOULD BE KEEPING OUR KIT UP TO SPEED, SO BILL REVISITS
TECHNICAL FABRICS AND TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THEM AS PART OF YOUR
LOADOUT, AND HOW YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY LOOK AFTER THEM WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOUSE!
As we are heading towards spring at last I’m
certain that just like all of the AA Crew your
gear has been put through it a bit over the
harsh winter months! Here in the UK it has been
wet, cold, and muddy… did I mention wet?
I have written about this before and make no
apology for revisiting and including the subject here
again; we spend A LOT on our performance gear so
looking after it to me is a crucially important aspect
of getting the most for our money! To recap on
what I’ve written on this subject in previous issues of
AA understanding what you buy and what you use
in relation to your personal clothing is a subject that’s
very close to my heart; “technical clothing” whilst
not hard to come by, is an expensive part of any
loadout, and you want it to keep on performing for a
significant time to make your investment worthwhile.
So, what are we really talking about when we
use the phrase “technical performance fabrics”?
Basically we are looking at fabric technologies with
a very specific end use in mind that balance the
three key areas of waterproofness (read general
weatherproofness), breathability and durability.
Breaking it down most clothing manufacturers
will use two main forms of construction in their
garments, Two and Three Layer (although there are
other specific constructions out there). Two Layer
construction essentially means that the waterproof
membrane is attached directly to an outer face fabric
with a loose lining; Three Layer construction means
that the face fabric, membrane and inner lining
fabric are all bonded together. Many prefer the Three
Layer construction as it’s is easier to get on and off as
a loose mesh liner can sometimes snag on gear.
Different seam tapes (to ensure seams are 100%
waterproof and do not let water in through stitch
holes) are used in the different constructions; Two
Layer seam sealing tape is applied to the GORE-TEX
membrane directly, whilst in Three Layer the sealing
takes place over the inner lining fabric; seam sealing
is an art form in itself!
WATERPROOF
Let’s take a look first at waterproofness and how
technical fabrics achieve this. The well-known
GORE-TEX membrane for instance contains over
9 billion microscopic pores per square inch. These
pores are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet,
but 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule,
which makes the membrane durably waterproof,
while allowing perspiration (moisture as a vapour)
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MARCH 2023

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CLOTHING & GEAR MAINTENANCE
to escape from the inside. An oleophobic, or oilhating,
substance is integrated into the membrane,
preventing the penetration of body oils, insect
repellents and the like.
Simply put imagine an elephant, a mousehole and
an ant! The mouse hole is the microscopic pore in
the membrane, the ant is a water vapour molecule
and the elephant a water droplet; it’s pretty easy to
see that although the ant can escape through the
mousehole with ease, there is NO WAY that you
could push the elephant through it without breaking
the wall down! In garment terms that would mean
tearing a darn great hole in your jacket!
So, water cannot penetrate the membrane, or
can it? Logic dictates that eventually any fabric
technology can be pushed to a point of failure
and this can be tested; in this case the applicable
British Standard that I refer to is ‘BS EN 343:2003
Protective Clothing: Protection against Rain’. The
Standard describes the tests that should be carried
out to ascertain a garment’s level of waterproofness
and sets out the performance standards that items
carrying this description should meet. A Test House
would carry out these tests in order to ascertain the
garment’s ability to keep out water. This is measured
in PSI (pounds per square inch) or “Hydrostatic
Head”. Hydrostatic Head is measured in mm and
pressure is measured in pounds per square inch.
The Hydrostatic Head is determined by a test
whereby a fabric is held taut underneath a sealed
tube of water 1 inch in diameter. Over 24 hours it
is observed to see how many millimetres of water
the fabric can withstand before it leaks through.
When the fabric begins to seep water, the “height”
in millimetres is noted. This is known as the fabric’s
‘hydrostatic head’ which literally means: Hydro -
Water, Static - Not moving, Head - Height.
The PSI relates to the amount of water pressure
that a garment can withstand both from the pressure
within the garment (the wearer) and the external
conditions (the weather). To be 100% waterproof,
the British Standards of 3 PSI has to be met, which
means that a fabric can withhold 1500mm of water
pressure. Pressure is not just as simple as the pressure
of a rain storm, simply moving a garment when it is
worn will exert pressure on the fabric.
Let’s put this in perspective though; if you were
to sit on a wet, flat surface the mean pressure you
generate is around 10,000mm! If you were kneeling
in a firing position then the point of the knee
generates 15-17,000mm of pressure (smaller surface
area, greater pressure) so let’s face it, a minimum
legal rating of 1500mm just does not do the job. It
does begin to explain though how a garment can be
legally classed as “waterproof”, but in reality it really
isn’t.
BREATHABLE
Comfort is a relative thing, but if you’re too hot, that
can lead to heat exhaustion, too cold, hypothermia;
whilst keeping external ingress of moisture at bay,
controlling the micro-climate inside your clothing
system helps to prevent either too. The body
regulates itself effectively; as activity levels increase
you sweat and the evaporation of this moisture helps
to cool the skin. If moisture is not allowed to move
away you will become “uncomfortable” inside your
clothing system.
Letting moisture escape from the system is a tricky
thing, but it’s essentially what is being discussed
when we use the word “breathable. Behind it all is
a law of nature, the Law of Partial Pressures. This
law states that moisture as a vapour will naturally
move from a warm, high pressure environment to a
cooler low pressure one. If we are keeping a wellbalanced
temperature inside our clothing system
then on a bad-weather day moisture will move away
from our skin through the pores in our clothing and
escape to the outside. Sometimes we call this the
“Temperature Gradient” as it sounds like moisture
vapour is moving “down” from hot to cold.
This of course is also subject to testing; many
methods can be used here to establish a Moisture
Vapour Transmission Rate (MVTR) or a Resistance to
Evaporative Transmission (RET) figure. Of the two
I prefer an RET figure as it just plain makes more
sense to me. Skin is 100% breathable and has an
RET of Zero. As soon as you cover it though you
build up a resistance that slows down the rate at
which moisture can be transmitted away; the thicker
the barrier the more resistance and the slower the
“SIMPLY PUT IMAGINE AN ELEPHANT, A MOUSEHOLE AND AN ANT! THE MOUSE HOLE IS THE
MICROSCOPIC PORE IN THE MEMBRANE, THE ANT IS A WATER VAPOUR MOLECULE AND THE
ELEPHANT A WATER DROPLET; IT’S PRETTY EASY TO SEE THAT ALTHOUGH THE ANT CAN
ESCAPE THROUGH THE MOUSEHOLE WITH EASE, THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU COULD PUSH
THE ELEPHANT THROUGH IT WITHOUT BREAKING THE WALL DOWN”
www.airsoftaction.net 39

T.O.D.
CLOTHING & GEAR MAINTENANCE
transmission. In essence this means that as you
cover the skin with layers your system becomes less
breathable so we will always be looking for technical
fabrics with as low an RET figure as possible.
KEEP IT ROCKIN’!
If you’re spending a lot of money on a set of
waterproof gear, then you really want to get the
best out of it don’t you? Just like changing tyres or
the oil in a car your “shell gear” will really, really
benefit from some regular “TLC”, a bit of a service
if you like. All too often I’m out on the range or at
a game with my mates and when we get back in
the car their “Gucci” waterproof shell gear just gets
dumped unceremoniously in a pile on the floor or in
the footwell! These are usually the self-same people
that I will see at a later date bemoaning the fact that
their expensive waterproof jacket “isn’t working”,
complaining to all and sundry that somehow the
technology has failed, and that they are wet and
uncomfortable. The most common gripe I hear is
that “this funking thing is leaking” when actually
it’s still perfectly fine, and the fact is, it just isn’t
“breathing” anymore!
Like all performance items top-end shell gear
needs maintaining regularly to get the best from it.
When you buy a Gore-Tex (or similar) jacket you’re
investing in a high-performance item, and as such,
it needs treating like one! Over time things like
the hydrophobic (water-heating) Durable Water
Repellent (DWR, think a microscopic “film”) on the
outer face fabric of the garment will begin to wear
and crack, and the fabric will start to hold the water
that’s now allowed through to it. As new, water
droplets will be held on the DWR layer, simply rolling
off the fabric before they penetrate. You’ll notice
after a while that this “beading” process will start
to lessen, and that the water is being absorbed into
the fabric itself; this is usually noticeable first in areas
like the shoulders where pack straps or a plate carrier
rub and abrade the DWR, or on cuff ends where the
fabric rubs against itself.
Internally over time, body oils, grease and general
dirt will also build up and the net result is that
your jacket will stop “breathing” as well as it did
when it was new. You won’t really notice this until
it becomes obvious, and water vapour that was
previously being transferred out of the system stays
inside and re-condenses. You’ll feel cold, clammy and
uncomfortable, put your hand inside your jacket, feel
“water” and of course your quite natural conclusion
will be that the jacket is leaking!
A re-proofer will restore the waterproof
performance of your gear to ensure it continues
to keep you dry and protected. To combat the
degradation of performance you simply need to
give your jacket (or pant) a bit of care and invest in
a maintenance product. There are many of them
on the market these days, and most can be ordered
easily online, so check out brands like Grangers,
Nikwax, Storm, Red Wing, Rockin’ Green, and Gear
Aid. You’ll also find bespoke products for down,
merino, and base layer care products to keep all
of your gear tip-top. These products offer high
performance cleaning, water proofing and aftercare
treatments that let you refresh and restore the
performance of your gear, ensuring your kit delivers
the same protection it did when you bought it.
The first step is obviously to clean your garments,
and to do this you need to ensure that first and
foremost you follow the manufacturer’s care
guidance that’s given on the label you’ll no-doubt
find inside the garment. Most garments, including
hard shell, can be popped in the
washing machine, and by using a
dedicated wash product you can
40
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T.O.D.
CLOTHING & GEAR MAINTENANCE
make certain that no harm is going to come to your
beloved gear so it comes out all sparkly and fresh!
Once your garment has been cleaned, you should
clean out your washing machine’s detergent tray.
This is a similar step for washing, but you’ll want to
clear out any remnants of your washing product. Get
yourself some wash-in proofer (unless your garment
has a hydrophilic (water-loving) lining which is used
sometimes to help transfer internal moisture, in
which case use a spray on proofer to the outer face
as directed!) then simply follow the instructions for
volume and temperature settings before setting the
washer. Let the cycle run with the proofer, and once
completed, allow the cycle to repeat and remove
excess moisture. Re-proofers usually activate with
heat so if your garment allows you to tumble dry it
the heat will help activate the replenished coating,
and then you’re good to go all over again.
All of your clothing system will benefit form a
good wash and clean, and again products like base
and mid-layer washes will help your clothing system
in its entirety. These wash products are specially
formulated to work with both natural and synthetic
“thermal layering and next to skin” garments to
retain and improve performance, and aid in effective
moisture wicking, enhancing the overall effectiveness
of your entire clothing system.
THE BALANCING ACT
It’s always precarious balancing act when you put
technologies together in a garment with a lining
fabric and an outer face fabric that will ensure long
term durability whilst not degrading performance;
when you then add thermal mid-layers and fastwicking
base-layers in becomes even trickier still!
All these fabrics are chosen with extreme care and
tested for all kinds of heat, cold, flex and abrasion.
Not maintaining these garments to the best of your
ability simply means that you’re not getting the levels
of performance you have invested in, and this is
something you can be doing at home right now.
The fact of the matter is that many people find
performance garments expensive but at the risk of
being blunt they must have no real idea of what is
going on behind the scenes! When you’re paying for
a performance garment you’re getting “Formula 1”
levels of performance and that doesn’t come cheap.
Of course, you can always buy a cheap “hatchback”
but if your enjoyment, and ultimately even your life,
may end up depending on the performance of your
clothing system I have to ask the question “how
much is too expensive”?
Use your time wisely, get your gear prepped and
be ready for ALL your new airsoft adventures! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 41

THE CAGE
FIT FOR PURPOSE
THE CAGE:
FIT FOR PURPOSE?
WE’VE KICKED PROPERLY INTO A WHOLE NEW YEAR AND MANY OF US ARE REVIEWING OUR
KIT IN PREPARATION FOR THE GAMES AND EVENTS AHEAD, TWEAKING AND FINE-TUNING OUR
LOADOUTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TRULY “FIT FOR PURPOSE” AND GOOD TO GO! WITH
THIS IN MIND WE’RE STARTING A NEW SEQUENCE OF THE CAGE THIS MONTH TO TALK ABOUT
SCENARIO-SPECIFIC LOADOUTS AND WHAT THEY ENTAIL…
44
MARCH 2023

THE CAGE
FIT FOR PURPOSE
“Horses for Courses”, or so the saying goes, but
what does this actually mean when it comes to
airsoft loadouts? Simply put it’s not unusual to
have different loadouts for different types of airsoft
scenario… c’mon, would you be lugging around your
MilSim load at an indoor CQB site or wearing all your
skirmish gear for a competition shoot?
What I and the members of the AA LEGION will try
to do over the next few months is to look in detail at
what we use for different airsoft game settings and
specific scenarios, and why we use it. Among THE
LEGION are players with a vast amount of experience
gained over many years in numerous different styles
of airsoft gaming, so if we can help you to focus in
on the kit that’s absolutely necessary, and what can
cross over from discipline to discipline, then we’re
doing our job right… always remember though that if
something works for YOU it is NEVER wrong!
My personal gear has been distilled over many,
many years; sometimes it will be “real deal CRYE”,
UF PRO, Helikon-Tex or Clawgear but more and more
these days I love the latest VIPER and INVADER GEAR
clothing and kit… why spend the earth when you
can have excellent gear for a sensible price? It’s the
same with my LBE; yes, I do own “real” from brands
like WAS and Direct Action, but when I actually
play it’s more than likely to be VIPER, ONETIGRIS or
EMERSON these days. Boots are important, REALLY
IMPORTANT, and mine tend to be LOWA, Salomon or
Bates depending on the time of year and the weather
conditions…
We’ll get into more detail on specific things for
different scenarios later in this new sequence of THE
CAGE, and this is where we’ll start to really dig into
the detail of what works and why…
TEAM TALK
So, to start the ball rolling I kicked things off with a
simple question to the AA LEGION; “What clothing,
gear and footwear do your wear for a “normal”
Skirmish Day?”
