Airsoft Action - January 2024

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE 

ISSUE 157 

ISSN 2634-9515

CLICK/TAP IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION 

CLICK/TAP IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION

CONTENTS 

8 ARMOURY: G&G MGCR 

Last month Bill, Stewbacca and Anny reported on the G&G CQB 

World Cup in Taipei, and along with witnessing all the event-action 

they were also able to get their hands on some of the very latest 

new models that will be hitting your local airsoft store in 2024! Bill 

kicks off the coverage as he gets to grips with G&G’s very first GBB 

AR in the form of the MGCR 556! 

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE 

ISSUE 157 

ISSN 2634-9515 

Editorial Director: Bill Thomas 

Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer 

Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing 

Ad Design: Deadshot Design 

Publisher: Calibre Publishing 

22 ARMOURY: NEW RAVENS! 

RAVEN pistols are one of the “quiet performers” in the AA 

armoury, and again in our opinion it’s one of the GBB pistol brands 

that really doesn’t get the attention it so rightly deserves! This 

month you’ll see two very different new pistol models hitting your 

local airsoft store, and Bill has been putting both of them through 

their paces! 

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… 

30 ARMOURY: ASG H15 

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a totally new AR from the 

good folk at ActionSportGames (ASG), but they’ve been promising 

something for a while now, and the H15 series looks like it’s going 

to excite their loyal fans and players in general all over again… 

Boycie has been digging deeper… 

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. 

38 KIT & GEAR: MAINTENANCE 

It’s that time of year again that we should be keeping our kit up 

to speed, so as usual 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!

Contents 

ISSUE 157 - JANUARY 2024 

42 THE CAGE: LEGION ROUNDUP 

It’s been another busy year for the 

members of the AA LEGION with 

games, events, and range days all 

going on at pace, so as we head 

towards the end of the year we 

thought it would be a good time 

to look at specific items of kit that 

the crew have been using, and can 

recommend to you, and as always Bill 

leads off… 

66 AA LEGION: JAPAN 

Our man in Japan Tama dropped our 

man Stewbacca in the East a line in 

mid-November having just visited two 

of the more minor yet most eagerly 

anticipated airsoft-related shows in 

Tokyo in one weekend! With some 

more stories to share and some 

interesting new products to share his 

thoughts on, we’ll kick off with what 

he had to tell us about the one and 

only MARUI FEST 2023! 

48 RED CELL: MOST USED IN ‘23 

Another year rolls on by, and for RED 

CELL it’s been one of really digging 

deep into the AEGs and GBBs that 

are in the long-term test pool, and 

we really hope that you’ve continued 

to enjoy and benefit from the 

insights that we’ve been able to give! 

However, as we reflect on 2023 we 

felt it time to ask the crew what THEY 

like, and WHY they like what they do, 

and as usual Bill leads off! 

76 INSIDE: ICS AIRSOFT 

With Bill in Taiwan last month it 

seemed like an ideal opportunity to 

go down to Taichung together and 

visit our long-time friends at ICS 

Airsoft; Bill has been an honourary ICS 

Captain since 2015 and Stewbacca 

has been acquainted with many of 

their staff over his time in Taiwan and 

seen them not just at shows but also 

played alongside them at events, but 

what about their facility and what 

they’ve been up to in the last few 

years? ICS Rita was good enough to 

show us around in early November. 

62 TECH: NIGHTFOX RED NV 

Over the course of the last year we’ve 

looked occasionally at cost-effective 

solutions to increase your effectiveness 

during airsoft “night ops”, and as 

we’re in the time of year where night 

falls earlier Ben has been trialling 

the NIGHTFOX RED NVGs to see if 

something that’s a fraction of the 

price of “milspec” models can cut it 

in-game; now he reports back… 

98 RELOADED: VORSK VMP-1 

If there’s one airsoft platform that 

we’ve got behind 100% during 

2023 then it has to be the VORSK 

VMP-1! AA has had unparalleled 

and massively privileged “behind the 

scenes” access to the genesis of this 

new GBB, and from design concept 

to finished “in the wild” tack-driver 

Bill has followed and documented the 

awesome story of this punchy little 

SMG from Day Zero… 

84 AA LEGION EVENT REPORT: MOA 2023 

Once again the end of the year is upon us, and like last year 

Stewbacca’s up against the odds as usual to cram in a similar 

schedule as 2022, with a few long weekends of trade shows 

interspersed with training and a major competition in the deep 

South to follow… woe is he, and whatnot, whatever…. But we 

do what we love and love what we do here, so, let’s see how he 

suffered so, with all the lovely people and shiny toys at the first of 

the big shows for this season, the Military Outdoor & Airsoft Expo 

(MOA) 2023! 

Thanks to www.ghost-hood.com for the fabulous cover image this month

‧ Bolt-Action 

‧ Stainless Steel 61cc Cylinder 

‧ 3-way Adjustable TDC Hop Up Chamber 

‧ CNC machined One-piece Metal Hop-Up 

‧ Master Mods Inner Barrel, R-Hop Rubber 

‧ Inner Barrel Stabilizer 

‧ Quick-Detachable Hop Up & Outer Barrel Assembly 

‧ Quick-Detachable Spring Guide 

‧ Top Feeding Magazine (50 rounds) 

‧ Trigger Safety 

‧ 3-Height Adjustable Cheek Rest 

‧ Quick-Detachable Rubber Butt Pad 

ICS-450 

IMD-450-1 

Facebook (Global): 

ICSBBAirsoft 

Twitter (Global): 

icsbbairsoft 

Youtube: 

ICS AIRSOFT 

Instagram: 

icsbbairsoft

ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT G&G MGCR 556 GBB BRSS SCAR-SC 

HITTING 

THE GAS… 

HARD! 

8 

ISSUE 157 - JANUARY 2024

ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT G&G MGCR BRSS SCAR-SC 556 GBB 

LAST MONTH BILL, STEWBACCA AND ANNY REPORTED ON THE G&G CQB WORLD CUP IN TAIPEI, AND 

ALONG WITH WITNESSING ALL THE EVENT-ACTION THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON 

SOME OF THE VERY LATEST NEW MODELS THAT WILL BE HITTING YOUR LOCAL AIRSOFT STORE IN 

2024! BILL KICKS OFF THE COVERAGE AS HE GETS TO GRIPS WITH G&G’S VERY FIRST GBB AR IN THE 

FORM OF THE MGCR 556! 

www.airsoftaction.net 9

ARMOURY 

G&G MGCR 556 GBB 

Good things 

are undoubtedly 

worth waiting for, but they are also over in a 

flash and all but a cherished memory all too fast! My 

visit to Taiwan has certainly created some lasting and 

very special memories that’s for sure, and as always 

the people involved are just as important as the place. 

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our 

wonderful crew based in Taiwan; whilst I speak to 

Stewbacca in a pretty-much daily basis, spending time 

with him allowed us to plot and plan for the coming 

year, and Anny… well, Anny is just a force of nature 

and as a fellow media professional I am overjoyed that 

she wants to work with Airsoft Action in the future! 

But also of course we all got to spend some 

quality-time with the good folks at G&G ARMAMENT, 

renewing friendships and relationships that in some 

cases go back many years. We normally only get to 

see the faces behind the brand at trade shows, and 

these are necessarily brief interactions, so having a 

little time to spend with them more socially was a 

joy…. you learn more about people in a more relaxed 

I have worked with over the years just a little 

better. 

I, and we, were also privileged to get a look at 

some wonderful new airsoft platforms that we 

would usually only access at those same trade 

shows, and unlike most shows we were actually 

able to take these platforms to the range and try 

them out! You’d better believe that we sent as 

many BBs downrange as we possibly could in 

the short windows of opportunity that were 

presented to us (the World Cup competitors 

were using the same ranges so we didn’t 

want to get in THEIR way!). Suffice to say we 

ended up smiling… A LOT! 

And for me one of the real 

high-points was finally being 

able to get my hands on a 

working prototype of G&Gs 

very first AR-style GBBR, the 

MGCR 556! This 

is a platform 

setting, 

and I’m 

honoured to 

have got to know 

some of the people 

that I’ve seen on 

display with G&G 

at SHOT and IWA 

over the past 

few years, but 

“FOR ME ONE OF THE REAL HIGH-POINTS WAS FINALLY 

BEING ABLE TO GET MY HANDS ON A WORKING 

PROTOTYPE OF G&GS VERY FIRST AR-STYLE GBBR, 

THE MGCR 556!” 

10 


ARMOURY 


one that they 

have once again 

taken their 

time with to 

perfect before 

release… 

they cared not 

a jot for my 

impatience, but 

have always 

told me that they 

would only 

release this model 

when they 

were confident it was 

the best it 

could be… 

Alongside Ryan from 101 TECH (G&G’s US-arm), 

Matt from NUPROL, and our new mate Pete from 

UK-based Patrolbase, Stewbacca and I happily poured 

BBs at targets for as long as we were able, and all of 

to test, and you will no 

doubt know the answer to 

that! Suffice to say, on my 

return to the office I spoke 

immediately to Apple, and 

less than 72 hours later an 

MGCR 556 arrived via UPS… 

yup, 72 hours from Taiwan to the 

UK, and thankfully no import shenanigans either! 

MODERN AND ELEGANT 

Although G&G have a number of licences with realdeal 

firearms manufacturers they’ve taken 

the 

approach that the first iteration of the 

MGCR 556 should be without any 

doubt 

a G&G creation, and the external 

appearance of this cracking 

new platform shows 

all their wonderful 

us came away from having seen, and 

shot, the MGCR 556 with approving 

nods and big grins. I then spoke to the 

ever-friendly Apple from G&G and 

enquired when the MGCR would be 

available, and she told me that the first 

production run was just completing! 

She also asked me if I would like 

one of the first models off the line 

design elements 

wrapped up in one very, very tidy package. 

Available in three rail lengths, 7”, 10”, and 12”, 

the MGCR 566 is undoubtedly a G&G design; starting 

from the rear all models benefit from the same parts 

(other than different rail lengths) and this starts with 

the excellent GOS-V8 sliding stock on a six-position 

CNC buffer tube; I really like this stock as it’s easy 

to adjust and simple to cheekweld effectively with, 

and beneath the buffer tube at the rear of the 

“ALONGSIDE RYAN FROM 101 TECH (G&G’S US-ARM), MATT FROM NUPROL, 

AND OUR NEW MATE PETE FROM UK-BASED PATROLBASE, STEWBACCA 

AND I HAPPILY POURED BBS AT TARGETS FOR AS LONG AS WE WERE 

ABLE, AND ALL OF US CAME AWAY FROM HAVING SEEN, AND SHOT, 

THE MGCR 556 WITH APPROVING NODS AND BIG GRINS” 


ARMOURY 


lower receiver is a QD sling point, and the QD stud 

is included in the box. The lower itself is a 100% 

modern design with an enlarged trigger guard and 

neatly cut-away magwell; all controls on the MGCR 

are ambidextrous with some seriously enlarged 

paddles for mag and bolt release! The fire controls 

are a 45 degree throw rather than 90, so it suggest 

to me that G&G have designed all the controls to be 

super-fast and slick in operation. Finishing the lower 

feature set is G&Gs own GBB pistol grip, and this is 

slimline, comfortable and ergonomic with an upright 

grip angle. 

The upper receiver follows the design aesthetic with 

that sleek, modern look and features and oversized 

cocking handle, a working forward assist to the RHS 

whilst on the left are some very attractive, weightsaving 

cutaways, one of which incorporates the G&G 

logo. The rail up top is full length and marries up 

perfectly with the M-LOK rail system which has an 

attractive, stylised picatinny at 12 o’clock, with M-LOK 

attachment points at 3, 6, and 9 (five to each position 

on the 10” model). There are further cutaways to the 

rail, but these are smaller angled affairs… at a push 

you can add accessories to the offset angles, but they 

are design elements rather than functional placement 

positions. 

Arriving at the sharp end there’s a very distinctive 

muzzle brake which marries up to a faux gas-block 

peeping out from under the rail; it’s very neat, very 

tidy indeed and looks the bomb, and this is where 

the G&G operating system magic begins to make its 

presence felt too, but more on that shortly! Finishing 

things off there are the usual G&G flip-sights fitted 

as standard, which is absolutely fine by me as 

these minimalist “irons” are some if the best in the 

business! 

BELLY OF THE BEAST 

So, the MGCR as a design is undoubtedly G&G 

when it comes to the high-quality externals, and this 

continues as you get inside to see how the platform 

is driven. G&G have REALLY pushed along with their 

gas program in recent years, and we’ve seen some 

properly cool innovation in their pistols and in the 

SMC9, a platform which a few in the AA Crew love; 

inside the MGCR 556 G&G have put pretty much ALL 

of these innovations into one tight, high-performance 

package! 

Staring with the physical elements there’s a 

lightweight alloy CNC BCG, and inside that there’s 

a cylinder/nozzle arrangement with Teflon double 

O-rings; this lightweight setup suggests a great rate 

of fire along with efficient gas consumption from the 

get-go. The high-precision CNC barrel group houses 

a 6.04mm brass inner barrel that is O-ring stabilised. 

There’s a reinforced buffer tune kit fitted as standard, 

and oh boy, the MGCR needs this as the steel buffer 

weight is a beast, weighing in at a whopping 180g! 

Inside the upper receiver is also something that 

I’ve personally not come across before, and that’s a 

damper/stabiliser rod that whilst inert itself stops the 

BCG (and nozzle) from slamming quite so hard into 

battery and minimises the potential for damage to 

the system; I discussed this with our in-house “techbods”, 

and they confirmed to me that this is actually 

extremely clever, as it allows the system to produce 

some seriously cool “felt recoil” whilst ensuring 

durability in the system overall. 

To round things out internally you get an easily 

removable (and adjustable) modular bolt catch, trigger 

and fire control group which benefits from a steel 

hammer and a steel vertical “A” flat-face trigger, the 

latter of which indicates to me again that the MGCR 

has been set up for fast operation throughout. So far 

so spot-on… 

I did mention those “G&G Innovations”, didn’t I? 

And yes, many of the cool features that G&G have 

built into their other gas-driven platforms are in 

evidence in the MGCR too! First up the bespoke 370g 

ally 30 BB magazine benefits from and enlarged gas 

fill valve to make life easy, and has a seriously large 

knocker too! Inside the cylinder assembly you will 

find G&Gs patented Polymer Whirl valve which helps 

create a stable air flow, and prevents frost-build-up 

(the bane of all gas systems!) using a high speed 

rotation. 

The hop adjustment is by way of the muzzle, using 

a 6mm hex key which is provided; this I really love as 

there’s no need to open the receivers to get to the 

hop adjustment, and you’ll certainly not be needing 

any weird “fettling tool of spurious construction” 

“AVAILABLE IN THREE RAIL LENGTHS, 7”, 10”, AND 12”, THE MGCR 566 IS 

UNDOUBTEDLY A G&G DESIGN; STARTING FROM THE REAR ALL MODELS BENEFIT FROM 

THE SAME PARTS (OTHER THAN DIFFERENT RAIL LENGTHS) AND THIS STARTS WITH 

THE EXCELLENT GOS-V8 SLIDING STOCK ON A SIX-POSITION CNC BUFFER TUBE” 

12 


ARMOURY 


“STARING WITH THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS THERE’S A LIGHTWEIGHT ALLOY CNC BCG, 

AND INSIDE THAT THERE’S A CYLINDER/NOZZLE ARRANGEMENT WITH TEFLON DOUBLE 

O-RINGS; THIS LIGHTWEIGHT SETUP SUGGESTS A GREAT RATE OF FIRE ALONG WITH 

EFFICIENT GAS CONSUMPTION FROM THE GET-GO” 


ARMOURY 


to make any adjustments! The hex key is a great 

solution as we all have one in our tool kits already, 

and if the original is lost or mislaid it’s easily replaced! 

Once you have the hex key seated at the muzzle end 

hop adjustment is a breeze, and each very audible 

click gives and increment of adjustment of just 

0.0075mm… talk about precise! 

DOWNRANGE 

I took the MGCR 556 GBBR to my 30m woodland 

range, and also to the indoor 10m range to chrono 

and test, and in terms of power I got a consistent 1.27 

Joule/371fps on a .20g VORSK BB using VORSK V8 

FUEL , and upping to .30g VORSK BBs the accuracy 

was amazing at that both short and medium range; 

measuring out 50m in the woods I secured one of our 

sandbag targets to a tree and popped though half a 

dozen mags prone and supported, and the bag was 

thumping more than not with every more carefully 

placed .30g BB! On semi the trigger was crisp and 

light with minimal reset, and the bump in the shoulder 

from that weighty reciprocating chunk of steel in the 

tube was very satisfying indeed! 

As you can no doubt tell by now, I honestly rate the 

MGCR 556 as a platform very highly, as everything 

just seems “right” to me; I don’t mind now that G&G 

have taken so much time to bring this to market, 

as everything is nailed down tight.. almost! One 

small (tiny!) thing to note is that the small, springloaded 

H-bar that keeps that dirty great steel bufferweight 

retained in the tube is held in place by a tiny 

grubscrew that resides under the QD point at the rear 

of the lower… 

By removing the buffer tube assembly, you can 

access this (it is NOT obvious!) and I would do so as 

the sheer force of the mass banging back and forth in 

operation can shake this grubscrew loose… when you 

get your MGCR then just access this little grubscrew 

and add a blob of threadlock so the H-bar doesn’t 

come loose and jam things up… yes, this did happen 

to me, but it was a super-easy fix and a little prep in 

setting up your MGCR will prevent it happening in the 

first place; other than this one tiny thing, the MGCR 

556 rocks! 

So, the MGCR 556 GBBR… I love the design 

aesthetic from the stock through the ergonomic pistol 

grip, and onto the distinctive M-LOK rail; once again 

I’ve added my usual stunty foregrip and a holosight 

so it feels comfortable for me, and the overall length 

(stock fully extended) of 773mm and weight (with 

mag) of 3135g is absolutely perfect in my mind for a 

solid fighting carbine! 

I’ve now managed to get in some quality rangetime 

with the MGCR (oh, how I don’t hate my life!) and 

the added sense of realism that the gas operation 

adds to a platform I’ve already fallen in love with 

just adds to the feeling that you’ve got something 

more akin to a real firearm in your hands rather than 

an airsoft version; having now shot the MCMR on a 

regular basis over the last month I can tell you that 

early indications are that it will perform as well as the 

best of them! 

What G&G have done in my opinion is take the 

very best things that they have created over recent 

years, and put everything into one single package 

that’s been designed and made for ALL airsoft 

shooters! Yes, it’s a gasser, and yes, it’s not cheap, but 

with this amount of coolness we should be prepared 

to pay for a platform that will actually let us use it year 

round… my outdoor range sessions have been on the 

coldest days of 2023 so far, and the MGCR 556 had 

performed admirably at all times. 

Although this is more a “civilian-styled AR” rather 

than a military one it shows G&Gs commitment to 

creating platforms of their very own, with all the 

design magnificence that entails. As G&G have licence 

agreements in place with a number of great firearms 

manufacturers I would love to see them put their gas- 

OS into something like the Knight’s SR15 which would 

be a “MilSim win”, but who knows what the future 

will hold? When it comes to the MGCR 556 GBBR 

then this has been created for players, shooters and 

users, people that want a 6mm BB carbine that not 

only looks and feels stunning, but one which operates 

exactly like the “real deal”, and with high-efficiency 

too; Mr Liao must be very, VERY pleased with what his 

team at G&G have created… I KNOW that I am! 

My sincere thanks go to Apple at www.guay2.com 

for sending over the MGCR 556 GBBR for evaluation; 

it’s not only the platform itself that’s efficient and userfriendly! 

