Airsoft Action - March 2024

WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
ISSUE 159
ISSN 2634-9515

CLICK/TAP IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION
CLICK/TAP IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION

CONTENTS
8 ARMOURY: ASG/CZ P-10C
We’re keen to showcase the newest and most interesting models
to hit the 6mm market and pleased that ActionSportGames (ASG)
are giving us some tasty new handguns to really drive-down with
some serious rangetime! Once again Boycie is on top of their latest
release in the shape on the CZ-licenced P-10C CO2 GBB, and now
he shares his thoughts on this compact mil-inspired pistol!
WE STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
ISSUE 158
ISSN 2634-9515
18 ARMOURY: EMG F1 FIREARMS SBR AEG
Black guns really do matter for most airsoft pursuits that’s for
certain, but sometimes you just want something a little more
colourful in your life! Bill gets back into “PAMG” mode as he
checks out the F1 FIREARMS SBR AEG from EMG that appears ideal
for a bit of friendly competition!
Editorial Director: Bill Thomas
Deputy Editor (Asia): Stu Mortimer
Graphic Design: Calibre Publishing
Ad Design: Deadshot Design
Publisher: Calibre Publishing
Web: www.airsoftaction.net
©Calibre Publishing Limited 2023
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise without the
express permission of the publisher in writing. The
opinion of the writers do not necessarily reflect those
of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit
submissions prior to publication.
FIND US ON…
24 ARMOURY: ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE
Christmas 2023 brought Stewbacca a very shiny new present, the
CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE, that he managed to get hands on with
and use to compete with before it was even officially released
thanks to some ever supportive industry friends who look after him
too well at times!
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.
90 AA LEGION EVENT REPORT: SHOT 2024
SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas is one of the biggest events in the
calendar for shooters from all over the world, where industry,
trade, media and “celebs” gather to celebrate all things “firearm”
and see what’s new for the coming year! Increasingly airsoft is a
part of this magnificent gathering, and as always an Airsoft Action
team were there to check it all out and be part of the celebration!

Contents
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024
32 INSIDE AIRSOFT: BOLT AIRSOFT
While Bill was in Taiwan for the G&G
World cup and its aftermath he, Anny,
and Stewbacca made the most of
his time in country to visit as many
industry friends as they could cram
into a somewhat hectic schedule all
over the island. His old friends at
BOLT AIRSOFT were a natural choice,
although it wasn’t the first time
Stewbacca or Anny had been to see
their facilities, and Stewbacca takes
things forward now… with some BIG
news for BOLT!.
62 TECH: AA TEAM MAINTENANCE
TIPS
Keeping Your AEG or GBB running
at peak performance is not as hard
as you might think, and this month
the members of the AA LEGION get
together to discuss just what they do
when it comes to looking after their
own armouries; read on to find out
their “tips from the top”!
38 KIT & GEAR: VIPER TACTICAL
VIPER TACTICAL continue to roll out
select new items of clothing and gear
on a regular basis, and as old friends
we’re delighted to see that what
they’re adding to the range these
days is both ficused and fully “fir for
purpose”! Miguel and Bill have been
testing the newest additions to the
clothing and footwear line, and now
report back…
66 EVENT: OP SCORPIO
There’s been an awful lot of discussion
in player community groups online
about the upcoming OP SCORPIO, but
the excitement around this potentially
game-changing airsoft event in the UK
appears to have given rise to questions
rather than answers! Bill gets down to
the truth of things as we hear that the
event has now been scaled down for
2024… for the very best of reasons!
44 THE CAGE: KRYPTEK
Continuing our look at camouflage
patterns, but stepping out from our
usual “team format”, this month in
CAGE Bill takes a look at his personal
journey KRYPTEK, a family of patterns
that flew high and fast, and then
apparently dropped from grace equally
as fast! Has KRYPTEK gone, or is it just
so effective that we can’t see it?
76 AA LEGION: PORTUGAL
Airsoft is often a “driver for good”
when it comes to supporting military
charities, but sometimes things come
a little closer to home and are a bit
more personal. This month Miguel
lands his report on a game that took
place in Portugal where the airsoft
community there came together for a
very special reason; they certainly had
fun playing airsoft, but they helped
one special young lady whilst doing
so, and Miguel tells us more…
48 RED CELL: MID-LENGTH AR
Another month and another update
from the AA RED CELL testing team
hits the page! This time the guys
are looking back at one of the most
popular areas of the global airsoft
armoury as they delve deep into all
things MID-LENGTH AR and update
this category after some considerable
time! As always, Bill leads off…
82 AA LEGION: TAIWAN
Since moving to Taiwan back at
the tail-end of 2017, Stewbacca’s
already seen a lot of change in the
shooting scene as well as the political
landscape both in terms of varying
levels of public or government
opinion and acceptance of our hobby
and his various team’s activities onisland
and in the public space, for
once things might be looking up a bit
as he tells us all about a brand-new
airsoft battlespace that looks 100%,
positively good to go!

‧ Aluminum Alloy Split Slide Design
‧ MASTER MODS R-Hop System
‧ REVO.II High Performance Valve System
‧ Adjustable Trigger
‧ Incl. Steel CCW 14mm Barrel Adapter
‧ Reverse Plug Retention Clip
‧ 3-dot Luminous Sights
‧ TDC Hop-Up Chamber
(Compatible with TM spec)
‧ Steel Made Fire Control System Components
(Compatible with TM spec)
‧ SUS301 Stainless Steel Searing Spring
(Compatible with TM spec)
Facebook (Global):
ICSBBAirsoft
Twitter (Global):
icsbbairsoft
Youtube:
ICS AIRSOFT
Instagram:
icsbbairsoft

ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
COMPACT
CZ
AS ALWAYS WE’RE KEEN TO SHOWCASE THE NEWEST AND MOST INTERESTING MODELS TO HIT THE
6MM MARKET, AND WE’RE PLEASED THAT ONCE AGAIN ACTIONSPORTGAMES (ASG) ARE GIVING
US SOME TASTY NEW HANDGUNS TO REALLY DRIVE-DOWN WITH SOME SERIOUS RANGETIME!
ONCE AGAIN BOYCIE IS ON TOP OF THEIR LATEST RELEASE IN THE SHAPE ON THE CZ-LICENCED
P-10C CO2 GBB, AND NOW HE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THIS COMPACT MIL-INSPIRED PISTOL!
8
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ARMOURY
CYBERGUN/BOLT BRSS ASG/CZ SCAR-SC P-10C
“THE HIGHLY ADVANCED CZ P-10 IS THE FIRST CHOICE OF ARMED FORCES AND POLICE
AGENCIES ACROSS THE GLOBE, DUE TO ITS LEADING ERGONOMICS, HIGH RELIABILITY
AND EXTREME ACCURACY. FROM ITS INCEPTION, THE CZ P-10 WAS DESIGNED TO
TAKE ON THE MOST DEMANDING MISSIONS”
www.airsoftaction.net 9

ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
As you’ll know there’s a long standing and now
long-running joke at AAHQ that when I’m
working on something which I can’t discuss at
the time it comes under the “ “ banner;
well, this is the next in the line to break cover! Some
time ago I started discussing the upcoming fullylicensed
CZ pistols from ASG and one which I was
really looking forward to getting my hands on was
the P-10 C. Waaay back in the 1980’s I was an IPSC
competitor and one of the first pistols I shot was the
venerable CZ75, so you could say that I’ve had a longstanding
relationship with the CZ brand.
The P10-C is the first of the P10 series to be
brought to the market by ActionSportGames (ASG)
based in Denmark. In the ‘real steel’ world CZ built
the P10 series as a modern, large-capacity striker-fired
pistol built to withstand the rigors of military use to
rival other striker fired pistols.
CZ’s website says:
“The highly advanced CZ P-10 is the first choice of
armed forces and police agencies across the globe,
due to its leading ergonomics, high reliability and
extreme accuracy. From its inception, the CZ P-10 was
designed to take on the most demanding missions
and withstand the extreme range of adverse weather
conditions. The CZ P-10 series is available in all sizes
- full-size, semi-compact, compact, subcompact and
micro.
“The 9 mm CZ P-10 NATO pistols have been
exclusively designed and manufactured as service
pistols. From a legislative point of view, they are
classified as military material, which also includes
their accessories. They are intended for use with
military ammunition standardized by NATO and may
be specially modified according to the needs and
requirements of the armed forces. They are marked,
approved and tested under Section 31 of Act no.
219/1999 Coll., of the Armed Forces of the Czech
Republic. In the case of foreign armed forces, they fall
under the applicable laws on military material of the
country in question.
“These firearms cannot be purchased for civilian
purposes. For further information concerning these
models, it is necessary to provide documentation
proving that the person in question is authorized to
handle military material within the limits of applicable
legislation.”
So other than those who serve in various Armed
Forces around the world, ASG’s P10-C is the only
chance to handle and actually own a true 1:1 replica
of the pistol, and the P10-C is of a similar size to
another striker-fired pistol which may have the
number 19 and letter X in its name. I am very familiar
with striker-fired pistols having owned a number of
real steel ones back before the handgun ban in the
late 1990s.
BOX FRESH
This P10-C or Compact, using the fresh-out-of-thebox
back strap, variant feels really nice in the hand
despite having “dabs the size of shovels” as Lil Stu
calls them. I really like the aggressive pin type of the
four panels which form part of the grip; also there is
the same type of grip feel on the front of the trigger
guard. This type of grip will be of great use when in
either cold or wet conditions with bare hands, as well
as when wearing gloves.
The look of the P10-C has nuances that can be
reminiscent of other pistols of the striker type, some
which I can recognise from back in my real steel days
and modern pistols. Saying that, one of the really nice
features of the pistol are the interchangeable back
straps, which will allow the end user to customise the
size and feel of the grip to suit different hand sizes.
A familiar two-part trigger has a blade in the
centre which acts as one of the safeties and this is in
a squared off trigger guard which has plenty of space
to allow it to be used when wearing gloves. Under
the front of the frame is a rail to allow the fitting of
a tactical illuminator, which is becoming a usual part
of pistols in the modern era. One really handy feature
on the P10 series is an ambidextrous slide release and
a mag release which can be changed to either suit a
right-handed user (as standard) or swapped over to
suit a left-handed user. In recent years I have been
using a slide release less and less in favour of gripping
the slide to release it. The P10-C has some fantastic
‘serrations’ at both the front and rear of the slide
which allow a positive grip too.
As a left-handed user I tend to prefer using the mag
release as it comes from the factory, as this allows me
to operate the release with my trigger finger. This, for
“THIS P10-C OR COMPACT, USING THE FRESH-OUT-OF-THE-BOX BACK
STRAP, VARIANT FEELS REALLY NICE IN THE HAND DESPITE HAVING “DABS
THE SIZE OF SHOVELS” AS LIL STU CALLS THEM. I REALLY LIKE THE
AGGRESSIVE PIN TYPE OF THE FOUR PANELS WHICH FORM PART OF THE
GRIP”
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ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
“A FAMILIAR TWO-PART TRIGGER HAS A BLADE IN THE CENTRE WHICH ACTS AS
ONE OF THE SAFETIES AND THIS IS IN A SQUARED OFF TRIGGER GUARD WHICH HAS
PLENTY OF SPACE TO ALLOW IT TO BE USED WHEN WEARING GLOVES. UNDER THE
FRONT OF THE FRAME IS A RAIL TO ALLOW THE FITTING OF A TACTICAL ILLUMINATOR”
www.airsoftaction.net 11

ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
me, makes for a lot safer reload. When operating the
magazine release, the magazine drops cleanly from
the grip, but should it not drop cleanly CZ have added
grooves to the magazine base plate to aid the user in
gripping the magazine to rip it out, before replacing
with a fresh one.
The sights are really clear being black with a white
dot on the foresight and two dots on the rear sight.
The rear sight is a nice low profile and designed to
be snag resistant, which is especially important for
those who would carry the P10-C in a concealed carry
method. Following on from the release of the P10-C
will be the option to fit an optic plate in place of
the rear sight. I believe that ASG will be offering the
P10-C with the plate fitted at a later date.
Take down of the P10-C is in a similar way to that
of others, in that first you remove the magazine then
pulling the slide back a small amount you pull down
on the release catch with your finger and thumb,
before removing the slide from the frame. Reassembly
is even easier as all you need to do is line up the slide
on the rails and slowly push it all the way back to
the point where it won’t travel any further and then
release. It will then return “to battery” and reassembly
is complete. At this point it is usual to carry out
“functions checks” like pulling the slide back and
engaging the slide lock to ensure it still functions as
it should. Then when pointing in a safe direction, pull
the trigger to ensure that works…. simple, and easy
which should make regular maintenance a breeze!
RANGETIME
Before heading to the range I opened the box
containing ASG’s branded paddle holster for the
P10-C, the holster I was loaned is for the P10-C
without light fitted, but would be suitable for an
optics equipped pistol. The only drawback is that it
currently is only available in ‘cack handed’ for righthanded
users; I hope soon that ASG will bring out
the holster for those of us with our hands on the
correct way round, hehe. That being said I am an
ambidextrous shooter and can happily use the holster
on my right side.
The P10-C glides into the holster and locks in
with a positive click. With the pistol in the holster,
it does have the ability to move around slightly but
with the lock engaged, it won’t go anywhere until
you release the lock prior to drawing the pistol. The
paddle fitment allows the holster to be put onto a
belt quickly. With the holster not being worn and the
single hex-head screw loosened a little, the user can
adjust the rake (angle) of the holster to suit their body
mechanics. Then simply retighten the screw before
fitting to the belt. I am a huge fan of the Kore belt
and this is what I wear on a day to day basis, designed
for EDC or Every Day Carry and the belt that is being
used for the range tests.
On to the range proper; this would feel a little
strange for me as I was loaned the right-handed
holster for the P10-C and I am naturally a left hander,
so this was an opportunity to try shooting “caggy
handed”. I tried a few “dry” draws from the ASG
holster and the P10-C didn’t snag at all. In fact some
may think that the pistol is too loose in the holster
but from my experience it is held securely so I had no
worries to try some jumps, spins and more “violent”
movements to test the retention. Again, no problems.
I went through some standard type “drills” with
the pistol and I found it performed brilliantly. Point
shooting, rather than taking the time to align the
sights properly, I found it would easily hit the A zone
of an IPSC Classic target from 10m. Once the mag
was empty of BBs, I reloaded it and let it warm up
a bit by keeping the mag in my pocket. I’m pleased
to say I got almost another full mag out of the bulb,
with only the last two shots being noticeably “lower
powered”.
Overall the P10-C didn’t disappoint, whilst not my
most favourite-looking pistol it is a really good unit
to have in someone’s armoury. I am looking forward
to (by time of publishing, I will have done this) firing
the real 9mm variant at SHOT ‘24 and whilst I can’t
compare the firing of the two pistols I certainly will be
comparing the 6mm and 9mm.
Thank you once again to JB at ASG UK for the loan
of the P10-C and accessories, to Glenn for allowing
me to use the range and to Richard for taking the
photos for me. You can check everything out further
of course by visiting https://actionsportgames.com AA
“THE SIGHTS ARE REALLY CLEAR BEING BLACK WITH A WHITE DOT ON THE
FORESIGHT AND TWO DOTS ON THE REAR SIGHT. THE REAR SIGHT IS A NICE LOW
PROFILE AND DESIGNED TO BE SNAG RESISTANT, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD CARRY THE P10-C IN A CONCEALED CARRY METHOD”
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ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
“THE P10-C GLIDES INTO THE HOLSTER AND LOCKS IN WITH A POSITIVE CLICK. WITH
THE PISTOL IN THE HOLSTER, IT DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE AROUND SLIGHTLY
BUT WITH THE LOCK ENGAGED, IT WON’T GO ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU RELEASE THE
LOCK PRIOR TO DRAWING THE PISTOL”
www.airsoftaction.net 13

ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
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ARMOURY
ASG/CZ P-10C
“I WENT THROUGH SOME STANDARD TYPE “DRILLS” WITH THE PISTOL AND I FOUND
IT PERFORMED BRILLIANTLY. POINT SHOOTING, RATHER THAN TAKING THE TIME TO
ALIGN THE SIGHTS PROPERLY, I FOUND IT WOULD EASILY HIT THE A ZONE OF AN IPSC
CLASSIC TARGET FROM 10M”
www.airsoftaction.net 17

ARMOURY
CYBERGUN/BOLT EMG F1 FIREARMS BRSS SBR SCAR-SC AEG
SINGIN’
THE BLUES
BLACK GUNS REALLY DO MATTER FOR MOST AIRSOFT PURSUITS THAT’S FOR CERTAIN, BUT
SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE COLOURFUL IN YOUR LIFE! BILL GETS
BACK INTO “PAMG” MODE AS HE CHECKS OUT THE F1 FIREARMS SBR AEG FROM EMG THAT
APPEARS IDEAL FOR A BIT OF FRIENDLY COMPETITION!
18
ISSUE 159 - March 2024

ARMOURY
CYBERGUN/BOLT EMG F1 FIREARMS BRSS SBR SCAR-SC AEG
Here in the UK when you first start out in airsoft
there are a few hoops to jump through before
you can own a Realistic Imitation Firearm, or
a RIF as it’s legally known, and this covers both AEGs
and GBBRs.
Whilst some may say “you need a UKARA” this is
but one avenue (although one largely recognised by
airsoft retailers in the UK) of obtaining a “Defence in
Law” for ownership of a RIF; if you’re new to airsoft
and want to know more about this then you’ll find a
dedicated section of the Airsoft Action website which
explains the requirements in detail… simply click on
the HOME tab and this will lead you to “The VCR Act
and Airsoft”!
However, before you have your “Defence in Law”
a retailer is legally precluded from selling you a RIF, so
if you want to own an AEG or GBB of your own from
the get go (we’d recommend you rent on site before
you choose though!) then the platform itself must be
very visibly “non-realistic”, and most retailers offer
a “two-tone service” where much of the platform
in question is demonstrably NOT a black gun, and
in fact comes with brightly coloured parts, most
normally bright blue or green.
In this format you can happily buy an AEG or GBB,
and it will be 100% legal for the retailer to sell it to
you (if you are eighteen or over), although it should
be noted that not all games (especially Battle or
MilSims), or indeed entire sites sometimes, will allow
“two tones” as they feel it will detract from the
immersion of the game for more seasoned players.
Whether you subscribe to this line of thinking is a
personal thing, but I point it out here so you’ll not be
disappointed if you find this…
However, in the world of competition shooting
rather than skirmishing this is a totally different
ballgame, and for many of us ownership of a
brightly-coloured rifle or pistol is something to
be sought after actively, and although I have my
personal “Defence in Law” when it comes to friendly
competition shooting I have an entire setup of
airsoft rifle (spring), carbine (AEG), shotgun (spring),
and pistols (GBB) that are all finished in “Noveske
Bazooka Green”, and I love ‘em!
In fact the bright green Noveske Infidel that I use
as my primary carbine is an AEG courtesy of an EMG
licence, an AEG that uses the outstanding Silver Edge
gearbox at its heart! The APS Silver Edge gearbox is a
real peach in my opinion, and much underrated, and
although it’s basically the tried-and-true V2 gearbox
APS have improved upon it with some excellent key
features!
First and foremost they use an improved-strength
Grade 5 alloy for the gearbox shell material, and
then they then plate the interior of the
gearbox to a chromelike
finish,
effectively
reducing
friction on the moving
parts that contact the
gearbox walls, such as the
sides of the piston and the
tappet plate. As standard you get steel gears
with 8mm stainless steel bearings, low-resistance
wiring and trigger switch, and a true quick-change
spring guide for easy spring changes if needed. All
of these improvements provide an increase in overall
efficiency over the standard standard V2 gearbox
designs, and what this means ultimately is improved
battery life, smoother gearbox performance, and
improved gearbox longevity!
So why do I mention this all here? Well, the fact
is that I’ve been spending some very loving quality
time with another EMG creation recently, one that
benefits from that super Silver Edge Gearbox, and
that is BRIGHT BLUE! It’s the EMG F1 FIREARMS SBR
and I downright love this too!
F1 COOL
Now if you visit the F1 FIREARMS website as a full-on
MilSimmer then undoubtedly you’ll be taken with
their T10 (7.62) and T15 (5.56) AR designs that are
out and out LE/MIL. However, if you delve into the
“PRECISION WORKS” section then you’re going to
find that it’s all about the colours… and performance
“WHILST SOME MAY SAY “YOU NEED A UKARA” THIS IS BUT ONE AVENUE (ALTHOUGH
ONE LARGELY RECOGNISED BY AIRSOFT RETAILERS IN THE UK) OF OBTAINING A
“DEFENCE IN LAW” FOR OWNERSHIP OF A RIF; IF YOU’RE NEW TO AIRSOFT AND WANT
TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THEN YOU’LL FIND A DEDICATED SECTION OF THE
AIRSOFT ACTION WEBSITE WHICH EXPLAINS THE REQUIREMENTS IN DETAIL…”
www.airsoftaction.net 19

ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS SBR AEG
of course!
The fact is that F1 cater to both the LE/Mil and
precision shooting community equally appeals to
me greatly, and their story is pretty neat too, and I
quote here directly from what EMG say: “Based in
the great state of Texas, F1 Firearms has become one
of the premier brands in semi-automatic sporting
rifles. Utilizing premium materials and cutting edge
manufacturing processes, F1 produces firearms that
are lighter, stronger, more accurate and built to more
demanding tolerances than their competition. F1
Firearms are designed to stand out from the crowd,
with an F1 rifle, not only will you look better than the
rest, you’ll shoot better than the rest.”
Now of course I can’t comment on that, but what
I can and will comment on is the AEG version of the
F1 SBR that I’ve been testing and it’s a very, very tidy
package which weighs in at a solid 4105g. You get
all of the Silver Edge sweetness that I mentioned
earlier, but wrapped up in a bright, bright set of party
clothes, and somewhat revealing they are too, but in
a very appealing way, because one of the hallmarks of
F1 design is light-weight via strategic cut-outs in the
metalwork, and the EMG replicates pretty much all of
that minus the skeleton pistol grip, as obviously the
AEG version has a long-type high torque performance
motor in there.
First up is the CNC-finished aluminium-alloy F1
BDR-15 3G skeletonized receiver set, and this is cutaway
along the upper and around the magwell to
reveal everything that normally is hidden away inside a
regular AEG, but it’s done in such a way that very little
of the internal mech and the magazine is strikingly
visible! The “BCG” cover is elongated far beyond the
ejection port in this case but still draws back to access
the hop adjuster, so it appears that you have a real
BCG in there and not just a cover, and everything is
finished internally smoothly and with a nice matt silver
finish. This finish extends out to the outer barrel as
well (although the “F1 Dragon Slay” muzzle brake
is plain black, something I personally would alter),
which rests inside the KeyMod-compatible C7K-style
Contoured handguard.
The C7K is F1’s own ultra-lightweight handguard
design that has some really aggressive cuts which
allow the rail to be both feather-light whilst retaining
all its structural integrity. In terms of the real thing,
again EMG tells me that “these unique handguards
are precision cut on advanced 5-Axis CNC machines.
The intricate design limits production of these
high-end handguards to only 8 units a day”… and
yup, they really are nice to use as the mid-section
“handgrip area” provides a reference point for
manipulation with little to no thought needed!
This replica of the F-1 SBR the RS-3 stock which
is extremely Mp-esque to say the least, but is very
serviceable; many of the F1 “real models” make us
of the MFT minimalist-style and that’s something I
personally would consider adding to the mix. PLEASE
NOTE here that the SBR comes with a very prominent
warning NOT to remove the buffer-tube without
first removing the gearbox, so if you want to add a
singlepoint sling plate you need to take heed!
There’s a QD stud fitted to this as standard, along
“FIRST UP IS THE CNC-FINISHED ALUMINIUM-ALLOY F1 BDR-15 3G SKELETONIZED
RECEIVER SET, AND THIS IS CUT-AWAY TO REVEAL EVERYTHING THAT NORMALLY IS
HIDDEN AWAY INSIDE A REGULAR AEG, BUT IT’S DONE IN SUCH A WAY THAT VERY
LITTLE OF THE INTERNAL MECH IS STRIKINGLY VISIBLE!”
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ISSUE 159 - March 2024

ARMOURY
EMG F1 FIREARMS SBR AEG
with a 450 BB ribbed magazine in the box. Sadly there
are no “irons” fitted so you will need to find either
a set of these or add an optic, but that’s not really
a gripe in all honesty as otherwise the carbine is a
beauty.
LET IT SING!
So, externally the F1 SBR ticks an awful lot of quality
boxes, whilst internally there’s a LOT of stuff going
on to increase both performance and longevity. It’s a
totally neat package that looks awesome, but how
does it fare when you start boogying the trigger? First
up, let’s look at the power, and the “stock” model I
received for testing chrono’d with massive consistency
at 1.34 Joule/381fps using .20g BBs; I jest not when
I say “consistently” as with a ten-BB-string I was
looking at a deviation of less than 0.5fps!
Next up was to play with the different selector
modes which are accessed via the ambidextrous
fire controls for both right and lefty shooters, and it
proved incredibly easy to cycle through the modes
by pressing and holding the button underneath the
gearbox which is easily accessed from the magwell.
You see a red LED light, hold the button until you
see it’s blinked twice, and then release the button to
accept the changes; you simply repeat this step to
continue through the modes. Then you just double
click the button or unplug the battery to reset the
ECU back to its factory settings (Mode 1).
• Mode 1 (Default) Safe/Semi/Auto
• Mode 2 Safe/Semi/3-Round Burst
• Mode 3 Safe/2-Round Burst/Auto
• Mode 4 Safe/3-Round Burst/Auto
• Mode 5 Safe/3-Round Burst/9-Round Burst
Now whilst Mode 5 is a bit of an angry soul, I do
like to retain semi, so for me Mode 2 is the one to go
for. With this set I loaded up the 450BB winder with
.25gs and had at it on the 30m range. The flat-face
trigger is most certainly crisp; on semi you really can
get shots away super-fast, and the three round burst
function works brilliantly! I couldn’t resist setting it
to Mode 5 though, and that 9 round burst is just
fabulous in a weird yet satisfying way!
I have to say that the EMG F1 Firearms SBR really
gives a massive amount of quality and performance
for the money. It looks great, feels great, and shoots
like a dream so it really does sing to me as I can see
APS and EMG have got this 100% right… again!
Whilst many skirmish players, especially here in the
UK, will turn up their noses at a “blue gun” I have to
say that this is one carbine that I would gleefully add
to my personal PAMG armoury… although of course
I’d need to create another entire “family” to go with
it…
Who knows… perhaps this could be a future PAMG
comp-project, and the EMG F1 Firearms SBR would
certainly be a great place to start!
My thanks go to www.iwholesales.biz for supplying
the test sample, and you’ll find the EMG F1 FIREARMS
models on their regularly updated website. The SBR
AEGs will be available in different colours (including
black!), with different barrel lengths to choose from
too! AA
“I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS ONE CARBINE THAT I WOULD GLEEFULLY ADD TO MY
PERSONAL “PAMG” ARMOURY… ALTHOUGH OF COURSE I’D NEED TO CREATE ANOTHER
ENTIRE “FAMILY” TO GO WITH IT… WHO KNOWS… PERHAPS THIS COULD BE A FUTURE
PROJECT, AND THE EMG F1 FIREARMS SBR WOULD CERTAINLY BE A GREAT PLACE TO
START!”
www.airsoftaction.net 21

ARMOURY
CYBERGUN/BOLT ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW BRSS 2 SCAR-SC ORANGE
THE
FUTURE IS
ORANGE!
LONG TERM READERS WILL NO DOUBT BE AWARE OF STEWBACCA’S ‘FRESH PRINCE OF ACTION
AIR’ EXPLOITS IN TAIWAN’S IPSC SCENE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, ALONG WITH THE GROWING
PAINS OF FINDING A SUITABLE PISTOL AND SUPPORT GEAR ON WHICH TO SETTLE FOR THE LONG
TERM. CHRISTMAS 2023 BROUGHT HIM A VERY SHINY NEW PRESENT, THE CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE,
THAT HE MANAGED TO GET HANDS ON WITH AND USE TO COMPETE WITH BEFORE IT WAS EVEN
OFFICIALLY RELEASED THANKS TO SOME EVER SUPPORTIVE INDUSTRY FRIENDS WHO LOOK AFTER
HIM TOO WELL AT TIMES!
24
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