Robbie: DPM BDUs (still the best woodland camo
and comfortable too!), a scrim (I overheat in hats
and this can be adjusted to change my silhouette),
5.11 zip boots or one of my half dozen pairs I own
from other companies, and my SMERSH Y set as I run
an AK and love belt gear, canteens, and more “old
skool” kit! If it is a small-enough field-game I’ll just
run an old 3-Mag chest rig and carry a canteen on the
belt. Knees pads of some sort, I’m old and my knees
have a radar for any stick, thorn, or rock I can kneel
on and they seek it out!
Elvis: Flash Force Industries for my team setup
(M81, perfect repro!) and for the some games a
contractor setup, Invader Gear gear all the way. To me
Invader Gear has the best stitching and lightweight
ripstop fabric; so many times I’ve been through the
bushes and it’s never ripped. I have a TMC replica of
TYR belt, CSM real steel dump pouch, TMC single
mag for pistol and M4, Kydex medic pouch (LBT
replica) and a TMC pistol 63DO holster replica with
flashlight in multicam (Safariland-style). When it
comes to carriers I have three; an FFI LV-MBAV with
Eagle industries utility pouch in coyote (the vest is
khaki), the second one is SPC Crye replica by TMC
with a front triple mag pouch (open one, no flaps)
with zip on panel on the back and Eagle industries
utility pouch in coyote and single mag double stacker
(Eagle Industries) in khaki colour. The third vest is Pew
Tactical, LV119 replica in multicam; this has an elastic
cummerbund with tubes, zip MOLLE back panel with
three flashbangs (Eagle industries in khaki colour),
one utility pouch also Eagle Industries. On front is Pew
Tactical chest rig attached; this is a Haley-style micro
rig, buckles connects it. Boots are always Merrel Moab
Mids…
Stewbacca: My skirmish loadouts tend to vary in
camo scheme or which placard I’m wearing on which
coloured rig based on team uniform requirements or
lack thereof for each game day, but, head to toe:
• Helmet: TMC FAST bump helmet in either black
or OD, with NVG mount for GoPro 7. It’s easy
to slip over or smack your head on low lying
obstacles at many of the sites we go to, plus I
want the stable camera platform and head shot
protection.
• EyePro: ESS ICE 2.4/Crossbow Been using them
since 2008. Don’t skimp on eyepro.
• Facepro: TMC mesh mask with soft cheek sides
in either black or Multicam. I’ve been wearing
that since I lost the first half tooth, lost a second
full one the one time I dropped it in my last
game in the UK!
• Top: lightweight decathlon sports shirt in black
or AOR2. Sometimes I’ll wear full BDU although
that tends to get sleeves rolled up pretty quick
due to heat and sweating, or ditched altogether
if camouflage isn’t a huge deal.
• Gloves: Mechanix MPACT in either black or
Multicam. I’ve tried loads of gloves. These are
the only ones which have lasted. Buy Mechanix.
Buy once.
• Trousers: TRU SPEC Asia lightweight BDU
trousers in Multicam /OD/Khaki or just jeans.
Again camo requirement dependent, can’t
quite get away with shorts here since I moved
www.airsoftaction.net 45

THE CAGE
FIT FOR PURPOSE
to mostly outdoor gaming due to the terrain,
plants, bugs and other hazards.
• Belt: I’ve taken to just wearing the inner rigid
velcro belt of my double alpha lynx setup as my
EDC solution for all situations, it’s comfortable,
adjustable and holds holsters and mag pouches
great. No need for a PLB/Battle belt for me in
reality.
• Holster: Genuine Safariland 579 for most
situations because it works and is adjustable to
suit most of my side arms.
• Pistol pouches: a trio of black TMC Scorpion
Fast mags tie wrapped together as a unit, with
the belt mount clips installed. Used them since
I came to Taiwan. Simple, cheap, never had a
retention failure or any problems with them
using pistol or SMG mags.
• Kneepro: medical tube sock retained gel inserts
that go right over the knee itself, acquired in
Spain years ago! Again, I’ve tried all sorts of
hard shell and integral kneepads, these don’t
make you sweat too much or clamp your
trousers around as they’re inside them, nor do
they move around or fall down. They just work,
and are unobtrusive. No elbow pads as yet but
I’m contemplating something similar to the
knee pads for prone sniping and crawling work.
• Plate carrier: TMC JPC1.0 clone in AOR2,
Multicam or black Kryptek depending on
terrain, with custom clip on placard setups
allowing me to use 3x 5.56/7.62 mags, 4 x
SMG/pistol or a combo of two pistol and 4x
very slim SMG mags (PP2K or MAC 11) in PSI
gear pouches. All non PSI gear pouches are
TMC scorpion gen 2 Fastmag pistol or rifle,
again they just work.
• Radio: PRC152 clones the team bought in
bulk with a throat mic and in ear headset. The
most effective setup I’ve used yet and massive
batteries that last for ages, also looks realistic
and has a pretty good range.
• Boots: LOWA Zephyr GTX Task force mid or
hi rides depending on terrain. I used to use
Oakleys but can’t get them. These are the
new hotness. I’ve rolled both of my ankles at
different times; I’m using my brand new highankle
ones to avoid that in future in rougher or
hilly terrain.
Miguel: For me, first up are my feet, so VIPER
Venom boots. These are lightweight, comfortable
and breathable, they are pretty much perfect for the
weather and the fields that we find here. My go-to
plate carrier is my trusty VX Gen 2, it can be adapted
with a lot of VX add-ons to adapt to the game on
hand, from a simple chest rig to a plate carrier with
backpack.
The uniform will change depending on the game
and the team rules, from the legendary M81 to a
more arid ATACS AU and passing by a more recent
full OD. We may also do some combos between
them. For example, ATACS pants + OD top works
really well! The headgear mostly changes between a
boonie or a helmet; the boonie is great for woodland!
When it comes to replicas, at the moment I mostly
use my Specna Arms mk18 or the H20 (HK416),
both EDGE 2.0. Both are versatile replicas with great
performance.
Björn: I usually have a similar setup every time
I play with smaller adjustments, a plate carrier , a
battle-belt (mainly highspeed gear) with a dump
pouch on and with a dropleg holster attached.
Sometimes grenade pouches and an extra m4/ pistol
pouch… I have several plate carriers from ONETIGRIS
both black and multicam that I use in different setups.
I often wear a helmet, preferably a L/XL model from
FMA as even in a simple skirmish setting you still have
overhead hazards! I have become really fond of my
LOWA mid boots, and I basically live in my UF PRO
pants! Uniform colour and setup will vary from time to
time, game to game; it can be UF PRO, OPS, Invader
Gear, Giena, Clawgear, 5.11, and some pieces from
who knows where… they just work for me! If I need
additional camo I top everything with a 3D Hoodie
from Giena Tactics.
Chris: My general game-day “plinking” gear is
something practical and comfortable. At this time of
year it tends to be a Paramo windproof top, VIPER
ELITE trousers, LOWA Zephyr boots, US aviator gloves,
a Helikon-Tex Beanie, Helikon-Tex shooters belt with
various useful pouches and a real Safariland holster
for my TM USP. My favourite primary is either my sub
350fps Scout or an AUG, and my gear reflects this.
Dan: For a normal “low key” skirmish that doesn’t
have established uniform regs, I might dress a little
more casual.
• Boots: LOWA Desert Elites are my 24/7 everyday
wear, outside of formal weddings and funerals
lol. I’ve yet to find anything else that’s been
more durable and comfortable for all day use.
The only thing I typically change out is the
insoles.
• Headgear: This would typically be a basic
Oakley SI cotton stretch hat. It breathes well,
keeps the sun off the face, and doesn’t have
that annoying button on top-dead-centre.
• Eyepro: This would be the ESS ICE NARO with
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FIT FOR PURPOSE
the elastic headband fitted. Simple, effective,
and never fogs up. I typically change out the
lenses at the end of every year.
• Facepro: Still running a ONETIGRIS Balaclava at
events where I expect to be in closer contact
with other players. It works, but it is not
what I would call the ideal solution for face
protection still. I’m still looking for something
better.
• Top: For the really casual games, this would
be any ol’ T-shirt pulled off the rack. For the
chillier events, I might throw on a lightweight
sweater or my Arc’teryx LEAF Atom LT jacket.
Windy / rainy days would see me pull out the
First Spear Windcheater.
• Trousers: I’ve been really enjoying the comfort
and flexibility of Savage Tacticians SL Trail
pants, so I’ll often wear those to the casual
games or my Outdoor Life Traveller pants from
the now-defunct Sears, Roebuck & Co.
• Belt: This would be a Ronin Tactics Shūto with
a G-Code optimal drop platform and Kydex
Customs Glock light-bearing holster. The only
other thing I run on this belt is a Tactical Tailor
roll-up dump pouch and a Haley Strategic
“Everything” hook for keeping my gloves in
one place when I’m just lounging about at
lunch time.
• Gloves: My go-to have been a pair of
Blackhawk SOLAG fingerless gloves. They’ve
been pretty durable and I can’t ask for more
than that.
• LBE: My venerable Tactical Tailor MAV w/
Fight Light X-Harness. The main 4x magazine
pouches are G-Code Scorpions, which will
fit M4 and AK mags equally well. I use some
goodies from Milwaukee Custom Kydex,
such as their Raven M12 carrier for the Odin
speedloader and RACC for the Baofeng
UV5-R. There’s also a double pistol-mag TACO
from HSGI, a Tasmanian Tiger flashbang pouch
(which holds my spare gas reservoir), a Tactical
Tailor grenade pouch, and a Warrior Assault
Gear 1.5L hydration pouch on the back.
Boycie: My general “turn up and play” set up is
my Clawgear ‘tactical jeans’, First Tactical boots and
depending on my mood, I’ll either use a UBACS or
just a t-shirt and my Clawgear fleece. Over the top is
my Templars Gear TPC. If I just want to be comfy and
have as least hassle as I can then that’s what I go for.
The Clawgear jeans are my every-day wear too and
are just sooo comfy, as are the FT boots! AA
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2022 PISTOLS
RED CELL
FAVOURITES –
PISTOLS OF ’22!
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FOLLOWING ON FROM LAST MONTHS RED CELL OVERVIEW OF THEIR FAVOURITE “LONGS” OF 2022
THIS TIME WE’RE LOOKING AT THE PISTOLS THAT THE CREW HAVE USED MOST DURING LAST YEAR,
AND WHICH MODELS THEY SWEAR BY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT’S IN THEIR HOLSTERS! ALTHOUGH
THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOME NEWCOMERS IN THE MIX IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE SAYING OF
“BATTLE PROVEN” IS VERY MUCH THE ORDER OF THE DAY! AS USUAL, BILL KICKS THINGS OFF…
Red Cell has always been, and was always intended to be, a rolling program, and as we promised at
the outset we will continue to document the performance and durability of the original models in our
lineup, but we’re also continually adding new, player-popular models to the mix!
It’s been a great last year for pistols to be honest, and we’ve had some absolute crackers to look at over
the past twelve months, but whilst new models are always welcome to this ever-expanding segment of
our airsoft armoury, it would appear that when it actually comes down to what is being used by The Cell
members it’s a right old mix! “Replica military models” are still popular, but it’s incredibly interesting to see
new designs hitting the market, concepts drawn up by airsoft manufacturers themselves. Recent models from
the likes of VORSK, VFC, ICS, EVOLUTION, RWA, WE and EMG are far from “military” but that’s not to say
that they’re not righteous 6mm creations and that they don’t perform sublimely in-game.
I seem to spend more and more time with my handguns these days, not only in terms of ongoing testing,
but also just because I enjoy shooting them! Thankfully the restrictions imposed upon us during the “plague
years” are a thing of the past, so that means, for me at least, that I can get back on a shared range on
a regular basis. I did get good use of my “home range” during the dark days of covid, and I’m eternally
grateful that I had it, but one thing I believe those trying times proved to all of us is that we are indeed
“social animals”, and if I’m honest I spent most of my lockdown time shooting steels… and my consistency
of target-level-accuracy has fallen off dramatically!
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So, at the beginning of this year I made a resolution
with my old mate Marcus that we would shoot
together once a week on the basement range (which
I’ve formally christened THE PIT!) at his shop before
he opens. Not only does that let me concentrate on
getting my “paper target skills” back up to snuff, but
it also gives me a chance to find out what is selling
and why, what is popular with local players, and what
models have seen problems; when the shop opens
it also gives me a chance to speak directly to local
players and find out what’s exciting them about our
beloved game.
TESTING CONTINUES… ALWAYS!
Most importantly though my Wednesday morning
rangetime each week gives me a chance to carry
out additional testing of new pistol models with an
impartial partner, and of course also allows me to
revisit older models in the long-term test pool for
continuation evaluation. Now I won’t go into the
VORSK Hi Capa 5.1 as I looked at that in RELOADED
just last month, although I must include it as it’s a
great pistol and one that I used a lot at the back end
of 2022; instead I will concentrate on another model
that I returned to and just went “wow!” all over
again, and that’s the VORSK Hi-Capa 5.1 Split Slide.
I first looked at this pistol in Issue 119 and whilst
other brands sat on their hands during the pandemic,
and indeed furloughed staff to sit at home, the team
behind VORSK ploughed ever onwards, and during
this time we saw the release of a number of unique
and wonderful GBB pistol variants including the Hi
Capa 4.3 and 5.1s (followed by the lovely Hi Capa
3.8!), but at the time it was the Split Slide Hi Capa
that really gripped me!
On first inspection the Split Slide Hi-Capa was
everything we’ve learnt to expect from VORSK, a mix
of high quality polymers and alloys, but it also had a
custom textured grip and a flared, oversized magwell
which aids immeasurably doing fast reloads! But it’s
the slide that makes all the difference on this pistol,
that Split Slide design, which means only the rear half
of the slide actually moves, dovetailing beautifully
with the fixed front half so there is much less weight
moving, making your gas usage massively more
efficient, and the cycle time meaningfully less when it
comes to taking follow-up shots!
And up on top of the slide you get, as we’ve come
to expect, raised fibre-optic “irons” which are brilliant
in low light situations, and super-fast to acquire,
and the attractive spiral-cut outer barrel of the pistol
is threaded for suppressors and tracer units; this
removable threaded adapter comes so any 14mm
CCW threaded muzzle attachments can be used, and
is finished with a knurled cover to protect the thread
itself. The 5.1 Split Slide is as good inside as it is
stunning outside too, featuring a 6.03 mm tight bore
barrel for more accurate shots and tighter groupings,
as well as an adjustable hop-up unit for range and
accuracy.