AA 

“I TOOK THE MGCR 556 GBBR TO MY 30M WOODLAND RANGE, AND ALSO TO THE 

INDOOR 10M RANGE TO CHRONO AND TEST, AND IN TERMS OF POWER I GOT A 

CONSISTENT 1.27 JOULE/371FPS ON A .20G VORSK BB USING VORSK V8 FUEL , AND 

UPPING TO .30G VORSK BBS THE ACCURACY WAS AMAZING AT THAT BOTH SHORT 

AND MEDIUM RANGE” 

16 


ARMOURY 


“THE UPPER RECEIVER FOLLOWS THE DESIGN AESTHETIC WITH THAT SLEEK, MODERN 

LOOK AND FEATURES AND OVERSIZED COCKING HANDLE, A WORKING FORWARD 

ASSIST TO THE RHS WHILST ON THE LEFT ARE SOME VERY ATTRACTIVE, WEIGHT- 

SAVING CUTAWAYS, ONE OF WHICH INCORPORATES THE G&G LOGO” 


ARMOURY 


18 


ARMOURY 


“WHAT G&G HAVE DONE IN MY OPINION IS 

TAKE THE VERY BEST THINGS THAT THEY 

HAVE CREATED OVER RECENT YEARS, AND 

PUT EVERYTHING INTO ONE SINGLE PACKAGE 

THAT’S BEEN DESIGNED AND MADE FOR ALL 

AIRSOFT SHOOTERS!” 


ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT NEW RAVENS! BRSS SCAR-SC 

A TALE 

OF TWO 

HANDGUNS 

22 


ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT NEW BRSS RAVENS! SCAR-SC 

AS FAR AS WE’RE CONCERNED RAVEN PISTOLS ARE ONE OF THE “QUIET PERFORMERS” IN THE AA 

ARMOURY, AND AGAIN IN OUR OPINION IT’S ONE OF THE GBB PISTOL BRANDS THAT REALLY DOESN’T 

GET THE ATTENTION IT SO RIGHTLY DESERVES! THIS MONTH YOU’LL SEE TWO VERY DIFFERENT NEW 

PISTOL MODELS HITTING YOUR LOCAL AIRSOFT STORE, AND BILL HAS BEEN PUTTING BOTH OF THEM 

THROUGH THEIR PACES! 

I 

make absolutely no secret whatsoever that I 

believe that the RAVEN GBB pistol range is one of 

the best-value lines of airsoft handguns out there 

when it comes not only to value for money, but also 

when it comes to outright down n’ dirty skirmish-day 

gunfightin’ performance! 

I’ve said on many occasions that in my opinion 

when it comes down to “bang-for-buck” that the 

RAVEN Hi Capa range is one of the best-kept secrets 

(okay, not “secret, secret” obviously!) out there today, 

and I now own a whole heap of them in different 

configurations from the 3.8 up to the 5.1, with and 

without RDS sights fitted as standard, and when it 

comes to my “PAMG” setup for friendly competition 

with friends it’s undoubtedly one if these solid-as-a 

rock GBBs that’s in my holster for general use. 

In fact I’d go so far as to say that I still believe that 

the chunky, solid-as-a-rock RAVEN has rekindled my 

love for the Hi Capa concept all over again! As my 

personal airsoft “tastes” have veered more and more 

towards MILSIM/OPFOR gameplay over the years, so 

too my choice of “secondary” has changed from a 

simple yet highly effective skirmish day/comp style of 

pistol to a more “military” model. This is still true as 

I carry a G17 in my “MilSim Holster”, and probably 

always will due to my long association with shooting 

the “real”. 

However, the Hi Capa is the “pistol of choice” for 

so many of you out there, and for those that only own 

one pistol and feel the need for no other, then the 

Hi Capa is still, rightfully to a large degree, king. The 

RAVEN take on this venerable platform is a righteous 

one; 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 4.3 and 5.1, later 

joined by the super-fun 3.8. All these models moved 

on from the originals, with that modern, strong, 

almost “blocky” look that is right on the button for 

“combat pistol” design. 

RAVEN have really impressed me with their nofrills 

Hi Capa range that delivers performance in 

a seemingly simple and pared-back package that 

actually hides some exceptionally clever internal 

engineering. With their Hi Capas so far they’ve kept 

things completely streamlined, and 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 of function over aesthetics, to me they look 

100% RIGHT! 

HEX MARKS THE SPOT! 

I’ve been using all the existing models since they first 

hit the market (in fact slightly before they hit the 

market!) and they have proved to be solid, durable, 

and dependable pistols, which is exactly what you 

want from “fightin’ irons”. RAVEN has gone from 

strength to strength as a brand since I first saw those 

initial models, and with the addition of the DRAGON 

7 and R14 the line, in my mind at least, was looking 

pretty darn strong… but things continue to move on, 

and new GBB treasure is there to be found where HEX 

marks the spot! 

Never ones to rest easy when there’s work still to 

be done, the RAVEN team have moved things on yet 

again; the HEX COMP apparently melds together the 

longer-inner-barrel (6.03mm tightbore) of the 5.1 with 

a CNC-finished slide the same length as that of the 

awesome 4.3 (the real “combat pistol” of the range to 

me) and adds a distinctive and attractive compensator 

to the front end; this compensator is fixed but 

removable via four screws on the front lower frame 

for hop-adjustment. The frame length is also similar 

to that of the 5.1 which means that you get a 7-slot 

“THE HI CAPA IS THE “PISTOL OF CHOICE” FOR SO MANY OF YOU OUT THERE, AND 

FOR THOSE THAT ONLY OWN ONE PISTOL AND FEEL THE NEED FOR NO OTHER, THEN 

THE HI CAPA IS STILL, RIGHTFULLY TO A LARGE DEGREE, KING. THE RAVEN TAKE ON 

THIS VENERABLE PLATFORM IS A RIGHTEOUS ONE” 


ARMOURY 

NEW RAVENS! 

20mm picatinny rail for accessories at the sharp end! 

Still of full-metal construction the new HEX COMP 

offers something unique in the overall external styling 

too! It takes all the great performance and features 

of the originals, now very much tried and tested, 

and moves things up a gear for the shooter who 

likes something unique, with some added external 

detail that to me really makes the platform sing even 

louder! With the new HEX compensator on the front, 

matching the HEX-styled grip and embossed detailing 

across the back of the slide it makes the new model 

stylistically different and cool too. 

The HEX COMP still has the extended safety lever 

and beavertail fire control features along with easyto-acquire 

green fibre sights, and the big old 23-BB 

double stacked magazine with extended baseplate 

offers the same all-round gas performance that I’ve 

come to expect from a RAVEN Hi Capa; the magazines 

are also completely compatible with existing RAVEN 

models, so if like me you have one (or more!) already 

then this just adds to your load in a good way. 

TAKING IT “MIL”! 

So, I’m super-happy with the HEX COMP, but what 

of the other new release, the RAVEN R9-4? Well, this 

is a totally different beast and all the better for that! 

This is without doubt a “replica” rather than just an 

airsoft pistol, and continues the RAVEN R9 line to a 

very logical point that will endear it to players that like 

a GBB that’s rooted in the “real”… for this reason it 

excites me, as everyone likes something “real”, don’t 

they? 

If you search things out online you’ll find in the 

real-world that the “M9A4 represents the pinnacle of 

the M9 series of pistols. Built to exceed the standards 

of even the most demanding tactical shooters, the 

M9A4 blends the proven design of the M9 with 

modern features such as a red-dot optic compatible 

slide and dovetailed tritium night sights for optimal 

sight options, an enhanced short reset Xtreme Trigger 

System, an 18-round magazine, and a Vertec frame 

with included aggressively textured Vertec-style thin 

grips that ensure a more natural fit for all shooters”. 

So what have RAVEN done here? Simply put 

they’ve taken the great OS from their existing R9 

pistols, tweaked it up and refined it, and upgraded 

the externals to “modern spec” at the same time! 

What you immediately feel when you lift the R9-4 

from its box is the sheer solid heft of this full-metal 

handgun, as it weighs in just over 632g (mag out), 

just a tad more than the 600g of the existing R9. 

It’s a righteously solid, 215mm-long chunk of fullyfunctional 

GBB secondary that, if you’re anything like 

me, will give you a definite “smiley-face-vibe” from 

the get go! 

The R9-4 has a 20mm rail on the lower front of 

the frame, this time a 3-slot picatinny version, so it’s 

a snap to fit a taclite. Sights are uprated too as the 

R9-4 comes fitted with green fibre sights as standard, 

and the controls will be familiar if you’ve ever had an 

airsoft “M9” as everything is on the left side of the 

pistol. The magazine release is a button-style where 

the trigger guard meets the frame, and the slide 

release can be found just above easily within reach of 

the strong-hand thumb, and in front of this is takedown 

pin for slide removal, maintenance and for 

adjustment of the hop. 

You also get an ambidextrous decocking/safety 

lever at the rear of the pistol; with the action cocked, 

a simple movement of the safety catch down will 

decock the hammer, allowing you to carry the A4 in 

“Condition1” like a 1911. However, the R9-4 can be 

fired from “Condition 1” without having to re-engage 

with the lo-profile hammer, as with the safety off it 

has an SA/DA trigger. Sure enough, the first shot will 

have a long pull with follow-ups being significantly 

shorter as the gas-efficient system comes into its own. 

Other nice finishing touches include angled serrations 

“I’M SUPER-HAPPY WITH THE HEX COMP, BUT WHAT OF THE OTHER NEW RELEASE, 

THE RAVEN R9-4? WELL, THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT BEAST AND ALL THE BETTER 

FOR THAT! THIS IS WITHOUT DOUBT A “REPLICA” RATHER THAN JUST AN AIRSOFT 

PISTOL, AND CONTINUES THE RAVEN R9 LINE TO A VERY LOGICAL POINT THAT WILL 

ENDEAR IT TO PLAYERS THAT LIKE A GBB THAT’S ROOTED IN THE “REAL”” 

24 


ARMOURY 

NEW RAVENS! 


ARMOURY 

NEW RAVENS! 

on either side of the slide to give a positive handle 

when cocking the pistol, and checkered pistol grips 

which offer, in combination with the backstrap, solid 

retention (more on these shortly!). There’s also a 

threaded outer barrel with a knurled shroud that will 

allow you to run a suppressor should you wish to do 

so. 

As with the features of the “real”, that “Vertec 

frame with included aggressively textured Vertecstyle 

thin grips” the RAVEN R9-4 actually does 

a creditable job of replicating that too! The grip 

angle is actually the same as that of the R9 but with 

slimmer grip panels and a more “upright” backstrap 

the pistol feels significantly different, almost like it 

has a much more modern and straight rake which 

feels great in the hand. 

And of course there’s one other element that 

goes into making an “A4”, and that’s the “RDS 

compatibility”, and from what I see on the pistol 

I’ve had to test RAVEN have absolutely nailed this! 

The real deal has two insets machined into the slide 

just ahead of the fixed “irons” so that you can fit 

a mounting baseplate for an RDS, and the RAVEN 

has been replicated perfectly to mimic this; I say 

“mimic” as this is purely an aesthetic feature and 

you won’t be able to fit an RDS, but it does complete 

the “look” of the pistol very nicely indeed, and even 

to get this a redesign was necessary! Because of 

restrictions within the operating parts the RAVEN 

team actually made a new nozzle and blowback 

housing design just to achieve the correct flat-top to 

the slide which shows absolute dedication to getting 

things as right as possible; perhaps a functioning 

RDS fitment was a step too far at this point, but who 

knows what the future holds as they continue to 

innovate! 

DOWNRANGE 

Having shot both the RAVEN Hi Capa models, and 

the existing R9 I wasn’t expecting anything midbendingly-ground-breaking 

in terms of performance 

upgrades, as both original pistols shot beautifully and 

were gas-efficient initially and have continued to be 

so. 

In terms of the HEX COMP, when I shoot my 

existing RAVEN Hi Capas they chrono in around 

0.78 Joule/290FPS on a .20g RZR BB with a really 

punchy recoil impulse, even more so when you use 

the included CO2 conversion parts to run them 

on a CO2 bulb, although you will need to buy the 

CO2 magazine separately as an accessory. The HEX 

jumps this up slightly to iro 0.84 Joule/301fps and 

the familiar sight-setup lets you get BBs on target 

superbly at 10m; this is an accurate pistol, and 

absolutely ideal for that moment when you REALLY 

need it! 

Loaded up with .20g RZR BBs and NP2.0 greenbottle 

gas the R9-4 also sends a full magazine of 25 

BBs downrange with astonishing accuracy thanks 

to the 113mm 6.03 inner barrel, giving excellent 

groupings at 10 metres. On .20g ammo it chrono’s 

consistently around the 0.83 Joule/300fps mark. 

RAVEN now offer a CO2 magazine as an accessory 

for the R9 too, and this will raise the power a little 

and will give greater consistency in the colder 

months of the year for those of us in “temperate” 

climates, although results with NP 2.0 were solid 

even in the chillier weather right now. 

Overall these are both really first-rate airsoft pistols 

and they are worthy of a place in anyone’s armoury. 

They look and feel spot-on, with the HEX COMP 

having an almost “cyberpunk” vibe, and the R9-4 

giving some “real-deal-authenticity”. Both pistols 

shoot consistently and accurately, and cycle perfectly 

on NP 2.0 gas. Whether you buy either model as a 

simple, solid skirmish pistol or as a loadout-specific 

military model the fact is that the RAVENs will serve 

you well, and not deplete your game-day fightingfund 

whilst doing so! 

I love the fact that with these two new releases 

RAVEN have continued to grow and enhance their 

Hi Capa line, whilst at the self-same time creating 

something that will delight MilSim-oriented players 

and collectors! Whichever way we like to enjoy your 

airsoft, RAVEN obviously continue to “have our six”, 

and I downright love ‘em for it! 

My thanks as always go to the guys at RAVEN for 

letting me check out the new pistols, and you can 

get more information on all the models they offer by 

simply heading over to www.rvnairsoft.com AA 

“THE GRIP ANGLE IS ACTUALLY THE SAME AS THAT OF THE R9 BUT WITH SLIMMER 

GRIP PANELS AND A MORE “UPRIGHT” BACKSTRAP THE PISTOL FEELS SIGNIFICANTLY 

DIFFERENT, ALMOST LIKE IT HAS A MUCH MORE MODERN AND STRAIGHT RAKE WHICH 

FEELS GREAT IN THE HAND” 

26 


ARMOURY 

NEW RAVENS! 

“OVERALL THESE ARE BOTH REALLY FIRST-RATE AIRSOFT PISTOLS AND THEY ARE 

WORTHY OF A PLACE IN ANYONE’S ARMOURY. THEY LOOK AND FEEL SPOT-ON, WITH 

THE HEX COMP HAVING AN ALMOST “CYBERPUNK” VIBE, AND THE R9-4 GIVING SOME 

“REAL-DEAL-AUTHENTICITY”” 



ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT ASG H15 BRSS SCAR-SC 

ASG ARS 

EVOLVED! 

30 


ARMOURY 

CYBERGUN/BOLT BRSS SCAR-SC ASG H15 

IT’S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE WE’VE SEEN A TOTALLY NEW AR FROM THE GOOD FOLK AT 

ACTIONSPORTGAMES (ASG), BUT THEY’VE BEEN PROMISING SOMETHING FOR A WHILE NOW, AND 

THE H15 SERIES LOOKS LIKE IT’S GOING TO EXCITE THEIR LOYAL FANS AND PLAYERS IN GENERAL 

ALL OVER AGAIN… BOYCIE HAS BEEN DIGGING DEEPER… 


ARMOURY 

ASG H15 

If you’re a follower of our SFTW posts on the Airsoft 

Action website you will have seen the occasional 

reference to , well now one of those 

references breaks cover. We’ve been talking a lot with 

ASG over recent weeks and months about things that 

are on the horizon and I first got to see the new ASG 

H-15 in person at a product briefing at ASG HQ about 

three months ago. By the time you read this, the H-15 

will have been released and been in the shops for a 

little while. 

Before you say “Oh just another M4!” just hold 

fire and see what is different about the H-15. What 

the boffins at ASG have done is take their great EVO 

Scorpion internals and fitted them into an M4-esque 

receiver set which will appeal to those who love the 

AR style platform! 

So, with this said, what is included in the standard 

feature set? Well, they include: 

• V2 type gearbox which is fitted with the same 

gears and compression set as found in the Evo. 

• ASCU2 Electronic Trigger Unit 

• Quick Change Spring Guide 

• T-Plug Battery Connector 

• Retro Arms Trigger 

• PTS EPG-C Pistol Grip 

• Hera Arms CCS Buttstock 

Breaking with our usual review format I’m going to 

just take a few minutes to talk first about the gearbox. 

Having used the H-15 ‘way back’ at the ASG media 

briefing, I already knew the EVO, having owned a 

couple myself; I always loved the snappy firing and 

really impressive range from such a small rifle. Also 

the three fire modes single, three round burst and full 

auto were almost unique in an out of the box rifle 

when the EVO launched. 

The H-15 shares the same feel when firing and 

whilst you can’t switch directly through the three 

fire modes, programming the ETU can give the user 

the option to go Single/Three, Single/Full Auto or 

Three/Full Auto modes. Another great feature is the 

option to change the spring with the Quick Change 

Spring Guide, accessible through the stock tube, so 

in countries where the FPS limits are different, you 

can easily change the spring to suit local limits/laws 

without having to open the gearbox up. 

The standard battery connector on the H-15 is the 

T plug (aka Deans) which makes for a much better 

connection between the battery and the gearbox 

wiring. In the rest of the world the H-15 BET and 

Carbine are shipped out set at 1.65 joules, whereas 

the CQB has been set to 1.4 joules. For the UK where 

our laws and fps limits are below those ROW (Rest of 

the World) limits there is an M95 version which will 

come in at 0.95 joules as standard. WIth the quick 

change spring you can soon tune the output to near 

to the upper limits here in the UK, and the H-15 is 

designed to work optimally using the Evo motor being 

powered by an ASG 11.1v 1450mAh 30C LiPo battery. 

LOOKING OUTSIDE 

Externally, there is the AR resemblance but with 

ASG’s own take on the aesthetics and design of the 

receiver set. From the top down, the receiver is more 

chunky with “dimple” features at the back of the 

upper. As usually found on similar platforms of this 

type there is a faux Bolt Forward Assist button and 

standard AR style selector lever, mag release and bolt 

release, which unlike the EVO doesn’t operate an 

empty magazine detection reset. This was decided to 

make the H-15 more compatible with the plethora of 

aftermarket magazines which are available, but I have 

to say the standard 180 BB “mid-cap” functions really 

well, so why would you want to change it. A cast 

trigger guard is part of the lower receiver but there is 

plenty of room to fit a gloved finger in there and not 

be cramped for space. 

When I was talking to JB about the H-15 some 

weeks ago, prior to getting my hands on a test rifle, 

this is pretty much exactly how our conversation 

went... 

JB: “The H-15, like our Evo is hand built in our 

Danish HQ on a new production line specifically for 

the H-15 series.” 

Boycie: “Reading between the lines does this mean 

that there will be more in the H-series to come?” 

JB: “Well we do have plans for future products 

in the H-# series, more than that I can’t say at the 

minute.” 

Boycie: “The rail looks different but with some 

familiar looking attachment options for accessories?” 

JB: “Our M-Rail handguard was custom designed 

‘in house’ at ASG and is manufactured in Europe” 

Boycie : “Ahh... So not M-LOK ?” 

“BEFORE YOU SAY “OH JUST ANOTHER M4!” JUST HOLD FIRE AND SEE WHAT IS 

DIFFERENT ABOUT THE H-15. WHAT THE BOFFINS AT ASG HAVE DONE IS TAKE THEIR 

GREAT EVO SCORPION INTERNALS AND FITTED THEM INTO AN M4-ESQUE RECEIVER 

SET WHICH WILL APPEAL TO THOSE WHO LOVE THE AR STYLE PLATFORM!” 