ARMOURY
ASG/KJW CYBERGUN/BOLT CZ SHADOW BRSS 2 ORANGE SCAR-SC
The Taiwan Practical Shooting
Association’s Kaohsiung Level
3 international match over the
Christmas 2023 weekend as featured
in my full write up in last month’s
issue saw the arrival of a very nice
and fresh-from-the factory offering
thanks to some people in high places
that always come through for me
and deliver the goodest of goods.
With a sample gifted to me a little
ahead of the official release date,
I was thankfully able to sidestep
the internal politicking of the
competition shooting scene here that
meant the rules and goal posts were
shifted last minute and prevented me
from using my long serving Shadow
2 with all of the Clarence Lai Project
Design trimmings.
I am, of course, speaking of the
new ASG-licensed KJWorks OEM
CZ Shadow 2 Orange edition gas
blowback pistol. I guess people
must quietly watch my rabid blunt
instrument abuse of their products as
I’d acquired my own Shadow 2 way
back in August 2020 and proceeded
to break everything I could in it over
my long term Airsoft IPSC/Action
Air exploits since settling on it as my
favourite pistol for the activity.
I’d started off with a Double Bell
Glock 34 TTI of “Wick” fame only
to find the slide and barrel were
too long for production division
regulations, then qualified on my
KWA USP Compact but felt the
trigger setup and handling weren’t
ideal for my large hands. i then also
tried the ASG CZ Shadow SP01 GBB
that I’d acquired from the Hong
Kong based Umbrella Corp Team
way back when they last visited us in
2018 for a previous SpeedQB event
and one of their members Muubi
won it in the raffle but didn’t want
to have to deal with getting it home
and through customs on either end,
before finally trying a friend’s Shadow
2 and deciding it was the thing for
me.
Several spectacularly fractured
outer barrels, multiple broken sear
chassis, and general wear and tear
later and I’d extensively overhauled
my original Shadow 2 to make
use of basically the whole gamete
of our good friend Clarence Lai’s
CLPD-branded replacement or
upgrade parts available as I’ve
had the privilege of being his
crash test dummy for such things.
Nonetheless, the old girl was really
starting to show her age and recently
wouldn’t even function on green
gas magazines after so long making
use of CO2 capsule ones; it seems
the internals took such a beating
that they won’t function without the
higher pressure of the CO2 to cycle
the slide reliably.
As a result of these exploits and
increasing reliability issues when
it mattered most, my SPPT IPSC
Teammates had been imploring me
to try something else, or at the very
least get a replacement gun of the
same type to avoid all the mishaps in
training, and more importantly, those
on the competition circuit! I’d already
spent a lot on additional magazines
and the Double Alpha Academy Lynx
Belt and Alpha X Shadow 2 specific
competition holster so I didn’t really
want to invest in a different base
system if I could avoid it, and had
been eyeing up the urban grey
special edition as well as some of
Clarence’s full custom builds.
“I AM, OF COURSE, SPEAKING OF THE NEW ASG-LICENSED KJWORKS OEM CZ
SHADOW 2 ORANGE EDITION GAS BLOWBACK PISTOL. I GUESS PEOPLE MUST QUIETLY
WATCH MY RABID BLUNT INSTRUMENT ABUSE OF THEIR PRODUCTS AS I’D ACQUIRED
MY OWN SHADOW 2 WAY BACK IN AUGUST 2020 AND PROCEEDED TO BREAK
EVERYTHING…”
www.airsoftaction.net 25

ARMOURY
ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE
GOING THE FULL ORANGE
So, the arrival of the ASG/KJWorks Shadow 2 Orange
was a welcome sight to all, providing me with a box
fresh top-of-the-line replica with which to breeze
seamlessly through the 12 stages of the Kaohsiung
level 3, along with the further training sessions since.
And to be honest, it almost feels like cheating at this
point; granted you could argue I have an obscene
amount of BBs behind the platform in general at
this point, given the sheer damage I imparted upon
my older variant, and the intense training and
competition use over the last three years and change,
but nonetheless, the Orange Edition isn’t quite the
same animal.
Clarence and I had already been talking shop and
drooling over the announced release way back at the
TADTE Defence Expo I covered in issue 155 where
KJWorks had been displaying the prototype in a
closed glass case; we were discussing the differences
back then and waiting with baited breath on its
release. The most immediately obvious difference,
even noticeable back then through prohibitive glass
that kept our hands off it, was the inclusion of a
totally new barrel arrangement; the outer barrel of
the Shadow 2 Orange is stainless steel, and the front
end now features a similarly stainless steel bushing,
more akin to a 1911 set up, all of which helps to
improve not only the durability, but - more crucially
the mechanical accuracy of the pistol; the fixed outer
barrel leads to a much more consistent lock-up and
chambering of the BB as well as its resultant trajectory,
and I can definitely attest to that factor.
When my new shiny CZ thing arrived after briefly
removing the slide and apparently applying the perfect
amount of HOP up on the first adjustment, I didn’t
touch anything else about the Shadow 2 Orange
all weekend at the level 3 competition, it just kept
throwing rounds out in an exceptionally straight line
that no doubt aided in limiting the number of Charlies
to around two every stage and really making it too
easy to shoot on the move! Looking back at my videos
from the event I just seemed to be moving a lot better
than on previous shoots and had achieved “zen gun”
with it having long suffered the mechanical mishaps
of its forerunner. Admittedly I was back to using the
standard longer-pull curved trigger rather than the
flatter better looking and handling CLPD alternative of
my heavily customised Shadow 2, but nonetheless it
felt great in the hand and a lot more user friendly and
dependable from the outset.
At the more recent training sessions at SPPT’s
new home training field I sighted it in on paper and
slightly tweaked the rear sight left to make sure I can
repeatedly hit the one inch square metal swinger testtarget
at around 8-10 metres, and I was hollowing out
a tight group on the paper target’s A-zone’s centre!
To be honest that rear sight might not even stay on
there much longer anyway… because another exciting
development is also within the TPSA community here;
at the start of 2024 it was announced that there
would finally be the subdivision of Production Optics
opening up for us here.
In past years the limited community and
participation have somewhat limited such things
and most have had to stick to basic Open/Standard/
Production divisions, with optical sights only being
permitted in Open. With this good news I can
immediately start making use of the rear sight
replacement mounting plate that Clarence was
already good enough to give me… in the same
bronzey-orange of the native Shadow 2 Orange’s
highlights, so I’ll likely acquire another SRO clone optic
and throw that on there in the next month or two and
start training with the future of competitive sighting
systems!
FAMILIAR YET DIFFERENT
The external appearance besides the barrel changes is
largely identical to the earlier Shadow 2 which is cool,
and colour scheme notwithstanding each individual
pistol has a unique serial number visible in the typical
position, on the outer barrel’s chamber extension
within the ejection port; I ended up with number
“006”, so I really was early to the table! However the
overall weight also feels slightly heavier in the hand;
confirmed by my digital scales the Shadow 2 comes
in at 870g unloaded, while the Shadow 2 Orange
is indeed chonkier at 980g, no doubt a result of the
more substantial barrel and bushing, and the standard
trigger pull and recoil experience seem a lot more
stout, although again this could just be a result of the
sheer wear of the older Shadow 2 and me becoming
“WHEN MY NEW SHINY CZ THING ARRIVED AFTER BRIEFLY REMOVING THE SLIDE
AND APPARENTLY APPLYING THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF HOP UP ON THE FIRST
ADJUSTMENT, I DIDN’T TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE SHADOW 2 ORANGE ALL
WEEKEND AT THE LEVEL 3 COMPETITION, IT JUST KEPT THROWING ROUNDS OUT IN
AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRAIGHT LINE”
26
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

ARMOURY
ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE
www.airsoftaction.net 27

ARMOURY
ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE
acclimatised to its feeling and degradation over the
longer term, it only having a double action pull of
around 4lbs and a single action pull of around 10oz.
The general feel is the familiar heft in hand and
buttery-smooth cycling of the top slide with an
authoritative clack closed under recoil spring pressure
on release; thanks to my new Lyman trigger pull
gauge I can accurately report that the single action
trigger pull weighs in at 1 lb 7.oz, and the double
action is 5lb 14oz, almost as heavy as my Walther PPQ
& P99 replicas, but an unfortunate necessity to deal
with on the first round of most stages as a result of
Production Division rules.
The only other minor point I would mention is the
fact I unfortunately had to go to town on the brand
new finish of the Shadow 2 Orange’s trigger guard;
as with my earlier Shadow 2 standard it seems that
KJWorks’ replicas are ever so slightly broader on the
trigger guard than their real steel counterparts that
the Double Alpha Academy Alpha X holsters are
designed for, so I had to remove around a millimetre
from the left face of the trigger guard, trying to hide
the work done on the inboard face of the pistol to
hide it when either holstered or in use as best as
possible!
I felt a bit bad having to maim it a tad to get it to
work effectively with my existing competition belt and
holster setup, but I imagine this superior pistol will
wear in naturally in the longer term anyway. I suppose
I had best laser engrave my callsign on the frame
below the front slide serrations as per my older one
too, hadn’t I, fellow shooters? Until next time… AA
“THE GENERAL FEEL IS THE FAMILIAR HEFT IN HAND AND BUTTERY-SMOOTH CYCLING
OF THE TOP SLIDE WITH AN AUTHORITATIVE CLACK CLOSED UNDER RECOIL SPRING
PRESSURE ON RELEASE; THANKS TO MY NEW LYMAN TRIGGER PULL GAUGE I CAN
ACCURATELY REPORT THAT THE SINGLE ACTION TRIGGER PULL WEIGHS IN AT 1 LB
7.OZ, AND THE DOUBLE ACTION IS 5LB 14OZ”
28
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

ARMOURY
ASG/KJW CZ SHADOW 2 ORANGE
www.airsoftaction.net 29

INSIDE AIRSOFT
BOLT AIRSOFT
FULLY
BOLT-ED!
WHILE BILL WAS IN TAIWAN FOR THE G&G WORLD CUP AND ITS AFTERMATH HE,
ANNY, AND STEWBACCA MADE THE MOST OF HIS TIME IN COUNTRY TO VISIT AS MANY
INDUSTRY FRIENDS AS THEY COULD CRAM INTO A SOMEWHAT HECTIC SCHEDULE
ALL OVER THE ISLAND. HIS OLD FRIENDS AT BOLT AIRSOFT WERE A NATURAL CHOICE,
ALTHOUGH IT WASN’T THE FIRST TIME STEWBACCA OR ANNY HAD BEEN TO SEE THEIR
FACILITIES, AND STEWBACCA TAKES THINGS FORWARD NOW… WITH SOME BIG NEWS
FOR BOLT!.
32
ISSUE 159 - March 2024

INSIDE AIRSOFT
BOLT AIRSOFT
Bolt Airsoft were, as it happens, the first
manufacturer I ever visited on-island when I
arrived in Taiwan, more years ago than I like
to count at this point! Having immediately made my
way to both the Hooha show and shortly after the
inaugural MOA show, I’d managed to start meeting
many of the people behind the brands you all know
and love, and made inroads to visit them and report
on their activities for TacticalTwo who I was writing
for back when I started out in “Airsoft Central” over
here.
Situated in the semi-industrialised Northwest area
of Taiwan on the outskirts of Taipei, and not too far
from the Linkou CQB police training killhouse site
we tend to play at (as well as where my day job has
now eventually taken me, as it happens) Bolt Airsoft
and the people behind it have, like many companies
here, a rich and storied history in the airsoft industry.
Bill has been a personal friend of Tomy at Bolt now
for many years, and I originally visited way back in
early 2018 when Tomy and Wilson (the main men
at Bolt) were giving me the rundown of their then
soon-to-be released AK EBB series, with Tomy happily
demonstrating the strength of their receivers and
folding stocks by standing on one braced over two
crates!
Since those early days of my relationship I’ve seen
the Bolt team not only at the numerous on-island
trade shows and events, but also being on site at
MilSim games such as the ‘POLK’ events covered in
previous issues, as well as supporting Team Taiji and
allowing our members to field test their upcoming
products, with our Vice Captain MingYang trialling
their licensed FN SCAR SC EBB AEG for many months
before its official release.
THE START OF THINGS
But what of the man himself, Tomy, and his
trajectory within the airsoft community and industry?
His experience stretches back over three decades,
in terms of both playing airsoft locally, and acting
as one of the original distributors for Tokyo Marui’s
burgeoning product line being brought to Taiwan’
shores. A 23 year old Tomy, freshly discharged from
his national service, was soon enough whisked away
by an old high school classmate to start his own
adventures in our beloved hobby…or habit!
Around the same time Tomy went to work in
a local model shop, which, like with my own first
experiences of airsoft in the UK, tended to be the
place to source early Japanese airsoft guns alongside
their RC cars and planes (their origins, after all, are
rooted in RC components and repurposing them
to drive a piston and fling BBs downrange rather
than cars around a track!). Back then guns were
imported on a piecemeal basis by local customer
demand, and the legal landscape of Taiwan was also
still somewhat of a grey area and not so permissive
to anything gun related. With the efforts of industry
figureheads at the time the local laws were relaxed
somewhat; having left the model shop as a result
of his boss’s lack of vision in terms of pivoting more
towards airsoft guns and their wider introduction
and distribution into Taiwan, Tomy found himself
travelling in Japan.
While in Kuramae where a whole strip of airsoft
distributors exists (however at the time they were
only engaged in wholesale efforts!) he purchased a
magazine at a bookstore and made his way to JAC in
Shibuya on its recommendation, not far from where
he was staying. Soon enough he found himself in an
Aladdin’s Cave of toy guns, and ended up bringing
back a whole array of them to Taiwan!
On his return to the model shop the owner
immediately bought the whole stockpile off him
having seen the build quality and variety and seeing
an opportunity; likewise Tomy saw the opportunity
for himself in local distribution, and on a further
trip back to Kuramae he made the decision to go
wholesale, maxing out his credit card at one of the
stores and cleaning them out of stock, and with
the easing of legal restrictions following on, he
soon founded his trading company in 1988 shortly
after was appointed as a general agent of Japanese
manufacturers.
And the name? Bolt? Well, given the fact that
Tomy has functioned as a lynch pin of distribution
in the past, he figured he would name the company
after the core component all modern guns require…
the bolt; thus, like his trading company was originally
the core of Japanese gun sales in Taiwan, his own
airsoft brand would carry on that theme in its
“BOLT AIRSOFT AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT HAVE, LIKE MANY COMPANIES HERE, A
RICH AND STORIED HISTORY IN THE AIRSOFT INDUSTRY. BILL HAS BEEN A PERSONAL
FRIEND OF TOMY AT BOLT NOW FOR MANY YEARS, AND I ORIGINALLY VISITED WAY
BACK IN EARLY 2018”
www.airsoftaction.net 33

INSIDE AIRSOFT
BOLT AIRSOFT
naming, Bolt Airsoft.
TAKING THINGS FORWARD
Like so many other on-island manufacturers, Bolt
Airsoft eventually formed out of the experiences
derived from a growing understanding of Japanese
products, but also a need to begin producing
spare or upgrade parts domestically to mitigate the
Japanese industry’s apparent disinterest in servicing
the airsoft community outside of Japan in terms of
warranty or other aftercare issues.
While many of their components may externally
resemble the Japanese forebears of so many product
lines, a great deal more goes into Bolt Airsoft’s
output; with noticeably reinforced gearbox shells as
much as twice the thickness of Japanese equivalents
in some aspects, Bolt ensure they can withstand the
needs of the domestic and international upgrade
requirements which aren’t as hampered by Japanese
national restrictions. While many of the good ideas
and design choices of various Japanese-sourced
platforms or operating mechanisms work their
way into Bolt’s products, there are nonetheless
plenty of their own innovations or design decisions
thrown in for good measure, and they hold many
patents to that effect, protecting their own product
developments both in Taiwan and over in Japan.
The build quality of their externals seems on a
par with the likes of Real Swords’ ultra-realistic
(or rumoured borrowed from real steel firearms)
components, with a great deal of up engineering
over other products in the market to ensure their
longevity and adaptability to players all over the
world and their shifting needs or trends in the player
community; the plastic shells or innards of Japanese
guns just can’t stand up to the abuse the players put
things through here in the tropics, or indeed in many
places where our “airsoft world” thrives!
Early offerings naturally focused on the
omnipresent AR platform and its Barbie-gun ease
of differentiation into various forms built off the
same basic receiver, internals, magazines etc, but
eventually Bolt would go on to replicate a vast array
of different models and families beyond the basic
stalwarts you find from most manufacturers. Their
AR platforms at least allowed for the recoil engines
to be tied directly into the back of the gearbox
system, occupying the buffer tube space and
hammering right into the users shoulder with their
recoil impulse, improving the shooting experience.
With the likes of their AKSU EBB which I saw all
those years ago on my first visit, their patented recoil
engine had to be moved above the gearbox in the
space under the receiver top cover, as a result of the
need to make a standard receiver layout to suit all
the different planned AK models which have since
been released in the intervening years, The AKSU
(one of Bill’s favourite platforms as it happens!)
was chosen as the starting point as it is the most
compact and restrictive platform of the series, so
fitting everything into the smaller space and having
to deal with a folding stock ensured that whatever
the resulting system was, it could be much more
readily transposed into fixed stock or longer-barreled
“BOLT AIRSOFT EVENTUALLY FORMED OUT OF THE EXPERIENCES DERIVED FROM A
GROWING UNDERSTANDING OF JAPANESE PRODUCTS, BUT ALSO A NEED TO BEGIN
PRODUCING SPARE OR UPGRADE PARTS DOMESTICALLY TO MITIGATE THE JAPANESE
INDUSTRY’S APPARENT DISINTEREST IN SERVICING THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY...”
34
ISSUE 159 - March 2024