At first when I first got the 5.1 Split Slide in my
hand I thought it to be a most eye-catching design,
and at 900g it certainly felt solid and weighty, a pistol
made to “get business done”. On the fixed, front part
of the slide the “venting” is not only visually pleasing
as a design feature, but serves a purpose too, in that
you can mount a micro or mini-RDS on this section for
excellent target acquisition and retention of zero.
As new the 5.1 Split Slide performed very well at
10m on steels, and at 5-10m down in THE PIT using
.28g RZR BBs even on colder days it does seem to be
incredibly efficient on VORSK V8 gas, cycling the rear
“I FIRST LOOKED AT THIS PISTOL IN ISSUE 119 AND WHILST OTHER BRANDS SAT
ON THEIR HANDS DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND INDEED FURLOUGHED STAFF TO SIT
AT HOME, THE TEAM BEHIND VORSK PLOUGHED EVER ONWARDS, AND DURING THIS
TIME WE SAW THE RELEASE OF A NUMBER OF UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL GBB PISTOL
VARIANTS”
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of the slide quickly and efficiently even in the cold
of recent weeks, and having no problem whatsoever
emptying the entire 28BB magazine. I like this model
SO much now that I’ve even added one in green to
my PAMG armoury!
Although I’ve concentrated here on the VORSKs
I’ve actually been continuing to enjoy spending more
and more time with a whole host of GBB handguns
and although I have my favourites it’s always nice to
try something new isn’t it? Recently we’ve had new
models through that will be added to the test pool,
and as things are picking up again and shipments
back to full flow I’m sure that I’ll be adding more for
the guys of The Cell to test in due course. But it’s time
to hand over now to the Red Cell crew themselves to
give you an idea of what they’ve used most in 2022!
TRIED AND TESTED… TO THE MAX!
Jimmy: Looking back over last year I can’t say I had
any single favourite if I’m honest as I’ve had so many
models to play with; from a tech’s perspective this
is wonderful as I get to see models from so many
different manufacturers and work out their individual
idiosyncrasies! My change of game style to “airsoft
sniper” also saw me swap between several pistols
in-game; I enjoy having to draw on my pistol either
because my primary has failed or I have got close
enough to an opponent that
to use a rifle is a bit less that
sportsman-like!
I have respect for the
people I play against
so I treat them as I
would expect to be
treated. Sometimes I
will use my pistol purely
as a challenge and put
prior learning into practise.
At the turn of ‘22 and
through to mid-‘22
though it was always
my trusty TM Hi Capa
Gold Match which is a
very good and reliable
platform. On top of it’s
awesome appearance it is
an amazing out of the box performer and fast earned
popularity among the community. Everything you
would expect out of a TM pistol is encompassed in
the Gold Match. Highly efficient thanks to Japanese
quality and precision engineering, you can be sure
this thing will work every time you draw, and it’s very
accurate even over great distance. Many assume that
due to the low velocity of a TM it won’t give great
range but that is not the case; it’s fully capable of
lifting up to a 0.30g BB!
TM pistols utilise a plastic slide which is not to be
sneered at; a lot of players have opinions on whether
they are durable or not and it is recommended to
use a low-powered gas and initially I maintained the
use of NUPROL 1.0 gas and it worked perfectly well,
allowing me to empty a full magazine. I decided to
do a few minor mods to the internals and decided
to start using NUPROL 2.0; this along with the mods
transformed the performance giving a heavier recoil
effect and a much faster action and to date it is still
going strong. I had every intention to go full hog and
completely upgrade it but I really don’t feel the need
to. As a result of its popularity many manufacturers
began bringing out a vast range of accessories and
components which would complement or enhance
the appearance and performance of the Gold Match;
as the Hi Capa platform itself fast became the
preferred choice of many
an airsofter
be it on the
field or for
competition
use this
extended
further still,
and still does.
I mentioned,
though, a change in game style, and
this was when I adopted the role of a
sniper. Immersing myself fully into that
role I needed something quieter which is when I
started to use the TM FNX45, a lovely pistol with great
performance and accompanied with a suppressor it
does become rather quiet. Being quiet is key to the
snipers box of tricks and having a sidearm that will
operate unnoticed gives you a major advantage over
the unsuspecting… oh, and of course I’d be remiss if
“MY CHANGE OF GAME STYLE TO “AIRSOFT SNIPER” ALSO SAW ME SWAP BETWEEN
SEVERAL PISTOLS IN-GAME; I ENJOY HAVING TO DRAW ON MY PISTOL EITHER
BECAUSE MY PRIMARY HAS FAILED OR I HAVE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO AN OPPONENT
THAT TO USE A RIFLE IS A BIT LESS THAT SPORTSMAN-LIKE!”
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I didn’t mention the ICS Challenger, now wouldn’t I?
It’s a great pistol that I have enjoyed spending time
with and look forward to sharing with the rest of the
crew this year!
Stewbacca: Any time you’re likely to have seen me
over the past nearly two years since I acquired it on
May 2021 (another birthday present pistol to myself
as is tradition), you’ll no doubt have seen me with a
VFC PPQ NPA on my hip. Barring any need to carry
something else for review purposes, this has been the
pistol I’ve trusted to just work since acquiring it. A
number of my teammates also carry them as a reliable
backup, some even sporting red dots… which I’m
considering on mine.
The Taiwanese police evidently also see the value
in them as the NPA is the National Police Authority
version of the real steel (and replica) PPQ and
uses the ambidextrous flapper style
magazine release instead of
the push button, coupled with
the grip back strap and general
excellent ergonomics (which
clearly stem from the format of
P99 which I also have the WE
replica of); it makes an ideal
and comfortable easy to operate
secondary for many people of any
hand size.
I run it on the typical 0.3g BLS
rounds and 12kg gas that are my
baseline standard for everything
I use unless I need extra range,
and it’s pretty accurate for a pistol,
serving me very well in IPSC and my
dabbling into IDPA, even though the
trigger is longer and heavier like a Glock,
you can still run it fairly fast and accurately.
The recoil impulse is excellent and much
improved over the earlier version which my
earlier teammate had, and until the sear failed
recently it had been basically faultless aside from
me having to be mindful of my grip accidentally
actuating the slide stop levers as they are fairly long to
suit smaller hands with shorter thumbs.
The recent failure notwithstanding it’s been an
excellent and dependable sidearm that just works, and
looks the business. I run it in a genuine Safariland 579
which takes most of my sidearms.
Boycie: My favourite was my licenced Glock 19X,
but in black. I’ve been a long term user of Glocks
(since early 90’s) both in real steel and airsoft. I find,
as a left hander, that they just work perfectly for
me. There’s no safety lever to worry about operating
or breaking and like the old Volvo advert “they’re
boxy but they’re good”. When Glock bring out a
new variant, in most cases it’s just a few revisions/
improvements. I’m really pleased that VFC/Umarex are
keeping up with the new variants. Unfortunately TM
is still mostly running on Gen 3 models…
Chris: Most used, TM USP. This is my most trusted,
reliable and favourite of the two sidearms I own, the
second being a temperamental WE Browning MK3
which is mostly, sadly, a paperweight and only used
for living history display purposes…
Björn: What has 2022 meant in terms of pistols?
The clean looks of the “Warrior” G model from
Evolution… the snappy feel of the Raven Airsoft Hi
Capa 4.3, and the cool Punisher/Wick feel of the VP-X
from Vorsk! This also has a BIG “kick” to it, but the
style really does it for me! I always use .25g BBs for
my sidearms; it’s easier because then I always take the
right speedloader for them. .20g, although we use
it for chrono testing to get a mean is too light and I
usually use .30g for my primary but I feel it is a bit too
much for a GBB pistol.
Bill: I have to chip in again here as RAVEN have
really impressed me with their no-frills Hi Capa range
that really delivers performance in a seemingly simple
and pared-back package that actually hides some
exceptionally clever internal engineering! With their
Hi Capas they’ve kept thing completely streamlined
without any fuss or fuss-work to any of the major
parts or components. These are pistols fundamentally
designed to be shot and skirmished with, to be
used and not just gazed at fondly… although their
uncluttered and brutally elegant lines sing to me of
function over aesthetics!
They’ve beefed up areas that they felt needed it
to give them longevity and durability, only adding
features where necessary like the threaded outer
barrels and the accessory rail on the frame; they have
also upgraded the slide spring to cope both with the
“MY FAVOURITE WAS MY LICENCED GLOCK 19X, BUT IN BLACK. I’VE BEEN A LONG
TERM USER OF GLOCKS (SINCE EARLY 90’S) BOTH IN REAL STEEL AND AIRSOFT. I
FIND, AS A LEFT HANDER, THAT THEY JUST WORK PERFECTLY FOR ME”
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2022 PISTOLS
VORSK HI CAPA 5.1
Price: iro UK£140.00
Age: 18 Months
Weight: 930g
Length: 250mm
Magazine Capacity: 28 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Hot Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Hi Capa
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 12-14mm CCW with
adaptor (provided)
Supplied By: www.vorskairsoft.com
VORSK HI CAPA SPLIT SLIDE
Price: iro UK£140.00
Age: 2 Years+
Weight: 900g
Length: 250mm
Magazine Capacity: 28 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Hi Capa
Suppressor Compatibility: 12-14mm CCW with
adaptor (provided)
Supplied By: www.vorskairsoft.com
VFC/UMAREX GLOCK 19X
Price: iro UK£160.00
Age: 2 Years+
Weight: 630g
Length: 175mm
Magazine Capacity: 18 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.77 Joule/288fps
Hot Chrono: 0.72 Joule/280fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Glock
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: N/A
Supplied By: www.landwarriorairsoft.com
TM GLOCK 17
Price: iro UK£150.00
Age: 2 Years+
Weight: 703g
Length: 201mm
Magazine Capacity: 25 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.67 Joule/270fps
Hot Chrono: 0.65 Joule/266fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Glock
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: N/A
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
TM GOLD MATCH
Price: iro UK£185.00
Age: 18 months
Weight: 855g
Length: 220mm
Magazine Capacity: 31 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps
Hot Chrono: 0.72 Joule/280fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Hi Capa
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: N/A
Supplied By: www.alphadeltaairsoft.com
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ICS CHALLENGER
Price: iro UK£230.00
Age: 18 months
Weight: 970g
Length: 220mm
Magazine Capacity: 30 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.80 Joule/295fps
Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Hi Capa
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 11-14mm CCW with
adaptor (provided)
Supplied By: www.icsbb.com
VFC/UMAREX PPQ M2 NPA
Price: iro UK£145.00
Age: 18 months
Weight: 610g
Length: 180mm
Magazine Capacity: 22 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.81 Joule/296fps
Hot Chrono: 0.81 Joule/296fps
Holster Compatibility: Dedicated (Safariland 579
recommended)
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: N/A
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
EVOLUTION WARRIOR
Price: iro UK£140.00
Age: 10 Months
Weight: 476g
Length: 200mm
Magazine Capacity: 24 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.76 Joule/286fps
Hot Chrono: 0.75 Joule/284fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Glock
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 12-14mm CCW with
adaptor
Supplied By: www.evolutioninternational.it
RAVEN HI CAPA 4.3
Price: iro UK£110.00
Age: 2 Years+
Weight: 840g
Length: 200mm
Magazine Capacity: 28 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Hot Chrono: 0.82 Joule/298fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard Hi Capa
Taclite Compatibility: Good
Suppressor Compatibility: 12-14mm CCW with
adaptor
Supplied By: www.rvnairsoft.com
VFC 1911 TACTICAL CUSTOM
Price: iro UK£135.00
Age: 2 Years+
Weight: 840g
Length: 224mm
Magazine Capacity: 20 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Hot Chrono: 0.82 Joule/298fps
Holster Compatibility: Standard 1911
Taclite Compatibility: Dedicated
Suppressor Compatibility: N/A
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
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minimal increase in weight (the slides are chunky and
solid right enough!), and to give them a really positive
recoil impulse!
When the Hi Capas were launched, the guys told
me that they wanted to really make a firm statement
of intent when it came to what they were able to
achieve, and the net result of that was the new
iteration of RAVENs, the Hi Capas 3.8, 4.3 and 5.1.
Both these models moved on from the originals,
with a modern, strong, almost “blocky” look that
is right on the button for current combat pistol
design. RAVEN has really come on as a brand since I
first saw those initial models, and although, like any
manufacturer they’ve had their “ups and downs” it’s
been pretty much all “ups” as the range has matured
and grown.
When it comes to regular carry for skirmishing
I’ve found that the RAVEN Hi Capa 3.8 or 4.3 are my
preferred options, although for practical “ringing the
steels” use the 5.1 is ideal. Even though the design
is obviously at variance with the lines of a “classic
1911” in terms of both the frame, slide and magazine
capacity, the grip angle and operation is both familiar
and comfortable; it’s as if they’ve taken that classic
“1911 rake” and feature set and incorporated it into
a new, modern design that works well and looks
great, but that keeps an overall simplicity that John
Browning would have approved of without doubt!
Robbie: My absolute favourite has been and will
continue to be the TM Glock 17 but tuned. I ran
6.01 barrels that were moly-polished combined with
H-bucking (degreased) and then high flow valves in
the mags. Everything was super-cleaned, no oil, no
grease. The result? I was outshooting most AEGs
for the same fps (1joule) running .25g BBs. I still use
this set up to teach classes and train with; it runs
flawlessly, with insane accuracy, consistency, and
reliability.
Dan: I’ve pretty much settled on my custom RWA
Agency NOC, which I had picked up as part of a
purchase of an entire GBB Glock parts inventory from
a business that was being sold, so as you might expect
from a full-time tech it’s not a retail model! When I
started it was just a Guarder frame with some really
nice stipple work from JPG Customwork in Hawaii
paired to the NOC slide and having mostly TM stock
internals. Since I now had a plethora of aftermarket
parts to select from, I ended up outfitting the entire
thing from top to bottom… to which end, there is no
longer a single TM part left in it now!
I’ve spent a lot of time tuning this piece, especially
as then I was slightly obsessed with the idea of having
a pseudo “offensive pistol” concept that could be
paired with a sniper rifle and be able to go toeto-toe
in the range department with your M4’s
and AK’s on the field. But I also needed something
that would handle well in CQB environments as
our fields have lots of transitions from woodland to
CQB areas. I’ve dabbled with using various SMGs,
including the TM Skorpion and MP7’s, as well
as the compact AK’s like the 74U in the past,
but this admittedly starts adding on a lot of
weight and most of these do not have very
ideal solutions for keeping them secured
(but also eminently accessible) to your person;
juggling a 48.2” long rifle whilst trying to
retrieve your little SMG from its byzantine
mounting arrangement proved impractical. So
selecting a reliable pistol with some good tweaks
and spare magazines ultimately won the day.