32 


ARMOURY 

ASG H15 


ARMOURY 

ASG H15 

JB: “No, not M-LOK(TM) but most accessories 

should be able to be fitted and we have a range of 

accessories coming over the coming months.” 

Boycie : “ The mags feel solid and well made” 

JB: “The magazines hold 180 BBs and feed 

extremely well. We went with a standard fitting but 

our own design to give the end user the choice of 

magazine. Additional magazines will be sold in boxes 

of three” 

Boycie: “Is there anything else that you can tell 

me about the H-15?” 

JB: “We’ve also made our ‘in house’ custom 

design of flash hider for the CQB and Carbine. The 

Hybrid series is our new line of products that sit 

within the Pro-Line range. These have been designed 

to be “the best of the best” and a blend of our 

20 plus years of experience. Before I forget, there 

will also be a semi locked version also coming soon 

which will serve the German Market where they are 

restricted to using semi only rifles.” 

Boycie: “Thanks JB, I’m going to go and hit the 

range now.” 

JB: “Thanks Boycie.” 

Over the many years 

around the sport that 

someone to lie in cover and “snipe” with the H-15. 

DOWNRANGE 

For the first part of my test, I ran three mags full of 

BBs through the rifle using bursts. This will, if new, 

mean that I can get the release agent off the rubber 

and get the best grip on the BB, in a similar way that 

F1 cars get the best grip from a tyre when the shine 

is off it and it’s warmed up. I have to say that the 

ROF is more than good enough for those who refer 

to use full auto and the snappy response on semi 

means that you can quickly get off a sequence of 

single shots in a short time. 

I only have a limited area to test this H-15 on 

but once I’d dialled in the hop, which is 

an easily adjustable rotary type, I was 

sailing BBs out to approximately 50m 

with reasonable accuracy (bearing in 

mind it was blowing a hooley when 

did this quick test. I am sure that during 

the cold months here in 

is airsoft, I have handled, 

owned and used a large number of 

rifles and I have to say that I really like how 

this H-15 feels in the hands. I particuarly like the feel 

of the M-Rail Handguard; it has a different profile to 

those which you may see on other platforms but sits 

really nicely in the hand and is really comfortable. On 

the top of the rail is the “usual” picatinny rail and on 

three sides, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions, are the rail 

accessory slots. 

On the BET model I was loaned, the guys at ASG 

had fitted a Strike Systems 1-4x24E scope which has 

a nice illuminated reticule. I like this type of set up 

as you can leave the illumination on for indoor use 

and it doesn’t affect the scope use outdoors in the 

better light. There was also a Harris style bipod fitted 

but my preference is not to have one fitted so I took 

it off. If I had left it on it would have been ideal for 

the UK, 

the weather 

conditions will lead most people to change their 

hop rubber to a softer grade, maybe something 

like a 50 degree. I am sure that if I were 

testing this rifle in the summer, the factorystandard 

rubber would be great. 

I then had to wait a few days to get 

back on the range and for also the weather 

to improve so I could test the accuracy. As 

you may remember when Lil Stu and I tested 

the ASG Steyr Scout, our “go to target” is a 

simple piece of A4 paper (as it is a similar size 

to that of a medium SAPI plate) hanging from 

34 


ARMOURY 

ASG H15 

some string or a fence. Starting at 

40m almost every shot hit 

the paper, barring one 

or two due to user 

error. I pushed back 

to 50m and 

again, almost 

every shot hit 

the paper. As 

I said, I was 

limited on 

the range 

I could 

use so 

I decided to repeat the practice but this time using 

an A5 sheet of paper. This time at least 50% of the 

shots ripped the through the paper and those 

that didn’t were only narrowly missing the 

sheet. 

KEEPING IT REAL 

I was told by ASG’s JB that in terms of 

power output the H15 variants for the 

UK would be safely under the legal limit, 

but of course this will to take into account 

the needs of the international nature of 

ASG’s customers by country; such is the 

“reach” and the ability of a manufacturer that 

is truly global in its nature! Suffice to say I will be 

getting the rifle out onto a skirmish ground soon 

to chrono properly and give it a run out; going on 

initial tests, I am sure I’ll have a good time with it. 

As you read this, the H-15 should be in shops near 

you and more accessories are due soon. One 

thing that would be great on this would 

be a tracer unit and when I mentioned 

this to JB he said “the faux suppressor 

would be able to take one of our 

tracer units so problem solved”. 

A huge thanks to ASG and 

to JB personally for allowing 

me to get hands on with the 

H-15 BET. I’m really looking 

forward to the next products 

in the H-series. One 

thing he did tell me was 

coming in 2024 was the 

…. Oh, 

there it is again, but 

as soon as I can talk 

about it, be sure that 

I will be and I’m 

sure that Lil Stu 

will be wanting 

to get his tiny 

hands on it as 

well! 

For all the 

news on 

the latest 

releases from 

ActionSportGames 

(ASG) please 

check out their 

regularly updated social media posts, and also pay 

a visit to www.actionsportgames.com AA 


HELIKON-TEX ® 

Discover 

Guardian Plate 

Carrier 

#JourneyToPerfection 

helikon-tex.com

KIT & GEAR 

MAINTENANCE 

TIME TO 

TAKE 

ACTION! 

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN THAT WE SHOULD 

BE KEEPING OUR KIT UP TO SPEED, SO AS USUAL 

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! 

As we are heading well into winter now 

I’m certain that, just like all of the 

AA Crew, your cold and wet 

weather gear has been pulled out of 

that dark place where you store it, 

and made ready for the games 

to come in the next couple of 

months. Here in the UK it is 

really starting to be wet, 

cold, and muddy… Did I 

mention wet, “with the 

possibility of sleet” 

in the forecast as I 

write! 

I write 

about looking 

after your gear 

every year, and 

make no apology 

for revisiting and 

including the 

subject here 

again; we 

“I WRITE ABOUT LOOKING AFTER YOUR GEAR EVERY YEAR, 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! ” 

38 


KIT & GEAR 

MAINTENANCE 

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 and crucial 

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! 

KEEP IT ROLLIN’! 

If you’re spending a lot of money on a set of 

weatherproof/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-hating) 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 

““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” 


KIT & GEAR 

MAINTENANCE 

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 so that moisture transfer away from your skin 

continues to work in tandem with your outer shell 

gear. These products offer high performance cleaning, 

water-proofing and after-care 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 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 

“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!” 

40 


KIT & GEAR 

MAINTENANCE 

wicking, enhancing the overall effectiveness of your 

entire clothing system. 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 so also 

ensure that your base and mid-layers are up to scratch 

too! 

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 fast-wicking 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 as I do 

every year… how much is “too expensive”? 

Use your time wisely, get your gear prepped and be 

ready for ALL your new airsoft adventures, whatever 

old Ma Nature may throw at you! AA 

“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 CAGE 

MOST USED 

THE CAGE: 

2023 LEGION 

ROUNDUP 

IT’S BEEN ANOTHER BUSY YEAR FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE AA LEGION WITH GAMES, EVENTS, 

AND RANGE DAYS ALL GOING ON AT PACE, SO AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR WE 

THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO LOOK AT SPECIFIC ITEMS OF KIT THAT THE CREW HAVE 

BEEN USING, AND CAN RECOMMEND TO YOU, AND AS ALWAYS BILL LEADS OFF… 

As we approach the end of another year of 

airsoft I thought it would be cool to get with 

the members of the AA LEGION to find out 

what in terms of kit and gear had REALLY worked for 

them this year! This isn’t a ’Christmas List” as such, 

as we hope that by now your seasonal airsoft-from- 

Santa sacks are already bulging, but if you’re anything 

like me then there will be a little airsoft-related “giftto-self” 

lurking somewhere under the tree… 

So this is really a list of things that the guys have 

used during the past year and have found both useful 

and 100% fit-for-purpose, things that make our 

airsoft life just a little bit easier, a bit slicker, and that 

have already in some cases stood up to a tremendous 

amount of in-the-field abuse! 

Without further seasonal ado I’ll hand over 

immediately this month to the team… 

Boycie: I can’t help thinking “all I want for 

Christmas is me two front teeth”, but today reminded 

me of one of the best cold/inclement weather jackets I 

have ever owned. 

Last year I got, through a trade, a Carninthia ECIG 

(Extreme Cold Insulation Garment), in black. This is 

just one heck of a jacket, fantastic in biting winds, 

sub-zero temperatures and 

driving rain (as I found out 

this morning walking in to 

work). There are pockets 

galore in the jacket and 

really nice storm cuffs. 

The surprising thing is 

that this is easily able 

to be worn under my 

Templar Gear Plate 

Carrier and doesn’t 

feel too bulky or 

restrictive. Also 

when not in use 

the jacket has a 

stuff sack which 

when carrying it in a pack 

means it 

takes up about the same space 

as a Snugpak jacket. 

Gear wise, I have to say my Spyderco ClipiTool 

knife/scissors is a great tool to have. I use it mainly 

at work but it’s ideal just to have in your pocket. The 

second gear item has to be the Red Rock Large Rover 

Sling Pack which both myself and Lil Stu used all thru 

“LAST YEAR I GOT, THROUGH A TRADE, A CARNINTHIA ECIG (EXTREME COLD INSULA- 

TION GARMENT), IN BLACK. THIS IS JUST ONE HECK OF A JACKET, FANTASTIC IN BIT- 

ING WINDS, SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES AND DRIVING RAIN (AS I FOUND OUT THIS 

MORNING WALKING IN TO WORK)” 

42 


THE CAGE 

MOST USED 

our adventures at Shot Show this year! 

Chris P: Clothing.. Helikon Range Hoodie; light and 

synthetic meaning it’s both warm and quick drying, 

ideal for autumn days or layering under a jacket. I 

bought the grey one; it’s paired with back panels on 

hard wearing areas and has pockets for elbow inserts 

if you do feel you need that bit of padding. 

Kit... ADA TBAS Battle Bra; superbly 

made for an issue bit of kit, padded 

and comfortable with minimal 

fancy featured. Being just 

a blank MOLLE panel it 

caters for all your pouch 

needs and is also able 

to take inserts behind 

the front panel. I would 

recommend it but they 

are almost impossible to 

get so a similar item is 

the SORD Sniper CTR 

rig. 

Robbie: Going a 

different route for this 

one, moleskin.. no 

idea why I seem to kill 

my boots above the heel inside, but 

moleskin fixes this! 

Ben: Although I haven’t used it much yet, the 

BN Tactical Ghost facemask... Wow! This mask is an 

awesome bit of kit, low profile and very comfortable; 

it naturally clings to your face plus is very easy to 

shape 

it and if you prefer running a snood 

and not a balaclava it’s perfect! 

The snood just gives it that 

extra cling....there’s two 

versions of this mask, one 

with a nose cover and one 

without...I shall be getting 

both as I prefer the not 

to have the nose cover 

bit as for me as it makes 

my snood look funny due 

to my predator print on 

it, but If I was using a one 

colour snood then it’s not a 

problem! 

Li’l Stu: 5.11 jacket; I bought this second-hand 

yonks back; it’s seen me through some grim weather ( 

torrential rain storms) and kept me warm and dry with 

no issues! 

Jase: This year I have not played generally as 

much as I’ve concentrated on a few select MilSim 

adventures, but on the few times I have had a simple 

run-out I’ve really enjoyed running in my Ragnar 

RAGNARÖK Coyote Combat Pants. There are many 

strong points to like, from the soft lined waistband, 

eleven pockets of various sizes, reinforced knees 

where you can add pads of your choice, elasticated 

panels for ease of movement and my favourite 

feature, the metal hook on the inside of the bottom 

of each leg for a perfect fit of the pants to join them 

to the footwear stopping the leg from rising up 

when kneeling or going prone… I just wish they did 

them in Multicam… 

Iggy: Being based in Queensland it doesn’t get 

too cold here in Oz; in fact I don’t think I have 

worn my soft shell in Australia yet, and only use it 

when I go to New Zealand for airsoft. 

For my best bit of kit in 2023 

it has to be the VIPER VX Buckle 

Up plate carrier. I had to replace 

my 5.11 All Missions one because 

it was stolen, and with having kids 

that are growing up and becoming 

ever more expensive I didn’t have 

the available budget I used to for 

5.11, CRYE etc. I liked the look of 

the VIPER VX and could afford it. 

Since then I have grown to love it, 

holding strong game after game 

even with my 5kg plates front and 

back plus water and the usual MilSim 

equipment one tends to hang off the 

attachment system. I have my coyote 

coloured one all made up with pouches 

but I’m looking to get a second one for 

training in to do my weighted running 

because they are so comfortable. 

Miguel: Although it’s not something 

from 2023, the piece of gear that I 

can’t get enough of is also the VIPER 

VX Plate Carrier and its accessories. 

“I’VE REALLY ENJOYED RUNNING IN MY RAGNAR RAGNARÖK COYOTE COMBAT PANTS. 

THERE ARE MANY STRONG POINTS TO LIKE, FROM THE SOFT LINED WAISTBAND, 

ELEVEN POCKETS OF VARIOUS SIZES, REINFORCED KNEES WHERE YOU CAN ADD PADS 

OF YOUR CHOICE, ELASTICATED PANELS FOR EASE OF MOVEMENT” 


THE CAGE 

MOST USED 

forget to bring one with me. These are 

the best adapter for the Odin 

I’ve ever used. 

It’s low-profile, 

works with 

It’s a highly customizable carrier, with many different 

options from the brand, comfortable, easy to use and 

ready to be used and abused. It’s been with me since 

it first came out, and it has become a main pillar in my 

gear, from smaller games to those nationwide events, 

with 24+ hours, rain, sun, heat and cold, it doesn’t 

matter, the VX Plate Carrier has been with me through 

it all! 

Dan: Clothing-wise (but not exactly clothing) has 

been some new shoe inserts, specifically a new set of 

Superfeet hiking insoles. Being flat-footed, I’ve always 

found stock insoles to be pretty lacklustre in the 

support department. These make a massive difference 

in the feel of the shoe/boot, and this also translates 

into a massive difference for how long I can stay on 

my feet and not feel sore or tired at the end of the 

day. 

On the gear side, I’ve been really happy with the 

Milwaukee Custom Kydex AlphaLB holster for my 

G-series, which I picked up earlier this year. The 

second bit of gear I’ve been using a lot of has been a 

couple more of the Airtech Studios Odin adapters. I’ve 

had one for a few years now, but recently purchased 

several more so now all my Odin’s can be outfitted, 

plus I can keep a spare in the tool box just in case I 

every magazine out there 

(AEG-wise, at least), and will 

even double as a handy unloader for dumping BB’s 

back into the Odin or a bottle. 

Stewbacca: Clothing-wise you might be surprised 

that it’s a jacket from me! Despite living in the ballsweat 

tropics these days I do sometimes need a 

lightweight windbreaker or something to take the 

light rain when I have to be outdoors in the inclement 

times. Our team leader Ben usually sources our BDUs 

and other team kit, and I saw him and some of 

our other guys wearing these and decided I should 

get one as well; for just a few hundred Taiwanese 

dollars (about 10 quid to you!) the ‘Outdoor Shark’ 

lightweight windproof and waterproof fleece lined 

jacket sourced from the Chinese mainland; it’s light 

enough to not be a sweat-bucket when it’s marginally 

warmer but also quite warm when it’s a bit windier or 

damper. It worked great for the rainy Kaohsiung shoot 

last xmas; it has a roll up hood which also serves as 

a thick neck pad windbreaker when stowed, and of 

course it has plenty of zipped pockets and the allimportant 

velcro panels on the upper arms because I 

have to slap patches all over everything. Cheap and 

cheerful, it’s served me well most of the year except 

for the hottest months. 

Gear-wise for me the TMC1067 AOR2 backpack 

which I acquired in time for the POLK3 MilSim and 

customised and integrated into my AOR2 plate carrier 

to great effect; I used it for carrying my hydration 

bladder and spare snacks, ammunition, gas and 

loaders, which I honestly would probably have literally 

died without given the sheer heat exhaustion we were 

“THE PIECE OF GEAR THAT I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IS ALSO THE VIPER VX PLATE 

CARRIER AND ITS ACCESSORIES. IT’S A HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE CARRIER, WITH MANY 

DIFFERENT OPTIONS FROM THE BRAND, COMFORTABLE, EASY TO USE AND READY TO 

BE USED AND ABUSED. IT’S BEEN WITH ME SINCE IT FIRST CAME OUT” 

44 


THE CAGE 

MOST USED 

all encountering in the July heat! 

Bill: Much like Jase I’ve been quite selective on 

what I’ve attended this year as pulling the magazine 

together each moth means I’m often otherwise 

committed at weekends as well as during the week 

in the office… I’ve mainly concentrated on range 

days both alone and with AA’s brand partners and 

some training events which I love with a vengeance… 

never stop training fellow ‘softers, there’s ALWAYS 

something new to learn and add to your “tactical 

toolbox”! 

However, I’m going to agree with Miguel and 

Iggy in respects of the VIPER Buckle Up system as it’s 

perfect for my needs on range days where I need to 

swap-out between different platforms; the newer 

low-profile magazine panels have proved absolutely 

invaluable when it comes to switching-out between 

AR/AK mags, SMG mags, and pistol mags… it’s 

simplicity itself, and SO versatile! 

At NAF I did finally pick up a dedicated G-Series 

light-bearing holster for my G17 from the lovely chaps 

at KYDEX CUSTOMS! This is (from memory) the fifth 

model-specific holster I’ve had from them, and 

chills you, you know!), 

wearing one of mine 

got Tan 

Green!) 

almost 

daily 

with my 

VIPER 

but I’ve been 

(I already 

and 

Frontier Jacket as the mornings have turned frosty… 

it’s a match made in airsoft-heaven! AA 

their creations just get better and 

better, and it works perfectly; this one 

is black, to go with my CQB belt setup, 

so I can see that I’ll no doubt be adding another FDE 

version in 2024! 

Finally from me; the new VIPER Technical Mid Layer 

Fleece Top! This is one of the newest additions to 

the VIPER line and I have to say it’s the garment I’ve 

been waiting for from them; this is a great choice if 

you’re looking for a really versatile top, as it works 

well on its own or as a under layer when the weather 

turns colder. I chose these as our “team top” for Stu, 

Anny and I for the G&G CQB event (that bloody A/C 

“THE NEW VIPER TECHNICAL MID LAYER FLEECE TOP! THIS IS ONE OF THE NEWEST 

ADDITIONS TO THE VIPER LINE AND I HAVE TO SAY IT’S THE GARMENT I’VE BEEN 

WAITING FOR FROM THEM; THIS IS A GREAT CHOICE IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A REALLY 

VERSATILE TOP, AS IT WORKS WELL ON ITS OWN OR AS A UNDER LAYER WHEN THE 

WEATHER TURNS COLDER” 


RED CELL 

MOST-USED IN 2023! 

RED CELL 

TRIED 

IMAGE CURTESY OF KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY 

AND 100% 

TESTED! 

48 


RED CELL 


ANOTHER YEAR ROLLS ON BY, AND FOR RED CELL IT’S BEEN ONE OF REALLY DIGGING DEEP INTO 

THE AEGS AND GBBS THAT ARE IN THE LONG-TERM TEST POOL, AND WE REALLY HOPE THAT 

YOU’VE CONTINUED TO ENJOY AND BENEFIT FROM THE INSIGHTS THAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE! 

HOWEVER, AS WE REFLECT ON 2023 WE FELT IT TIME TO ASK THE CREW WHAT THEY LIKE, AND 

WHY THEY LIKE WHAT THEY DO, AND AS USUAL BILL LEADS OFF! 


RED CELL 


Yes indeed, it HAS been a busy year for RED 

CELL, and although we’ve not met as often, the 

guys continue to run models from the test pool 

hard, sometimes into the ground, although we’ve still 

only had a couple of catastrophic failures out of the 

myriad of models that we’ve been testing! 