INSIDE AIRSOFT
BOLT AIRSOFT
variants to follow.
The same approach was also used for Bolt’s
‘SWAT’ range, their take on the MP5, beginning
once again with the smallest variant in the guise
of the MP5k to allow them to build off the worst
case scenario workspace and grow the range with
ease after perfecting the shortest sibling. Later
innovations added to this line included optically
scanned magazines with specialist stickers affixed
which would interface with internal electronics to
“talk to” the gearbox and onboard MOSFET systems
to enable automatic cut-off after a certain number of
rounds were expended; this all added to the realism
without requiring the more flimsy electromechanical
interfaces that plagued the magazine cut-off features
of some other manufacturers systems before…. and
since!
BRINGING IT UP TO DATE
With a history focused mainly on distribution
and innovation, Bolt Airsoft’s Linkou facility is
predominantly focused on R&D, design and
prototyping, as well as final assembly and quality
control prior to despatch to domestic and overseas
clients, with many of the components being sourced
from stringently overseen specialist suppliers of
moulded, electronic, or structural components, with
a somewhat Japanese “just in time” approach to
manufacture to minimise warehousing requirements.
Typically a supplier will make an order and
within 3-4 weeks the production line will have
all the constituents on hand ready to assemble
and final test the desired product, with
individual AEGs requiring around half an hour
to complete, usually in the typical sub-assembly
stages with completed work flowing quite
effectively through their shop floor setup and
making their way onto the racks of finished
and tested products ready for packaging and
despatch.
More recently the licensed product lines with
Cybergun’s granting of Fabrique Nationale
(FN) licence has grown to include their
aforementioned SCAR SCs, the short almost
PDW-esque format of EBB AEG which is an
excellent piece of kit by all accounts, and even
field strips in an unusually realistic fashion for an
electric gun offering. Furthermore the permission to
use Daniel Defense’ licence has also born fruit with
Mk18 Mod 1 and shortened variants, as well as Block
II replicas, ensuring that along with their HK416
(DEVGRU), AR (ELITE/MILITARY) and BR (SR47 and
similar) Bolt really have most of the bases covered in
terms of what the majority of players needs might
stretch to.
The most exciting news, however, has been the
most recent, as Tomy put it himself “we’ve kind of
run out of guns to make AEGs of”, and as a result
of such a broad range there aren’t many things left
to economically replicate. Like most manufacturers,
the realities of investing in polymer moulds and
other new component or product setup costs usually
implores them to attack whole generic families rather
than chasing very niche lone guns; the likes of the
SLR/FAL or WW2 guns with limited follow on lineage
or variants compared to the AR or AK etc.
With that in mind Bolt Airsoft announced its
intention to dip its toes into the GBBR space, like
many others are shifting to in the Asian market, as
a result of ever improving gas gun technology over
the past 5-10 years. The player demands driven by
MilSim or realism, and training-focused gameplay
means that GBBRs have been very much ‘de rigueur’
of many producers over the past few years, especially
when you consider the supply chain issues stalling
“BOLT AIRSOFT ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION TO DIP ITS TOES INTO THE GBBR SPACE,
LIKE MANY OTHERS ARE SHIFTING TO IN THE ASIAN MARKET, AS A RESULT OF
EVER IMPROVING GAS GUN TECHNOLOGY OVER THE PAST 5-10 YEARS. THE PLAYER
DEMANDS DRIVEN BY MILSIM OR REALISM, AND TRAINING-FOCUSED GAMEPLAY...”
www.airsoftaction.net 35

INSIDE AIRSOFT
BOLT AIRSOFT
MOSFET chips or other electronic components.
Producing their own variation on the MWS system,
making use of a custom-designed nozzle system
which vastly improves the consistency of delivery and
efficiency of the system as well as delivering some
of the strongest recoil impulse Bill, Anny, or I have
encountered (as demonstrated when we visited Bolt
in November, much to Bill’s delight!), Bolt Airsoft’s
GBBR line is definitely something to keep an eye out
for! With the prototype floating around at POLK 3
for players to get hands on with there, as well as
being front and centre at their MOA 2023 booth,
they’re clearly throwing their hat in the ring along
with a growing number of local competitors who
want to capitalise on the popularity of the MWS
platform with their own iterations and improvements
specifically aimed at the local and international enduser
and markets.
LATEST AND GREATEST NEWS!
The latest news we got the inside track on during
our more recent visit is the advent of Bolt’s licensed
Daniel Defense furniture making use of the coveted
“chocolate brown”’ goodness that we all know and
love, with a range CNC-machined Aluminium M-LOK
front handguards using a wraparound ‘C’ shaped
upper with a drop in ‘floor’ section on the bottom
which makes it easy to clamshell the handguard over
the barrel of the host rifle, as well as featuring the
seven threaded-hole rear attachment section for a
very secure and realistic installation and appearance.
There are also polymer components in the guise of
DD-branded ejection port covers, pistol grips and of
course the instantly recognisable skeletonised CQBR
style stock which has been especially modified to
both avoid compatibility with real firearms, and at
the same time provide a cleverly integrated battery
compartment in the resulting space created, all of
which we were allowed to get hands on with and
Anny worked her usual photographic magic on while
we were on site.
So, when we look at an INSIDE AIRSOFT article we
want to share with you the WHAT, WHEN, and most
importantly WHY, and after spending some time
with Tomy, Wilson and the Bolt team “at home” we
all came away with a better understanding of an
industry pioneer that’s a household name to many
the world over, but who might not know the ideas
and history behind the name!
Many thanks as always to ‘Military’ Anny Wu for
her excellent product and personal photography
and handling the native language aspects of our
interviewing process, and of course many thanks
to Tomy and his team for their continued gracious
hospitality and friendly cooperation at the trade
shows and events we encounter them at, there’s
clearly a lot to keep an eye out for in their future
releases, fellow shooters… Bill is meeting with Tomy
as usual at IWA ’24 and we already know they’ll be
something more to talk about! AA
36
ISSUE 159 - March 2024

Technikraum
1
3,5
2-107
Uebergang/to
Halle / hall 1
FM
VegaForceC
60,4 qm
2,0
2-108
21,0
Acetk
20 qm
2-205
3,0
5,0
11,6
Airsoft
Shooting
Range
Networking
49,67 qm
4,0
FM
Uebergang/to
Halle / hall 1
7,9
10,0
Airsoft Shooting
Range
30 qm
3,0
10,0
Airsoft Shooting
Range - Novritsch
30 qm
3,0
Air
R
60 qm
4,0
5,
2
12 qm
2-106
Hwasan Toys,
WB Airsoft BBS,
BCS Airsoft
Jolly S
50 q
4,0
2-204
SRC
15,0
2-400
4,0
Anlieferung
Delivery
Halle / hall 2
Tor / door 1
FM
14,0
DELTA ARMORY
9,0
3,0
2-402
APS
27 qm
9,2 HFC
airsoft
21,52 qm
5,0
2-504
2-304
9,0
0,4
2-404
5,0
Novritsch
Airsoft
40 qm
15,0
2-306
7,0
LANCER
TACTICAL
63 qm
8,0
3,0
2-308
KING ARMS
AIRSOFT
Grepow
12 qm
2-407
3,0
4,0
2-408
PUFFDINO
TRADE
9 qm
(Altin
3,0 Finances)
9 qm
2-507
3,0
5,0
15 qm
10,0
50 qm
Wolverine
Airsoft
18 qm2-409
6,0
4,0
2-410
Ares Alpha
12 qm
5,0
3,0
3,0
12 qm
REPLICA
3,0
GUNS
2-509a
18 qm
6,0
2-508
2-509
6,0
3,0
2-500
Airsoft
Shooting
Parcour
by Airsoft
Helden
40 qm
10,0
11,5
Airsoft Shooting Parcour
by Airsoft Helden
121,13 qm
10,0
10,0
60 qm
10
9,2
6,0
4,0
Uebergang/to
Hallen / halls 3C 4,0
2-600
25,0
100 qm
www.delta-armory.com

KIT & GEAR
VIPER TACTICAL UPDATE
BE
VIPER-
SMART!
VIPER TACTICAL CONTINUE TO ROLL OUT SELECT NEW ITEMS OF CLOTHING AND GEAR ON A REGULAR
BASIS, AND AS OLD FRIENDS WE’RE DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT WHAT THEY’RE ADDING TO THE RANGE
THESE DAYS IS BOTH FOCUSED AND FULLY “FIT FOR PURPOSE”! MIGUEL AND BILL HAVE BEEN TESTING
THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR LINE, AND NOW REPORT BACK…
W
e make no bones about the fact that our
relationship with VIPER TACTICAL is a longstanding
one that goes back many years,
and a very valued one too! With “Viper Actual” (or
Ratty as we know and love him!) being out and about
at events in the UK that we also attend, that bond
grows ever stronger and we find ourselves working on
numerous projects and ideas with him these days.
However, the fact is that VIPER TACTICAL are going
from strength to strength, and as I’ve noted before
when they add something to their extensive range
of clothing, footwear, and kit it’s worth taking note
of, and although their range is stocked by most good
retailers in the UK we are very pleased to see that the
brand is now reaching players much further afield!
Some of us have been wearing the excellent
Technical Mid Layer Fleece Top that we spoke about
a little while ago during the winter months, and it’s
proved to be a real favourite, but now VIPER have
added to that with a full fleece jacket, the Gen 2
Special Ops model, that works perfectly with their
Lightweight Softshell Jacket as an insulating layer…
and it looks pretty sharp for “off duty” wear too!
Miguel has been putting one of the new jackets
through its paces and loves it, so over to him to report
on his experience with it so far!
COLD COMFORT
It’s cold, we know, it’s hard to venture outside when
the thermometers are hitting negative temperatures!
And even getting up early to go to an airsoft game
can leave us shivering. But, worry not, the newest
jacket from our friends at VIPER is here to help!
Let’s all welcome the Gen2 Special Ops Fleece Jacket,
VIPER’s newest entry to their clothing range. It’s a
multipurpose jacket, you can use it day to day, it looks
great in any casual look, or you can add it to your
tactical loadout; there are several different colours
available to adapt to any patterns that you use, and it
will help during those cold or even rainy days.
VIPER took a different path with the Gen2,
“LET’S ALL WELCOME THE GEN2 SPECIAL OPS FLEECE JACKET, VIPER’S NEWEST ENTRY TO
THEIR CLOTHING RANGE. IT’S A MULTIPURPOSE JACKET, YOU CAN USE IT DAY TO DAY, IT
LOOKS GREAT IN ANY CASUAL LOOK, OR YOU CAN ADD IT TO YOUR TACTICAL LOADOUT”
38
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

KIT & GEAR
VIPER TACTICAL UPDATE
comparing to the Gen1,
which I still have. The
Gen1 was more a
full softshell-style
jacket, highly
waterproof and
with a hood,
but bulkier.
The Gen2
adopted a
more fleece
style, with
a slimmer
design
and no
hood.
There is an
area in the forearms and shoulders that contrasts
with the rest of the jacket and is water-repellent, as
well as a tall chin guard (great for extra protection
against the cold) and elastics cuffs with a thumb hole,
which I find great to help warm the hands, since I
don’t like to wear gloves day to day. And of course,
a low profile hook and loop on the left harm for any
patch or insignia that you want to show
off!
I think that the only major point
missing would be a chest or internal
pocket. I really like to keep some of my
items safer in certain locations or time
of day, or even a bit more protected in
case of some rain. The front zipper is an
upgrade from the Frontier jacket, which
now is made of a stronger material, but
it’s not one of those that works as a
double puller, which in my opinion is not
good or bad, never really cared about that
kind of zipper.
As I mentioned before, this fleece
can work perfectly with your loadout;
of course, you will be a bit bulkier, but
it’s a good option for those games with
extreme weather or even night periods,
I’ve been in games where I know that a
jacket like this would come in handy. Right now the
jacket is available in BLACK, TAN and OD, which will
work with many different patterns and with sizes
up to 3XL, so even if you are a big guy like me, no
problem!
But for me, right now it’s a great addition for my
day to day, really comfortable, snug and warm, with
a simple design and with that VIPER quality that we
know! I am excited to see what VIPER will bring in
2024! They already launched a new version of their
Sneaker boots, and I’m curious to get my hands
(in this case my feet) in them. Their current range
caught the attention of many players, specially the VX
range, which I’ve been field-testing almost since day
one, and ever since has been an essential part of my
loadouts. And to keep up the tradition, their jackets
are part of my day to day now too!
FRESH STEPS
Now coming back to the new Sneaker Boots that
Miguel mentioned above, I was lucky enough to be
sent a pair as soon as they arrived in the UK VIPER
warehouse, and although these are predominantly a
boot model that’s going to be best for summer wear
(they’re unlined) they are absolutely perfect for indoor
range wear and CQB even at this time of year!
“RIGHT NOW THE JACKET IS AVAILABLE IN BLACK, TAN AND OD, WHICH WILL WORK WITH
MANY DIFFERENT PATTERNS AND WITH SIZES UP TO 3XL, SO EVEN IF YOU ARE A BIG GUY
LIKE ME, NO PROBLEM!”
www.airsoftaction.net 39