For a number of years I was shooting heavy
.40g’s, which absolutely sailed with the best of them,
but was also what I typically used out of my Real
Sword SVD. Since I recently switched up to slightly
heavier weights in the SVD, I’ve started running
.32g’s more recently in the pistol. This is also simply
to standardize with what I carry in my field guns (for
which the sidearm is always along for the ride) and
avoid ammo mix ups amongst those. These still have
excellent range and don’t fly too slow either.
One of the more recent additions to the pistol was
some EMG TTI extensions, which increase the gas
capacity and add 4 more rounds to the magazine.
While a little expensive on a per cost basis, this has
definitely been money well spent as just having a few
more rounds can make it or break it in tight situations.
I run a Surefire X300U-A on the rail as one of the
fields here has some buildings with some really dark
interiors. The light has definitely come in clutch for
clearing those out. Aside from the initial “trial by fire”
with tuning it, she has otherwise been phenomenally
reliable. I did end up shearing one of the RMR
“I’VE PRETTY MUCH SETTLED ON MY CUSTOM RWA AGENCY NOC, WHICH I HAD
PICKED UP AS PART OF A PURCHASE OF AN ENTIRE GBB GLOCK PARTS INVENTORY
FROM A BUSINESS THAT WAS BEING SOLD, SO AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT FROM A FULL-
TIME TECH IT’S NOT A RETAIL MODEL!”
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mounting lugs off the top of the slide somehow. I
haven’t been able to really repair it, so I’ve gone back
to running irons and reinstalling the cover plate on
top.
Bill: To round off this look at our favourite pistols
I’m going to come back to the mighty 1911, and an
absolute classic that I enjoy every single time I pick it
up, and that’s the VFC 1911 Tactical Custom! VFC,
are in my mind really one of the real innovators right
now when it comes to GBB pistols, carbines and
rifles. As their range, sadly sometimes only for the
Asian market
due to licencing
issues, has grown
VFC for me
has become an
international
benchmark for
GBBs both in
pistol and rifle/
carbine form.
Although VFC
have a hand in
many GBB pistol
“branded projects” I have to admit that I’m a
huge fan of their own 1911 Tactical Custom.
The “1911 Tactical Custom”, just like the real
deal Kimber it’s based on, is a striking looking
pistol! It aims to break a few moulds in both looks
and performance, and to my mind it does both very
well indeed! The pistol is beautifully finished in every
respect, living up to the “Kimber” feel although
thankfully VFC haven’t included trademarks; VFC
are one of the airsoft companies that understand
the licencing game well and hold a number of good
ones, and to be frank I would have been slightly
disappointed had they added spurious ones to this
pistol model. In all honesty this 1911 doesn’t need any
“dodgy trades” to help it sell, as it’s good enough,
WAY good enough, without them; the VFC 1911
is totally unmarked, making it “a completely blank
canvas for you to place your own custom markings on
it”.
In use this 1911 is all about smooth cycling, and all
the positive ergonomics you would come to associate
with the 1911 platform. Internally the pistol features
a revolutionary hop-up design that allows you use the
guide rod for adjustments, the GuideHop, and this
can easily be done on the go if necessary, allowing
for you to access the hop without removing the
complete slide; all you need to do is hold the slide to
the rear and turn the guide rod itself to increase or
decrease the hop with series of “clicks” that you can
both feel and hear, then release the slide forward to
keep shooting! The pistol also comes with a 20BB
magazine and is extremely gas efficient, but that’s
something I’ve come to expect from VFC these days.
I’m pleased to say that I now also have the 1911
Ultra carry (UC) from the “same stable” thanks to my
very good buddy Ray, and once again VFC have dome
a fabulous job of recreating another truly excellent
“Kimber-style” design. As much as I love the 1911
Tactical Custom, and I do love it, as an aficionado of
compact “concealed carry” style 1911 pistols the UC
really ticks all my boxes!
Although
some might
say that there is
little need for “concealed
carry” in an airsoft game, where
you want your beloved AEG or GBB to be seen by
EVERYONE, for certain scenarios, especially when
you’re acting as a player character in a storyline,
having a neat little handgun tucked away somewhere
under your shirt or jacket can really give those on the
other team a nasty shock!
58
MARCH 2023

RED CELL
2022 PISTOLS
So, there you have it, our “personal picks” from a
host of excellent GBB pistols that we’ve used, abused
and come to love even more during 2022! We’re in
the process of honing down the long-term test pool
for the coming test season, adding and subtracting
models as we go, and rest assured we’ll keep this
rolling as having a shiny new pistol is one thing…
but having one that will never let you down in game
is quite another, and the members of Red Cell and I
hope that our experiences, continual evaluation, and
“torture testing” will point you in the right direction
to find the model that sings to you too! AA
Red Cell is supported by:
www.airsoftaction.net 59

AA LEGION
HONG KONG
UBCA
WINTER CUP:
THE MONEY
HEIST 3.0
GAMES ARE MOST DEFINITELY BACK ON FOR ANOTHER FABULOUS YEAR OF AIRSOFT, BUT LET’S BE HONEST
AND ADMIT THAT FOR MANY OF US THE GOOD TIMES JUST KEPT ON ROLLING THROUGH THE END OF ‘22
AND INTO ‘23 WITHOUT PAUSE! LARRI JOINS US AGAIN FROM HONG KONG TO TELL US ALL ABOUT ONE
VERY SPECIAL EVENT THAT HE AND HIS UBCA TEAM-MATES ARE INVOLVED IN EVERY YEAR!
62
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
HONG KONG
UBCA Cup Games were started in 2014, and
our original idea was to get our community
to be more united and push beyond their
CQB skill set for a “championship”, and from the
very beginning, we focused on this internal event
for the summer, but as we found out, people are
keener on outdoor games during summer-time here
in Hong Kong so we changed to organize this event
every winter, to bring out the joy of CQB during our
“indoor time”.
Each year our game mode designer, UBCA
Dezomani crafts different game modes; in the old
days we had Poker card game mode, Monopoly
game mode, conquest game, or even building an
electronic device for scoring objectives.
Besides UBCA members, we will also open invite
guests that always participate in UBCA weekly
games, and for each cup game, we have a specially
designed UBCA patch by our designer UBCA
Sauerkraut!
The UBCA Cup Game itself is a yearly airsoft-only
pistol internal event. Besides the Team Death Match,
we always bring different mission objectives in to
spice up the airsoft experience. As we were resuming
our yearly internal competition after the “time of
covid” and associated lockdowns, for the 2022
Winter Cup we decided to bring back our popular
“money heist” game mode to challenge players’
CQB skills and looting skills (P.S. Money Heist is just a
game mode, do not do this in real-life!).
GETTING THE GAME ON
Each team leader was selected before the event, with
their usual teammates as core members, while the
rest were be picked by rhe leaders. To get more play
time for the event, we organized team enrollment
and briefing in an online format.
Since this was our third time with a “money heist
theme”, we adjusted our game mode to an Attack
and Defend style, which is a round-robin game,
so each team had their chance as an attacker or
defender as well.
As each game only lasted 7 minutes with
respawn game mode (as each respawn takes
only 10 seconds!) you couldonly slow down your
enemy, instead of clearing them all. Each team
had a respawn bell, attack teams have 2 so they
can respawn 2 players at the same time, while the
defender only has 1 respawn bell.
Our “money” had also been redesigned to the
2022 version, with 100 stacks with different values
of $20, $50 & $100 with a total of $5100, stored in
a designated area as a bank vault. To bring up the
game changer elements, we also provided a gold
bar that equalled $1000 which was located near the
defender spawn point.
This event was set with 30 players only, while each
team had 10 people. As we planned attackers had
players scale benefit, so while 2 teams were having
their competition, the attacker team can “hire” 5
members from the third team as mercenaries with a
50% bonus of the looted money, while the rest of
the third members will be a referee of the match!
HIGHLIGHTS
Strategy-wise, each team planned a heavy defence
around the area. For all the attackers team, they tried
to push through the choke point and also through a
room two stories high for high ground advantage. It
helps on covering people to grab the money…
Usually, it takes up to 4 minutes for attackers
to access the vault area, so the last 2 minutes will
be the key to delivering the money back to the
extraction point. Besides that, all 3 teams were trying
their best to push to the jackpot area for the gold
bar.
Based on the results, players who had reached the
vault dropped their weapons and grabbed all money
with both hands! The highest-scoring team got up
to $2800 within 7 minutes; however, the gold bar
could not be removed to the extraction point before
the game ended. Finally, the event was smooth and
each team got the specially designed UBCA moneythemed
Velcro patches as souvenirs; also 3 MVPs
were elected as the players of the event.
It usually takes time to organize an entire
competition, a lot of preparations and discussion to
get it done. However, it is also a great enjoyment
to see players getting more united and enjoying the
event, this is always the best way to summarize our
airsoft year.
In 2023, we aim to go to Macau and Taiwan for
Airsoft CQB again after the summer, and then we
will arrange another Winter Cup in 2023.
As our cup game usually involves every player, we
must give our credit to Indigo again, he had taken
several shots by filming and taking photos for us
during our most intensive gameplay of the year,
which gave us the first UBCA Cup Game video with
3rd person angle montage; for the official event
montage please check https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=an3H4oYJYdA
That’s it for sharing today, and hopefully, you all
enjoyed our community content! See you in the next
issue of Airsoft Action! AA
www.airsoftaction.net 63

AA LEGION
HONG KONG
64
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
PORTUGAL
UNNATURAL
SELECTION!
66
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
PORTUGAL
ALTHOUGH AIRSOFT IS THE SAME THE WHOLE WORLD OVER, THERE ARE SOME CRUCIAL DIFFERENCES
FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY THAT ALLOW US TO PLAY. IT MAY BE TO DO WITH POWER LEVELS, LEGAL
REQUIREMENTS, OR IT MAY JUST BE TO DO WITH HOW THINGS NEED TO BE SET UP TO ALLOW FIELDS TO
BE RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE… SOMETIMES IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAMS THEMSELVES, AND WHY THEY RUN
AS THEY DO; MIGUEL TELLS MORE…
Let’s talk about new guys in airsoft. How does
your team welcome new players? Are they
friends who you introduce to airsoft? Coworkers
or family members? What happens when
someone who you don’t know wants to join your
gang? What if it’s not just one new player, but 10,
15 or even 20, and you don’t know most of them?
Would you be comfortable in taking them to an
airsoft game? Where adrenaline runs high, it’s easy
to lose patience in many situations. These are just a
few of the obstacles that we found when opening
our team to new players.
But before moving into the article in question, it’s
important to explain the reality of airsoft in my home
country of Portugal. Here, teams control the fields
and organize around 99% of the games nationwide;
we have a few Associations who also organize a few
games each year, but it’s always with the help and
support of teams.
This means that the teams can organize private
events and invite who they want, and they can cross
teams off their list if there is a history of issues in
the field, so that means that it’s important to be on
the good side of those who organize events. Playing
airsoft is not a right, it’s a privilege, and not everyone
has the right personality or mentality to play airsoft
at any level, of this we are all well aware.
Now, with the previous paragraphs in mind, we
can agree that it’s important to trust the new players
who join a team, that’s why every two years we open
slots for anyone who wants to join, and “work” with
them for around six-seven weekends.
Even before the first weekend, we try to explain
online a bit about airsoft and a good deal give
up at this time; some don’t have free time on the
weekend, others had no idea about the prices of the
replicas and gear and some don’t even say anything
and disappear. This is our first “filtering” stage.
There is no point on having anyone who is interested
buying gear if then they just can’t play airsoft, or
waiting on those that just won’t show up.
Then the real deal starts, every weekend for
around six-seven weeks there is a different event,
all this with the goal of getting to know them and
explaining what the airsoft that we play is all about.
Every day has a goal, like teamwork exercises where
they need to reach a goal, interviews to get to know
them, night game, team building, role-play in airsoft,
shooting exercises and even some surprises to see
how they react.
For those looking from the outside this might look
a bit overboard for some, or even extremism, but
when we go out to the field we like to find players
who respect airsoft and everyone involved, and we
have all witnessed situations with people who maybe
are not cut out to play airsoft. That’s what we want
to avoid.
And it works; we’ve held eight “Admission
Courses” so far, each with a good number of
candidates, most between 10-15, and a couple
exceeding 20 who signed up. Up until now only
three candidates, in 15 years of existence, weren’t
accepted in the end of “process” by decision of
the team, the rest ended up giving up for several
reasons. Some want to play airsoft here and there,
with no commitment, others want a more skirmishbased
game and some see that airsoft might not be
compatible with their life or other hobbies.
The truth is that in the end, those who reach the
last weekend (most of the time) are accepted into
the team, and have the spirit and the character that
we look for.
www.airsoftaction.net 67

AA LEGION
PORTUGAL
68
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
PORTUGAL
AND NOW FOR THE FUN PART!
This may all sound very serious, but I’s how we
must run things here in Portugal to make it work
for everyone; ultimately though, once the difficult
work is done being part of an airsoft team is about
enjoying being with your friends, and having fun
with other like-minded people in our wonderful
global player community, so let’s talk about “Snack
Fest 2022” as it definitely comes under the FUN side
of airsoft!
A huge airsoft celebrity visited Portugal under the
radar at the end of last year; you might have met
him in the fields around the UK, heard him squeak
as he sniffs beards and rubs himself against patches,
or simply jumps you aggressively if you use a P90!
He’s usually accompanied by Bakewells and hates
sweaty airsofters. That’s right, Stretch McChicken,
the star from Super Mega Tactical News, was able to
somehow pass by Airport Security and found himself
in Lisbon, trying new snacks, beer
and other interesting foods.
It wasn’t long until he started getting whiffs of
an airsoft beard mixed with “pasteis de nata”, and
that’s when Stretch contacted me for a meet up,
saying something about “chicken trafficking” and
that his cousin wanted to stay in Portugal. It was
confusing, but I went anyway; I had to make sure
that there was no mayhem in the capital. It was a
rainy night and the streets of Lisbon were filled with
football fans, so to avoid bloodshed we decided to
move from the crowds and get some refreshment
in a quiet place. I listened with enthusiasm to all the
stories and adventures from back when Stretch came
to be, and his ultimate rise to power!