Okay, some of the test models have needed 

attention in terms of general maintenance, but this 

is only to be expected, and in virtually every case it’s 

been simply hop rubbers, bucking, and seals, and this 

just go to prove that the AEG ad GBBs that we are 

buying these days are a million miles away in terms 

of durability and quality than most things that were 

available to us even 10 years ago! 

But the fact is that some (even 10 year-old-plus!) 

models are still functioning, and this is exactly what 

we’re looking at, and for, in the RED CELL program, 

those platforms that with a modicum of TLC will 

continue to perform as they should over an extended 

“service life”. 

And at this time of year especially I have to thank 

all our industry partners, the manufacturers and 

distributors that have had faith enough in 

their products 

and in Airsoft Action 

to support us in 

our endeavours, 

and continue 

to support us 

as we move 

into another 

year of airsoft 

adventures! 

As we’re 

now just 

on half- 

way 

through 

the 

testing 

program I 

thought it 

would be 

nice to take 

a pause for our Xmas, end-of-year issue and check in 

with the crew to see what they’ve been using most 

for their personal game-play during 2023. This is NOT 

meant to be a “this am bestest gnu” kind of deal as 

we all love different things for different reasons, but 

simply an overview of what we use ourselves outside 

of the test program, and a celebration of “stuff what 

works for us”! 

For me one of the stand-out platforms that I’ve 

most enjoyed during the latter part of 2023 is 

undoubtedly the VORSK VMP-1, but as I’ve covered 

that off in detail later in this very issue I won’t go into 

it again here! Suffice to say that it’s been seriously fun 

to shoot, and a joy to own thus far, and I’m not alone 

in saying that as Jase, Jimmy and Ben also have their 

very own VMPs too! 

I am though, somewhat embarrassingly, seriously 

spoiled for choice when it comes to what I can pick 

from to shoot, and it’s obviously been a quiet MilSim/ 

skirmish-year for me as normally I would adorn 

my personal choices with a whole host of OPFOR 

goodness! 2023 though for me has been mostly one 

of range and training days, so I’ve reverted to the 

good old “AR” on such occasions, and my first choice 

in the “most-used” stakes has to be my VFC Mk18 

MOD 1 GBBR! 

I just love this compact little platform; you might 

ask why I train mostly with a GBBR, and not an AEG, 

and it’s honestly a personal thing really as I enjoy the 

operation of a full-travel-bolt gas AR or AK, and 

to me it gets as close 

to training with a 

real firearm as is 

possible. As, at the 

last time of looking, I am 

still a resident of His Majesty’s 

fine land that means that even 

as a club shooter I am restricted in the 

firearm models that are available to me, so the 

“gasser” becomes even more important. 

As many of you will know my personal choice of 

“trainer” is the VFC Mk18 MOD1 ; in truth this GBB 

hasn’t been designed and made for the mass market 

(just like the VFC BCM MCMR that I also love!), it’s 

been designed and made for those that truly want a 

platform that operates exactly like the real thing, but 

“2023 THOUGH FOR ME HAS BEEN MOSTLY ONE OF RANGE AND TRAINING DAYS, 

SO I’VE REVERTED TO THE GOOD OLD “AR” ON SUCH OCCASIONS, AND MY FIRST 

CHOICE IN THE “MOST-USED” STAKES HAS TO BE MY VFC MK18 MOD 1 GBBR!” 

50 


RED CELL 


that fires safe and simple 6mm BBs, not live 5.56! Yes, 

it’s been designed for the MilSim player, but also for 

those that want to test themselves to the limit in any 

game or on the range, with real-like operation and 

real-world magazine capacities… basically it’s been 

designed for sometimes-jaded airsofters like me. 

Essentially the VFC is as close to the real deal as 

you’ll find in airsoft form, and everything is nailed 

down to look and feel exactly as it would on the real 

thing, including the operating system. Internally the 

platform runs the VFC GBBR system which makes it 

extremely efficient, and the internal construction also 

ensures added durability as well, providing a recoil 

impulse is solid and consistent, which makes the 

shooting experience fun and immersive. 

The MK18 MOD 1 as a design is “of its time and 

place”, and quite apart from that it’s a darn fine 

airsoft platform! Although my days of hard-charging 

“Zero Dark Thirty” style play may be on the decline, 

I still love an AR with a “soul” and the MK18 has a 

very big soul indeed. Add to this that it’s also a fine 

training tool, it’s reliable and accurate, and you have 

a package that’s sure to delight you every time 

you pick it up, and that’s a more-thangood 

enough reason to own one! 

And I’m going to stick with the Mk18 

as my “game-choice” as well! Now, 

by my own admission, recovery from 

long-term illness and running the 

business has detracted from my 

usual “skirmish day tempo”, but 

as I enter my 30th year of being 

in the airsoft-world I think I can 

safely say what makes a good 

skirmishing platform, and for 

me it comes courtesy of ICS! 

Both Jimmy and I are owners 

of the ICS Mk18 AEG, and 

what a beauty this carbine 

is! It is beyond doubt that 

ICS make some of the finest, 

high-performance AEGs out 

there and I’ve been a fan for 

many, many years. Okay, like all 

manufacturers they have made the 

occasional mis-step and I’d be less 

than honest if I didn’t say this, but overall their AEGs 

have always delighted me, and again if I’m honest I’ve 

had a fair few of them in the armoury during my long 

association with airsoft. 

I’ll cut straight to the chase here; in terms of 

performance I wasn’t sure what to expect straight 

from the box, but I was genuinely pleased when I 

first set up on the range. The model I received came 

in at 1.03 Joule/334fps and this has remained pretty 

constant so far. As I’m a midcap player I have been 

using N-MAG 30/125 models and these have fed 

flawlessly throughout testing and use which now 

totals some 10,000 BBs! I’m happily hitting the small 

steels out to 70m-plus consistently on .30g. 

To conclude here I’ll quote what Jimmy had to say; 

“This is truly an out of the box high-performing AEG 

sporting premium quality, reliable parts, and that has 

a rapid response thanks to the SSSIII trigger system 

and the high quality evolution motor; with reinforced 

MasterMod internals to ensure longevity, everything is 

nestled nice and neat in the now-iconic split gearbox 

which, from a tech’s standpoint, is a joy to work on.” 

Nuff said… 

Okay, it wouldn’t be me if I DIDN’T have at 

least one OPFOR choice in the mix, and one 

model that I’ve 100% enjoyed adding to my 

personal armoury is the LCT ZKS-74UN! If 

you want a thoroughly modern SU, 

then look no further 

than this AEG; 

weighing in at 

3500g and at 

770mm (667mm 

stock folded) 

this neat little 

model comes prefitted 

with all the 

“modern” base goodies 

that you could possibly want, like 

the distinctive side-folding ZPT-1 

stock (I’ve always wanted one of 

these, and I bloody love it!), ZTK- 

2 muzzle brake, and the ZB rail 

system; it’s basically a “Modern 

Tac SU” in a box and just needs 

an optic and taclite added to be 

“OKAY, IT WOULDN’T BE ME IF I DIDN’T HAVE AT LEAST ONE OPFOR CHOICE IN THE 

MIX, AND ONE MODEL THAT I’VE 100% ENJOYED ADDING TO MY PERSONAL ARMOURY 

IS THE LCT ZKS-74UN! IF YOU WANT A THOROUGHLY MODERN SU, THEN LOOK NO 

FURTHER THAN THIS AEG” 


RED CELL 


VORSK VMP-1X GBBR 

Price: iro UK£265.00 

Weight: 2169g 

Length: 690mm (Max) 

Magazine Capacity: 48 BBs 

Cold Chrono: 1.06 Joule/339fps 

Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/341 fps 

Taclite Compatibility: Railed 

Suppressor Compatibility: Dedicated, but 14mm CCW Under 

Supplied By: www.vorskairsoft.com 

VFC Mk18 MOD1 GBBR 


Weight: 2500g 

Length: 696mm 



Hot Chrono: 0.53 Joule/240fps 


Suppressor Compatibility: 14mm CCW 

Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com 

SPECNA ARMS E19 MK18 AEG 


Weight: 2675g 

Length: 780mm 

Magazine Capacity: 125 BBs (Two Included) 





Supplied By: www.gunfire.com 

ICS DD MK18 AEG 


Weight: 2877g 

Length: 726mm 






Supplied By: www.icsbb.com 

ASG M15 DEVIL SBR 

Price: iro UK£220.00 (when new) 

Weight: 2400g 

Length: 738mm 






Supplied By: www.actionsportgames.com 

52 


RED CELL 


good to go! 

This is a really serviceable, bomber-tough AEG that’s 

quite unique in its look and feel for an “SU”; it’s short, 

easy to move around, and with the DTK-2-style brake 

it looks nice and aggressive. The only addition I would 

like to have seen here is the inclusion of the ZRK 

motor grip, but that’s easily remedied. The bonus of 

course with this little AEG is that I can use all the AK 

mags I already own which helps to keep costs down, 

and a side rail for an AK mount means I can run any 

optic I choose as the cheek riser on the ZPT-1 stock is 

fully adjustable. 

I’ve had extensive experience with LCT AEGs, and 

I’ve always found their performance solid, even “box 

fresh”. My own models have seen many thousands of 

BBs through their hops and down their barrels, and 

they continue to please me greatly every time I field 

one of them! 

Chris: I’ve been a part of this game we love for 

over 25 years and finally this year I got round to 

buying my first GBBRs! I picked up a pair of WE M4s 

second-hand and decided to tinker with them instead 

of buying new and I wasn’t disappointed. Sure, I could 

go out and get a brand spanking new MWS and call it 

done but for the price of a new MWS I bought TWO 

older M4s with enough parts to make a third (XM177 

project) and a grand total of TWENTY mags… the 

second hand market has some gems to be found 

if you search hard enough and know exactly what 

you’re looking for! 

Gas primaries are oodles of fun and extremely 

satisfying to run in game; okay, they do take a 

little more to get set up and look after, but that’s 

no different to running a real firearm and teaches 

you to look after your kit (not that I didn’t already). 

Moving forward I already have plans for a second 

upper for one of my M4 builds as parts can be had 

at good prices from KY Airsoft in Taiwan. If you 

haven’t considered a GBBR primary or have just been 

procrastinating about getting one, just do it. You 

won’t regret it (as long as you maintain it)! 

Dan: Since taking a little break from sniping, I 

would have to say the gun that I’ve reached for most 

during 2023 has been my PKM build that I detailed 

earlier this year. The PKM has been responsible for so 

much absolute slaughter and mayhem on the fields 

this year; with its DMR-level range and accuracy and 

7000 BBs on tap, it’s practically like unlocking “God 

Mode”! 

Midway through the year, I did end up adding a 

bipod to the front so I could use it off the prone or 

barricades better. My first trial setup was an airsoft 

clone of the Atlas bipod mounted to a modified 

Zentico gooseneck. There were a few intrinsic 

problems with pushing that style of bipod into 

service with an MG, however. Suffice it to say, it’s too 

complicated and not ideal for the role. 

I eventually ended up getting hold of the original 

A&K PKM bipod, which I modified by removing a few 

inches from each leg. This brought the gun closer to 

the ground so it is more comfortable to get behind. 

The only thing I dislike is that it’s longer than the 

muzzle when in the stowed position. I think my dream 

setup would be to get a modified B-50 rail installed on 

the front and mount the Zenitco Zhuk-2 bipod legs to 

it. That would keep the length short still and be a nice 

and stable platform. Modding... it never ends, I tell 

you! 

Ben: My go-to trusted AEG that sees a LOT of use 

is the ASG M4 Devil SBR, (a second-hand purchase); 

it has never let me down, there’s nothing over-special 

done to it, just a MAX hop unit and a tightbore 

barrel… this old girl serves me well there’s been so 

many times it’s surprised me with range and accuracy, 

and also just how quiet it is! I’ve been feet away from 

enemies and taken out multiple players without them 

noticing my shots, and I always get compliments on its 

look and what’s been done to it. It’s due a service as 

very slowly the FPS has dropped, but that’s taken over 

two years and has been to pretty much every game 

day I’ve been on since getting it. The Devil always 

brings me joy, luck and good huntings! 

Stewbacca: For me, I guess it has to be the VFC 

HK53 GBBR. The MP5.56, always a favourite of the 

local constabularies armed response units back home, 

alongside the MP5 and G36C, as well as its longer 

brother HK33 being the go to for the RUC/PSNI I 

guess I’ve seen too many of the real ones knocking 

around in my life to not have a thing for it. 

Coupled with the great performance and recoil 

impulse is the ease of handling; in fact I’ve been 

running it on stages as my go-to competition rifle 

“THE PKM HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MUCH ABSOLUTE SLAUGHTER AND 

MAYHEM ON THE FIELDS THIS YEAR; WITH ITS DMR-LEVEL RANGE AND ACCURACY 

AND 7000 BBS ON TAP, IT’S PRACTICALLY LIKE UNLOCKING “GOD MODE”!” 


RED CELL 


A&K PKM(STANDARD MODEL) 


Weight: 7350g 

Length: 1185mm 




Optic Compatibility: No, but accessories available 

Suppressor Compatibility: Yes (Spetsnaz/Dan reasons only!) 

Supplied By: www.nuprol.com 

VFC HK53 GBBR 


Weight: 2895g 

Length: 750mm 




Taclite Compatibility: N/A 


Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com 

WE M4A1 GBBR 


Weight: 3050g 

Length: 768/850mm 

Magazine Capacity: 30 



Taclite Compatibility: Railed (RIS Version) 



LCT ZKS-74UN 


Weight: 3500g 

Length: 467mm 

Magazine Capacity: 130, will accept most AK-style 




Suppressor Compatibility: Dedicated Muzzle Brake 


KRYTAC MAXIM 9 


Weight: 768g 

Length: 240mm 




Taclite Compatibility: Good 

Suppressor Compatibility: Integrated 

Supplied By: www.landwarriorairsoft.com 

54 


RED CELL 


most of the year and will likely take it to Kaohsiung 

for the TSMOC rifle competition in early 2024! 

It’s scarily accurate with the new EZHop system 

posting single shots through gaps in palettes out 

to 25-30m with ease at the GBR LARP in Taichung I 

covered back in issue 151 and you can read the full 

review in the same issue. It’s just been one of the 

first guns I reach for since I borrowed it from VFC’s 

Pentagon Service Centre and refused to return it… so 

I threw some money at them instead… I vote with my 

wallet, fellow shooters! 

Miguel: I must say the Specna Arms Mk18 EDGE 

2.0 has been my personal “go to” for 2023… again! 

Firstly, the Mk18 is a simple and effective design, 

ready for any kind of attachments, easy to find parts 

for replacement or upgrades and pleasant to the eye 

(in my opinion). Secondly, being part of the EDGE 

2.0 range, the replica comes with a configurable 

electronic trigger, the Aster from GATE, a new trigger, 

better internals and a flat hop up. For its price range, 

it’s a great deal! Mine has been with me for the past 

two years now, and with over 15k BBs shot it still 

works fine, giving great range and accuracy. 

Jimmy: For me it has to be my trusty not-so-TM 

anymore VSR 10. I got into sniping about two years 

ago now and I have to say I am hooked. What once 

was a humble 1j sniper rifle has since turned into a 

2.5j HPA highly-accurate tool. Being HPA makes it 

incredibly quiet and easy to use thanks to the brilliant 

Mancraft SDIK engine. It no longer resembles the 

Remington that it is copied from as I replaced the 

stock with the Maple leaf MLC2 stock which I have to 

say is a fantastic looking and very strong stock; I call it 

‘The Kennedy Killer’ with the ability to pick targets off 

at a known 80m!. 

It is very satisfying seeing a BB travel that distance 

and connect with the target, but I know it can reach 

out further though. The TM VSR 10 out of the box is 

a very nice rifle but to be effective and to give you the 

range and accuracy you really desire they do require 

a fair amount of work; fortunately they are a great 

platform to upgrade and the choice of upgrade parts 

available is fantastic. 

Another of my favorites of late though is the very 

popular Wolverine MTW billet. This thing is a menace 

on the field and with the right suppressor is virtually 

silent. Made entirely by Wolverine it sports some 

top-shelf components and quality parts. Milspec 

components make the MTW stand out in a crowd 

and gives performance unlike many others. The 

Inferno Engine coupled with the Spartan electronics 

is the heart of the beast which the rifle was designed 

around. 

Jase: So for me, this segment was always going to 

be about my KWA RM4 ERG. This AEG, owned from 

new, has been in my possession for some TEN years 

now and bar a rewire (for my personal preference) 

has never let me down. Power has always been in or 

very close to original fps and bar a few buckings has 

cost me very, very little to maintain. I do have the gas 

sibling, the KWA LM4, but the reliability and real like 

functionality of the ERG win hands down for me. I 

don’t say it lightly when I say I love this gun; it’s like a 

can of ‘Ronseal’, ‘Does exactly what it says on the tin!’ 

SECONDARY EFFORTS! 

Turning it around I asked the Red Cell Crew what 

they liked in terms of pistols, and although some 

of the “old faves” were there like the TM G17 and 

WE-based 1911 styles, there were a few models that 

sparked interest among us, and no small amount of 

conversation/debate! 

Jase: As for a secondary, it has to be my WE G17; 

eight years old, owned from new and has been 

faultless. I have hardly spent any money on it bar a 

few seals and a bucking. I have recently purchased a 

TM Desert Warrior which might rule the roost in 2024 

but that has yet to play out… let’s see what my write 

up this time next year reads like.... 

Jimmy: The secondary choice of many airsoft 

snipers is the trusted Mk23 SOCOM, an almost-silent 

non-blowback gas pistol, but I chose to be different 

and opted for the TM FNX45 with a silencer. While 

the FNX is not as quiet as the Mk23 it is still pretty 

quiet, quiet to a point it doesn’t give away your 

position allowing you to go unnoticed and maintain 

your advantage. The FNX is and has been my favoured 

pistol for quite some time now and it performs as 

you would expect a TM pistol to perform. I mainly 

use it for close quarters inside my MED, although it 

has a respectable range and can easily lift a .30g BB 

“THE SECONDARY CHOICE OF MANY AIRSOFT SNIPERS IS THE TRUSTED MK23 

SOCOM, AN ALMOST-SILENT NON-BLOWBACK GAS PISTOL, BUT I CHOSE TO BE 

DIFFERENT AND OPTED FOR THE TM FNX45 WITH A SILENCER. WHILE THE FNX IS NOT 

AS QUIET AS THE MK23 IT IS STILL PRETTY QUIET” 


RED CELL 


UMAREX GLOCK 17 GEN4 

Price: iro £160.00 

Weight: 665g 

Length: 210mm 

Magazine Capacity: 24+1 

Cold Chrono 0.89 Joule/310fps 



Suppressor Compatibility: No 

Available From: www.landwarriorairsoft.com 

VORSK HI CAPA 5.1 


Weight: 930g 

Length: 250mm 





Suppressor Compatibility: Good, Threaded Outer Barrel 

Available From: www.vorskairsoft.com 

SPECNA ARMS SAI BLU 


Weight: 930g 

Length: 215mm 






Available From: www.gunfire.com 

VORSK VX14 


Weight: 990g 

Length: 340mm (With Suppressor) 





Suppressor Compatibility: Included! 

Available From: www.vorskairsoft.com 

TOKYO MARUI FNX 45 


Weight: 830g 

Length: 220mm 






Available From: www.fire-support.co.uk 

56 


RED CELL 


meaning I can still keep a good distance from my 

target. 

Miguel: Specna Arms are still just taking their first 

steps in the pistol world, but before launching their 

own line, they reached out to EMG Arms and Salient 

Arms International for a cooperation to launch this 

SA SAI BLU. This I believe is a statement of intent that 

when a pistol is created under the Specna Arms brand 

it will be exemplary in all ways! 