KIT & GEAR
VIPER TACTICAL UPDATE
Some of us have been wearing
the original mid-cut Sneaker
boots for a few years now and
they’ve stood up really well
to regular use and abuse, so
we were very glad to hear
from VIPER about the release
of a high-cut version of this
excellent lightweight boot
which will be just perfect
when married up to their
ELITE TROUSERS.
Available in UK
sizes 7-12
the Tactical
Sneakers
are an
ultralightweight
boot which has a
sports-fit, so you might want to consider
going up a size up from your standard tactical boot
sizing; I’m usually a good size 9 and was advised to
go for a 10 and the fit is perfect with no unnecessary
volume, and no felt pressure in evidence.
I’ve been putting the boots to work on the indoor
range and thus far they’ve proved both comfortable
and supportive; whilst the sole unit has somewhat of
a flat profile the grip is very good indeed given the
pronounced lug pattern, and the inner sole provides
support for your arch to help avoid foot fatigue. The
lacing runs to the top of the cuff so you can really
cinch them in, but the lacing on the upper foot is far
enough back to avoid pressure on your toe-flex-point.
The Tactical Sneakers, whilst higher in the cuff are
easy to get on and off thanks to the inclusion of a
side zip; now I’m normally not a fan of side-zip boots
as unless they are meticulously designed this can be a
real “rub point” on your ankle bone, especially when
you’re tabbing under load! Thankfully VIPER have
experience with this type of design and I’m pleased to
report that so far the zip has given me no discomfort
whatsoever.
Coming in Black or Coyote these are be great value
boots; if you’re planning on new boots for Summer
’24 use, and you abide by the mantra that “light is
right”, then the Tactical Sneakers (Mid or
High!) could be just the footwear you’ve
been looking for!
COOL ISSUE
To round things out on this little update
the other item that I’ve been trying out
are the new V-CAM BLACK Camo PCS 95
Trousers. We’ve commented as a team in
the past on how much we love the Gen
2 Elite Trousers, but the fact is that these
(although worth every penny!) are a
little higher on the
price
side
than
some,
so I’m very
pleased
to see that
VIPER have added
a V-CAM BLACK
version in their
popular and
budget-friendly
PCS 95 design.
The Camo
PCS 95 trousers
are more akin to
the UK “issue”
trousers and
come in with two
angled, and ample,
cargo pockets, two
slash pockets, a
single rear “wallet”
pocket, button and
zip closure with an
internal waist cord,
and a reinforced seat
and knees. Made
from an extremely
hard-wearing polycotton
rather than the
rip-stop of the Elite
Gen 2 these trousers are
“COMING IN BLACK OR COYOTE THESE ARE BE GREAT VALUE BOOTS; IF YOU’RE PLANNING
ON NEW BOOTS FOR SUMMER ’24 USE, AND YOU ABIDE BY THE MANTRA THAT “LIGHT IS
RIGHT”, THEN THE TACTICAL SNEAKERS (MID OR HIGH!) COULD BE JUST THE FOOTWEAR
YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!”
40
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

KIT & GEAR
VIPER TACTICAL UPDATE
absolutely “bomber-tough”, and I can tell that with
a just a couple of washes they will become very, very
comfortable.
And talking of washes I banged them through
the washing machine on a higher temp wash (NOT
something I’d advise YOU DO!) to check on the
colour-fastness of the V-CAM BLACK pattern and it’s
very good indeed… for general lower-temp washing
and care these should keep on looking great for some
considerable time too!
The features of the Camo PCS 95 are simple yet
solid, all you could ask for in a “combat pant”, the
leg length is good and certainly generous enough for
blousing over your boots, and they come with belt
loops compatible with the full VIPER belt range…
nothing fancy, just good, durable “fightin’ pants” at a
sensible price!
As Miguel said I too am very interested to see what
new things VIPER TACTICAL add to their range in the
coming year, but I know already that whatever it may
be it will be good for airsoft, and good for our “airsoft
wallets” too!
Be VIPER-SMART and keep an eye on the latest
updates by checking in on their active social media
pages, or by visiting www.viperkit.co.uk AA
“THE FEATURES OF THE CAMO PCS 95 ARE SIMPLE YET SOLID, ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR
IN A “COMBAT PANT”, THE LEG LENGTH IS GOOD AND CERTAINLY GENEROUS ENOUGH FOR
BLOUSING OVER YOUR BOOTS, AND THEY COME WITH BELT LOOPS COMPATIBLE WITH THE
FULL VIPER BELT RANGE… NOTHING FANCY, JUST GOOD, DURABLE “FIGHTIN’ PANTS” AT A
SENSIBLE PRICE”
www.airsoftaction.net 41

TOKYO MARUI
L119A2 CUSTOM BUILD
NEXT GEN RECOIL SHOCK CONTACT US FOR DETAILS
THE L119A2 IS JUST ONE POPULAR
EXAMPLE OF OUR CURRENT RECOIL
MODELS, BASED ON TOKYO MARUI’S
FANTASTIC SYSTEM - FITTED WITH
THE ANGRY GUN RAIL SYSTEM AND
REAL STEEL MAGPUL FURNITURE

THE CAGE
KRYPTEK
THE CAGE:
MACRO/MICRO
CONTINUING OUR LOOK AT CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS, BUT STEPPING OUT FROM OUR USUAL
“TEAM FORMAT”, THIS MONTH IN CAGE BILL TAKES A LOOK AT HIS PERSONAL KRYPTEK JOURNEY,
A FAMILY OF PATTERNS THAT FLEW HIGH AND FAST, AND THEN APPARENTLY DROPPED FROM
GRACE EQUALLY AS FAST! HAS KRYPTEK GONE, OR IS IT JUST SO EFFECTIVE THAT WE CAN’T SEE IT?
Some say that airsoft gear is driven by “fashion”,
and in my long experience there are some
camouflage patterns that everyone raves about
for some reason, and that then slowly fade into the
background until their next incarnation! This “airsoft
buying trend” can be driven by the fact that the
pattern appears in a game, a TV series, or a big movie
and then everyone want it… but then the next “big
thing” comes along and said pattern falls away into
virtual obscurity…
I’ve seen this so many times over the years, and
one of the biggest hot-burns followed by an equally
impressive crash was in relation to Kyptek patterns!
I was lucky enough to meet Butch Whiting, Kryptek
Co-founder, a few years back and he had a lot to tell
me back then; since that time I’ve been following how
the patterns have developed and how the number of
“tacticool” brand partners grew massively and then
fell slowly away over time. It was very interesting to
see just how many airsofters worldwide took up one
or other of the variants, but these days it’s not as
apparent out in the wild, so there must be a lot of
Kryptek in storage and in wardrobes these days…
Kryptek of course developed their own unique
and innovative family of camouflage patterns for a
whole range of end-users, and the most popular in
the airsoft community were NOMAD, HIGHLANDER,
MANDRAKE, YETI, RAID, and TYPHON; this
development process led to them working with some
of the most cutting edge manufacturers in the world,
and to an even greater range of first rate products!
From the initial inspiration, and extensive testing,
the Kryptek family of camouflage patterns was
developed with the majority of the adjustments/
tweaks being implemented through the results of
“long distance” testing. Luckily for Kryptek, they
also obtained a “shelf appeal”, but that was not their
primary intent; the overall effectiveness was. Kryptek
was actually “down selected” after extensive testing
by the U.S. Army when they competed as part of the
effort to identify a new family of camouflage, and the
patterns have continued to be evaluated and were
at one point potentially the new camouflage for the
conventional military!
HOW IT WORKS
Without going into to much detail, the Kryptek
patterns really start becoming effective at around 10
metres, and maintain that effectiveness at extremely
long distances when compared to competitors. This
is accomplished through a combination of Macro
and Micro layering using the “Distorted Hexagon (i.e.
“THIS “AIRSOFT BUYING TREND” CAN BE DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT THE PATTERN
APPEARS IN A GAME, A TV SERIES, OR A BIG MOVIE AND THEN EVERYONE WANT IT…
BUT THEN THE NEXT “BIG THING” COMES ALONG AND SAID PATTERN FALLS AWAY
INTO VIRTUAL OBSCURITY…”
44
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

THE CAGE
KRYPTEK
camo netting)” as the Micro pattern and fading the
transitional areas of their Macro pattern, The Kryptek
patterns have a 3-D effect on a 2-D surface.
The individual patterns are designed for:
• NOMAD: Arid/Desert environments
• HIGHLANDER: Transitional environments
• MANDRAKE: Woodland/Jungle environments
• YETI: Arctic/Snow environments
• RAID: Urban environments
• TYPHON: This is really a psychological/lifestyle
pattern but could also be used at night; this
pattern is extremely popular because it was the
tactical pattern featured in Call of Duty!
Kryptek worked, and still works in some cases,
with very specific brand partners for solid gear and/
or service with a leadership team that shares similar
philosophies and mentalities to the guys behind
Kryptek; some pretty big names were in the mix like
HSGI, Grey Ghost Gear, Kifaru, Vertx, Platatac, Wild
Things Tactical, Condor, OPS Tactical, Velocity Systems,
Mayflower, Safariland, HSP, Tyr, EGL, Honor Point and
Helikon to name a few on the kit side. They have also
worked with Proof Research, Wetherby, PWS, Leupold,
USNightvision, Vortex, Viking Tactics, and Invictus
Alliance Group.
It’s was Krypteks stated aim to maintain and bolster
their focus in the Tactical and Outdoor Adventure
markets, spiralling concepts and ideas from the
battlefield and into the backcountry, and visa-versa.
Their company mantra, “Battlefield to Backcountry”
pretty much sums up who they were, and indeed still
are to this day.
GETTING THE GEAR
Kryptek certainly still have it all going on, and over
some considerable time I’ve managed to pick up kit
from more mainstream manufacturers taking on the
patterns and producing good quality and well-priced
clothing and gear. My personal favourite is their
“Highlander” transitional pattern as it does seem
to work very well in the environments that I find on
many UK urban sites, although “Mandrake” is equally
at home in our woodland environment.
My first port of call for Kryptek Highlander gear in
the UK is always www.military1st.co.uk as they still
have a pretty comprehensive
range of products in the
pattern (and some of the
other variants) from
Helikon, Condor, and
WISPORT; between these
three brands they’re able
to cover clothing and
tactical gear pretty
well. I’m a big fan
of the Combat
Patrol Uniform
(CPU) from
Helikon so
choosing
that for
the basis
of a fast
and light
loadout
was pretty
much a no-brainer.
The CPU shirt
is made from NyCo
Ripstop (50% Cotton,
50% Nylon), and
is NIR treated.
It’s superbly well
featured with a
high mandarin
collar with a velcro
closure and soft
fleece inside, a
zipped front with
Velcro flap closure
and two slanted
chest pockets with
a velcro top closure
and zip side entry.
There are further
upper arm pockets
on either sleeve,
again with a velcro
flap and zip side
entry, and pen/chemlight
holders on each
“KRYPTEK WAS ACTUALLY “DOWN SELECTED” AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTING BY THE
U.S. ARMY WHEN THEY COMPETED AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO IDENTIFY A NEW
FAMILY OF CAMOUFLAGE, AND THE PATTERNS HAVE CONTINUED TO BE EVALUATED”
www.airsoftaction.net 45

THE CAGE
KRYPTEK
upper arm pocket; there are also two forearm pockets
of various sizes on each sleeve with velcro flaps so you
get a lot of storage space for all those essentials you
want to keep on you at all times.
The back is pleated for a comfortable fit and there
are pit-zips to give additional ventilation when things
hot up.
The matching CPU Trousers are made from the
same fabric and feature ten pockets; there are two
large pockets, and two small open pockets on the
front, two slanted cargo pockets with velcro closures,
button loop and elastic draw string with toggle, two
rear pockets with button flaps, and one lower side
pocket with a velcro flap on each leg. Both the seat
and knees are reinforced, and there are pockets with
a velcro closure on each knee for protective padding
(please note the pads are not included).
There are nice wide belt loops and side waist
adjusters to keep everything snugly in place, and
drawstrings on the bottom of the legs mean it’s easy
to blouse them if you like that.
Overall this is a cracking, hard-wearing and versatile
set of clothing that will see you solidly through most
of the year, although I did end up adding an OPS
TACTICAL combat shirt for summer use.
Helikon and Condor offer Tactical ballcaps in
Highlander, from a lightweight mesh-backed model
to one made in the same MilSpec fabric as the CPU. I
chose here though to grab a cap from NOTCH GEAR;
these are a little more expensive but NOTCH caps are
structured, low profile, and feature
an
innovative insert at the left
and right corner of the brim
which neatly accommodates
your safety glasses. Rather
than the edge of the
brim, which is often
“rolled down”
to minimise glare,
forcing
down on the arms of your glasses, the “notch” lets
them run comfortably under the brim ensuring that
you retain a safe, close fit of your eyepro.
If you’re a helmet user then you can still find a
cover from OPS Tactical who carry an extensive range
of easy-to-fit covers for different helmet models in
multiple patterns so if you want to use one helmet
with various loadouts then this is an easy option. The
OPS helmet cover for FAST helmet that I have is made
from official 50/50 NYCO Ripstop. It features a shaped
hole for night vision mount, velcro loops in front for
IR tabs / insignia, and paracord retainers for helmetcams.
To go with this I wanted to keep things pretty
lightweight so I chose just to run with a Recon Chest
Rig from Condor initially before moving up later to
another Training Mini Rig from Helikon, a design I
really like (and own a couple of in different colours)!
Made from 100% Cordura Nylon and weighing
in at only 700g this is a brilliant design that gives
enough space for what you need; it’s designed to
work along with a backpack and belt kit, and offers
a really effective way of carrying essentials for some
fast CQB-action, or short-day skirmishes! It has PALS
webbing straps around the rig for additional MOLLE
attachments,
multiple loop
patches for
patches and
nametags,
along with four
flapped singlepistol
mag
and four easily
accessiblefrom-the-top
rifle magazine
pouches.
The single
pistol-mag
pouches
include
adjustable
hook-and-loop
openings with pull
tabs and position
markers, while the
rifle mag pouches
are equipped with
quick-release bungee
retainers. The whole rig is fully adjustable and
adaptable to any height and chest size. It features a
waist strap and is reinforced at stress points on the
“MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE IS THEIR “HIGHLANDER” TRANSITIONAL PATTERN AS IT
DOES SEEM TO WORK VERY WELL IN THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT I FIND ON MANY UK
URBAN SITES, ALTHOUGH “MANDRAKE” IS EQUALLY AT HOME IN OUR WOODLAND
ENVIRONMENT”
46
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

THE CAGE
KRYPTEK
cross-back shoulder straps, both with quick release
buckles and multiple loops for wiring, antennas, or
hydration tubes.
Also, there is one sizeable built-in utility pouch at
the front equipped with two-way YKK zipper opening,
multiple loops, slots and a zippered mesh pocket, and
a second MOLLE detachable pouch at the bottom
with a two-way zipper opening and inner loop
patches for hook-and-loop inserts. This comfortable
and sturdy rig from Helikon will accommodate a basic
load of magazines, some additional ammunition,
multi-tool, taclite and other small items which makes
it an ideal choice for a lightweight loadout!
Back in the day I returned to Military1st for a day
pack, the Direct Action DUST pack which I love;
sadly this particular pack model is no longer in
stock in Kryptek Highlander, but there’s a now a
whole range of excellent models from WISPORT
who make some righteously rugged gear…
you can choose from models from 25L like the
totally awesome ZIPPERFOX right up to serious
MilSim load-lugggers such as the 55L CRAFTER… I
warn you, these are not cheap packs, but from the
WISPORT models I’ve personally tested they are topnotch!
BUY RIGHT!
It’s really interesting when you embark upon
creating a set of gear that will work together in
various combinations to allow you huge amounts of
versatility, and if you discover something new about
how camouflage patterns work along the way then
it’s doubly so; my journey with Kryptek continues to
this day, and although you don’t see it as much as you
used to, it’s most certainly a fabulous OPFOR pattern if
that’s your particular airsoft poison!
As always I’d recommend you look for gear from
trustworthy manufacturers, but that doesn’t mean
that a new or different brand doesn’t have exactly the
piece of gear you’ve been searching for… so again
as I always say, do your research well and spend
your money wisely on gear that isn’t just a fad or
trend… and make sure you keep enough over to
pay your site fee!
Having all the gear is all very well, but ultimately
it’s all about playing airsoft, right? AA
“IF YOU DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW ABOUT HOW CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS WORK
ALONG THE WAY THEN IT’S DOUBLY SO; MY JOURNEY WITH KRYPTEK CONTINUES TO
THIS DAY, AND ALTHOUGH YOU DON’T SEE IT AS MUCH AS YOU USED TO, IT’S MOST
CERTAINLY A FABULOUS OPFOR PATTERN IF THAT’S YOUR PARTICULAR AIRSOFT
POISON!”
www.airsoftaction.net 47