So, after confirming that the authorities were
still blind to Stretch’s location, we decided to risk it
and arrange for a meeting with more airsoft players
and force them to... I mean, let them try some UK
snacks, and so “Snack Fest 2022” was born. I called
some members of the Ghost Ops team, and we were
joined by some guys from the UPA Margem Sul team
as well. We all shared stories, drank and ate a lot,
squeaked even more and enjoyed what airsoft is all
about even without being in the field… having fun,
meeting people and being childish to the point of
nearly being kicked out of the place!
Before Stretch left for the UK, he surprised us
with his cousin, who wanted to remain in Portugal.
So after some interrogation, we found out that he’s
called Sneaky and likes to whisper strange words in
MilSimmers’ ears and sniff their beards afterwards.
So be ready to meet Sneaky in the Portuguese
fields soon, he has definitely passed our “selection”!
AA
“A HUGE AIRSOFT CELEBRITY VISITED PORTUGAL UNDER THE RADAR AT THE END OF LAST
YEAR; YOU MIGHT HAVE MET HIM IN THE FIELDS AROUND THE UK, HEARD HIM SQUEAK
AS HE SNIFFS BEARDS AND RUBS HIMSELF AGAINST PATCHES, OR SIMPLY JUMPS YOU
AGGRESSIVELY IF YOU USE A P90!”
www.airsoftaction.net 69

AA LEGION
TAIWAN
SHOOTOUT IN
A DOWNPOUR
– KAOHSIUNG
LEVEL 3!
72
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
TAIWAN
WITH THE CLOSE OF 2022 IN SIGHT AND THINGS EASING UP INCREASINGLY IN TERMS OF WHAT SEEMED
LIKE NEVER-ENDING RESTRICTIONS, A SOMEWHAT SUBDUED CALENDAR OF NATIONAL-LEVEL SHOOTING
EVENTS COULD FINALLY GET BACK INTO ITS SWING! WITH TWO LONG WEEKENDS AT THE OPPOSITE END
OF THE COUNTRY ONE AFTER ANOTHER CRAMMED INTO DECEMBER, STEWBACCA WAS IN HIS ELEMENT
WITH HIS USUAL MASOCHISM IN THE NAME OF CONTENT PRODUCTION! SO WHAT HAPPENED AT THE
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 SHOOT AT THE TAIWAN PRACTICAL SHOOTING ASSOCIATION’S NEWLY ACQUIRED
SHOOTING CENTRE IN KAOHSIUNG? OVER TO STEWBACCA...
Ever the glutton for punishment I had decided
to make use of the last of my paid holiday from
the day job to cover MOA 2022’s triumphant
return as well as get involved in the two largest
(inter) national level events in the competition
shooting calendar in Taiwan… which both happened
to be hastily crammed into the end of the year… you
know, just to maximise my suffering for my art!
So it was, with a few final practise sessions
crammed in between getting back from my
adventures in Japan, as well as juggling the
skirmishing & reviewing side of things, we set off in
the mid afternoon of Friday the 16th of December
to embark upon a long weekend epic journey
that would see four of us form Team SPPT driving
basically the length of Taiwan and engaging in 12
stages of pistol shooting, and for three of us an
additional…experience… of 8 stages of rifle shooting
at the same time… I like to keep myself busy and
out of trouble, you know. Thus I packed my CLPD
Shadow 2, magazines, CO2 capsules, BBs and other
support equipment into my usual 5.11 Rush 48
backpack, and also secreted my clone-SRO-fitted
VFC LAR/FAL GBBR into the typically long and utterly
inconspicuous black gun bag for the weekend away
with the boys.
Travelling down with Mars, Rex and Tacticalcat
driving in shifts we made our way all the way
from our training field in Taipei to the outskirts of
Kaohsiung bordering with Pingtung county which
is about as far from civilisation as you can get in
Taiwan, stopping off for the obligatory refreshment
breaks and driver changeovers along the way, we
finally found ourselves at our homestay, which we
were apparently sharing with a youth baseball team
for the weekend… at least we weren’t the only ones
traipsing in mucky equipment I guess!
While nearly all the competitions I’ve been
involved in thus far have been held at our usual
training centre, this was to be the inaugural event
to celebrate the opening of our new dedicated
competition area run by the TPSA, and its leader
Philip Chen, in Kaohsiung; a Level 3 event (and my
first at that!) which would encompass a whole two
days of shooting for everyone, with the stages set
up outdoors on the newly acquired grounds of a
massive temple halfway up a hill with commanding
views of the county below! Not a bad setting for a
shootout, assuming the weather held…
Spoiler alert, the weather, as it happens, did
not hold! We awoke on Saturday morning and
began preparing our equipment and had a highly
traditional Taiwanese hamburger breakfast at a
local place before the short drive over the river to
the shooting arena. Marquees had been prepared
in the shadow of the large temple on site and we
began occupying tables inside and getting signed in
and having our guns checked at the admin station.
Once all the teams were on site we formed up for
the usual introductory remarks and were told that
a few international guests had also made the trip
thanks to the dropping of restrictions, with shooters
representing Mongolia, Thailand , Macau and Hong
Kong swelling our ranks! Our teams were introduced
and representatives from each were picked to
officially open the festivities with a balloon shoot
salvo at the testing station. Perhaps I should have
prayed harder for good weather, as the spitting rain
began just as we made our way to the first stage for
us; with Mars, Rex and myself doing both TPSA pistol
shooting and TSMOC rifle shooting on the same
stages over the course of the weekend we were
packing in another half on top of what everyone
else was, so had to shuffle between squads 2 and 4
respectively as and when we could to get everything
finished.
www.airsoftaction.net 73

AA LEGION
TAIWAN
STAGE 2 - DRIVE THRU
We began on stage 2 a short course of a minimum
round count of 12, with 3 no shoot obstructed
papers, two open papers, a single popper, and
the end plate, with the popper and three papers
inside the walled boundary of the stage and a
paper flanking either side, the shooter started
facing up-range, hands on a barrel with their pistol
unloaded alongside all their magazines on a table
in two marked fault boxes. So, a Condition 3 start,
facing the wrong way, and only a small
window behind the table through which
to engage the targets behind the wall.
I actually did pretty well on this one,
placing 3/13 no doubt thanks to my
height advantage making the lone
popper hidden to the low left inside the
window easier to get sights on while
moving from the right outside target to
the left - T=13.01, 9 alphas, 3 charlies,
one make up shot, no misses or reloads,
and a round of applause to go along
with the pitter-patter of the driving rain,
I’ll take that.
Later I’d come back after lunch to do
the same layout again but with TSMOC
square targets and make use of the FAL
GBBR; this took a little longer at T=18.45 seconds,
but yielded basically the same results, of 9 alphas
and 3 bravos with a makeup shot and no misses. I
guess my skills are at least repeatable regardless of
weapon type?
STAGE 1 - CROSSROADS
Next up squad 2 took on stage 1, another short
course with a minimum round count of just 10;
four no-shoot obstructed papers were
hidden behind walls the shooter had to
lean around, at four stations each at the
end of an X shaped fault line area of
crossing lanes, with a lone extra popper
on the rear left, and the ending plate
out beyond the front left leg, with the
shooter once again starting in condition
3, with the empty pistol holstered but
all of our magazines deposited atop
the starting barrel in front of the centre
point of the X. I elected to run right,
then back left, back right and front left
to try and minimise the awkwardness of
running up range and keeping my pistol
downrange, evidently not the fastest
approach, but nonetheless I managed
to shoot it clean with 10 alphas and
no misses or makeup shots in T=13.80
seconds putting me 6/13 just above middle of the
“I ACTUALLY DID PRETTY WELL ON THIS ONE, PLACING 3/13 NO DOUBT THANKS TO MY
HEIGHT ADVANTAGE MAKING THE LONE POPPER HIDDEN TO THE LOW LEFT INSIDE THE
WINDOW EASIER TO GET SIGHTS ON WHILE MOVING FROM THE RIGHT OUTSIDE TARGET TO
THE LEFT”
74
MARCH 2023

AA LEGION
TAIWAN
pack, at least I didn’t slip over or do anything stupid.
Once again this was a stage I returned to in the
afternoon for the rifle work, following the same plan
with the FAL, however missing the popper on the
first shot and taking a further 2 misses before hitting
the ending plate, once again all clean on paper at
least - the height over bore of the SRO clone did
make me a bit concerned with shooting no shoot
obstructed paper not much further away from me
than the muzzle at times, but I was enjoying running
the long rifle on paper at least - T=17.31, A = 10, 3
missed shots.
STAGE 3 - SLIDING DOORS
Stage 3 was next, with a trapezoidal shaped centrespace
surrounded by the fault lines going left to right
around the sides; with a minimum round count of
18, I’d have to make at least one strategically timed
reload given my 15 BB magazine limit in production
division. The targets were fairly symmetrical in their
distribution, the right leg ending in a lateral wall
with a no shoot obstructed paper in front and one
behind, which the shooter then swung left from
to get another two unobstructed papers in front
and behind a similar wall, in the centre behind a
somewhat awkward height small sliding door that
had to be opened manually was a further no shoot
obstructed paper, with another to the far left in front
of another wall, and the shooter swinging to the
right to get the final targets around the other side
of the central barricaded area; another obstructed
paper inside then another unobstructed behind the
wall along with a lone popper at its feet and the
ending plate beyond.
I managed to eke myself a little higher on this
one placing 5/13 in production division, with a
fairly smooth run of T=14.27, A=17, C=2 and one
makeup shot with no missed shots and just the one
reload after I cleared the sliding door target, slick yet
slow is my typical theme it seems.
STAGE 4 - HORSESHOE OF
HOPELESSNESS
After returning to the marquee area we quickly
ditched our pistol magazines, went to the safe area
to repack our guns and switched out our equipment
to use our rifles, hurriedly carrying our gun bags to
take on stage 4 with the long guns first.
The rain had been somewhat continuous and
reasonably to rather obnoxiously heavy throughout
all this, so everybody’s shooter shirts were sodden,
and many of us were living in our outerwear during
the moments we weren’t shooting or moving
between stages, taking shelter under the command
and spectator gazebos at each stage. We slipped in
with the rest of squad 4, the rifle-only shooters, and
unpacked our long guns and placed
them on the designated storage racks
under the watchful eyes of the ROs.
Stage 4 was set up for TSMOC
first to do the rifle shoots on, being
converted later for TPSA and pistol
targets, in the never ending juggling of
practitioners, squads and target types
that is any such large event. A large
horseshoe shaped fault line area was
presented, with three targets hidden
behind barrels at the front right corner,
and a further open one to their right,
followed by three more distant open
targets from the rear right of the
shooting area, two targets in the centre
behind a low wall, another wide target
on the left and one hidden behind
“THE RAIN HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT CONTINUOUS AND REASONABLY TO RATHER OBNOXIOUSLY
HEAVY THROUGHOUT ALL THIS, SO EVERYBODY’S SHOOTER SHIRTS WERE SODDEN, AND
MANY OF US WERE LIVING IN OUR OUTERWEAR DURING THE MOMENTS WE WEREN’T
SHOOTING OR MOVING BETWEEN STAGES, TAKING SHELTER UNDER THE COMMAND AND
SPECTATOR GAZEBOS AT EACH STAGE”
www.airsoftaction.net 75

AA LEGION
TAIWAN
another barrel array, then a popper to the left and
obstructed targets left and right of the rear left of the
area and the ending plate.
Some other competitors had already slid on their
backsides on this stage apparently, so I was taking it
a little slowly given my tread-bare Lowa Zephyrs that
were also somewhat waterlogged adorning my own
flippers! I at least managed to shoot it fairly clean,
with T=27.74 and a 27 alpha, 3 bravo and no misses
or makeup shots, the reload was admittedly a little
slow and clumsy, and I wanted to retain my magazine
in this case rather than risk it getting
caked in mud, coupled with the rock
and lock action of the FAL it was more
than a little slow switching them out
and probably added 4-5 seconds all told,
damned speedy boys with their boring
ARs!
Once again I returned to this stage
later to do the pistol run on it, and
once again the results were uncannily
similar - with T=25.73, A=28, C = 2, but
with 6 makeup shots and 3 total misses
slowing me down on the popper with
two reloads required along the way,
that all put me dead middle at 7/13 in
production division.
STAGE 5 - QUAD GOALS
As the rain continued to pretty miserably hammer it
down we trudged over, gun bags in hand, between
the gazebos and once again stacked up
our safed rifles on the wooden rack for
Stage 5, a longer front to back stage with
bays either side of an reversed L-shaped
path, the shooter began seated (with a
wet bum) on a quad bike facing to the
right of the stage, rifle laid out across
the front basket, with hands on the
handlebars.
On the go buzzer we were to hop up
and grab our guns in a safe manner and
make our way to the front left of the
stage where a single popper was waiting,
followed by having to hold open a falling
sliding door with our support hands
and shooting a paper target within off
hand and without sweeping ourselves in
the process. Following that a high open
paper target and lone low popper at the far right of
the bay then lead us to the path forward, with targets
in bays left and right; the right one I totally forgot to
engage through the small window provided despite it
being ringed in bright red, as I was busy focusing on
tagging the partially obstructed far right rear target
from there instead, then heading far rear left to get a
trio of targets hiding behind a stack of barrels before
“THE SHOOTER BEGAN SEATED (WITH A WET BUM) ON A QUAD BIKE FACING TO THE
RIGHT OF THE STAGE, RIFLE LAID OUT ACROSS THE FRONT BASKET, WITH HANDS ON THE
HANDLEBARS”
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finishing in a low crouch in the rear middle to get
a low left and right target through a small barred
window as well as the ending plate in the centre rear.
Aside from completely forgetting to engage the
one target on the mid-right, I didn’t do terribly -
T=24.17, A=18, B=3 with no missed shots and only
one makeup for what I did engage, the failure to
engage cost me 2 misses on paper and a procedural.
Sad trombone noise, I guess, never matters how well
you plan it seems, as soon as that buzzer goes your
brainfart ruins everything!
FEEDING TIME
We then broke for lunch and enjoyed a quick break
out of the ongoing rain, with the typical Taiwanese
lunch box being provided by the organisers, while
the on-site cafe and caterers were also providing
hot drinks and the inviting smell of a slowly cooking
whole hog roast beginning to fill the air after lunch.