When it comes to shooting, I don’t really 

recommend the use of BBs under 0.25g, since when 

you’re shooting at a target (a good old tree trunk) 

at 40m a lot of the BBs start to diverge from the 

target. But if you use BBs of at 0.25g+ you will get 

a surprising range of +/- 40m with some superb 

precision; in fact, it was a teammate who pointed out 

the range I was shooting at when I was first testing it, 

since it’s a target we use for our primary replicas and 

not secondary ones! There’s no question that the BLU 

a well-built and gorgeous pistol with a lot of extras, 

attention to detail, and an envious performance, but 

don’t forget to, at least, use some good 0.25g BBs! 

Stewbacca: Sidearm-wise I’d be remiss to not 

mention the Krytac Maxim 9; it’s certainly not 

to everyone’s taste, but nonetheless the whole 

deployment kit they sent me has made it an excellent 

go-to sidearm that just works when I need it to (can’t 

say that for all my pistols, for sure!). Putting the SRO 

clone on it along with the integrated tracer unit has 

made it a force to be reckoned with in CQB and the 

accuracy out to around 40m rivals some carbines with 

longer barrels. The holster is excellent and makes it a 

breeze to reach for even in awkward positions when 

you’re trying to cradle your PSG1 on your knee but 

need to take a shorter shot inside your minimum 

engagement range. 

It looks badass. It fills my bear paws well. It shoots 

straight. It’s just easy to get along with. Also ease of 

HOP adjustment with the little port on the left of the 

barrel block with the slide locked rearward makes it 

easy to “tweak”, even –game! 

Ben: for my secondary I’ve been putting the Vorsk 

VX14 through its paces, and as it stands...it stands 

well! Range is decent, still preforming just like out the 

box, and I’ve only had one jam… which unfortunately 

got me killed in-game! However, the performance 

outweighs that minor hiccup so we can happily 

forgive that! I still sometimes feel as if the top slide is 

going to bust due to how light it is and how hard it 

hits, but thus far this is not a problem, so a thumbs up 

to Vorsk with the VX14...it’s 100% holding its own. 

Dan: On the sidearm front, I’m still rocking my 

trusty RWA Agency NOC build and don’t really have 

plans to swap to another platform anytime soon. 

Since adding the EMG TTI magazine extensions, which 

increase BB capacity a little, it’s been running like a top 

and has been very reliable. I also finally figured out the 

spring(s) side and have that pretty dialled in. Namely 

the Waldo Customs “Snappy Boi” spring ended up 

working the best of anything I’ve used thus far, plus 

it works with the gold on black theme to boot. The 

extensions also add a little more “gas in the tank”, 

which I think was a nice improvement and ensure the 

slide reliably cycles every round to an empty lock. If I 

could track down a second NOC slide at a reasonable 

price, I’d definitely build a twin off the extra G17 

frame and pile of parts I have! 

Chris: My go to secondary has been my Marui 

USP 9mm but that’s barely actually been fired this 

year, maybe 10 BBs maximum when setting hop/ 

unloading… purely because I’ve not needed to use it! 

Bill: Much like my take on “longs” it’s a similar 

story when it comes to secondaries for me! I’ve had so 

many pistols out on the range this year again it’s been 

crazy, and the way 2024 is looking I know that’s not 

going to change any time soon! 

Although I’ve seen, and shot, many fine GBB 

handguns during 2023 I am a bit of a man of habit, 

and I know what I like. However, different disciplines 

require different solutions so my most-used handguns 

are pulled from the armoury for specific purposes. As, 

when the opportunity arises, I am a Glock man when 

it comes to “real deal”, for training scenarios (such 

as the day I attended with FAST TACTICAL earlier this 

year) it has to be my wholly-trusted, fully-licenced 

Umarex G17. 

This by no means a new pistol, but with just minor 

maintenance and some bucking-love it continues to 

perform and perform; to date it has never misfed 

or jammed, and the range and accuracy are both 

excellent… range of course is a relative term as I 

only usually revert to my secondary when necessary, 

“SIDEARM-WISE I’D BE REMISS TO NOT MENTION THE KRYTAC MAXIM 9; IT’S 

CERTAINLY NOT TO EVERYONE’S TASTE, BUT NONETHELESS THE WHOLE DEPLOYMENT 

KIT THEY SENT ME HAS MADE IT AN EXCELLENT GO-TO SIDEARM THAT JUST WORKS 

WHEN I NEED IT TO” 


RED CELL 


and then only at around 10m engagement ranges 

or inside rooms/buildings. I run it with a Surefire 

X300 taclite fitted in a specific light-bearing Kydex 

Customs holster; it suits me, and I know I can rely on 

it in those “WTSHTF” moments! 

Alongside the ICS Mk18 I’m as much as a 

“Gucci-gamer” as many of you though, and my 

choice here is my slightly “non-standard” VORSK 

Hi Capa 5.1! I just love the look of this pistol, and 

since their launch, the VORSK Hi-Capa models have 

grown in popularity due to their excellent shotto-shot-performance 

and gas efficiency. This high 

gas efficiency, the result of a large gas reservoir 

combined with their distinctive weight-reduced 

slides, has been remarkable, and each new model 

has brought something unique in terms of both 

performance and looks to the (airsoft) party! This 

combination gives the VORSK Hi-Capa’s a distinctive 

appearance, a faster cycle rate, snappy trigger action 

and a solid felt blowback, and the big old magazine 

keeps you in-game for longer! 

This is now a model that I’ve spent some 

meaningful time with and when the ICS Mk18s 

arrived and I looked around for a complementary 

pistol in a deep “SF Bronze” the 5.1 really jumped 

out at me! 

The addition of a slightly longer pistol to my 

armoury (I usually run with an 4.3) means that I can 

have a specific sidearm for general field use, one that 

is easily capable of delivering BBs beyond my usual 

“10m rule” if necessary, but that is in operation one 

that I have “muscle memory” for. It also means I can 

use my existing VORSK Hi Capa magazines (WIN! 

No new mags needed!), my existing Kydex Customs 

Holster, and have a secondary that matched up 

beautifully to my shiny new skirmish AEG primary… 

yeah, that’s me being a true airsofter right there! 

I’m currently running the 5.1 absolutely stock… 

well, almost! I have made a change in that the stock 

bronze model comes with a very cool FDE wrapround 

grip and trigger guard assembly, but all the 

accents on my Mk18 are black! A quiet word with 

the lovely VORSK crew though saw a black gripassembly 

on its way to me, and this was easily and 

quickly fitted by Jimmy! My 5.1 now marries up to 

the Mk18 perfectly… and I love it! 

And that’s it for another year of RED CELL, and 

all that remains is for all of us to wish all of you a 

very HAPPY CHRISTMAS, and may all of your airsoft 

adventures in 2024 be truly memorable ones! AA 

“ALONGSIDE THE ICS MK18 I’M AS MUCH AS A “GUCCI-GAMER” AS MANY OF YOU 

THOUGH, AND MY CHOICE HERE IS MY SLIGHTLY “NON-STANDARD” VORSK HI CAPA 

5.1! I JUST LOVE THE LOOK OF THIS PISTOL, AND SINCE THEIR LAUNCH, THE VORSK 

HI-CAPA MODELS HAVE GROWN IN POPULARITY DUE TO THEIR EXCELLENT SHOT-TO- 

SHOT-PERFORMANCE AND GAS EFFICIENCY” 

58 


IMAGE CURTESY OF KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY 

RED CELL 


Red Cell is supported by: 


ARP9 2.0 

EGC-ARP-9V2-BNB-NCM 

7” M-LOK Handguard. 

Combat Machine Airsoft Gun. 

New GOS-V9 Retractable Stock. 

170 

5 POSITIONS 

RETRACTABLE 

Stainless steel material 

RAPID DEPLOYMENT 

EXTENSION UNIT AVAILABLE 

[G-05-062] 

ARP9 2.0 ST 

EGC-ARP-9V2-SST-NCM

TECHNICAL 

NIGHTFOX RED NV 

GOING DARK 

OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR WE’VE LOOKED OCCASIONALLY AT COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO 

INCREASE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS DURING AIRSOFT “NIGHT OPS”, AND AS WE’RE IN THE TIME OF YEAR 

WHERE NIGHT FALLS EARLIER BEN HAS BEEN TRIALLING THE NIGHTFOX RED NVGS TO SEE IF SOMETHING 

THAT’S A FRACTION OF THE PRICE OF “MILSPEC” MODELS CAN CUT IT IN-GAME; NOW HE REPORTS 

BACK… 

62 


TECHNICAL 


Like all airsoft enthusiasts and military-minded 

people, and even those who like shooter-style 

vide games I also get that tingling feeling about 

NVG’S; they’re a thing of myth and legend to many 

of us who have to work within a meagre budget, but 

it doesn’t stop us wanting a little “making the night 

day” action, now does it? 

A little while ago I unfortunately missed out on 

getting myself a Gen 2 PVS 14 night vision monocular 

and as gutted as I felt I am also just as happy as it 

allowed me to explore more into the budget-friendly 

world of digital night vision. I came across this brand 

Nightfox, and after doing a little 

bit of research of the few products 

they produce I found myself drawn 

to the Nightfox RED. Now what 

attracted me was the RED had 

the capability of video and audio 

recording which would make my life 

easier with helping me out making 

night-time gameplay footage for 

my own YouTube channel, and 

the RED’s features also allowed X1 

zoom, a focus lens wheel, twin 940 

nm IR built-in lights, a battery that 

can last up to 5 hours if you are not 

using the IR built in lights to full 

capability and some other settings 

in the menu to deal with light 

settings with the built-in screen. 

HEADMOUNTED GOGGLES 

WITH AN EDGE: A supercharged 

version of the best-selling Nightfox 

Swift night vision goggles, the 

Nightfox Red adds 1080p video 

recording with audio, a wider field 

of view, a high capacity 3200mAh 

rechargeable battery, powerful Low 

Glow 940nm LEDs and a higher 

resolution screen. 

FOR CLOSE-QUARTERS 

USE: The Red is designed to see 

your immediate surroundings 

(1-25 yards) in pitch black. A 1x 

magnification and extra wide Field 

of View (FOV) of 46° is critical for 

close quarters use. Two covert 940nm IR LEDs are 

designed to illuminate everything nearby. The Red is 

designed with covert tactical operations and airsoft 

close-quarters battle (CQB) in mind. To see threats 

further away, consider a different Nightfox device with 

3x, 6x or 7x optical magnification. 

USE HANDHELD OR HEAD MOUNTED: The Red 

is supplied with an adjustable head strap as standard, 

making it easy to go hands-free. Using third party 

mounts (not supplied), you can also mount the Red 

to a tactical helmet or bump helmet using the GoProcompatible 

connection point on the top of the device. 

“THE RED’S FEATURES ALSO ALLOWED X1 ZOOM, A FOCUS LENS WHEEL, TWIN 940 

NM IR BUILT-IN LIGHTS, A BATTERY THAT CAN LAST UP TO 5 HOURS IF YOU ARE NOT 

USING THE IR BUILT IN LIGHTS TO FULL CAPABILITY AND SOME OTHER SETTINGS IN 

THE MENU TO DEAL WITH LIGHT SETTINGS WITH THE BUILT-IN SCREEN” 


TECHNICAL 


HD FOOTAGE WITH AUDIO: The Red boasts a 

Full High Definition (FHD) infrared camera sensor: 

1920*1080p resolution, producing excellent quality 

video footage. Thanks to an integrated microphone, 

video footage also includes audio recording. To record 

footage, a Micro SD card is required (not included). 

ENERGY ALL NIGHT: Powered by a high capacity 

3200mAh internal rechargeable battery that gives 

around 4 hours of constant use. With the included 

micro USB cable, simply plug the Red into any USB 

port to charge the batteries, like a wall socket or USB 

power bank. Never be stranded with flat NVG goggles 

again! 

IN GAME 

It’s easy to use setup with the controls even for a 

non-technical person like myself makes it super-slick 

to work with, but how does it feel in use? Well, I tried 

using the night vision unit for the first night-game wit 

it on constantly (not ever having 

used night vision in-game before) 

and found after a short while 

that it was very disorientating; 

not having my peripheral vision 

definitely took effect, but not as 

bad as I thought! 

I quickly adjusted on my playstyle 

with them and found to lower 

the unit when I felt I was getting 

into contact or if I felt the need 

to scan the area I was situated in; 

this is where it shone through! 

Now after my first game with a 

couple of kills and understanding 

better about how to adjust for the 

disorientation, my second outing 

using the Nightfox RED unit saw 

my game had stepped up; I was 

finding myself sneaking behind 

the enemy’s front lines and wiping 

out small squads of players with 

ease and watching them have 

no clue as to my whereabouts, 

and I was truly shocked with not 

only the effectiveness but also the 

RED’s capability; being a budgetfriendly 

night vision unit I found it 

ideal with mote-than satisfactory performance for a 

skirmish-style game. 

How effective you may wonder… well I managed 

to get so close to the enemy team that they were 

literally brushing past the barrel of my MP7 and had 

no clue that I was there! Knowing the site and the 

many players that play there I also knew I had the 

advantage knowing that I would most likely be the 

only one with night vision capability, and it was FUN! 

I am currently in talks with the staff at Nightfox 

about future development on new devices with a view 

to making the units even more suitable for airsoft; 

they currently have a new gen that has just released 

called the Nightfox Swift 2 Pro which has some slight 

changes to the features that do seem rather desirable, 

such as built-in IR lights 850 nm for range and 940 

nm for stealth, the option to switch screen from a 

black and white to the familiar green vision, and it 

“I QUICKLY ADJUSTED ON MY PLAY-STYLE WITH THEM AND FOUND TO LOWER THE 

UNIT WHEN I FELT I WAS GETTING INTO CONTACT OR IF I FELT THE NEED TO SCAN THE 

AREA I WAS SITUATED IN; THIS IS WHERE IT SHONE THROUGH!” 

64 


TECHNICAL 


even comes with a dovetail mount that would fit the 

Wilcox G24 style NVG helmet mount! However, I am 

looking forward to the next gen to which I hope I 

can have a hand in helping bring to our game, and 

making some needed adjustments to get a better 

experience for the airsofter. I will cover the next gen 

for you lovely lot and hope to see Nightfox develop 

even more so in the budget-friendly way for fellow 

airsofters! 

FEATURES 

• 1x magnification with a wide FOV helps you 

observe your immediate surroundings better 

than ever. The Red has a field of view (FOV) of 

46°, much wider than anything they’ve offered 

before. 

• HD recording with audio comes courtesy of 

the Red’s new 1080p sensor and integrated 

microphone. The viewing screen packs in 50% 

more pixels than the Swift, giving even better 

clarity. 

• Covert 940nm infrared LEDs; thanks to the 

“low glow” 940nm wavelength and an internal 

mesh over the LEDs, visible glow from the Red is 

kept to a minimum. This is a feature requested 

lots by the Nightfox community. 

• An LG-cell 18650 battery provides high 

performance and better serviceability. Should 

you wish to upgrade or replace your battery in 

the future, now you can. To charge, just use the 

provided USB cable. 

To keep up to date with all the developments and 

Nightfox simply head on over to www.nightfoxstore. 

com/collections/airsoft AA 

“I AM CURRENTLY IN TALKS WITH THE STAFF AT NIGHTFOX ABOUT FUTURE 

DEVELOPMENT ON NEW DEVICES WITH A VIEW TO MAKING THE UNITS EVEN MORE 

SUITABLE FOR AIRSOFT; THEY CURRENTLY HAVE A NEW GEN THAT HAS JUST 

RELEASED CALLED THE NIGHTFOX SWIFT 2 PRO” 


AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

MARUI 

FEST 2023! 

OUR MAN IN JAPAN TAMA DROPPED OUR MAN STEWBACCA IN THE EAST A LINE IN MID-NOVEMBER 

HAVING JUST VISITED TWO OF THE MORE MINOR YET MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED AIRSOFT-RELATED 

SHOWS IN TOKYO IN ONE WEEKEND! WITH SOME MORE STORIES TO SHARE AND SOME INTERESTING 

NEW PRODUCTS TO SHARE HIS THOUGHTS ON, WE’LL KICK OFF WITH WHAT HE HAD TO TELL US ABOUT 

THE ONE AND ONLY MARUI FEST 2023! 

The 12th of November 2023 marks the day of 

two of the biggest airsoft events in Japan which 

are the Tokyo Marui fest and the Bakuretsu-sai; 

two festivals that every airsofter and airgun lover are 

waiting for, but for this article I’m only going to cover 

my experience of this year’s Tokyo Marui Festival. 

It’s the festival that is eagerly awaited by numerous 

people the world over, partly because Tokyo Marui 

rarely holds any showcases outside of Japan which 

means that people are lining up like crazy to see what 

Marui has been cooking up for us! 

But before we get into what Tokyo Marui’s new 

collection consists of, what is Tokyo Marui Fest? The 

Tokyo Marui Festival is an expo organised by Marui 

themselves; they are held twice a year, and they 

showcase everything Marui have, from their bestselling 

VSR-10 lineups, pioneering AEG variants of 

the M16 and M4, their top of the line gas blowback 

pistols, their child-friendly 10 year old exclusive AEGs, 

all of their flagship gas blowback rifles, and of course 

their upcoming new products. Most of the stuff in the 

festival can be handled and thus you can feel it for 

yourself; not only that but there’s a shooting range in 

the festival, so you can shoot and enjoy trying guns 

to your liking, especially the ones that you can’t get 

your hands on because they’re too expensive for your 

wallet, that’s what I did! 

The event is held in Bellesalle Akihabara, which if 

you know from the name is located in the heaven 

of otakus that is Akihabara; it’s really close to the 

train station, being just 4-5 minutes away. It’s a 

huge building with a huge “ベレサール秋葉原 

住友不動産 ” (Bellesalle Akihabara Sumitomo Real 

Estate) on the front so it’s somewhat hard to miss. 

The event itself is located in the open hall in front of 

the building, and on the gate there’s a huge “Tokyo 

Marui” logo, again making it very hard to miss, even 

from the surrounding buildings! 

The event was held over two days on the 11th 

and 12th of November, so there was a plenty of time 

to try out the wares on show; however, I was only 

able to go on the 12th and on that day there was 

“THE TOKYO MARUI FESTIVAL IS AN EXPO ORGANISED BY MARUI THEMSELVES; THEY ARE 

HELD TWICE A YEAR, AND THEY SHOWCASE EVERYTHING MARUI HAVE, FROM THEIR BEST- 

SELLING VSR-10 LINEUPS, PIONEERING AEG VARIANTS OF THE M16 AND M4, THEIR TOP OF 

THE LINE GAS BLOWBACK PISTOLS… ALL OF THEIR FLAGSHIP GAS BLOWBACK RIFLES, AND 

OF COURSE THEIR UPCOMING NEW PRODUCTS!” 

66 


AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

also Bakuretsu-sai happening in the other side of the 

town, so there wasn’t a lot of time for me personally, 

but thank god the expo itself wasn’t that big this year 

so it was at least easier to cover the new hot stuff that 

Marui are delivering. So after the boring introduction 

of the event, let’s get to the fun part of this article; 

showcasing Tokyo Marui’s new hot products up for 

grabs by us airsofters, and also my first impressions of 

them! 

SHORTY SHOTGUN BOI 

In June of this year Tokyo Marui released the long 

awaited Saiga-12K, the first gas blowback semi-auto 

shotgun produced, which broke onto the market 

and quickly became a flagship gun for them, with 

no company yet capable of matching what Marui 

achieved with the Saiga-12K, somewhat maintaining 

their throne within the gas blowback market. But 

they’re not stopping… meet the Saiga-12 SBS, the 

newest variant of the GBB shotgun, and the first child 

of the TM Saiga-12K family. So what is in the name? 

SBS stands for Short-Barreled Shotgun, which in reality 

became very short with a 7.5 inch barrel (8 inch if you 

count the flash hider). While the original is 11 inches 

long, heavy, and hard to handle at times, the SBS is 

very manoeuvrable and lighter than the original Saiga- 

12k, perfect for indoor CQB battles. Although since 

it’s a Saiga-12, it’s nonetheless destined to be heavier 

than a normal AR or AK GBBRs, but I guess the slight 

weight reduction is at least welcome for those who 

want to field the Saiga-12 in CQB environments. 