RED CELL
MID LENGTH AR UPDATE
RED CELL
IMAGE CURTESY OF KRIOS PHOTOGRAPHY
STILL
ROCKIN’!
48
ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

RED CELL
MID LENGTH AR UPDATE
ANOTHER MONTH AND ANOTHER UPDATE FROM THE AA RED CELL TESTING TEAM HITS THE PAGE!
THIS TIME THE GUYS ARE LOOKING BACK AT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AREAS OF THE GLOBAL
AIRSOFT ARMOURY AS THEY DELVE DEEP INTO ALL THINGS MID-LENGTH AR AND UPDATE THIS
CATEGORY AFTER SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME! AS ALWAYS, BILL LEADS OFF…
www.airsoftaction.net 49

RED CELL
MID LENGTH AR UPDATE
Testing is something that we take very seriously at
AIRSOFT ACTION and (unlike some) our testing
goes on… and on! It’s all very well looking at an
AEG or GBB “as new” and telling you all how lovely
and shiny a thing it is ...but WHAT COMES NEXT?
We all believe that testing should continue for
longer periods so that we can really give you the
lowdown on some of the models that we test initially,
those models having been through extensive range
and in-game use and then reported on here, or via
our regular RELOADED articles. All of the models are
again either in the AA ARMOURY, kindly donated to
our program by the manufacturers that have complete
faith that their products will stand up to our testing,
or owned by individual members of the crew.
As we have some real “meat” for you this time on
a couple of specific models I’ll briefly say that all the
models shown are now on par in terms of BB-count,
and all are still working as they should. Some of the
models are now “veterans” as we looked at them
first way back in ISSUE 125, and apart from a couple
that have been used in specific projects, all have just
undergone simple, basic maintenance to keep them
rockin’. As always though, we’ve continued to add
new models along the way, bringing this category
right up to date.
Although the guys are “going deep” on a couple of
models worthy of further comment this month, what
I can tell you is that AEG models from ARES, BOLT,
CYMA, EVOLUTION, SPECNA ARMS, G&G, DOUBLE
EAGLE, EMG, KWA, ICS, VFC, HUNTSMAN, and now
ROSSI have all been put through their paces and not
found wanting so far!
Now though, I’ll hand things over to the crew as we
get properly into things!
Dan: G&G have been enjoying a bit of a
renaissance since releasing their revamped G2
series gearbox and releasing an all-new line of rifles
sporting the upgraded design. Once the bane of
many an overworked tech, G&G’s popular Combat
Machine series rode an unfortunate wave of gearbox
failures, with some of us collecting literal buckets
of fractured shells like ill-begotten trophies as we
attempted to keep rental fleets afloat. Soon after,
G&G announced a new line of full metal rifles with
upgraded gearboxes, dubbed the “G2”. Chief among
the recipients of the new gearbox would be the TR16
series, which come in a variety of lengths, and rails, as
well as the 7.62mm style format.
The keen eye will undoubtedly recognize the
influence Krytac’s Nautilus gearbox has had in the
“WE ALL BELIEVE THAT TESTING SHOULD CONTINUE FOR LONGER PERIODS SO
THAT WE CAN REALLY GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN ON SOME OF THE MODELS
THAT WE TEST INITIALLY, THOSE MODELS HAVING BEEN THROUGH EXTENSIVE
RANGE AND IN-GAME USE AND THEN REPORTED ON HERE, OR VIA OUR REGULAR
RELOADED ARTICLES”
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design of the G&G G2. Presenting a massively
reinforced shell design, with ambidextrous
selectors, captive mock bolt, and a quick change
spring guide, this was a major departure from
the shells of ye olden days. Internally the G2
has a beautiful compression set, with a CNC
air nozzle and CNC double O-ring cylinder
head. The piston is an all-new design with a
full metal AOE corrected rack, all of which is
fitted inside G&G’s signature blue air cylinder.
8mm caged bearings support the steel gearset,
which is factory short-stroked 3x teeth, and
now has a completely redesigned bevel gear
for more optimal meshing with the motor
pinion gear. Powering the entire ensemble
is the IFRIT 25K Neodymium motor, which
has found a lot of favor with tech’s as an
inexpensive - but quality - high torque motor.
The G2 are also fitted with G&G’s ETU +
MOSFET, which is a drop in replacement for
the traditional mechanical trigger switch. This
uses a small microswitch to register trigger
pulls, and has a number of functions such as
burst mode, a built-in speaker for auditory
notifications, and low battery
monitoring. There is
also a power cutoff
feature that can
be activated when
using G&G’s specific
magazines that are equipped with
the cutoff function.
As good as the new G2 series
are, there are naturally a
few downsides. Much like
Krytac, G&G somewhat
needlessly adopted the
shortened spur gear design,
which means that fitting any aftermarket
gearsets is going to require machining
one or the other, depending on
your capabilities. Similarly, there
is a bit of material that would
need to be removed from both
shell halves if one is wishing
to upgrade to a Gate TITAN,
Perun Hybrid or other modern ETU. I’ve seen a couple
different types of piston head fitted. But often this is
the old black style that is heavily ported and known
to crack in a circular pattern around the ports.
Presumably this is G&G cycling out “new old stock”
still. Some of the later guns are coming in with the
better red polycarbonate piston head that, so far,
seems to be holding up well.
All of the TR16 series come equipped with the new
rotary hop up design, which is far and away superior
to the traditional hop up chambers previously used.
Depending on the model in question, you will find
either the green or blue “cold weather” bucking
fitted. Either of these perform quite good, but are
even better when modified into a flat hop for use with
R-Hop installations. They are in fact my primary choice
for just this purpose as they have the best and most
consistent bucking lip tension of anything else out
there.
Externally, the TR16’s can be distinguished by G&G’s
bespoke furniture set, which consists of an adjustable
stock with ample battery storage and CAA inspired
motor grip. The receiver set comes with the thicker
“billet” style design cues, with full-length M-LOK rails
running nearly up to the muzzle threads and a set of
folding KAC-style back up iron sights riding on top.
The fit and finish is great, and the entire rifle feels
pretty solid, owing mainly to the added weight of the
G2 gearbox and thicker material used on the receivers.
In practical use, the TR16’s have proven to be
quite reliable in my experience. Contrary to the
Combat Machine series, I have yet to see a G2 shell
come in with the infamous cracks G&G was known
for. The shells are robust and capable of handling
higher velocities than equipped from the factory,
even. Owing to the suite of parts and their overall
good quality, there is honestly not much that gets
changed out when upgrading these. The ETU’s
have been improved over several iterations now,
and I am amazed sometimes at how much abuse
can be thrown at them sometimes. That being said,
microswitches are still somewhat problematic on this
small scale, and it’s not uncommon to have to replace
the ETU’s when the switches go out. The veteran
player will almost always opt to upgrade to an optical
ETU at some point. As previously mentioned, the only
“SOON AFTER, G&G ANNOUNCED A NEW LINE OF FULL METAL RIFLES WITH UPGRADED
GEARBOXES, DUBBED THE “G2”. CHIEF AMONG THE RECIPIENTS OF THE NEW
GEARBOX WOULD BE THE TR16 SERIES, WHICH COME IN A VARIETY OF LENGTHS, AND
RAILS, AS WELL AS THE 7.62MM STYLE FORMAT”
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ARES OCTARMS AMOEBA PRO KM13
Price: iro UK390.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2467g
Length: 845mm/925mm
Magazine Capacity: 300, will accept all STANAG/AR
Cold Chrono: 0.83 Joule/300fps
Hot Chrono: 0.78 Joule/290fps
Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
BOLT B4 LRP
Price: iro UK£400.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 3100g
Length: 855mm/945mm
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.93 Joule/318fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Taclite Compatibility: Standard Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
CYMA CM.097 UPGRADED VERSION
Price: iro UK£165.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 2900g
Length: 845mm/930 mm
Magazine Capacity: 160 BBs
Cold Chrono: 109 Joule/344fps
Hot Chrono: 1.09 Joule/344fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com
EVOLUTION GHOST L EMR CARBONTECH
Price: iro UK£295.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2,520g
Length: 740mm/830mm
Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.95 Joule/320fps
Hot Chrono: 0.92 Joule/315fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: store.evolutioninternational.it
SPECNA ARMS SA-E06 EDGE 2.0
Price: iro UK£223.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2640g
Length: 750mm/835mm
Magazine Capacity: 2 x 125 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.04 Joule/335fps
Taclite Compatibility: URX / RIS 22mm Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.gunfire.com
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downsides to this platform come when one wants
to change the gear ratio or drop in a different ETU.
To do this cleanly requires a mill and/or lathe, which
your average player does not have access too. You can
successfully savage it with a Dremel... but I digress.
Overall though, I rate the TR16’s pretty high. It’s a
good choice for the player who wants something well
equipped with both features and build quality out of
the box. The short barreled models also make a great
base for a “budget” DSG build as the G2 gearbox
stands in as one of the absolute cheapest avenues of
approach to doing a DSG conversion.
Jimmy: ICS is one of my favourite brands and have
brought out many different platforms over a short
space of time each one better than the last imo. One
that grabbed my interest was the limited edition CXP
MARS Komodo and having spent some time with this
particular model I have found very little wrong with it
to be honest.
Being a limited edition and now currently
discontinued it may prove a tad difficult to find for
sale, and looking back I can’t really recall seeing many
of them in the field; that said I believe only 1000 of
them were ever made. For a stock AEG it performed
impeccably but I felt it would be better suited for the
DMR role mainly due to its length and at just over 1
joule I felt it lacked a little. Having used it in game a
couple of times I decided to ramp it up a bit in search
of more performance. As the internals were already
pretty damn good it didn’t require much to eke out
that extra performance; a heavy spring to increase the
velocity to UK power 1.88j and a different hop rubber
to aid with heavier BBs. Running on a 11.1v battery
and was a game changer as along with the E-Trigger
system and the auto pre-cocking function, flat short
stroke trigger and their new evolution motor made for
a very responsive rifle.
Talking of pre-cocking, ICS on many of their AEGs
over the years have incorporated their own de-cocking
feature which is something unseen from many other
manufacturers, if in fact all other manufacturers which
is a fantastic idea especially for the platforms using
the auto-pre-cock. It allows you to alleviate any spring
tension, maintaining the life of the spring. Through
the E-Trigger it is possible to turn off the pre-cocking
should you feel the need to.
Even with a heavy spring I had no
concerns about the integrity of the internal
components. This is all taken care of as
from the factory you get aftermarket
quality in the form of MasterMod parts,
parts that I came to recognise as a good
choice of upgrades. The full metal rack
piston is tough and even after heavy use
does not even show any signs of wear,
and the piston head again is MasterMod
and is very well finished sporting eight
vents and giving a very good airseal in the
cylinder.
One thing I would change is the nozzle.
While it is a MasterMod o-ring nozzle it
is flat on the tip and I feel it would be a
better design if it were a tapered nozzle
which seals in the hop rubber. All of
these are fitted in their signature split
gearbox design which ICS have used for
many years and still proves to be a great
choice. From a tech point of view makes
life incredibly easy to work on
should you need
to work on the
compression
parts or the lower
gearbox section.
Due to this split design it
is very convenient should you
want to swap out a spring
via the quick-spring
change system or even
lubricate your gears
without the need to
strip the entire rifle.
The one-piece
metal
hop unit with rotary dial makes for
very precise settings; while it looks
very basic it works very well and
coupled with the right hop
rubber and brass concave nub
yield some fantastic results
allowing you to maintain a
respectable distance from
your opponents. I mentioned
“TALKING OF PRE-COCKING, ICS ON MANY OF THEIR AEGS OVER THE YEARS HAVE
INCORPORATED THEIR OWN DE-COCKING FEATURE WHICH IS SOMETHING UNSEEN
FROM MANY OTHER MANUFACTURERS, IF IN FACT ALL OTHER MANUFACTURERS
WHICH IS A FANTASTIC IDEA ESPECIALLY FOR THE PLATFORMS USING THE AUTO-PRE-
COCK”
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G&G TR16 MBR 556WH (G2)
Price: iro UK£330.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2900g
Length: 910mm/1000mm
Magazine Capacity: 90 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Hot Chrono: 1.01 Joule/330fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.nuprol.com
DOUBLE EAGLE M904A FCS
Price: iro UK£106.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 2140g
Length: 730mm/810mm
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.04 Joule/335fps (after spring change)
Hot Chrono: 1.04 Joule/335fps (after spring change)
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.taiwangun.com
EMG NOVESKE INFIDEL
Price: iro UK£340.00
Age: Five Years
Weight: 2450g
Length: 830mm/910mm
Magazine Capacity: 450 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07 Joule/340fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.emgarms.com
KWA T10 3.0
Price: iro UK£400.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2950g
Length: 742mm/812mm
Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.13 Joule/350fps
Hot Chrono: 1.1 Joule/345fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK Rail