The pig may no longer have been as happy as one
in S&*$ but we weren’t letting the weather dampen
our spirits at least, muddy puddles, ankles - and some
bums - aside.
Following this we rounded off the day’s shooting
by re-doing stages 1&2 with rifles, with results as
mentioned previously, and re-shooting stage 5 with
pistols with the same layout. However, I managed
to make it my absolutely mare stage of the whole
competition. Unfortunately my third CO2 magazine
had a slow leak on its only seal which
had been venting my freshly inserted
capsule all morning to the point where it
was empty, so for some reason I decided
to make use of that magazine just in case
the other totally reliable ones decided
to develop an issue. Upon reaching the
first popper I had a dead trigger due to
the empty capsule, which I then turned
into a misfeed thinking racking it would
make things better, then took the mag
out to clear that and put the same mag
back in not realising it was the problem
before finally putting a fresh reliable
magazine back in after a good 8 seconds
of faffing around like a lemon! From then
on the marksmanship was pretty typical
although I failed to neutralise the right hand popper
despite hitting it; it seemed a few of us suffered the
same malaise, so at least it didn’t just punish me I
suppose. A not so great 11/13 - somehow not dead
last, so others must have had even worse days than
me to manage that feat - T=25.73, A=16, C=5,
FTN=1, at least only one actual missed shot on the
first popper once I got the gun running. I hate it when
a plan falls apart!
STAGE 6 - H IS FOR HELP!
The final stage of the first day for us was to be pistols
only and although the rain had basically petered out
by this point the overcast cloud cover and daylight
beginning to fade weren’t helping. The sixth stage
was another short one with 12-shot minimum round
count and four corners as such this time with an H
shape instead of an X, again the shooter starting at
the front centre in condition 1 and working their way
around the bays to their own taste. I immediately
drew and shot the popper on the inside right, then
the paper on the outside, swung left to take out the
next inside paper, before retreating up-range to get
the two poppers on the right front, then the no shoot
obscured paper on the left and then shot the length
of the stage to get the far left unobstructed paper
and then the ending plate beyond the left of the front
centre starting point - T=13.18, A=12, missed shots
= 1 on the ending, I did it clean, just way too slowly
“I IMMEDIATELY DREW AND SHOT THE POPPER ON THE INSIDE RIGHT, THEN THE PAPER ON
THE OUTSIDE, SWUNG LEFT TO TAKE OUT THE NEXT INSIDE PAPER, BEFORE RETREATING UP-
RANGE TO GET THE TWO POPPERS ON THE RIGHT FRONT, THEN THE NO SHOOT OBSCURED
PAPER ON THE LEFT AND THEN SHOT THE LENGTH OF THE STAGE TO GET THE FAR LEFT
UNOBSTRUCTED PAPER”
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AA LEGION
TAIWAN
compared to the others it seems, 12/13 in production
division.
With all that wrapped up for the day I hung around
for a bit to finish filming and photographing some of
the other squads finishing up before I headed back
to the marquee, ditched off all my equipment and
followed my nose back to the hog roast which was
now ready, along with some of those greens people
keep telling me to eat more of along with the fine
meats. The results of the first day were tabulated and
posted on the display boards and we sidled off to
grab a hot-pot dinner on the way back to our hostel,
finishing up the evening with some communal gun
cleaning after we all showered and changed into less
sodden clothing for the night.
DAY 2, LESS RAIN!
Awakening early again and dragging ourselves out
of bed for another breakfast at the local joint, we
then made our way back to the shooting centre to
prepare ourselves for another whole day of the same!
Another 6 pistol and 4 rifle stages to juggle manically
before the celebratory evening meal and an inevitable
exhausted collapse!
STAGE 10 - MERRY GO ROUND
Back on the long guns first thing in the morning
we took to Stage 10, one of the wider and longer
offerings, with the shooter starting pretty central, at
the rear of the quad bike parked at the centre rear,
with their rifle in condition 1, aimed at the trailer hitch
of the quad. Surrounding us were targets to the left
and right of the main fault line zone we stood in the
centre of, on the go buzzer I immediately went rear
right and started making my way anti-clockwise, with
two open paper targets either side of a row of barrels,
followed by three open targets with two barrels
between them, then engaging the three targets at
the rear diagonally across to the left before reloading
on the move (a little less clumsily than the day before
at least) and taking out the front left paper and
popper, then the rear two poppers and paper in the
bay behind before hitting the ending plate at the far
centre rear.
T=28.20, A=22, B=2 with no misses and two
makeup shots which were more a case of the sear
issue on the FAL - that had been a common theme
throughout the weekend in fact, sometimes doubling
on the second shot and giving me additional paper
hits as a result, nonetheless, clean and at least slicker
on the reload, but still difficult to keep up with the AR
crowd, hey, I do it for the gunscience.
We’d revisit this with pistols as our last stage of
the second day, with me placing 5/13 with T=21.10,
A=21, C=3 with 3 makeup shots and just one missed
shot, using the same layout but with pistol targets
and moving left first then working my way all the way
anti-clockwise to finish more centrally and reloading
on the way from the front left to right.
STAGE 11 - SWING AND A
MISS
We moved directly to stage 11 with the
rifles next, probably the shortest stage
with a minimum round count of only 9
shots; a square fault line area we started
at the rear of with guns pointed down
centrally in condition one, with a single
paper target behind a barrel on the left
of the central wall, and a lone popper on
its right, as well as a right mid window
with a target activator lanyard that set
a swinging paper target loose behind
the window, before moving to a lower
central window to take on a left high
“AWAKENING EARLY AGAIN AND DRAGGING OURSELVES OUT OF BED FOR ANOTHER
BREAKFAST AT THE LOCAL JOINT, WE THEN MADE OUR WAY BACK TO THE SHOOTING CENTRE
TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR ANOTHER WHOLE DAY OF THE SAME!”
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The catch was you had to do all of this
one-handed, carrying a large and bulky
albeit relatively lightweight rifle case in
your weak hand and having to stretch a
bit for some of the target presentations.
Evidently my lanky frame and long arms
finally came in handy, as this was my best
stage of the competition, placing 1/13 in
production division, with T=13.93, A=10
with just one makeup shot on a more
distant paper to make sure, no misses or
reloads…I’ll beat you all single handedly,
I guess.
paper and a central popper and then the ending plate
behind and above it. T=17.07, A=8, B=1, no misses
at least. I fluffed yanking the activator chord a bit
and peppered the moving target just to make sure
accounting for the 4 makeup shots adding to the
total round count. We’d return to this after lunch for
the pistols run and there I did it a little bit faster but
sloppier with T=12.36, A=5, C=4, 2 makeup shots
and a miss on the right popper, earning me 7/13 place
for that stage - middle of the pack again.
STAGE 9 - SPECIAL DELIVERY
We moved to this stage after ditching
our rifles again and switching back to
pistols, and this would be a pistol only
stage, and in fact a strong-hand only
stage. With a wide stage design with a
no shoot obstructed paper at the far left
beyond a diagonal wall making it a hard
leaning shot for many, then a swing right
to get an open paper target further back
but more central, before moving past
the open sliding door in the main front
wall and taking out the two staggered
poppers there, then a far right popper
again requiring a long lean out to reach
for many, before sweeping back in for
another central open paper and then the
ending plate at the far rear centre.
STAGE 7 - LIVING IN A BOX
This was a relatively short stage with a
narrow lateral fault line space limiting
our movements somewhat; we started in
the rear centre of the shooting area and could move
a little forward but mostly only left or right, with a
presentation of lone popper, open paper and no-shoot
obstructed paper target on both sides behind diagonal
walls requiring us to run far left and right to shoot
across the opposite way at them before hitting the
ending plate in the rear centre. Pistols first; I moved
left to right and shot it fairly clean with T=10.32, A=9,
C=2, only missing twice at the end trying to get the
ending plate, again middling the pack at 7/13 in the
production division.
“THE CATCH WAS YOU HAD TO DO ALL OF THIS ONE-HANDED, CARRYING A LARGE AND
BULKY ALBEIT RELATIVELY LIGHTWEIGHT RIFLE CASE IN YOUR WEAK HAND AND HAVING TO
STRETCH A BIT FOR SOME OF THE TARGET PRESENTATIONS”
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AA LEGION
TAIWAN
We returned after lunch to take on the same stage
with rifles, and I went right to left instead, which
seems to be a natural tendency of me using rifles, as
it feels easier to sweep and move left away from the
strong hand a lot of the time. T=14.12, A=11 with
one makeup shot, so a little slower, but cleaner, with
the long gun - another common theme at times.
STAGE 8 - KILLING HOUSE
This was a fairly intensive stage which again we
would do with long and short guns, a total of 12
paper targets present with the outer three on each
side of the stage having no shoot obstructions, as
well as a far left popper and another behind the low
right window. The whole stage was shot from a wide
square area with a wall at the front and the trio of
obstructed papers either side at the extremities, as
well as three unobstructed papers arrayed behind the
low lying window to the right which I had to get right
down on my knees to shoot through, and a further
three unobstructed paper targets and the ending plate
behind the central higher window.
We shot this with rifles right after stage 7 after
lunch, where I picked up my only actual miss with the
rifle in terms of attempted shots - unfortunately on
the far rear left paper I just didn’t seem to land a shot
for some reason, most annoying as it was otherwise a
clean run aside from a few more extra shots on paper
due to the sear slipping - T=26.72, A=26, M=1.
STAGE 12 - BACK TO FRONT
Stage 12 was basically a reversal of stage 6 the day
before, with the same H layout of fault lines, but
the shooter starting at the rear centre and working
forwards, and the target presentations varying
slightly having a 20 round minimum this time with
an unobstructed low paper at the front left and a no
shoot paper at the front right, with a lone low popper
and far high paper at the rear right through a gap in
the barricades, an open paper around the far right of
the barricade and a no shoot obstructed one through
the same gap but more central, then low and high
papers either side of the central barricade through
gaps each side and the stop plate in the rear. Again I
was middle of the pack with 6/13 in the production
division, T=16.02, A=17, C=3, with a single miss and
a makeup shot.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
With all the stages finally completed in pistol as well
as rifle where applicable, we were finally able to pack
all our gear away and enjoy the more social aspect
of the event. Running between stages so much had
somewhat hampered our ability to chat with even
our own teammates let alone other teams, likewise I
obviously didn’t manage to catch everyone’s runs on
everyone’s stage attempts by virtue of so many stages
running in parallel, although judging by the sheer
number of photos and videos I still managed to take
I’m not exactly sure that’s a bad thing!
As the night rolled in we all
congregated back at the marquee area
as the hired caterers started wheeling out
a plethora of local dishes for us to stuff
ourselves with as the final tabulations
were made and the RO team began
assembling some of the larger trophies
which came in subassemblies in some of
the boxes.
After the posting and checking of the
results, and the introductory remarks
and thanks, the winners and runners up
were called to the stage for the award
presentations; open division consisted
of 14 total shooters, with “Tom” Lao/
Liu JiaYu taking first place, “Luke” Peng
“THE WHOLE STAGE WAS SHOT FROM A WIDE SQUARE AREA WITH A WALL AT THE FRONT
AND THE TRIO OF OBSTRUCTED PAPERS EITHER SIDE AT THE EXTREMITIES, AS WELL AS
THREE UNOBSTRUCTED PAPERS ARRAYED BEHIND THE LOW LYING WINDOW TO THE RIGHT
WHICH I HAD TO GET RIGHT DOWN ON MY KNEES TO SHOOT THROUGH”
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AA LEGION
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WeiHua taking second, and “Jacky” Ho BoXian of
team Yamars in third.
For standard division there were 21 competitors,
including all 5 ladies present that day, Tsai YuQi of
team Yamars took first place, followed by Zheng
JiaHua of team Spring Rain, and Kei Sau Ching of
from Hong Kong taking third place, team Yamars’ Du
Hsin Pin took high lady as well in fourth place right on
the heels of Kei Sau Ching.
With production division Zhou YuTing of team
Yamars took first place, “Bear” Zhan DengXiong of
team spring rain took second, and Lai YuChen also of
team Spring Rain took third place. In the end my own
mess up on stage 5 managed to offset my excelling
on stage 9 and overall most of my stage scores were
centre of the pack, and I ended up placing 6/13
overall. Lots of people had kit malfunctions and slips
in the rain and mud, but overall everyone seemed to
be running things well and making up for mistakes, so
it was by no means an easy competition for anyone.
In terms of the TSMOC rifles we still haven’t been
given all the detailed results at the time of writing,
but there were around 14 competitors including the
staff who took part; our own team captain “Mars” Liu
HanLin took second place with team TFAS shooters
Yang ZhengHong and Zhuang HaoJun taking first and
third places respectively.
With all the awards dealt with some folks were
sticking around overnight to return to their respective
hometowns the next day, including the rest of my
team. However, duty, as ever, called for me, as I had
neglected to book the Monday off work and didn’t
fancy getting the first HSR all the way home in the
morning to then rush around getting ready for work,
so the guys were good enough to drop me off the
other side of town to get the high speed train back
to Taipei… Sunday night HSR rides are somewhat of a
legendary misery in Taiwan, with everyone commuting
back from their weekends away… doubly so when
you have a conspicuous long gun bag and backpack
to deal with on the unreserved section where
everyone crowds in… nonetheless, home in time for a
scotch!
Many thanks as always to everyone who organised
the Kaohisung Level 3 shoot, the RO team for braving
the rain to make sure everything went smoothly, and
the teams and competitors in general for showing up
and getting through it all, poor weather be damned,
congratulations to all, but especially the winners and
runners up of each division.
Until next time, fellow shooters… AA
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SHOT SHOW 2023
AN AA LEGION
SPECIAL REPORT
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AA LEGION
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CONTINUING OUR COVERAGE OF THE MAJOR SHOWS THIS MONTH WE’RE DELIGHTED TO REPORT BACK
ON THE MASSIVE BEAST OF AN EVENT THAT IS SHOT SHOW AS BOYCIE, LI’L STU AND DAN BRING IN THEIR
LOWDOWN OF THE 2023 EVENT IN LAS VEGAS!
The plans to hit SHOT Show for myself and
Li’l Stu started way back in 2020. We were
due to attend in 2021 but due to the world
COVID pandemic, that trip for us was never going to
happen. With the restrictions starting to be relaxed
we thought we’d try for SHOT 22… again, due to
COVID restrictions it was decided that we would miss
2022’s Show and push on for 2023. So this January
we set off from Heathrow and after a 10 1/2 hour
flight, we finally sighted the lights of Las Vegas and
McCarran International Airport!