One of the problems with the TM Saiga-12K is the 

low shot count; the original short mag can only hold 

45 BBs and because it’s a triple-shot shotgun, you 

can only shoot 15 salvos with one mag, which is not 

enough even for small Japanese sized indoor fields. 

You either deal with it and have to be extra careful 

with your shots, carry two to four huge magazines, 

or get an aftermarket drum HPA magazine. But with 

the SBS, Tokyo Marui solved the problem with a long 

Saiga-12 magazine, thus solving the biggest drawback 

of the Saiga-12. The new mag will hold 90 BBs and is 

thus capable of delivering 30 salvos, which is a huge 

blessing because now you can at least match the 

real capacity count with most GBBRs. The magazine 

design is also different; it has a similar design with the 

“THE G36C PLUS IS GOING TO BE EQUIPPED WITH TM’S NEW [PLUS SYSTEM] FET, IMPROVED 

MECH BOX, BETTER TRIGGER RESPONSE, AND BRAND NEW LI-PO BATTERY. THE FURNITURE 

TOO IS GETTING IMPROVED WITH A CHEEK RISER ON THE STOCK AND A KNIGHT’S 

ARMAMENT KAC TYPE UPPER PICATINNY RAIL” 


AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

real Saiga-12 K-Var magazine, which is ribbed and 

angled like the AK 5.45mm magazine, thus it solves 

the capacity problem and makes it look even cooler. 

Talking about shots, the SBS will have a full-auto 

mode, unlike the original Saiga-12K; you need to do 

a little bit of modification to the original gun, but the 

SBS will have it from the factory, so you can unleash 

the monster without the hassle of tampering with the 

OS. 

Not only the magazine, but the furniture of the gun 

is now 100 times better and cooler than the original 

Saiga-12K; the hand guard is a boxy, IMI Galil style 

handguard modelled after its real-steel counterpart, 

the Saiga-12 SBS made by Izhmash (currently 

Kalashnikov Concern) which makes it look cooler and 

correct for the gun. It also have picatinny rails on all 

4 sides, so now you can run torches, hand grips, and 

red dot sights without needing to buy a side-mounted 

picatinny rail shoe for your Saiga, although the SBS 

still retains the side mounts, so you can still choose to 

use that if it suits your preferred red dot placement for 

your Saiga-12 SBS. 

Moving to the rear, the SBS will be equipped with 

an AR-style 6 position buffer tube and a M4 style 

stock, so you can set it up to your liking or exchange 

it with the much better Magpul CTR stocks; a smart 

move, no doubt. The grip too is going to be not an 

AK style, but it’ll be a M16A2 style AR grip, which 

again can be exchanged, however all of these are 

incorrect to the original Izhmash Saiga-12 SBS, which 

infuriates me… also the flash hider is incorrect which 

tickles my firearm-freak instincts! 

Other than the incorrect parts, the SBS also 

retains one major drawback that the original has; 

finding magazine pouches that fit! The original short 

magazine is already huge, now they’re making it 

bigger and longer, and while the short magazine 

can fit into G36 twin pouches, AA-12, or old style 

AK magazine pouches, the new long mag is huge! 

Finding a suitable magazine pouch is going to be a 

hard task. Also it’s heavy, the gun is heavy and the 

magazines are heavy too so it’s a good gun if you 

want to get ripped arms, but you might regret it after 

fielding it for a full-day game. The blowback though 

is super-strong, but it’s not all that snappy, especially 

on full-auto; I guess it needs a lot of power to cycle 3 

“MOVING TO THE REAR, THE SBS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AN AR-STYLE 6 POSITION BUFFER 

TUBE AND A M4 STYLE STOCK, SO YOU CAN SET IT UP TO YOUR LIKING OR EXCHANGE IT 

WITH THE MUCH BETTER MAGPUL CTR STOCKS; A SMART MOVE, NO DOUBT.” 

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AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

BBs and perhaps could benefit from green gas where 

that’s allowed. 

But other than that, in my opinion the Saiga-12 SBS 

is a gun worth the wait and the hit to your wallet; the 

price is as yet still unannounced, but Tokyo Marui is 

planning to release it next spring, so save your money 

or use your rainy day money, and we’ll see if they 

bring us the SBS right on time. 

FINALLY… NOT ANOTHER M4! 

Tokyo Marui is also remaking one of their classic AEGs, 

the G36C, and they made it even better with making 

the G36C PLUS which is a new addition to Tokyo 

Marui Plus AEG family; they released the P90+, and 

the PATRIOT PLUS AEG is also imminent, so now were 

going to see the G36C get the same love as the P90 

and the M4 Patriot. The G36C PLUS is going to be 

equipped with TM’s new [PLUS System] FET, improved 

mech box, better trigger response, and brand new Li- 

Po battery. The furniture too is getting improved with 

a cheek riser on the stock and a Knight’s Armament 

KAC type upper picatinny rail, deleting the original 

G36C upper rail, making it an import version G36C. 

Unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to shoot 

it, but it has a purported better response and RPM 

than the original G36C. 

Other than that, it’s just another G36C, it’s not 

the Next-Gen G36C, it’s a standard G36C AEG being 

upgraded from factory, so unless you’re a Tokyo Marui 

diehard fan or a G36C fan, it’s another modern AEG, 

but at least we’re not only getting M4s, the G36C 

too is getting some love. It’s still in the development 

phase and the launch date is unknown, but expect it 

to come after the PATRIOT PLUS. 

Speaking of TM’s PLUS family, the P90+ and the 

PATRIOT PLUS were also showcased, which were cool 

additions to the expo. 

DRIP-CAPA 

From the GBB pistol department, Tokyo Marui is also 

re-making their much loved classics, the Hi-CAPA 

D.O.R, so say hello to the Hi-CAPA White D.O.R. You 

might ask “what’s changed?”, well they changed 

it from cool into a Radi-cool Hi-Capa; the off-white 

colour looks amazing on a SpeedQB oriented gun, 

“TOKYO MARUI IS ALSO REMAKING ONE OF THEIR CLASSIC AEGS, THE G36C, AND THEY 

MADE IT EVEN BETTER WITH MAKING THE G36C PLUS WHICH IS A NEW ADDITION TO TOKYO 

MARUI PLUS AEG FAMILY; THEY RELEASED THE P90+, AND THE PATRIOT PLUS AEG IS ALSO 

IMMINENT” 


AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

with a slight hint of black on the receiver, and a bright 

red trigger. This gun will catch the eyes of anyone on 

the other end of the barrel. They are also going to sell 

a matching coloured Tokyo Marui Micro Pro Sight for 

modification, which gives the gun more rad-ness! But 

they missed the magazine, it’s a shame that they’re 

not painting the magazines white; however they also 

improved the trigger box, so you will have better 

trigger response at least. They have also another 

repainted VSR-One, it has been produced in a blue 

format. 

Other than the cool appearance factor, it is after all 

just another re-skinned Hi-Capa, but if you want to 

have the Drip-Capa, expect it to be on sale next year, 

however price is still to be determined. But expect it 

to be more expensive than the original D.O.R, because 

the white Micro Pro Sight is already going to be priced 

around 6,800 yen (45.13 Dollar or 41.51 Euro), a 

thousand yen higher than the original! 

NEXT GEN AUSTRIAN 

The widely talked about next-gen Tokyo Marui Glock 

series also took the spotlight, the TM Glock 17 Gen5 

MOS. It’s the hype from Marui, since it featured a 

lot of new improvements; one of them being the 

MOS optic system; MOS standing for Modular Optic 

System, which is a system that integrates a platform 

for the RMR red dot sight onto the slide of the gun, 

which makes installing a red dot sight far easier, 

especially when you can take off the cover with just a 

single button on the end-plate of the gun. The MOS 

system will be compatible with Tokyo Marui Micro Pro 

Sight, but beware other brands of RMR might not be 

so readily compatible. 

The second improvement is with the internals, 

especially the magazine. It’s a completely new 

magazine, that has a brand new gas tank system, 

which can hold up 20% more gas than the old 

version, resulting in better gas efficiency. The 

magazine follower is going to be painted orange, like 

those of the real Glock magazines, and they will have 

better seals that make the endurance in cold weather 

even better. But you might think this new magazine 

is very different and it won’t fit older Gen3 and Gen4 

Glocks, thankfully you’re wrong! The new magazine 

is still compatible with older generation Glocks, so 

“THE WIDELY TALKED ABOUT NEXT-GEN TOKYO MARUI GLOCK SERIES ALSO TOOK THE 

SPOTLIGHT, THE TM GLOCK 17 GEN5 MOS. IT’S THE HYPE FROM MARUI, SINCE IT FEATURED A 

LOT OF NEW IMPROVEMENTS; ONE OF THEM BEING THE MOS OPTIC SYSTEM” 

70 


AA LEGION 

JAPAN 

you can have a better gas efficiency even if you’re still 

fielding your 10 year old Gen3 models! 

Not only the magazine itself, but the gun will also 

have brand new shiny innards; from what they’re 

saying the Gen5 will have a brand new piston and 

trigger system, which gives the Gen5 Glock a stronger 

and snappier recoil, crisper trigger pull, and coupled 

with the new magazine, an overall better performance 

than its predecessors. 

For people who want much better performance on 

the already good Marui Glock series, this might be the 

gun for you; if you do consider the big performance 

improvements, especially the new magazine, it’s a gun 

worth the wait and to purchase, and the good news 

is you won’t need to wait that long; Marui plans to 

release the Gen5 Glock in either late 2023 or early 

2024 with a price tag of 21,780 Yen (144.04 USD or 

132.92 EUR); beware the sudden appearance of a 

next generation Austrian. 

LYCOTIS RECOIL – REAL LIFE 

ADAPTATION 

Last but not least is Marui’s new collaboration gun; 

from the hit action anime series Lycoris Recoil, they 

present to you “Chisato’s Gun”! You might wonder 

“Hey what’s the gun’s real name?” and I will answer 

“That is the name”, yes, Chisato’s Gun is the name 

that Tokyo Marui have given to this gun. Why? 

Because it’s the gun of choice for the main heroine 

Chisato Nishikigi, a .45 ACP Detonics Combat Master 

pistol modified with a sharp strike face that can stab 

any anime villains on the front of the gun, a perfect 

gun of choice for a cute blonde girl. 

You might also ask “What is Lycoris Recoil?” If I 

have to explain it here, I might need another three 

pages to cover the anime plot! But to summarise; 

it’s the cute anime version of John Wick with a dash 

of shadow government and yuri sprinkled on top of 

it. I won’t get into details, but anyway Tokyo Marui 

made a completely perfect recreation of it, using their 

already existing Detonics.45 Combat Master as the 

base, they installed a brand new grip and a strike face 

similar to their Strike Warrior other than that it’s the 

ol’ reliable .45 Detonics. 

For any otaku whose eyeing up their waifu gun, 

Tokyo Marui isn’t disclosing anything other than that 

they’ll be releasing it soon, the price is also unknown, 

but do beware that there’s going to be otakus flocking 

and running Naruto-style into your local airsoft stores, 

likely on the day Chisato’s Gun is released… do keep 

an eye on them! 

That’s all for the highlights of the Tokyo Marui 

Festival, other than the aforementioned planned 

releases and displayed prototypes from Marui, they 

were also showcasing their AKM bakelite magazines, 

which are period inaccurate for the gun, their new 

GBB pistols for 14 year olds, new revolvers, and a fun 

corner, where you can vote for Tokyo Marui’s next 

GBB pistol; personally I voted for the Browning Hipower, 

because the Hi-Power is the GOAT of semiauto 

pistols. 

In summary, this year’s Tokyo Marui Fest left a bit 

to be desired; other than the Saiga-12 SBS and Glock 

17 Gen5, most of their exhibited stuff was either a 

remake, a repaint, or a collaboration mod. Of course 

the Glock Gen5 and Saiga-12 SBS are the two things 

worth waiting for, other than that Tokyo Marui needs 

to create something to rival their external international 

rivals, but Tokyo Marui Fest also shows that they are 

not intent on giving up their GBB throne, with their 

top of the line GBB technologies and manufacturing… 

I’m hoping to see more brand new stuff next year, 

hopefully the Browning Hi-Power… 

This is Tama from Tokyo Signing out! 

Many thanks to Victor Chalim and Will Schmitt for 

the additional pictures (IG hazelx24 and bucky.t.b) 

used and for their support in creating this report. AA 

“YOU MIGHT ALSO ASK “WHAT IS LYCORIS RECOIL?” IF I HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT HERE, I MIGHT 

NEED ANOTHER THREE PAGES TO COVER THE ANIME PLOT! BUT TO SUMMARISE; IT’S THE 

CUTE ANIME VERSION OF JOHN WICK WITH A DASH OF SHADOW GOVERNMENT AND YURI 

SPRINKLED ON TOP OF IT” 



INSIDE AIRSOFT 

ICS AIRSOFT 

ICS – 

CHANGING 

THE GAME! 

WITH BILL IN TAIWAN LAST MONTH IT SEEMED LIKE AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN TO TAICHUNG 

TOGETHER AND VISIT OUR LONG-TIME FRIENDS AT ICS AIRSOFT; BILL HAS BEEN AN HONOURARY ICS 

CAPTAIN SINCE 2015 AND STEWBACCA HAS BEEN ACQUAINTED WITH MANY OF THEIR STAFF OVER HIS 

TIME IN TAIWAN AND SEEN THEM NOT JUST AT SHOWS BUT ALSO PLAYED ALONGSIDE THEM AT EVENTS, 

BUT WHAT ABOUT THEIR FACILITY AND WHAT THEY’VE BEEN UP TO IN THE LAST FEW YEARS? ICS RITA 

WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO SHOW US AROUND IN EARLY NOVEMBER AND INTRODUCE US TO SOME OF THEIR 

UPCOMING PRODUCTS AS STEWBACCA REPORTS. 

76 



ICS AIRSOFT 

The last time I visited ICS Airsoft in person was 

way back in my early days in Taiwan before 

I’d even joined the mad house here at Airsoft 

Action; back then I was still writing for TacticalTwo 

blog that my old long-time teammate ‘Handsome’ 

Dave Weedon and our friend Piotr Usewicz had been 

running since Dave became an emigre himself. Of 

course the history of ICS hasn’t changed quite so 

much in the intervening years, but their in-house 

capabilities had noticeably increased since my earlier 

visit back in mid-2018. 

Nestled amongst the rice paddies in an otherwise 

industrialised zone in the very north of Taichung’s 

massive urban sprawl, I Chi Shivan, or simply ICS, 

have an impressive multi-floor facility emblazoned 

with their company logo; the ground floor is home 

to the front desk along with sales and administrative 

personnel in the open-plan central workspace 

flanked by the management in their own more 

private offices to the rear, along with their Quality 

Control office (with some very nice laser and physical 

metrology equipment for measurement of the 

finished products!) leading to the production floor to 

the rear. 

On my prior visit I had seen a lone CNC machining 

centre at the time which was responsible for the 

completion of extruded aluminium handguards 

for the likes of their AR series AEGs; since then 

it appears they have expanded their operations 

significantly, with a new larger cell of four separate 

machines with operators churning out a wider 

variety of components in even larger volumes! We 

saw top slides for the sub brand Black Leopard Eye 

(BLE) GBB pistol range being machined as well as 

gearbox shells which had been finish machined from 

cast alloy blanks… of course I was in my element 

again, nerding out over the machinery and processes 

they have brought in house more recently. 

This kind of development is usually a good sign 

of increased business as well as tightening quality 

control and diligence over the whole production 

process; with a greater amount of the processing 

occurring under their own roof and in greater 

volume as a result, the R&D Department also appears 

to have grown and moved upstairs to a more 

secretive office, having been replaced by the QC 

department on the ground floor; they must have a 

larger number of people and more interesting things 

to be working on away from prying eyes! 

SHOW AND TELL 

While we were upstairs we also got the grand tour 

of the showroom (which also serves as somewhat 

of a fabulous museum to older OCS products these 

days) with ICS’ ever growing array of products on 

display! Multiple sliding racks try to accommodate 

the sheer volume of different models from their 

earlier history alongside the newer additions of more 

“NESTLED AMONGST THE RICE PADDIES IN AN OTHERWISE INDUSTRIALISED ZONE 

IN THE VERY NORTH OF TAICHUNG’S MASSIVE URBAN SPRAWL, I CHI SHIVAN, OR 

SIMPLY ICS, HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE MULTI-FLOOR FACILITY EMBLAZONED WITH THEIR 

COMPANY LOGO” 



ICS AIRSOFT 

recent years. Among the latest models such as their 

very nicely executed licensed Daniel Defense Mk18 

AEGs in various colours which of course Bill and I had 

to spend some time getting hands on with, and that 

Bill and Jimmy already know intimately! I was also 

drawn to their older lineages such as the original SEF 

style HK MP5 themed platforms, something which 

took me back to my own distant past when I first 

started out in this addiction, and again a love that Bill 

and I share. 

ICS’ split gearbox MP5s were one of the more 

innovative and well-loved solutions that many of my 

friends and teammates preferred when I first started 

out playing in the mid-2000s, allowing far easier 

changing of mainsprings to tailor the muzzle velocity 

to national legal limits or for use in lower powered 

CQB environments, as well as generally allowing 

greater ease of maintenance of the lower section 

with the gears and motor without having to deal with 

the mainspring tension when reassembling things… 

something I’ve turned the air blue with in my time 

dealing with AEGs before! 

Ease of maintenance and creature comforts seem 

to be a common theme for ICS in their products and 

continuing research and development, with more 

recent years bringing us their AEGs with SSS - Self 

diagnostic Shooting System on board electronics, 

allowing for a great deal of convenience and 

protection of the AEGs they are fitted to as well 

as batteries connected to them. With audible and 

LED indication allowing users to better understand 

the status of their replica and whether it requires 

maintenance or repairs, and preventing further 

damage in the event of a mechanical or electrical 

mishap… as well as of course providing a MOSFET 

solution that improves response, allows for burst 

modes and greater battery efficiency, as well as 

eliminating issues with older mechanical contact 

switches. 

PERFORMANCE DRIVEN 

Within their GBB range the addition of their REVO 

“WE ALSO GOT THE GRAND TOUR OF THE SHOWROOM (WHICH ALSO SERVES AS 

SOMEWHAT OF A FABULOUS MUSEUM TO OLDER OCS PRODUCTS THESE DAYS) WITH 

ICS’ EVER GROWING ARRAY OF PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY!” 

78 



ICS AIRSOFT 



ICS AIRSOFT 

system also allows for a much more customisable and 

optimisable performance from your gas guns, with the 

REVO inlet valves enabling a greater amount of liquid 

propane to be injected, while the REVO output valves 

being user adjustable to change the valve head’s offset 

as well as total travel allowing greater control over the 

distance it can move to vary the gas throughflow and 

thus the muzzle velocity and recoil action of the host 

platform. 

In more recent years the arrival of their ‘Master 

Mods’ programme has driven the growth of inhouse-designed 

and produced upgrade components 

for the ICS AEG & GBB ranges; with a range of toptier 

inner barrels of various lengths to suit the end 

user’s platform of choice, as well as suitable HOP 

unit buckings and nub tensioners, cylinder heads 

and nozzles, piston heads and bodies, even HOP unit 

casings and external control components. All are 

aimed at providing the best in directly compatible 

components made by the original platform’s 

manufacturer rather than a third party and for 

enthusiasts and players who want to invest in the best 

in performance and maximise the capabilities of their 

ICS replicas, and our own Red Cell team have given 

direct feedback to help improve such components in 

the past, as well as making extensive use of them and 

reviewing their effects upon various replicas. 