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
ICS KOMODO 3S LIMITED EDITION
Price: iro UK£460.00
Age: Four Years
Weight: 3160g
Length: 840mm/935mm
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.98 Joule/325fps
Hot Chrono: 0.95 Joule/321fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.fire-support.co.uk
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E-Trigger earlier and I have to say I am impressed
with it; it is pretty basic compared to other brands
on the market but it works there are no fancy bells
or whistles or unnecessary calibration settings, and
it has the ability to programme a burst mode along
with a self-diagnostic system that should anything fail
in the gearbox the system can give you some form
of indication as to what has gone wrong. A series of
blinking/flashing lights will let you know what has
occurred but as long as it is green you’re good to go.
Externally the ICS Komodo SSS is far more eyecatching
than the standard model, sporting a fantastic
grey and greenish-blue paint job which is pretty
rugged and yet to show any signs of wear. With its
vast M-LOK handguard there is plenty of real estate
for you to adorn it with all your favourite attachments.
The receiver has a top 20mm rail which spans the
length but stops just on the handguard meaning any
attachments on the rail sit lower than that of any
optics or red dots. Ambi selectors cater for everyone,
and these also incorporate the - function so every time
you select safety the piston is released. Both receivers
and the handguard are metal leaving the pistol grip
and stock to be made of a tough fibre polymer. The
stock is a 416 style stock with its overly large butt pad
but this does provide ample battery storage although I
think it looks much better with either a MOE or a CTR
stock… again personal opinions here. So far though
to date the Komodo has lived up to and withstood
the abuse of airsoft; I highly recommend ICS platforms
and I look forward to what else they have to offer in
the future!
Miguel: We all know that Specna Arms has a heavy
presence in the AR range, it’s hard to go to a game
and not see a few of them around. They are available
in several lines, but here we are focusing on the EDGE
2.0 line, which is the brand’s high end (for now).
When it comes to performance, the Specna Arms
2.0 AR series don’t disappoint. The replicas deliver
consistent accuracy and impressive range, making
it suitable for both close-quarters engagements
and long-range shots. The included flat hop-up
lets you use heavier BBs without compromising the
range that much. The reinforced ORION gearbox is
reliable and capable of handling various upgrades for
those looking to customize their setup. The brand
recommends springs up to M140, so
keep that in mind.
But one of the main aspects is the
pre-installed Aster electronic trigger from
GATE. Which allow the player further
customizations, like trigger sensitivity,
ROF, and types of fire. But, being an
optic trigger, the Aster can be a bit
sensitive to sunlight in excess.
One notable advantage of
the Specna Arms 2.0 series is its
compatibility with a variety of
magazines. This flexibility allows
players to choose from
a wide range of options,
ensuring that finding spare
magazines is a hassle-free
experience. The S-MAGS included are
great, I’ve been using mine pretty much
since they were released with the 1.0
series, and they are great.
Jimmy:
Yup, Specna
Arms is
now a
name that
all airsofters
will have heard of, a brand
that just keeps giving. Very
recently Specna have again
upped their game
with a completely
new control
system soon to hit
the market which
has got me pretty excited to be
honest.
For now though, attention has
been on the EDGE 2.0 series;
many models have a 12.5
inch handguard covering
a 14.5 inch inner barrel ,
and in general they have
a monolithic 20mm rail
with the full length top
and bottom rail area.
“WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE, THE SPECNA ARMS 2.0 AR SERIES DON’T
DISAPPOINT. THE REPLICAS DELIVER CONSISTENT ACCURACY AND IMPRESSIVE
RANGE, MAKING IT SUITABLE FOR BOTH CLOSE-QUARTERS ENGAGEMENTS AND LONG-
RANGE SHOTS”
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MID LENGTH AR UPDATE
VFC BCM MCMR
Price: iro UK£500.00
Age: Three Years
Weight: 2158 g
Length: 728mm/802 mm
Magazine Capacity: 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.07Joule/341fps (after spring change)
Hot Chrono: 1.35 Joule/382fps (original spring)
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.vegaforce.com
ARES X-CLASS MODEL 9 EFCS
Price: iro UK£400.0
Age: Two Years
Weight: 2600g
Length: 690mm/770mm
Magazine Capacity: 140 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps
Hot Chrono: 1.12 Joule/348fps
Taclite Compatibility: M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
SPECNA ARMS SA-E09 EDGE 2.0
Price: iro UK£215.00
Age: One Year Six Months
Weight: 2640g
Length: 800mm/885mm
Magazine Capacity: 2 x 125 BBs
Cold Chrono: 0.99Joule/328fps
Hot Chrono: 0.99Joule/328fps
Taclite Compatibility: KeyMod
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.specnaarms.com
HUNTSMAN HMT16 (POLYMER)
Price: iro UK£190.00
Age: One Year Eight Months
Weight: 2080g
Length: 740mm/820mm
Magazine Capacity: 300 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.05 Joule/337fps
Hot Chrono: 1.07Joule/341fps
Taclite Compatibility: Honeycomb/M-LOK
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.iwholesales.co.uk
ROSSI NEPTUNE 10.5” SAS
Price: iro UK£290.00
Age: Ten Months
Weight: 2500g
Length: 740mm/810mm
Magazine Capacity: 2 x 120 BBs
Cold Chrono: 1.0 Joule/330fps
Hot Chrono: 1.05Joule/337fps
Taclite Compatibility: Partial Rail (L119-style)
Suppressor Compatibilty: 14mm CCW
Supplied By: www.davescustomairsoft.co.uk
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More recently again there is a new-design of receiver
that gives a much more modern feel and has been
described as ‘billet’ although I do believe it is still cast.
This also sports a full length 20mm rail matching
up perfectly with the rail on the handguards. With
ambidextrous fire selector and mag release (we all
know at least one lefty lol), included also is their new
Heavy Ops Stock, and I would describe it as a modern
twist on the very common CRANE-style stock, offering
much needed battery storage and a rubberised check
pad.
One thing I can’t bring myself to like is the pistol
grip. They insist on using the ‘tool free’ grip and while
it does serve a purpose it is not without its flaws. I
have too often encountered motors that have popped
out due to the base plate coming loose on its own.
I have had the same happen to me, but luckily I
managed to spot it in time before any damage. It is a
grip I regularly swap out for something more reliable.
I haven’t yet been inside this model to any real depth
but I can tell you a few things, things that haven’t
really changed much and to be fair haven’t needed to
be changed ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’!
Sticking with the blue plastic rotary hop units it is
no frills but it does its job and is well made, a bit stiff
to turn but you can be sure once set it’s not going
to move. As standard a 6.03mm brass barrel which
is actually finished quite well with a very clean polish
on the inside; a brass barrel is not a bad barrel in my
opinion especially if finished correctly. The heart of
the beast consists of the ever popular Gate Aster,
the baby brother to the Gate Titan, a programmable
optical MOSFET system which allows for finite tuning
making it more personal to you the user. The Aster
is every bit as good as the Titan, just a bit cheaper
and offers many of the same adjustable parameters.
To accompany the Gate Aster is the very sleek and
smooth Solar trigger which can be compared to the
quantum trigger, a flat textured trigger design for
speedy operation. This is nestled inside the Orion V2
gearbox which I can honestly say is a substantial shell
for all the quality internals that I know Specna use.
As mentioned I am yet to inspect the internals in
this particular model as we do like to leave models
stick for testing, but I have seen inside many, many
Specnas. For anyone looking to buy a ‘pre-upgraded’
rifle the Specna Edge 2.0 range offers
models I would recommend; I mean the
performance for that price bracket is
pretty insane, 330fps and the ability
to lift a decent weight BB consistently,
lightning fast trigger response, a very
healthy ROF when using an 11.1v….
what’s not to like, for the money?
THE TECHS GET INTO IT!
Ben has been running the KWA T10
for a while now and this particular
AEG has caused some interesting
conversation among our testers overall,
especially Dan and Jimmy, our resident
“tech gurus”, so I thought it best to
share their thoughts here in full…
Ben: The KWA T10, what a lovely
piece of
an AEG this is,
not too
long or
big and
bulky,
with
that modern sleek
look! It’s very comfortable
in the hands and definitely
one of the best electric
recoil systems you will
feel from a
AEG platform.
When
these first came
out there were a couple
issues too which (Jimmy) has had the
pleasure of battling; I’m fortunate
enough to of had some of his
pixie-dust fingers address some of
the issues on my T10; the bearing
cases had cracked and this was
pretty much gun-fresh out the
box, and if memory
serves me right as it
was a couple years
back it was a bit of
“NOW WHEN THESE FIRST CAME OUT THERE WERE A COUPLE ISSUES TOO WHICH
(JIMMY) HAS HAD THE PLEASURE OF BATTLING; I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO OF HAD
SOME OF HIS PIXIE-DUST FINGERS ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES ON MY T10…”
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a pig to deal with but Jimmy pursued and solved
it. He fitted new bearings and shimmed the gear’s,
and ever since it’s run as it should do, even standing
up to me lending it to my friend who’s a full-auto
trigger-happy over-kill war-lord, and has probably put
more BBs through it in one game then I have in the
time I’ve had it!
My only issue I have now with it is the stock...
I mean damn! KWA what was you thinking of....
It’s like we’ll make a slender man body but whack
Bigfoot’s boot on there! Obviously this is a personal
issue, but it’s only an easy stock-swap so I’ve just got
to find one I like to keep the T10 looking kinky!
Jimmy: To be honest the KWA range of recoil
rifles never really appealed to me. The T10 was a rifle
that got a big-thumbs down rather fast and this was
due to a combination of reasons.
Externally the quality is exquisite and they are a
very solid feeling platform but it’s what is inside that
fuelled my dislike and as result of this has put me off
ever owning one.
KWA opted to be different and I get that they
wanted a design all of their own and not followed
suit in just making another TM clone as many others
have and are still doing. One thing that can be said
is, the gearboxes are solid, but it’s the little things
that matter. Things such as the tappet plate designs
with its proprietary nozzle make it difficult to use
anything other than KWA parts and the lack of
O-ring on the nozzle allows for air to leak out. In
order to use a decent O-ring nozzle requires the use
of the earlier Gen 2 tappet plate in order to achieve
some compression.
Looking at the piston head it is an unvented
version which does not really create any airseal in the
cylinder and this coupled with the OEM nozzle isn’t
really all that efficient; I mean it works but requires
a heavy spring in order to give any decent velocity.
The piston is 95% polymer and has one metal tooth
on the release-end which in an AEG with a heavy
spring and high torque motor is a recipe for disaster.
Another problem with the piston is it is slightly larger
than many aftermarket pistons and from memory the
only viable option either a Cyma FMR or a modify
piston, easy enough to obtain but to the untrained
eye you would never notice. The bearings used are
weak and I have seen many break, even brand new
o-o-t-b AEGs have fallen foul to bearings collapsing
after only a few shots which doesn’t fill me with
confidence.
I’m yet to see any broken KWA gears so it’s not all
negative here. The recoil is “MEH”, a word I seldom
use but recoil in an AEG is just a pain especially from
a Techs point if you have never tried removing a
recoil buffer tube from an AEG you probably won’t
understand, but if you have then you know the
battle. Trying to unscrew a buffer tube with wires in
the way and having to do it all while not damaging
wires can at times be infuriating and I find myself
regularly saying “I’m never working on a recoil AEG
ever again!” LOL.
I would like to see KWA redesigning their
gearboxes to allow the use of other internal ETUs
rather than being able to only use the gate Titan; it
would be nice to be able to have that option if you
are going to buy a T10 or any of the KWA electric
recoil rifles buy them with the knowledge that you
will be replacing parts.
Dan: In relation to the T10 specifically and KWA
internals more generally I had a long and productive
discussion with Debbie and their head engineer
about some product improvements when I was at
SHOT. They are well aware of the issues with the roll
pins on the recoil weights and have already pushed
out a fix… but obviously this doesn’t take care of
anything out ‘in the wild’ already.
I also brought up the need for a “UK / Euro spec”
rifle again, as the gun is really designed for the US
market and needs a few fundamental changes to
work properly with countries that have lower velocity
limits without eating itself. I think I also managed
to convince them of the need for a reverting back
to the Gen. 2 tappets and updating the nozzle
to a metal or POM O-ring design instead of the
proprietary Gen. 3 setup some of the newer rifles are
coming in with. There’s some other very interesting
things in the pipeline too, some of which I am not
allowed to speak about just yet. But, all positives on
the horizon.
Jimmy: Dan, nailed on the head specifically when
“I ALSO BROUGHT UP THE NEED FOR A “UK / EURO SPEC” RIFLE AGAIN, AS THE
GUN IS REALLY DESIGNED FOR THE US MARKET AND NEEDS A FEW FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGES TO WORK PROPERLY WITH COUNTRIES THAT HAVE LOWER VELOCITY LIMITS
WITHOUT EATING ITSELF”
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ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