Li’l Stu and I made it through US Border Control
and to the hotel at around 21:00 on Saturday
night. On Sunday morning we got up and went for
breakfast and then started preparing our kit whilst
we waited for our friends and colleagues from The
Armed Lifestyle (TAL) Magazine to arrive. By 20:00
we were all together, barring Dan who would be
arriving in town on Day 1 proper of SHOT. After
introductions we all went for dinner and discussed
the plan of action for the following day.
INDUSTRY DAY AT THE RANGE
This would be the one day we’d have the
opportunity to fire some of the firearms
we had only previously handled in airsoft
form, something that could not happen in
the UK! After a breakfast with the guys
we (myself and Li’l Stu) headed over the
road to the Venetian Expo Centre where we
were going to board the coach out to the
Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club near Boulder
City, approximately 40 minutes out of Las
Vegas. The Boulder R&PC were hosting the range
day for a huge number of exhibitors of firearms and
accessories. Of course for the UK based members
of the team this meant Li’l Stu and myself were
like “kids
in a candy
store!”
Stu had
said his
“Target
#1”
was the
1911. Stu
is quite new to live firearms
whereas I started shooting in 1979; my aim (no pun
intended… well yes it was!) was to get to Kimber,
Glock and Daniel Defense. Stu had also said he’d
love to go “rock and roll” with a full-auto rifle. After
the last passengers boarded, the bus pulled out of
the parking lot at 0845 and we headed out of town.
The bus pulled in to the range complex and dropped
us off, and we met up with the TAL crew before
deciding to start at one end and simply head down
the line.
First stop was
the Flux Defense
stand where we
saw, and shot,
one of their
Raider pistols.
This was a
quite futuristic,
being based off
the SIG M17.
Carrying over
40 rounds in two
magazines this was billed as a “truck or pack
gun”; there’ll be more info on this to follow! Most of
our team took the opportunity to fire one of the six
variants that they had on offer. Li’l Stu really enjoyed
this stand. We both said that we looked forward to
the time when the Flux Raider replica would find its
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AA LEGION
SHOT SHOW 2023
way to the airsoft market. Throughout the day we
fired the H&K G28, AR’s, bolt-actions and pistols, as
well as shotguns and even a belt fed AR. What an
awesome start to the Show for us Brits!
GETTING DOWN TO (AIRSOFT)
BUSINESS!
Veteran show-stomper Bill had told us that SHOT
was big but nothing ever really prepares you for it!
For the most part Day One would be a recce day;
walking round and locating the stands (booths) we
wanted to visit properly later in the week. Just to try
and give you an idea of the scale of the
show, there are nearly
2,400 exhibitors spread
over four floors of the Venetian Expo Center
in addition to the whole of the Ceasars Exhibition
Center. Within the floor space of the show, 547 F16
fighter jets could be parked and there would still
be some space left over! In Dan’s estimation, it was
a “labyrinthine maze” with seemingly no end in
sight…
The Press Room was rightly huge on its own. This
was where we would get breakfast and plan our
days. After a quick bite and some discussion, it was
time to hit the floors on the search for airsoft-related
products, and the first floor we went to was Floor
2 which housed the majority of the Military and
Law Enforcement clothing and kit exhibitors. Here
we located First Tactical, Condor, Agilite, Blue Force
Gear, Spiritus Systems, Eotech, Holosun, Hawke, and
more.
After lunch (yes it really did take the whole
morning to just walk Floor 2!) we had a chance
to discuss where we needed to go during the
afternoon. We decided to go and ‘scope out’ the
airsoft exhibitors Lancer Tactical, Redwolf, Evike,
Cybergun, PTS, MOS (E&L & Arcturus), and KWA.
LANCER TACTICAL
Boycie: For me it was great to catch up with fellow
AA Legion Associate LayLax Marck for the first time
in person. We had a chat about the new hop units
coming
from LayLax,
which are
specifically
made
for VFC
platforms.
These
also come
with
two hop
rubbers:
the soft,
which is
ideal for UK climate,
and the new red bucking to suit 380-420fps.
Whilst I was talking with Marck, we got onto the
subject of his MPX build and I asked what he ran in
his. He was happy to tell me that he runs the new
LayLax VFC hop unit, soft bucking, Prommy inner
barrel and the hard gear set. He said, “it’s a great
setup that lets me reach out and touch people in a
good way!”
Stu: I really liked the LCT AKs on the Lancer stand
and they were certainly “floating one’s boat.”
I have really liked
the build
quality
on the
LCT AKs
for a long
time. You
have the
confidence
that they
are really
well put
“WITHIN THE FLOOR SPACE OF THE SHOW, 547 F16 FIGHTER JETS COULD BE PARKED
AND THERE WOULD STILL BE SOME SPACE LEFT OVER! IN DAN’S ESTIMATION, IT WAS A
“LABYRINTHINE MAZE” WITH SEEMINGLY NO END IN SIGHT…”
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AA LEGION
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together.
Dan: The first item to catch my eye was the
Kalashnikov USA licensed PP-19-01 Vityaz replica
front and center. I was surprised to learn that
Lancer Tactical will be manufacturing this model,
amongst several other Kalashnikov branded AK’s
present. Notable features were the realistic magazine
dimensions, rotary hop up chamber, on top of the
overall build quality feeling quite lovely. As a user
of LCT’s PP-19-01 model, I am really keen to get my
hands on one of these for some T&E.
REDWOLF AIRSOFT
Boycie: Redwolf’s booth was not quite what
I had thought it would be, but this is entirely
understandable considering the remaining COVID
restrictions for people coming into the US from Hong
Kong/China. There was a really lovely aged Enfield
rifle on display, which I
mentioned
to Andrew
that
looked
perfectly
aged just
like the
No4 Mk2
we have
at the
range
where I
work.
Stu: With the Redwolf
stand being quite low key, the one stand out item
for me was the new RWA Warhawk. This is a revised
version of the officially licensed Nighthawk, which
has been around for a few years now.
Dan: I was certainly admiring the excellent
‘distressing’ and aging work on the Enfield, but
found the SBR variant of the upcoming RWA
Battle Arms Development 556 PDW to be visually
interesting. This sported a nicely done quick-release
Fortis rail and compact PDW style stock paired with
the unique styling Battle Arms is known for. Andrew
humorously pointed out Battle Arms proclivity for
slapping their logo on every single part as we had
a little laugh counting the number of instances
replicated here. True to form, indeed!
ACTIONSPORTGAMES (ASG)
Stu: The Steyr L9-A2 MF! I’d not seen one before
and was intrigued on the design.
On picking it up, I felt the design ergonomics
worked well (please note, I have short stubby fingers,
so finding a comfy pistol is troublesome!). Both the
backstrap and side panels can be swapped out to
give the user the best choice and fit. A nice polymer
frame, metal slide , Steyr Trades and an underslung
Picatinny rail too.
Not normally a huge fan of pistols that I’ve not
seen or played with before; in this case, I’ll make an
exception.
Dan: I also really liked the feel and solidity of the
Steyr L9, but the standout item for me would
have to be the B&T APC 556 models on display.
It’s been great to see more manufacturers
actually incorporate true quickchange
spring guide
assemblies into
designs, and this was on display
here in the form of a nifty little door
that allowed access to the spring and battery
compartment. The APC feels very much at home
in the hands of someone who’s ran the CZ Bren
and SCAR series platforms. I particularly liked the
compact form factor of the collapsible stock version,
which was reminiscent of the H&K collapsible stock
designs.
PTS SYNDICATE
Boycie: The PTS booth was quite busy when we
got there, with the guys talking to Greg Wong AKA
“I WAS CERTAINLY ADMIRING THE EXCELLENT ‘DISTRESSING’ AND AGING WORK ON
THE ENFIELD, BUT FOUND THE SBR VARIANT OF THE UPCOMING RWA BATTLE ARMS
DEVELOPMENT 556 PDW TO BE VISUALLY INTERESTING.”
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AA LEGION
SHOT SHOW 2023
Spartan117GW and a couple of other groups of
people, so we stood back for a few minutes to allow
the crowd to dissipate. When we eventually got to
talk to the PTS guys, I immediately asked about the
soon to be released MAWL and the Zev Custom Glock
and 1911.
The MAWL was still in prototype form with some
parts being 3D printed
and the
coating
wasn’t
the final
hard
anodized
finish
that we
were
told
would
be on
the
production versions.
Saying that, it looked good and I can’t wait to see the
finished article. The licensed Zev Custom Glock again,
was still coated in the prototype finish but again will
be hard coat anodized in the final version. I really
liked the Glock and I was told
that there
would
be two
variants,
one
using a
metal
lower
frame
and the
other
using
a more
usual polymer frame.
This would offer variants that would appeal to those
with varying budgets.
Stu: As a really big 1911 fan, I really liked the soon
to be released Zev Customs 1911, which will be
available in Black, FDE or Dual Tone. This will also be
compatible with CO2 magazines, which for me will be
a really good feature.
Dan: The standout items for me were the simpler
things: namely the extended buttplate for the
compact version EPS stock. This will house up to an
11.1v LiPo and will be an absolutely ideal solution
for us ERG users who wish to keep to a slimmer
stock assembly, but still keep things rear-wired. The
upcoming Unity licensed 45 degree Aimpoint mount
and flip-up magnifier mount were also on display
and very well replicated. Another item of interest
was a prototype of a new EPG grip in development,
which will surely be a hot item as the natural ‘bridge’
between the two existing versions.
EVIKE/CYBERGUN
Boycie: After the recce to find Evike, we went down
to the new Evike Outpost for their pre-opening party
where we could have a good look around their store,
try out their range and enjoy a beer along with a live
band. Back on the Shot Show floor, I liked the SCAR
SC but I am going to leave Li’l Stu to wax lyrical about
that, as he is a huge fan of the SCAR.
Stu: This was an easy choice… The SCAR SC – saw it
last year at IWA and was very impressed; it’s a SCAR,
and yes, I’m a fan , can’t you tell ? Having also been
afforded the opportunity to get “hands on “ with a
real FN SCAR SC, I’m very impressed with its airsoft
counterpart.
Small, pointable, comfy, a perfect CQB tool that
I suspect would be handy in other airsoft situations
too!
Dan: I did not get opportunity to peruse the Evike
booth in great depth. The first time we swung
through, we had an interview to get to, then the
second time I was running solo and it was the last day
of the last hour of the show. The booth was packed
with the crew and the lovely ladies from Taran Tactical,
so I took a moment to wait until there was time to zip
in and fondle the merchandise (the airsoft goods, of
course!). I was quite keen on the LCT SVD Dragunov
and VFC FAL GBBR, which I’m told will be hitting the
website this year for us US-based guys. The Ares SCAR
SC was also quite attractive, as was my first handling
of the Archon Type B pistol that was tucked away in a
corner.
ELITE FORCE/UMAREX
Boycie: What I really liked on this stand was the
“THIS WAS AN EASY CHOICE… THE SCAR SC – SAW IT LAST YEAR AT IWA AND WAS VERY
IMPRESSED; IT’S A SCAR, AND YES, I’M A FAN , CAN’T YOU TELL ? HAVING ALSO BEEN
AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET “HANDS ON “ WITH A REAL FN SCAR SC, I’M VERY
IMPRESSED WITH ITS AIRSOFT COUNTERPART”
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M110 and the long awaited Carl Gustav. Having fired
the HK G28 live on Monday I had a good reference
point to compare the heft and feel of the M110 to the
weight of the real steel G28. I can honestly say that
I really liked the balance on the M110 and can see
it being on my shopping list soon. The Carl Gustav
really is a lovely piece of kit. It would need to be
two-person operated unit on the airsoft field and the
loading of the ‘round’ can be a bit fiddly until you get
used to it but oh what a lot of fun that will be to use
at skirmishes.
Stu: An Airsoft Charlie G? Really? Hell YES! I’d seen
all the blurb on its release, the reviews etc and found
myself not totally convinced…
However, getting my
dabs on one at the show has changed my mind.
Impractical ? More than likely. Fun? Shedloads!!! And
it can take TAG rounds I believe…
Dan: Aside from the Gustav, the only new item on
display appeared to be the M110A1 AEG. I was told
this would be equipped with a Gate ASTER out of the
box and will be a regular production item.
The first point about the ASTER leads me to believe
it might be running a new gearbox design (hopefully
a Ver. 2.5?). Unfortunately the Elite Force rep manning
the booth didn’t know the specifics of the internals,
but for fans of this platform, the change to a new
gearbox design has us collectively and tentatively
crossing our fingers; especially as wet paper is
practically stronger than the old Ver. 2.2 design we’ve
dealt with.
MOS (E&L)
Boycie: There were a lot of things here that caught
my eye, firstly, the new E&L AK and Vityaz replicas. As
Dan really liked those I’ll leave them to him. Another
product that I really liked was the collaboration
between Arcturus and Gate, which is the all-new
Trinity Armament Alpha series. These combine a Gate
TITAN II ETU along with a rather clever split gearbox.
The unique thing about the gearbox is that you can
change the ‘timing’ of the system from instantaneous
trigger response to pre-cocked without having to
reprogram the ETU or open the gearbox.
Second for me here was their range of Russian
replica scopes, which most are NV compatible
and also in some cases outperform their real
steel counterparts! These are expected to be
available this year in around the 3rd quarter (July
- September) and start from US$80 and go up
to around US$300 as the expected resale price.
Stu: I mean, where to start? It’s E & L, AK
heaven for a fan like me! I spent a good long
time chatting to the Team on the stand, and
they happily answered all my questions.
A lot to choose from , but the AK-105
Platinum stood out. Perfect example of how
an airsoft AK should be. Solid, reliable and
just the right amount of Sino/Russian brutalist
architecture. It strips down like a real AK,
same cleaning kit, oil bottle… no real surprise as they
are built in the same factory as certain other AK’s are
made!
After I had a look over some of the body parts, I
can make a guess as to their original purpose too…
the gearbox was a delight, QC spring feature ( though
it looked like it was not as QC as would have been
liked), and the magazines ? Well. According to one
of the chaps I spoke with, they make the midcap
internals to the same dimension as real AK mags,
allowing airsoft inners to be swapped into a real AK
mag. Not had the chance to verify this meself, but if
its true ? Oh boy!