These developments are just the latest in a long 

history behind the company, however, with ICS 

tracing its roots further back than before I was 

still just a glint in my parent’s eyes! In 1983 their 

founder Mr Chu starting the initial company on the 

basis of manufacturing toys in general; at the time 

the legal, political and social landscape in Taiwan 

were somewhat in flux, and the legality of firearms 

or even replicas thereof was a somewhat unstable 

environment (it seems not much has changed on that 

front!) although at least since then it has become 

more permissive in a business sense to produce and 

export replicas of firearms. As a result of this slowchanging 

in attitudes, ICS Airsoft as a self-owned 

sub-brand was created in 1995 to focus on the less 

generalised toy production and specifically target the 

growing local and global market for airsoft replicas 

firearms, evidently developing not only a vast array 

of products but also increasing design, development 

and production capabilities with a great deal of 

components being finished on site, obviously the onboard 

electronics or moulded polymer components 

being an exception as vertically integrating such things 

is a massive capital investment and undertaking that 

few specialist companies would ever take on. 

In terms of product direction, for a large span of 

the company’s history there have been unofficial 

replications of H&K, AR, AK and numerous other real 

steel equivalents, with a lot of the CXP, MARS and 

BLE lines taking inspiration from real world guns, 

but blending a lot of their best features into ICS’ 

own ideas which follow their own unique design 

language, with many new products taking inspiration 

from Mr Chu’s own thoughts. However more recently 

ICS have also begun collaborating with real firearms 

manufacturers or directly licensing the appearance 

and trademarks with the likes of their HERA Arms 

CQR which made its debut way back at one of the 

earliest MOA shows. This represented one of their first 

major efforts, while more recently the aforementioned 

licensed Daniel Defense products also add to the 

repertoire of products that appeal to the discerning 

end users wanting to complete the look while also 

maximising the features and performance of their 

replicas. 

CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! 

On the subject of end-users, in terms of community 

engagement ICS were one of the earliest 

manufacturers to implement an ambassador program, 

with ‘ICS Captains’ being nominated players of 

various nationalities who were, and are selected to 

represent ICS and its products in their home countries, 

and in fact Bill Was made an “Honorary ICS Captain” 

in 2015 to reflect his long-term relationship with the 

brand in their early days; with their product’s presence 

in over 60 countries worldwide, it’s certainly a wise 

approach to help improve contact and information 

flow between the company and end users, as well as 

develop invested players who can help to introduce 

new products at local or national events and extol the 

virtues of the latest releases and their features, as well 

as let people get hands on with them. 

These Captains can choose their own class or 

specialisation, and whilst these are not exclusive, and 

“ICS’ SPLIT GEARBOX MP5S WERE ONE OF THE MORE INNOVATIVE AND WELL-LOVED 

SOLUTIONS THAT MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND TEAMMATES PREFERRED WHEN I FIRST 

STARTED OUT PLAYING IN THE MID-2000S, ALLOWING FAR EASIER CHANGING OF 

MAINSPRINGS TO TAILOR THE MUZZLE VELOCITY TO NATIONAL LEGAL LIMITS” 

80 



ICS AIRSOFT 



ICS AIRSOFT 

flexibility is allowed for multidisciplinary promotion, 

the Captains can decide whether they will choose a 

specialisation in social media; an Instagram, Facebook, 

Youtube or similar platform user with a threshold 

number of followers and/or presence online in 

terms of content produced and appropriate level of 

representation of ICS Airsoft, its products and ethos. 

Or there are “Special Ops Force” Captains; focused 

more on physical presence and product promotion at 

game days or larger events, where they can showcase 

their own personal weapons platforms and encourage 

other players to try out ICS Airsoft products and raise 

general awareness through the use of prominent 

product placement stands with suitable promotional 

materials supplied from ICS to augment their own 

personal platforms or collections. Finally Intel Agents 

perform duties of grass roots or end user level market 

research and trend reporting, gathering pertinent 

information regarding end user preferences, needs or 

issues which can better inform ICS Airsoft and help 

tailor their products towards the ideal platform and 

related functionalities their end customers genuinely 

desire. 

The whole system was formalised and ‘gamified’ to 

enable a ranking or progression of ICS Team Captains 

and present incentives for continued cooperation 

between these brand ambassadors and ICS, as well 

as its other end users; raising the profile of both the 

company itself, its contributions, products and the 

entire industry as a whole and ensuring a positive 

impact now and in future as per its long standing 

company ethos. 

In terms of supplying such a broad international 

market, ICS can produce as many as 5000 AEGs on a 

monthly basis, around 50-60,000 units annually, with 

the use of temporary staff over summer months who 

are cross-trained on different tasks to ensure their 

ability to perform any stage of the process. With a 

finished AEG taking around an hour of assembly time 

to complete, everything is produced in sub-assembly 

fashion allowing for different batches to be produced 

to adhere to different power limit requirements 

for destination countries and their own laws. This 

scrupulous attention to detail obviously works and ICS 

models have been recognised and acclaimed this year 

in the “Taiwan Excellence 2023” awards as a result! 

While on site, Bill and myself also had the 

opportunity to see the latest upcoming products such 

as the extension to their Hi Capa GBB pistol range, 

and will hopefully have more exciting things to report 

early in 2024 when we have them in hand back in the 

UK as well as here in Taiwan; we both look forward 

to our continuing cooperation and valued relationship 

with ICS Airsoft and to sharing more from them in the 

coming year. 

To conclude, there is one thing we are sure of 

though… ICS will continue to “change the game” 

with their diligence and continued innovation, and 

we’ll be sure to document their very latest advances 

here in Airsoft Action when they do! 

Our sincere thanks go again to Rita for 

accommodating us so graciously during our visit, and 

do check in on www.icsbb.com and their social media 

for regular updates. AA 

82 



ICS AIRSOFT 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

MOA 2023 

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AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

ONCE AGAIN THE END OF THE YEAR IS UPON US, AND LIKE LAST YEAR STEWBACCA’S UP AGAINST THE 

ODDS AS USUAL TO CRAM IN A SIMILAR SCHEDULE AS 2022, WITH A FEW LONG WEEKENDS OF TRADE 

SHOWS INTERSPERSED WITH TRAINING AND A MAJOR COMPETITION IN THE DEEP SOUTH TO FOLLOW… 

WOE IS HE, AND WHATNOT, WHATEVER…. BUT WE DO WHAT WE LOVE AND LOVE WHAT WE DO HERE, SO, 

LET’S SEE HOW HE SUFFERED SO, WITH ALL THE LOVELY PEOPLE AND SHINY TOYS AT THE FIRST OF THE BIG 

SHOWS FOR THIS SEASON, THE MILITARY OUTDOOR & AIRSOFT EXPO (MOA) 2023! 

December 1st marked the start of MOA 2023; 

with Bill being in country just a month before 

for the G&G CQB World Cup and our various 

travels around the island along with Anny to visit 

industry friends and partners afterwards, Id thankfully 

gotten a bit of a heads up or sneak peek and hands 

on trial of some of the things to be announced, so I 

had more of a plan in mind as to what to prioritise on 

the first day while there were less ‘civilians’ around 

trying to get their mitts on things as well. 

Nonetheless a lot to be seen there certainly 

was, with an even stronger showing this year in 

many ways; although some exhibitors were absent 

compared to last year, or had chosen to amalgamate 

their booths with others or have third parties display 

their goods either due to cost or time constraints or 

having fewer new products to focus on or justify a 

full on exhibit, there were at least a greater influx of 

overseas and small independent outfits, with friends 

from Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan either 

exhibiting or conducting business along with folks 

from further afield coming along to see what was on 

offer. 

Similarly the “international mischief media crew” 

were out in force again this year, with Vic of Popular 

Airsoft and his assistant Jay rolling in on the Thursday 

“WITH AN EVEN STRONGER SHOWING THIS YEAR IN MANY WAYS… THERE WERE AT LEAST 

A GREATER INFLUX OF OVERSEAS AND SMALL INDEPENDENT OUTFITS, WITH FRIENDS 

FROM TAIWAN, EUROPE, HONG KONG, THE PHILIPPINES AND JAPAN EITHER EXHIBITING OR 

CONDUCTING BUSINESS ALONG WITH FOLKS FROM FURTHER AFIELD COMING ALONG TO SEE 

WHAT WAS ON OFFER” 

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AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

night’s mischief we all huddled in fairly sharpish and 

set about taking in the sights, meeting and greeting 

all those familiar faces we love to spend time among! 

MOA GAME ON! 

Right inside the door on the right was PAF Airsoft so 

I stopped by to see Well and take a look at his latest 

iterations of heavy weapons; he has a new office in 

Taipei to avoid flitting back and forth to his PengHu 

home headquarters quite so much so I’ve had the 

opportunity to drop in on him on occasion and see 

the progress of his prototypes. His Russian AGS-17 

grenade machine gun replica is nearing its final phases 

of pre-production which will be similar to his simpler 

Mk19 offering in as much as it has internal 6mm 

barrels and will fire BBs in a hose fashion from a large 

integral box ‘flash mag’ style reservoir which has a pull 

chord winder at the rear akin to a lawnmower starter 

for rapid re-tensioning of its feed system! He’s also 

been working on some standalone 40mm moscart 

mortar systems which are easily loaded and unloaded 

without having to disturb the main tube’s orientation 

in game. 

and joining Medard of WMASG in Poland for dinner 

and some beverages, although he was flying solo 

this time having also only just been in town not long 

before for the G&G event with more of his crew. The 

gents from Airsoft.nu in Sweden returned along with 

some locally based support guys again to help with 

their photography and videography, while there were 

still other outfits from Japan, South Korea and further 

afield in the Americas that I was less familiar with. 

Having arrived a little earlier than game-on as 

usual on the first day I took in the show floor from 

the eagle’s nest of the floors above that look down 

on the main central open-plan space beneath the 

giant glass ceiling high above; the hustle and bustle 

was already in full swing with our industry friends 

and partners busily making their final preparations to 

welcome us in after the gates were opened at 10:00. 

Powering through the after effects of the previous 

Next door was Alex and his team from the local 

Taiwan stands with the Ukraine outreach group, 

selling an array of keepsakes and Ukranian recipe 

delicacies and cookies which I naturally did my part 

to support the cause and bought some to stuff my 

chest rig with and sustain myself on. In this case they 

were actually taking donations specifically to support 

direct military efforts given the nature of MOA and 

“HAVING ARRIVED A LITTLE EARLIER THAN GAME-ON AS USUAL ON THE FIRST DAY I TOOK 

IN THE SHOW FLOOR FROM THE EAGLE’S NEST OF THE FLOORS ABOVE THAT LOOK DOWN ON 

THE MAIN CENTRAL OPEN-PLAN SPACE BENEATH THE GIANT GLASS CEILING HIGH ABOVE; 

THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE WAS ALREADY IN FULL SWING WITH OUR INDUSTRY FRIENDS AND 

PARTNERS BUSILY MAKING THEIR FINAL PREPARATIONS” 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

its military themes compared to their usual events; 

hopefully all that unpleasantness will be dealt with in 

a positive manner sooner or later, and I parted ways 

with the mandatory ‘Slava Ukrani’ and headed on 

around the corner. 

I swung inwards towards the centre of the show 

and went through Cybergun and Bolt Airsoft to 

see our friends there; Tomy was extolling the new 

MWS-styled GBBR systems which Anny, Bill and 

myself had managed to get hands on with during our 

multiple visits prior; Ms Wu and I still need to finalise 

that individual “inside look” article early next year 

as they have some exciting new licensed products 

and accessories that we can’t talk about just yet but 

Nine Dragons were flanking the other side of 

the show area and were in the same ‘space’ as Well 

and PAF as such, coming up with some novel 40mm 

moscart shell-fed field systems such as lightweight 

slam-fire mortars, customised rotary launchers, and 

even a pretty cool shoulder-fired affair that is rear 

loaded and they had a laser aiming unit attached to 

allowing folks to take shots at a target set up down 

the small range behind their booth. Of course I had 

to have a go; loud and fun, for sure, it kept going off 

all weekend and startling me, by the show’s end their 

booth was filled with BBs and spent Taginn practise 

shells after a few days of intensive usage! 

should be officially announced soon. There was also 

an early production mock-up of their licensed B&T SPC 

AEG outer shell 3D printed on display among their 

many other finalised and released offerings that many 

people were eagerly getting hands on with, alongside 

many of the components of their collaborative HRT 

tactical gear offerings which I tried out the pistol 

magazine retention on… although unfortunately the 

sample belt rig was unfortunately in a more…local… 

size range than myself! 

Opposite Bolt were our friends at RATech who 

Anny was working the floor for again this year, along 

with lovely Celia dressed in Ada Wong cosplay who 

worked MOA a few years back as well as joining Anny 

and myself on one of the shoots with Team Taiji earlier 

in the year; hopefully we’ll see her in the field again 

soon as she took to it all very well, as she did with 

product presentations at the show. Alongside their 

excellent licensed GHK-magazine-compatible Noveske 

N4 GBBRs in various barrel and handguard lengths as 

well as now in sand colour schemes (as I reviewed in 

September’s issue No. 153, and used in competition 

“I SWUNG INWARDS TOWARDS THE CENTRE OF THE SHOW AND WENT THROUGH CYBERGUN 

AND BOLT AIRSOFT TO SEE OUR FRIENDS THERE; TOMY WAS EXTOLLING THE NEW MWS- 

STYLED GBBR SYSTEMS WHICH ANNY, BILL AND MYSELF HAD MANAGED TO GET HANDS ON 

WITH DURING OUR MULTIPLE VISITS PRIOR” 

88 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

operate ARs without the need to reach back and use 

the T-charging handle if they prefer, but which don’t 

interfere with its operation if they still want to make 

use of it; a very nice addition that is a much slicker 

solution than some of the bolt on charging-handleextension 

units I’ve seen elsewhere. The shortened 

bolt travel really makes for a snappy bolt cycle akin to 

an SMG as well as allowing for AR18 style side-folding 

and skirmishing since), there were also finished upper 

and lower receivers bearing the legitimate Colt livery 

and lettering for their ongoing licensed Colt AR GBBR 

product lines, and of course the new BRS47 AK/AR 

hybrid we got hands on with during our visit to them 

stock setups due to the lack of the typical buffer tube 

(while the bolt hold open feature is also maintained 

despite the shortened overall travel), so lots of 

interesting products from them recently it seems. 

Adjoining them towards the left wall again were 

our good friends Clarence Lai and his lovely other 

half Katherine of CLPD showcasing a heavy emphasis 

the month before, as well as an array of upgrade 

internal components and older platforms such as their 

SR16 and shortened WE M14 GBBR. 

Adjoining them in the next walkway were Maple 

Leaf Creative Workshop with every manner of 

HOP bucking on display in a huge smorgasbord of 

technicolour variety; I was also chatting with James 

again (who recently featured in Nonocat’s Youtube 

video of her visit to their facility) demonstrating their 

Hummingbird short-stroke bolt carrier system as well 

as their new M-LOK handguards with integrated HK 

style front charging handles which allow the user to 

on Shadow 2s in all manner of colours and finishes 

this year including red dot and tracer unit enabled 

“OUR FRIENDS AT RATECH WHO ANNY WAS WORKING THE FLOOR FOR AGAIN THIS YEAR, 

ALONG WITH LOVELY CELIA DRESSED IN ADA WONG COSPLAY… ALONGSIDE THEIR EXCELLENT 

LICENSED GHK-MAGAZINE-COMPATIBLE NOVESKE N4 GBBRS THERE WERE ALSO FINISHED 

UPPER AND LOWER RECEIVERS BEARING THE LEGITIMATE COLT LIVERY AND LETTERING FOR 

THEIR ONGOING LICENSED COLT AR GBBR PRODUCT LINES” 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

versions, with a few of his very nice custom revolvers 

and their support gear also on display in the form 

of the customised holster and his own moon clips 

with belt mounted magnetic holders. He was also 

good enough to provide Bill, Anny and myself with 

personalised CLPD Shadow 2 shooter’s Jerseys which 

look the absolute business so naturally I had to throw 

mine on and grab some team pictures with him, 

Katherine and Anny; I’m sure I can find time to wear 

it for one of the days of the Kaohsiung international 

level 3 IPSC competition at Xmas too… 

A VFC–STYLE SURPRISE… AGAIN! 

Across the walkway from Clarence was the imposing 

stand of the folks at VFC, ready and waiting to start 

calling dibs on which organs I’m going to sell next 

year to fund buying all their samples I inevitably won’t 

want to give back! As I’ve said before, Ray is a great 

friend (he and Bill go back a LONG way…), but a 

terrible enabler! The news of their licensed FN FNC 

GBBR leaked online a week or so before the show 

but again we’d already been briefed on a few new 

releases during visits ahead of the show and gotten 

to play with them as well; it’s a very nicely made and 

operating piece of kit that will no doubt sit nicely 

next to my already well-loved FAL. Other new projects 

included a tactical version of the FNC as well as an 

SA58 style modernised FAL carbine, and their growing 

Vietnam era lineup which now includes the original 

XM16A1, an exceptionally light and handy piece 

despite its length, just like our lord and saviour Stoner 

intended, and the XM177 along with the XM148 

grenade launcher and associated modified M16E1 and 

XM177E2 furniture to allow it to be mounted below 

either model’s barrel. 

More of a surprise to most was VFC’s 

announcement of an AK platform in the guise of their 

largely steel AK74 GBBR platform that was hidden 

away in a glass case and adorned in whiteboard 

“MORE OF A SURPRISE TO MOST WAS VFC’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN AK PLATFORM IN THE 

GUISE OF THEIR LARGELY STEEL AK74 GBBR PLATFORM THAT WAS HIDDEN AWAY IN A GLASS 

CASE AND ADORNED IN WHITEBOARD MAGNETS TO DEMONSTRATE ITS IRON CONTENT A 

SECOND PROTOTYPE; IT WAS FOLDED AND PARTIALLY FIELD-STRIPPED TO SHOW OFF THE 

INTERNALS” 

90 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

magnets to demonstrate its iron content a second 

prototype; it was folded and partially field-stripped 

to show off the internals, including a realistic braided 

twine style hammer spring. Further murmurings of 

a PPSh-41 GBBR were also seen later in the show 

with demonstration videos spreading like wildfire, 

because they always like to have something a little 

extra to drop on people off guard! Alongside their 

more established M249 GBBR, AR URGI lineup, 

BCMs, HKs and PPKs pistols, they also exhibited their 

Taiwanese national service rifle GBBR (the T91 which 

has a 4 position free-wheeling safety lever like the real 

equivalent for easy switching either direction between 

safe, semi, burst and auto settings; this is again 

something we test-fired at the VPSC weeks before, 

and I will no doubt end up acquiring eventually as so 

many of their new products will now have STANAG/ 

USGI magazine compatibility. 

Having run out of partially excited but dread-laden 

thoughts of future purchases from them, I moved 

across to Unicorn Airsoft, one of the smaller local 

cottage industry type outfits who support the IDPA 

circuit with upgrade barrel kits, precision HOP unit 

and buckings, along with a growing range of other 

consumables and components. Wayne was good 

enough to gift me some of his harder buckings as 

I explained that while the tightbore barrel he made 

me especially for my VFC PSG-1 is working wonders, 

the longer tightbore barrel and HOP of his I put in 

my VFC FAL wasn’t lifting .48g BBs too well, so now 

I have some 60 and 70 Shore hardness samples to 

try out; I’ll likely put together some further notes on 

the FAL in the near future as I’ve done a lot to it since 

getting it over a year ago now. Complimentary cute 

stuffed unicorn in hand, or rather attached to my rig 

below my Chewbacca plushie, I sauntered onward. 

Archwick were just around the next row and were 

already attracting a crowd with their various licensed 

B&T AIR products; with their SPR300 bolt action 

dual-feed system already gaining a great following in 

the community, their imminent release of the much 

awaited APC9k GBBR SMG was also drawing people 

in, with 4 additional variants planned for the future as 

well they’ll eventually replicate the whole ecosystem 

with the various handguard and barrel lengths, 

buttstocks and silencer options built off the same 

common lower assembly, magazine and internals. 