Dan: Ever the ardent Vityaz fan, I was immediately
smitten with the PP-19-01 models on display from
Arcturus. The build quality was absolutely fantastic,
“AN AIRSOFT CHARLIE G? REALLY? HELL YES! I’D SEEN ALL THE BLURB ON ITS RELEASE, THE
REVIEWS ETC AND FOUND MYSELF NOT TOTALLY CONVINCED… HOWEVER, GETTING MY DABS
ON ONE AT THE SHOW HAS CHANGED MY MIND. IMPRACTICAL ? MORE THAN LIKELY. FUN?
SHEDLOADS!!! AND IT CAN TAKE TAG ROUNDS I BELIEVE…”
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with these sporting some really smart features from
the true quick-change spring guide, to the realistic
magazine dimensions, and a (soon to be updated)
rotary hop up chamber that will sport a top-downcenter
hop up arm. Two of the models present
were bedecked in full Zenitco regalia, including the
modernized PT-1 stock, which has actually been
improved by Arcturus to have a better opening and
locking mechanism. To wit: this AEG has officially
supplanted my desire to pick up the SIG MPX, even!
KWA INDUSTRIES
Boycie: We have enjoyed a great relationship with
KWA over the years and have been privy to a number
of new developments; even being supplied with the
Ronin 47 and LM4D before
they were
released
in the
UK and
Europe.
This
year for
SHOT
show,
they
were
showing their new PTP in
the form of the ATP-Z, which had some similarities to
the SIG M17. We were also told that the classic ATP-
LE is also undergoing a redesign, so I look forward to
what that new version will look like.
The new variant of the LM4D was also on show
with the new M-LOK rail. Both myself and Li’l Stu
have our own LM4’s… I have the LM4D and Stu owns
the LM4C and the PTS Radian which uses the KWA
LM4 internals.
Stu: F90 AUG GBBR… this was an easy choice for me;
as a long-time airsoft AUG user, I couldn’t wait to get
a close look at the F90 GBBR. At IWA in 2022 I was
lucky enough to see a real one on the Steyr display
stand; little did I know, I’d have a chance of seeing
KWA’s version. After having wiped the silly grin off my
face, I picked the F90 up and had a good look over it.
To me , it’s perfect; others I know will have their own
idea’s & thoughts! It’s heavy but balanced, yes, it’s a
love/hate RIF.
Most certainly on the “Want List” but as KWA
are currently supplying about 2000 units to a certain
armed forces
somewhere in the
Southern
Hemisphere
for use as
training
weapons,
it may be a
while until
they are
released
to the
airsofting
public!
Dan: Not being a huge
GBB guy myself, I was admittedly impressed
by the build quality and truly unique design of
the F90. That being said, I was informed of some
interesting new developments coming down the
pipeline from KWA that I’m not privy to discuss yet.
Suffice it to say, the ‘arms race’ amongst airsoft
manufacturers never stops, and certainly is driving
some interesting innovations.
GETTING DOWN TO (KIT & GEAR)
BUSINESS!
Boycie: For kit and clothing, we sought out First
Tactical, which both Li’l Stu and I wear
regularly. It
is in fact,
my work
uniform. We
met up with
the owner,
Cory, who
was really
pleased to
meet me as
I had sent
him my FT
Flash/Slash
glove which had saved
my right hand from major injury when
a flash bang went off prematurely about 3 years ago.
“MOST CERTAINLY ON THE “WANT LIST” BUT AS KWA ARE CURRENTLY SUPPLYING ABOUT
2000 UNITS TO A CERTAIN ARMED FORCES SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
FOR USE AS TRAINING WEAPONS, IT MAY BE A WHILE UNTIL THEY ARE RELEASED TO THE
AIRSOFTING PUBLIC!”
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He said “you know, I have that glove in my office!”
Cory is a guy who really cares about the product and
knowing when it has really done its job well.
Secondly on kit, we stopped by the Agilite booth
and saw the new K-Zero plate carrier system. This
had quite a few cool additions over previous Agilite
rigs, the main ones being sewn on shoulder pads and
the ability to quickly swap from a velcro closing to
the Agilite version of First Spear Tubes. Both Dan and
myself are a part of the Agilite T&E team who advise
and comment on Agilite products in development.
Boaz of Agilite gave me my exclusive to the T&E
team patch. I was really pleased to receive it and it
went straight on to my newly acquired Spiritus
Systems Badge Holder. In addition
to this we were also
shown
the new
Agilite pistol mag pouch,
which is expected to be released in the
near future.
Stu: Too many to choose from, but the Ready Tactical
Sling (see the video on the AA website!) was my
standout. Fiendishly simple design and build, but so
damned effective and adaptable!
Dan: As a member of Agilite’s T&E team, it was really
cool to see some of the features we’ve suggested
and talked about actually being incorporated into
final design. That sort of public discourse and rapid,
forward-thinking design is refreshing to see in an
industry that often seems to avoid taking in product
feedback. Agilite also had one hell of a nefarious claw
machine that befuddled many a passerby trying to
win a mag pouch or even the dual-tube NOD’s nestled
within its confines.
While not exactly new, S&S Precision had some very
interesting low-profile plate carriers on display that
showcased some rather technically advanced design.
I could see these being quite useful for Airsoft as a
lightweight and breathable chassis to mount pouches
to without even needing to load them up with mock
rifle plates.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Boycie: My personal highlights were catching up
with Jerry Miculek again after 27 years. He’s still as
nice a guy as I remember. I also got to sit in the 1969
Mustang Mach 1 that was driven by Keanu Reeves in
the John Wick movies!
Stu: As a non-shooter, this was my idea of heaven.
Range Day was both brilliant and terrifying – but
great fun. Meeting up with Trampas and the AL crew
was amazing, a great bunch of folks that made this
“f*cking Brit” (as I was laughingly named) feel very
welcome. Boycie for putting up with my endless crap
jokes and Dan for being one hell of an amazing chap,
full of knowledge and help, but incredibly modest
about it; a proper gent with a great sense of humour
too (the taxi ride back from Evike was epic… )
Dan: The astonishing number of products on display
would honestly make any one thing hard to pick out
from the other. But for me personally, I would have
to say that the true highlight of the show was finally
getting to meet John and Stu in person. They were
truly great guys to experience the show with, and
made you feel as if meeting with old friends.
ENDEX
During our walks around the halls, we covered
around 50 miles over the four days of the show
proper, which isn’t hard to believe when you consider
that there were nearly 2400 exhibitors over the 4
floors of the Venetian Expo Centre and the two
massive halls of the Caesars Convention Centre as
well as the Market Place and outdoor displays. It is
estimated that if you spent 30 seconds at each stand
it would take around two weeks (during the opening
hours of 8:30 – 5:30) to visit every stand and display!
That about wraps up the report for SHOT 23; I’d
like to thank Bill for entrusting the coverage of the
show to myself, Li’l Stu and Dan. Also a huge thanks
to Trampas, Tabb, Aubree, Amy, Cody AKA “Bingo”,
Shaun AKA “Bugout”, Jamie, Patrick and Luke for
being such a great crew and for welcoming us and
making us part of the team from the first time we
met up. I left one person off the list and that is Bernei.
She gets a special mention for not only being such a
kind, supportive and welcoming person but for being
our (myself, Stu and Dan) partner in crime during
the after-hours in Gilley’s and for the laugh that is so
infectious we couldn’t stop laughing for most of the
night on Wednesday. This trip and the people truly
has been epic and something we all definitely want to
do again! AA
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HUNTSMAN TACTICAL
GET ON THE
HUNT!
AS THE NEW HUNTSMAN TACTICAL AEG MODELS FROM IWHOLESALES HAVE BEEN OUT IN THE WILD
FOR A WHILE NOW WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD REVISIT ONE OF THESE NEAT LITTLE ARS NOW
THAT WE’VE HAD IT ON AND OFF THE RANGE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS; BILL RECAPS ON THE
FEATURES AND TELLS ALL ABOUT PERFORMANCE SO FAR!
When I first looked at HUNTSMAN TACTICAL
a couple of issues back we were in the
extremely privileged position of having a
couple of the very first models for initial review and
full testing, and thanks to the guys at iWholesales
we’ve placed the M-LOK SHORT variant into the
long-term test pool; since it arrived with us
I’ve been
giving it some serious abuse
one look forward to seeing where the range expands,
but for now I believe that the new AEGS will bring a
lot of joy to many, many players out there, and enable
them to enjoy the thrill of the hunt to the max!”
Further rangetime has proved that my initial
assessment was 100% correct, and in truth after
some 5,000 BBs have now been put through
it, if anything it’s better than it
personally, and making sure that
Jimmy also got a chance to really check it
out internally from the tech perspective
too. I’m pleased to say that other members
of The Cell have now had chance to get
some BBs downrange with it as well, so
my first feedback on the SHORT also
incorporates some of their observations.
To recap, my comment in closing my
initial review my comment was:
“The launch of the new HUNTSMAN TACTICAL
AEG models is a confident, superbly achieved debut,
and shows just what a company that intrinsically
KNOWS airsoft can create when they decide to. I for
was when
it first arrived with
us! I’ve been playing
around with different weight
BBs to see
what the hop can handle,
and after trying .20, .23, .25, .28, and even
.30g I’ve reached the conclusion that .28g is the
perfect weight for this AEG set to UK spec, as using
this weight gives a fabulous combination of range
and accuracy. I had almost settled on .25g being
“the thing” until I took the SHORT out in high winds,
and found that at this weight the BBs were straying
“I’VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH DIFFERENT WEIGHT BBS TO SEE WHAT THE HOP
CAN HANDLE, AND AFTER TRYING .20, .23, .25, .28, AND EVEN .30G I’VE REACHED THE
CONCLUSION THAT .28G IS THE PERFECT WEIGHT FOR THIS AEG SET TO UK SPEC, AS
USING THIS WEIGHT GIVES A FABULOUS COMBINATION OF RANGE AND ACCURACY”
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somewhat; just an incremental weight change took
them back to the trajectory I’d already come to expect
on .25g in fair conditions, so I believe I’ll continue
with .28g as the standard fodder from now on.
In terms of power, the SHORT initially went through
the chrono at 1.05 Joule/337fps on a .20g, which
is obviously perfectly site friendly, and I’m pleased
to report that now everything is beginning to settle,
this power level has remained consistent, with a
fluctuation of just 5-10 fps over extended testing
strings in different (albeit winter!) conditions. This
bodes well for the longevity of the SHORT, but I’ll
continue to check this at regular intervals in the
future. I would note that I have now tried the SHORT
with many different brands of AR magazine now,
both Mids and His, with excellent levels of success;
most brands will fit in the well and feed nicely, but as
always my advice here is that if you already own AR
mags, take a couple along to try at your local store
when you test fire the AEG.
INSIDE AND OUT
Internally the hi-speed motor, metal gearbox (with a
quick-change spring function) and MOSFET appear to
be working flawlessly; as I said when I first looked at
the test models you do get as standard an electronic
trigger and a built in FET, the latter of which is
carefully placed inside the body of the AEG and not
in-line with the wiring in the buffer tube so as protect
the electronics and give maximum battery space!
Again as I noted initially this is a definite indication of
an AEG platform that has been well thought out and
designed by folk who understand the rigours of use
in-game! Where many FETs are still found in the buffer
tube and prone to damage when changing batteries,
the FET in the SHORT is inside the body of the AEG
and fully protected, although Jimmy tells me it’s still
easy to access and work on.
The electronic trigger is working extremely well,
and this is most definitely something that the team
have commented on, that the trigger is light yet
crisp; everyone to have tried the SHORT so far has
commented both of the feel of the trigger, and
indeed on the quietness of the AEG overall when
in operation. The motor sounds as if it is perfectly
set and balanced, with no whine or “drag”, and
the gearbox is pretty darn quiet which indicates to
me that everything is mated properly and working
together efficiently.
Externally the SHORT continues to stand up
well too; in addition to the M-LOK rails that have
numerous QD sling points, on the polymer-bodied
SHORT you also get a CNC Aluminium Stock Tube,
Metal Inner and Outer Barrel, Retractable Polymer
Stock, metal Hi-Cap 300 BB Magazine, a Metal
Flash Hider, (14mm CCW), and fully adjustable Front
and Rear Flip-Up Sights. All the same features are
replicated across the HUNTSMAN range, so you get a
lot of cool for your buck!
Externally the polymer and metalwork are also
standing up superbly to the rigours of transport,
time on the range, and time in use in all kinds of
weather conditions. Again I recap, but “all of the
parts have been put together with care and attention
to detail and there’s absolutely no wobbles or creaks
anywhere. The receivers fit very well indeed, and
although I would usually choose a metal-bodied
version, the strength of the polymer parts appears
excellent. There are a few very minor mould lines
visible, but really only on the underside of the buffer
tune, and everything else is crisp and precise”; it’s all
good here.
SOLID PEFORMANCE
Nearly three months into testing, and with several
thousand BBs downrange, my respect for what
iWholesales have created has grown further, especially
considering the pricepoint of the HUNTSMAN models!
As I’ve said many times in the past, I do like a compact
SBR-style AEG, and the SHORT has really, REALLY
grown on me. It’s light, ergonomic, perfectly balanced,
has familiar controls and easy-to-use-features, and
thus far it’s internally steadfast. It’s also accurate,
with a range on a .28g BB easily in excess of 60
metres, and has a great ROF on an 11.1 LiPo for those
moments when you need a lot of BBs downrange fast
to suppress the opposition.
In conclusion, in my opinion iWholesales have got
everything 100% right with their new HUNTSMAN
models, and there’s already a couple of members
in the Red Cell crew that have placed one on their
wishlist for a sturdy and reliable “backup/friends AEG”
given the price! All I can suggest to you is that if
you’re in the market for a great-value, serviceable and
“NEARLY THREE MONTHS INTO TESTING, AND WITH SEVERAL THOUSAND BBS
DOWNRANGE, MY RESPECT FOR WHAT IWHOLESALES HAVE CREATED HAS GROWN
FURTHER, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE PRICEPOINT OF THE HUNTSMAN MODELS!”
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reliable AEG that’s a thoroughly modern-looking AR,
then you get down to your local store as soon as you
see HUNTSMAN in stock and try one for yourself…
trust me though, you WILL be buying one if you do!
Thanks again to www.iwholesales.co.uk for
providing an early test model for us, and for letting
us hold on to it for longer-term evaluation; please
do be sure to visit their website and social media
channels to get the very latest on new updates for
the HUNTSMAN TACTICAL range and much, much
more! AA
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