They also had their own MWS compatible ‘Avanti’ 

line of fire control groups, bolt carriers, HOP units and 

turnkey rifles on display. 

BRINGING THE PIGS IN! 

Taking a stroll across the main middle pathway I found 

myself at LCT Airsoft’s well laid-out display with 

“I FOUND MYSELF AT LCT AIRSOFT’S WELL LAID-OUT DISPLAY WITH THEMED FAMILIES 

OF WEAPONS PLATFORMS ADORNING THE VARIOUS WALLS OF THEIR BOOTH, FLANKED AT 

EITHER END BY LOW LYING PLINTHS OF ALL THEIR UPCOMING M60 AEG LMG FAMILY OF 

VARIANTS, AND THEIR RUSSIAN COUNTERPARTS AT THE OPPOSITE END. AGAIN THE ‘PIGS’ 

WERE DRAWING IN THE CROWDS…” 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

themed families of weapons platforms adorning the 

various walls of their booth, flanked at either end by 

low lying plinths of all their upcoming M60 AEG LMG 

a picture seated with the M60 Vietnam era LMG 

and their two lovely ladies sporting AKs, as well as 

one with the main man himself at their dedicated 

photography stand. 

Following these escapades I was corralled by a few 

familiar faces to various places and ended up seeing 

Hann (n00b_soft) at his Pew Logic stand, the local 

SQB event organiser and custom upgrade products 

producer partnered with John of Gaosen Kinetics/ 

LACapa, with an array of highly-stylised HiCapa 

slides, magazine wells, triggers and all manner of 

family of variants, and their Russian counterparts at 

the opposite end. Again the ‘pigs’ were drawing in 

the crowds alongside their more established lines 

and the newer Z-series Zenitco styled wealth of 

accessories displayed nicely in a case. They also went 

to the trouble of building a new ‘iron throne’ from 

AK magazines and receivers which could thankfully 

accommodate me without the same issues as the 

older one at their factory… of course I had to get 

other components on display alongside all the posters 

and memorabilia of events past, some of which 

brought back fond memories of my own involvement 

back when those things first kicked off in Taiwan! 

From here I paid a visit to Andre at Laylax’s booth 

to see their latest soft goods in the form of their nice 

little range bag I’d seen RandomGuyKev sporting 

in one of his recent shoots in the US, as well as 

their upcoming electric automatic AEG magazine 

speedloader unit among some of their older custom 

pistols and slides on display. Next door were Model 

Work Company and some old friends from way back 

when I first started playing; they produce high-quality 

small-run conversion kits for Marui MWS platforms 

among others to dress up the core systems in more 

unique formats such as Taiwanese service weapons or 

classic film or cultural gun types. 

NUPROL were at the show for the first time, so 

having just met Matt weeks before I made sure to 

go and introduce myself to Jean who was manning 

their booth along with some local operatives; finally a 

chance to get hands on with the VMP-1 GBB SMG I’d 

heard so many good things about from the AA Crew, 

definitely understandable once you get to handle 

it! Nicely balanced, solid feeling, with a reasonable 

trigger compared to the older MP9 it seems to draw 

92 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

a lot of inspiration for its general outline from; the 

stock folding and unfolding perhaps takes some 

getting used to as it’s so rigidly put together you have 

to make sure your manipulation is right to get it to 

unlatch and fold. The additional quick detach silencer 

is also a nice touch. Similarly some of the Vorsk pistols 

were also present allowing me to get a feel for their 

manufacture quality and ease of manipulation, the 

VM9 and VP26K series being particularly nice in the 

hand and really smoothly operating in terms of the 

slides and triggers. 

At the top end of the show ICS Airsoft had their 

goods on display and I once again got hands on with 

some of their pistol offerings, the Korth PRS still being 

a favourite for its buttery-smooth slide operation, but 

also seeing their newer HiCapa models which Bill and 

myself already got a sneak preview of at their facility 

back in November, the Carnotaurus split-slide being 

particularly striking in appearance and having a very 

nice trigger pull. 

On the way back towards the entrance end of the 

show I found myself at Northeast Airsoft’s booth 

and chatted to my IPSC Teammate Rex who works 

with them about their FAMAS in some more depth. 

I’d gotten hands on and test-fired it a few months 

back when I went over to them to check out their V3 

upgrades of the MP2A1 Uzi SMG and its CO2 variant 

magazines, but of course I wouldn’t say no to another 

opportunity to handle and test fire it, a much awaited 

piece that drew a lot of attention at the show. 

From here it wasn’t far to King Arms’s stand so I 

went over and had a gander at their range of wares, 

the TWS9 being of particular interest having previously 

read Bill’s review of it, despite otherwise not hearing 

much about it! It seems there will be an even more 

economical polymer-bodied variant in the near future 

so I may have to invest in one of those to make use of 

all those Glock magazines I have in something a little 

different. 

Kizuna Works were next up and I finally got 

around to meeting Chloe and Jo in person having 

interacted with them over social media for a good 

while beforehand; both of them have prior experience 

in other operations within the industry and 3 years 

ago started their own business producing more 

obscure pistols and accessory kits for OpFor/Eastern 

Block platforms, their KW15 GBB pistol being 

exceptionally nicely put together with an ultra-smooth 

slide cycle and snug fit, along with a really crisp but 

light trigger and a snappy recoil. Hopefully Anny and/ 

or I will get a chance to visit them in the coming year 

and look more into their backstory. 

Next I found myself at the Modify booth, with 

their familiar lines of XTC AEGs, PP2K GBB SMGs in 

various guises and bolt action sniper rifles, along with 

ammunition and spare or upgrade components. This 

year they were showcasing their own HiCapa GBB 

pistol which has quite a few nice external touches in 

terms of fit, finish and accoutrements; however the 

real magic is inside with their HOP adjustment that 

can be affected by partially removing the slide release 

lever so that the gear teeth built into its axle engage 

with those of the HOP unit allowing easy tuning of it 

“NUPROL WERE AT THE SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, SO HAVING JUST MET MATT WEEKS 

BEFORE I MADE SURE TO GO AND INTRODUCE MYSELF TO JEAN WHO WAS MANNING THEIR 

BOOTH ALONG WITH SOME LOCAL OPERATIVES; FINALLY A CHANCE TO GET HANDS ON WITH 

THE VMP-1 GBB SMG I’D HEARD SO MANY GOOD THINGS ABOUT FROM THE AA CREW!” 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 

without any need to remove the slide, very cool. 

Further down towards the front entrance were 

the guys from 4UAD Smart Airsoft, old friends 

from my early days who have previous experience 

with mainstream manufacturers but are going it 

alone to not only provide in-depth tech videos and 

product testing but producing a growing range of 

maintenance supplies in the form of their pens that 

allow easy application of lubricant, threadlocker or 

gas sealing compound depending on which variant 

you choose. Their main release for their inaugural own 

booth however is their own AEG & GBB compatible 

HOP buckings which they tell me build on their years 

of experience to provide an ultra-consistent trajectory 

with the aid of a wide consistent pressure pad; I’ll be 

putting these to the test myself at some point soon 

and hopefully finally get around to visiting them 

in Taichung in the new year now that I have more 

weekdays off work-work. 

At the very front left of the show by the other 

main entrance were Thunder Sports, Krytac’s local 

distributor, who had a variety of their new KRISS 

Vector GBBRs on display and also one that you could 

test fire for yourself… so naturally I queued up and 

had a magazine-load to try out the innovative recoil 

system and bolt along with the semi, two round burst 

and full auto fire modes; I may have to see if I can 

acquire one and fit in a review somewhere! 

WRAPPING IT UP 

Besides these more familiar names there were myriad 

local startups and small businesses dealing with 

custom holsters, tactical gear, innovative batteries and 

chargers, custom parts, consumables, apparel and of 

course the local military units demonstrating some 

of their equipment in terms of both small arms and 

land systems/vehicles, so naturally I gravitated that 

way before the end of the weekend to see the folks in 

uniform who do it all for real. 

It’s always difficult to try to encompass three daysworth 

of floor pounding and flesh-pressing into an 

article of reasonable length, but of course my more 

raw photographic exploits are already live on my 

public Stewbacca Island Insider Facebook page as 

well as cross-shared on the Airsoft Action page. By 

the final day we had all taken a prodigious amount 

of photos it seems, with some of the other media 

guys also focusing on videos and more in depth 

interviewing of people regarding their products, but 

with some of the guys having to leave earlier on the 

Sunday our numbers dwindled, and in the end Anny 

and I were joined by my old friend Abdel as well as 

our Hong Kong friends for a last supper before we 

all went our separate ways… as ever, there’s never 

enough time spent in good company! 

Many thanks to Eric and the QRF team for once 

again putting on a great show that as usual went 

off without any obvious hitches thanks to their 

organisational abilities; I’m already looking forward 

to some of the ideas I’m hearing regarding the next 

one, but that’s another story… until next time, fellow 

shooters… AA 

“MANY THANKS TO ERIC AND THE QRF TEAM FOR ONCE AGAIN PUTTING ON A GREAT 

SHOW THAT AS USUAL WENT OFF WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS HITCHES THANKS TO THEIR 

ORGANISATIONAL ABILITIES; I’M ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME OF THE IDEAS I’M 

HEARING REGARDING THE NEXT ONE, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY…” 

94 


AA LEGION 

SHOW REPORT 


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RELOADED 

VFC VORSK BCM VMP-1 MCMR GBBR/AEG 

VMP - 

MISSION 

ACHIEVED! 

Image: Krios Photography 

IF THERE’S ONE AIRSOFT PLATFORM THAT WE’VE GOT BEHIND 100% DURING 2023 THEN IT HAS 

TO BE THE VORSK VMP-1! AA HAS HAD UNPARALLELED AND MASSIVELY PRIVILEGED “BEHIND THE 

SCENES” ACCESS TO THE GENESIS OF THIS NEW GBB, AND FROM DESIGN CONCEPT TO FINISHED 

“IN THE WILD” TACK-DRIVER BILL HAS FOLLOWED AND DOCUMENTED THE AWESOME STORY OF 

THIS PUNCHY LITTLE SMG FROM DAY ZERO… 

98 


RELOADED 

VORSK VMP-1 

With six months of hard use and abuse now 

in the bag it’s time for me to reflect on 

the VMP-1 and exactly what my mates at 

VORSK have created, and moving from GBB pistol 

platforms, albeit excellent ones, to a fully-fledged 

gas-driven “long” is quite an achievement… and 

having this platform turn out not only to be good, 

but exemplary in the eyes of players and shooters just 

adds depth to this undertaking! 

Back in March VORSK absolutely wow’d the 

industry as they unveiled the VMP-1 at IWA, and very 

shortly after this players were equally gobsmacked 

as the VMP-1 started to land in their local stores and 

subsequently in their eager hands! Now I would be 

remiss and outright lying if I didn’t mention that like 

every new-100%-from-scratch platform there were a 

few teething problems to do with 

a purely cosmetic glitch on a 

handful of models, and 

given the fact that the 

VMP-1 has been 

pulling in a whole 

new generation 

of players to 

the wonderful 

and arcane 

world 

of GBB 

ownership 

there were 

some user-errors as 

they got to grips with a 

different technology… but 

to be equally honest such 

was the delight in the player 

community with the overall 

quality and downright banging 

performance of the VMP-1 

that… nobody really gave a 

toss and just got on with lovin’ 

their own VMP! 

Every single player that I 

met and talked to had nothing 

but positives to share about their 

experiences with the VMP-1, and 

when the fledgling VMP Owners Group 

assembled at NAF ’23 stories of airsoft adventures 

were exchanged and tall-tales-told, although actually 

these stories proved in most cases to be entirely 

accurate, just like the VMP itself! Sure, the VMP-1 was 

an ass-kicker when it came to CQB-play, and there are 

now countless videos online to support this including 

some great ones from my new friend Stu Knight that I 

met at the FAST TACTICAL training day. 

However, it also turned out that the VMP-1 had 

the legs for woodland skirmishing as well, and I can 

absolutely confirm that the platform is well capable of 

sending out BBs to 50m and beyond which puts it in 

a different place altogether! I’ve long said that a well 

setup GBBR can have a place on a regular woodland 

skirmish day IF it’s properly set up and used well and 

effectively, and the VMP-1 has proved my point as 

numerous owners are using the platform for ALL their 

airsoft games, and not just for CQB! 

And that’s most certainly my experience thus far 

with the VMP-1, as it’s a small package in its base 

form without the suppressor (more on that in a 

bit…) that offers big performance and HUGE bucketload 

of GBB fun! Although my own VMP is from 

the initial production run (serial number 001298 if 

you must know), something I very specifically asked 

for so nobody could accuse me of having anything 

“special”, I’ve had experience with it right from the 

moment that they came out of the container as my 

arrived with me straight from the warehouse! 

HAMMER-TIME! 

Quite literally the day it arrived, I, along with an 

additional four magazines, was out onto the woods 

range, and gassed up with VORSK V8 FUEL I started 

slinging BBs at targets… something I proceeded to 

do on a very regular basis so that I could provide 

feedback from the production model to the VORSK 

team… I hammered the living daylights out of my 

own VMP so that I could initially log the BB-count 

and report back, as well as giving feedback to other 

players that could encounter any issues. Thankfully 

that latter part has been largely unnecessary as other 

than a few “user error” instances the VMP-1’s that I 

personally know about have performed admirably. 

And performance? Oh, yes indeedy, you DO get 

performance! My VMP-1 now has 11,500+ BBs 

“EVERY SINGLE PLAYER THAT I MET AND TALKED TO HAD NOTHING BUT POSITIVES TO 

SHARE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE VMP-1, AND WHEN THE FLEDGLING VMP 

OWNERS GROUP ASSEMBLED AT NAF ’23 STORIES OF AIRSOFT ADVENTURES WERE 

EXCHANGED AND TALL-TALES-TOLD” 


RELOADED 

VORSK VMP-1 

through from new, with 

each of the five mags being 

expended many, MANY 

times; I set the goal of a 

round-out 5000 BB count 

as new from the box before 

performing any maintenance, 

and my VMP reached this point 

without a stutter. Thanks to the 

excellent take-down video created by the 

VORSK Crew for exactly this purpose (you 

can find this on YT or on the AA website) 

I was able to take things down and 

MAGLUBE the necessary working parts 

with no bother. 

And the VMP-1 does have some 

“oomph”; I’ve tested pretty 

much entirely on 

Image: Krios Photography 

VORSK V6 

and V8 FUEL (V8 now the 

weather has turned colder), and even 

with stable gasses like these I have 

witnessed some fluctuation in power 

output, but in fairness now that the OS 

has bedded in, not that much; using .20g 

BBs for testing, on V6 with an ambient 

temperature of 18-19C the VMP-1 

chrono’s consistently at 1.07 Joule/341 

fps using VORSK .20g BBs, and at 8-12C 

on V8 I’m getting 1.06 Joule/339fps. 

In terms of BB’s “for real” I’m using 

a .28g BB as this gives me the best allround 

performance given the gasses 

that I use, although the VMP-1 will 

most certainly hop a .30g if you so 

desire. 

100 


RELOADED 

VORSK VMP-1 

With the .28g weight though once you’ve got the 

hop set right (easy by finger or with the neat little tool 

provided), it’s bang on... I’ve continued whacking the 

300mm x 300mm steels on the woods range at 30m 

regularly, and recently I had the VMP hitting “Fig 11s” 

at 50m with no issue, and the trajectory of a .28g is 

dead flat-to-target at that range making me think I 

can still eke a little more... 

FINAL WORKSPACE 

As I said before I decided to keep things relatively 

simple when setting up my own VMP, although both 

Ben and Jimmy have taken similar yet individually 

different routes for this; I’ve noticed that many fellow 

owners have also used a similar accessories package. 

The fire-optic back-up sights are great, but low for 

me personally, so an NP T1-style red dot on a riser 

works, the riser due to the fact that I also wanted a 

LAM in place, an NPQ15 Light/Laser Box in my case. 

I experimented with a short Scout Light at 3 0’clock 

both hi and low, but eventually decided on the lower 

position for ease-of-grip/manipulation reasons, with 

a rats-tail pressure switch running to the same spot 

on the opposite side, again within support-hand 

workspace; I’ve since changed out the rats-tail to a 

dedicated single pressure switch on the support handside, 

just to keep things neat. 

I’ve been running the awesomely cool QD 

suppressor full-time; the suppressor itself is 

outstanding (although I’ve yet to fit a tracer unit) and 

really gives the VMP-1 some “presence” and it really 

is “QD”; as I said in my initial review this takes a little 

getting used to, but once you have on/off continues 

to be lightning quick and I’ve not heard of anyone 

having a problem with it in any way. I’m currently 

running a two point sling with the VMP (a Direct 

Action model) and it works well, but one thing I hope 

to see in due course is a dedicated singlepoint sling 

plate to sit between the body and stock… However, 

as VORSK are just delivering the latest model, the 

VMP-1C to stores right now I believe that my hopes 

will soon be answered! 

The “C” variant is very cool as it really parès things 

back to the fundamental basics for the platform in 

that it has all the great benefits of the original whilst 

offering players an out-and-out CQB-focused monster 

with just a simple singlepoint sling attachment instead 

of a full stock, and a straightforward muzzle device. 

Of course the modularity of the platform as a whole is 

still in evidence as new parts can be switched out with 

existing ones, and the commonality of magazines is 

retained. 

This is a great move on VORSKs part as far as I’m 

concerned as it offers a “bare-bones” option for 

players that just want a GBB for a specific CQB role, 

and I am 100% certain that the “C” will grab even 

more attention. Okay, the singlepoint plate fitted to 

the “C” replaces the original side-folding stock in its 

entirety, but it illustrates to me that the guys at VORSK 

are thinking to the future with the program, and that 

in no way will the VMP be a “one-trick pony!”. 

DONE… FOR NOW! 

Wrapping things up after the first six months living 

with the VMP-1 we’ve had some pretty darn cool, 

consistent results from the platform; in honesty again, 

of course among the AA Crew we did manage to 

break a couple of nozzles… but in our case it was 

on purpose! Yup, you heard that correctly as I asked 

Jimmy to really push the boundaries of his VMP using 

HPA, and being Jimmy he went for it in a major way, 

pushing the VMP to the absolute limit of his HPA 

system and it was only at the extreme point that he 

trashed the nozzle… he suffers for my science bless 

him! I’m sure at a later date he will report back on this 

in full as both he and Ben are now running longerterm 

tests using the AIRTAC HPA setup, whilst Jase 

and I continue to run ours on VORSK FUEL. 

After our initial six-month testing period both on 

the range and in-game, it’s very obvious to us that 

the VMP-1 is a real winner, and for VORSK it really 

is a case of “mission achieved”! With IWA 2024 

around the corner though I’m massively interested 

to see where the VORSK Crew go next with the VMP 

program, and I’m certain that they’ll have something 

new to show at what has become their flagship “new 

product show”. I honestly believe that the VMP as a 

concept can go much, much further, and if I know 

Ross and Mark as well as I think I do then I’m sure 

that there is something unique and special going on in 

the depths of the VORSK “skunkworks”! 

Right now though we have the VMP-1 and VMP- 

1C, and you know what? That’s enough for me! 

VORSK have proved the point that they are not simply 

a pistol manufacturer, but an airsoft innovator that 

has the ability to create exciting new gas platforms 

that perform excellently and give “we the players” 

exactly what we want… again! 

My sincere thanks go to Josh and his crew at www. 

kriosphotography.com for allowing me to use their 

excellent images of the VMP-1C, and if you haven’t 

already make sure to visit www.vorkairsoft.com for 

the very latest on the VMP program! AA 


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Airsoft Action - January 2024

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