RED CELL
MID LENGTH AR UPDATE
it comes to the nozzle setup. I have done many a
build which required swapping out the nozzle and
trying to find the right tappet plate in the UK can be a
headache. The fact they have used an off-spec piston
is also a problem in itself. As good as the rifles look
there is so much that need to be addressed.
Dan: CYMA FMR’s are what you seek, my friend. I
can’t tell you how many I’ve installed over the years,
but I’ve never had one fail. AOE correct it and epoxy
the rack and it’ll hold up for years. For the price of
them, they really give the Angel Custom Kratos and
Aztech Xtreme a run for their money - though either
of those will arguably be the best you can get. It’s
really among one of the most durable pistons out
there. I believe the AK2M4 dude
in the UK can get them
still as that’s where I
was buying
them from
during the
pandemic
when US
suppliers were gutted.
Jimmy: Dan I agree
1000% on that with
the CYMA FMR
pistons. Pete at
AK2M4 is one of
my main suppliers
and, as it happens,
conveniently lives
just 10 minutes away
from me… Cue smug
face from me! AA
Red Cell is supported by:
www.airsoftaction.net 59

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TECHNICAL
AA TEAM MAINTENANCE TIPS
RUNNING
SMOOTH
KEEPING YOUR AEG OR GBB RUNNING AT PEAK PERFORMANCE IS NOT AS HARD AS YOU MIGHT THINK, AND
THIS MONTH THE MEMBERS OF THE AA LEGION GET TOGETHER TO DISCUSS JUST WHAT THEY DO WHEN IT
COMES TO LOOKING AFTER THEIR OWN ARMOURIES; READ ON TO FIND OUT THEIR “TIPS FROM THE TOP”!
In our regular AA LEGION updates most Fridays
on the website we talk a lot about “what’s on
the workbench” for the coming weekend, and
although many of these updates are about custom
airsoft projects that we’re working on, there’s also
a lot of chat about general maintenance, and what
we’re doing to keep our own AEGs and GBBs running
smoothly and efficiently!
As Bill has covered off THE CAGE this time we
thought we’d throw open the AA LEGION chat group
and find out exactly what little secrets the team have
in this respect, and this is what the guys had to say!
Jimmy: GBBs, be it a rifle or a pistol, require
the most maintenance and a more frequent “love
regime” than an AEG. A GBB is more susceptible to
the elements and especially the effects of the siliconefilled
gases that are so commonly used to drive them.
Due to the nature of the exposed workings they can
attract dirt and debris far easier than an AEG. Gaspowered
platforms though are admittedly far easier to
disassemble which makes cleaning much quicker over
an AEG which can take some time to strip to get to
the internal workings.
Regular maintenance of an AEG would be a
simple; barrel clean and for this I would use a 6mm
soft bristled brush to remove any BB scuffs followed
through with some microfibre swabs on a cleaning rod
dipped in IPA or isopropyl alcohol (not India Pale Ale
LOL!). Then run a couple more clean swabs through
until they come out clean. Remember not to push too
far as you may damage the hop rubber.
Depending on how much said AEG gets used I
recommend yearly servicing which would consist
of a full strip down of every component, cleaned
using IPA, inspected for wear and reassembled. I use
Abbey LT2 grease for gears, Bikehut Teflon grease for
piston runners, and for any rubber components I use
a silicone based medium oil, something like GHK or
WALDO.
GBBs on a regular basis will get the same barrel
clean; the only difference is the hop rubber will get
a clean also to remove any silicone residue from the
contact area as a greasy hop rubber will not create
the friction needed to give effective BB-lift. I will then
“GBBS, BE IT A RIFLE OR A PISTOL, REQUIRE THE MOST MAINTENANCE AND A MORE
FREQUENT “LOVE REGIME” THAN AN AEG. A GBB IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE
ELEMENTS AND ESPECIALLY THE EFFECTS OF THE SILICONE-FILLED GASES THAT ARE
SO COMMONLY USED TO DRIVE THEM”
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TECHNICAL
AA TEAM MAINTENANCE TIPS
clean any contact surfaces using cotton buds and IPA
to get in those tight areas ensuring any debris has
been completely removed, then a blast of compressed
air followed by very thin cover of Tech T Sav on piston
heads.
Any other moving part or contact surface gets an
amount of Magload’s Maglube, a very good oil for
GBB/Rs which was introduced to us by Tim Wyborn at
iWholesales. I then put a single drop of Maglube just
in the gas release valve to keep that operating freely.
After five or six outings with the pistols they will get a
complete strip down and thoroughly cleaned using IPA
in a homemade ultrasonic cleaner. You don’t need any
real fancy kit for maintenance of airsoft equipment
but using the right lubes for the correct application is
paramount to ensure your tools run right.
Dan: On GBB maintenance, I scrub mine out after
every game. Good ol’ toothbrush, rubbing alcohol
and 5.56mm-sized barrel swabs for the bore. For
lubrication, I like Tech T Gun Sav for the cup seal. I use
Benchmade Blue Lube for the slide rails. For the mags
I maintain those with Superlube synthetic grease or Jet
Lube MP silicone grease.
With AEGs, I follow a basic prescription of ensuring
the batteries are removed post-game and the hop
up is fully dialled “off” too. Anything equipped
with an ETU will still draw power, even if it’s not
being operated. So by removing the battery, you can
ensure it will not discharge beyond its safe operating
parameters. With regard to the hop up chamber,
it is good practice to relieve the hop up tension so
as to prevent the bucking from forming a semi or
permanent “set”, which is where the bucking gets
deformed from having constant hop up pressure
applied over an extended period of time. This can
result in having to apply more hop up tension than
usual, or even running out of adjustment range in
severe cases.
Depending on the volume and intensity of shooting
(and the environmental factors) I will usually give the
bore a quick swab with a 5.56mm-sized patch soaked
in rubbing alcohol. For indoor CQB fields, I might
not worry about this so much as those are relatively
‘sterile’ environments. However, if it’s an extremely
dusty field or there was a lot of rain, it will always
get a swab through the bore. With my LMG’s, which
are often shooting a volume of BB’s far in excess of a
what your average carbine or rifle does, those will also
get a good swab post-game to help prevent a buildup
of BB residue. Heavy residue buildup will eventually
lead to poor accuracy and can even cause BB jams as
it starts to choke down the bore diameter. If you’re
sighting down your bore and it looks like the interior
of a sewer pipe, it’s a definite sign you need to clean
it!
Once yearly (usually around winter), I will pop open
the gearbox, check the O-rings and compression, and
clean and relube the components as necessary. I also
take this time to examine for any adverse wear, adjust
shimming if needed, and replace any consumable
parts; namely the O-rings. My preferred lube for most
things in the gearbox is synthetic Superlube, which is
applied with a stiff horsehair brush, so it gets worked
“WITH AEGS, I FOLLOW A BASIC PRESCRIPTION OF ENSURING THE BATTERIES ARE
REMOVED POST-GAME AND THE HOP UP IS FULLY DIALLED “OFF” TOO. ANYTHING
EQUIPPED WITH AN ETU WILL STILL DRAW POWER, EVEN IF IT’S NOT BEING
OPERATED”
www.airsoftaction.net 63

TECHNICAL
AA TEAM MAINTENANCE TIPS
into the teeth on the gears and other sliding surfaces.
I typically only do this sort of deeper maintenance for
guns that receive a lot of use. Something that maybe
see’s one or two games a year will typically be fine
and not require much beyond a simple wipe down
and setting it away properly for storage.
I am a bit of a stickler for maintaining the exterior
of the gun as well and always give them a full wipe
down after a game to remove dirt and grime. I like
to attack things with a toothbrush, soft microfiber
rag and a barrier wipe (an oil impregnated soft wipe,
basically) to help prevent rust or corrosion from
gaining a foothold. Nothing skeeves me out more
than seeing a neglected AEG with a fine layer of dirt,
mysterious sticky substances, corroded controls and a
dozen grimy zipties hanging off the sling loops!
Robbie: GBB and such cleaning/care, it’s identical
for an AEG as well for me. After tons and tons of
experimenting I found nothing worked better than
to clean with 90% water 10% alcohol and a drop of
dawn dish soap, especially hop buckings and barrels,
but in anything gas-powered all residue has to be
removed. Then the best lube for me hands down is
Super Lube for air tools; on some things I found just
the cleaning alone was enough and only a drop of the
Super Lube air tool lube in each magazine was needed
to protect seals.
Stewbacca: GBB wise, silicone oil of varying
viscosities for o-rings/piston seals; also petroleum
jelly is apparently ideal for internal mechanical
lubrication! I’ve also been using the 4UAD Smart
Airsoft 4UANTUM range of lubes and sealants, but
have yet to try their threadlockers... more to come on
this another day!
Miguel: Sometimes the guys and I do take part
of a Sunday morning in the field to undertake
maintenance. Most of us use AEG (no GBB, expect
pistols), so we do the normal barrel and hop up
cleaning. But any more than that, we leave it to our
“mechanics”, the experts in the team!
Chris: My three “must haves” for cleaning and
maintaining any RIF; a decent cleaning rod, funnily
enough I’ve recently purchased the Matrix/EMG
cleaning rod set via BZ here in the UK, it’s an absolute
game changer. Gone are the days of trying to carry
round a long cleaning rod when this thing now just
“GBB WISE, SILICONE OIL OF VARYING VISCOSITIES FOR O-RINGS/PISTON SEALS;
ALSO PETROLEUM JELLY IS APPARENTLY IDEAL FOR INTERNAL MECHANICAL
LUBRICATION! I’VE ALSO BEEN USING THE 4UAD SMART AIRSOFT 4UANTUM RANGE
OF LUBES AND SEALANTS”
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TECHNICAL
AA TEAM MAINTENANCE TIPS
folds up nice and neat into its own carry box!
Second is a decent lube, I use Loctite’s “Super Lube
Synthetic Grease” this stuff was recommended by
Explosive Enterprises in a YouTube video and its damn
good at keeping GBBR’s well lubricated. A simple
cleaning tool I also use, and somehow have a bag full
are old socks (clean) as when cleaning down a GBBR
bolt they don’t leave any fluff, and once it’s used you
can just chuck them away and not feel guilty!
Bill: As I’ve oft said, I am no “tech”, don’t wanna
be, never will be… it’s all about the shootin’ for me!
If things need a proper service then it’s off with them
to Jimmy, but that said, even a self-confessed “techluddite”
like me needs to perform basic cleaning and
maintenance on a regular basis to keep those AEGs
and GBB/Rs up to snuff!
I come from a real shooting background, both
military and civilian, so an after-shooting regime
is hard-wired into me, and I actually enjoy it
immensely… although my dear, long-suffering
wife sometimes comments on the smell of gun
oil emanating from by workroom! My regime is
actually pretty simple, and my best friends are a small
paintbrush, a toothbrush, some cotton buds, and a
cleaning rod with Clenzoil saturated and dry patches.
So, as Dan already noted, batteries come out, hops
get taken off, mags get emptied, and if gas the mags
are also vented and then topped off a little. Everything
gets a good general brushing to remove dust and grit,
with the toothbrush and buds getting into those hardto-reach
spots or where a little more hard-cleaning
is needed. The inner barrel gets rodded (gently of
course when close to the hop chamber!),first with
saturated patches (again, don’t get too close to the
hop chamber with these) and then dry patches until
it’s gleaming. This is the same process for both GBBs
and AEGs, but then the GBBs get a little more love
with some Maglube and Clenzoil on the “working
parts”… so, slide off or BCG out, clean and lube, and
then back together!
Clenzoil recently came up in a discussion with a
friend as they asked me about removing rust patina
from steel parts, and for me Clenzoil “Field and
Range” products are the perfect solution; if you
have an AEG or a GBB that is in majority steel parts
(as more and more are these days) then you need
to protect against rust, especially if you put these
platforms into longer-term storage. I always clean and
then add a small film of Clenzoil to any steel parts
when I store my “MilSim AKs” that don’t get used as
often as other things to keep them gleaming!
The Clenzoil products are also great if you do see
any rust forming anywhere; I use their foam spray
with a soft cloth if I see any patina forming and this
solves the problem entirely, getting things back to
look “as new” swiftly! AA
“I’VE RECENTLY PURCHASED THE MATRIX/EMG CLEANING ROD SET VIA BZ HERE IN
THE UK, IT’S AN ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF TRYING TO
CARRY ROUND A LONG CLEANING ROD WHEN THIS THING NOW JUST FOLDS UP NICE
AND NEAT INTO ITS OWN CARRY BOX!”
www.airsoftaction.net 65

AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
SCORPIO
RISING!
THERE’S BEEN AN AWFUL LOT OF DISCUSSION IN PLAYER COMMUNITY GROUPS ONLINE ABOUT THE
UPCOMING OP SCORPIO, BUT THE EXCITEMENT AROUND THIS POTENTIALLY GAME-CHANGING AIRSOFT
EVENT IN THE UK APPEARS TO HAVE GIVEN RISE TO QUESTIONS RATHER THAN ANSWERS! BILL GETS DOWN
TO THE TRUTH OF THINGS AS WE HEAR THAT THE EVENT HAS NOW BEEN SCALED DOWN FOR 2024… FOR
THE VERY BEST OF REASONS!
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ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
Airsoft Action will always be a supporter of
potentially great new airsoft events that we
believe are important for the player community,
not only here in the UK where you’ll find AAHQ,
but internationally too, and we take great pride in
bringing you news and reports on superb games,
events, and shows from all over the globe on a regular
basis!
That said, we do not run games or events ourselves
for a good reason; we are a magazine and an airsoft
news source, not a site operator or game-runner!
Some things are best left to specialists in their specific
field, and whilst many of the AA Crew have vast
experience in running games, we produce a multiaward-winning
magazine, and that’s what we do best.
So, when the team and I learned initially about
an all-new airsoft event run by a professional event
company, Project Zodiac Limited, you can bet that
we were interested in seeing this potential “gamechanger”
(quite literally!) happen, and for the last
seven months we’ve been solidly behind the team at
OP SCORPIO.
I, and we, believe it has the real potential to be an
event that could encompass many styles of airsoft
to the delight of hundreds (if not thousands in the
future!) of shooters and players in a totally new and
unique way!
We’ve been extremely humbled to see in
numerous online discussions about the event that
the participation and media partnership we initially
created with Craig and the event team has become
somewhat of a trusted “weather-vane” for the
forecast on how things are right now, and will
continue to shape up in the future for you out there
in the player community, and we’ve really enjoyed the
personal emails and messages from you all asking for
more details.
In response to one such email I wrote back:
“Thanks for reaching out... Yes, AA is working as
Media Partner with Craig at OP SCORPIO; I believe it
will work, hence getting behind the event as I also
believe our community needs another solid event
where we can all meet up and enjoy being airsofters
together!
“I agree it is currently “untested”, but Craig is
running a Media/Sponsor Briefing Day on site on 17
Jan so that we can all see how things are developing,
and I will create a report in the Feb Issue of AA to
update everyone once I’ve had “boots on the ground”
that hopefully can address all the questions and
concerns.
“AA will support the event, but I need to ensure
we do “due diligence” to ensure that people get
their monies worth! In principle though I am excited
to see where OP SCORPIO goes as I do feel it could
potentially be a great opportunity for the UK (and
Euro) community... let’s face it, we definitely need
something fresh, don’t we?”
As a Media Partner it is our duty to report on the
event, good, bad or indifferent! We are proud to
support OP SCORPIO and further such events, and
as a privileged “outsider” looking in, we need to
make sure that you have ALL the information we can
provide to make YOUR decision to support the event
this year and in the future as we will. So, here we are
in the February Issue as promised, and here is UPDATE
#1 on OP SCORPIO… and it’s extremely positive,
although not for the reasons we first anticipated….
OP SCORPIO HAS BEEN SCALED DOWN…
THE TRUTH OF IT
So, with that particular bombshell dropped, let’s get
into the meat of things, the “WHY” and the “WHAT
NEXT”! An event like OP SCORPIO that aims to bring
something new and fresh to all of us in the airsoft
shooter and player community does not happen
overnight if it’s done right.
At the 17th January Media Briefing Day, Craig
brought a core group of the event partners together
to look at where things stand right now, and with the
majority of the physical event infrastructure already
fully in place, the community it appears still has
questions about the format of the event, especially
when it comes down to the gameplay and the state of
the site itself.
Sadly I was unable to attend the day for personal
reasons, but my old mates Ian from VIPER TACTICAL
and Taig from KYDEX CUSTOMS were onsite and
I asked them to look at some specific areas for me
and report back; namely their feelings over the
commitment, planning and physical site-readiness,
and this is what they had to tell me:
“AA DOES NOT RUN GAMES OR EVENTS OURSELVES FOR A GOOD REASON; WE ARE A
MAGAZINE AND AN AIRSOFT NEWS SOURCE, NOT A SITE OPERATOR OR GAME-RUNNER!
SOME THINGS ARE BEST LEFT TO SPECIALISTS IN THEIR SPECIFIC FIELD”
www.airsoftaction.net 67

AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
“Craig and the team are a sound bunch of people.
It was the 1st time we had physically met them and
although not coming from an airsoft background,
they are genuine in what they want Op Scorpio to
achieve in delivering a new, fresh, must-go-to annual
event with a tournament section
to it and bringing the airsoft
community that bit closer together.
“The site, away from the game
zone has plenty of space for all the
on-site camping, bar area, retailers,
food vendors and side attractions of
which there will be many.
“The game site itself is around
50 acres. Originally and primarily
set up for paintball, the owner/
organiser is very keen to bring in the
airsoft element to the venue and
understands that the two sports are
not the same and the site will need
to be altered accordingly.
“It’s hilly and, in places, rather
steep which will be a challenge
in itself… It had been sold to its
present owner just before the
Covid lockdown periods and he has
been revamping the venue since
reopening as it been left to go by
its previous owner. At the moment
the site isn’t currently being run as
an airsoft site, this will be changing
in the near future.
“There are some great zoned
areas with some fantastic features
already in-situ, including a small
concrete block built village, stream
with bridge crossing points in one
of the areas.
“Another area (as soon as we
saw it) got nicknamed “Hamburger
Hill”! We can see that being an
amazing area, it will take it out of
you but (if you succeed) what an
accomplishment it will be!
“The owner wants to put in
many new features and expand/
change some of the existing
features, so the site is the best it can be before
hosting such a high profile event. From our own
experience, their plans to do all the development work
is achievable, but they won’t happen overnight.
“AA WILL SUPPORT THE EVENT, BUT I NEED TO ENSURE WE DO “DUE DILIGENCE” TO ENSURE
THAT PEOPLE GET THEIR MONIES WORTH! IN PRINCIPLE THOUGH I AM EXCITED TO SEE
WHERE OP SCORPIO GOES AS I DO FEEL IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE UK (AND EURO) COMMUNITY... LET’S FACE IT, WE DEFINITELY NEED SOMETHING
FRESH, DON’T WE?”
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ISSUE 159 - MARCH 2024

AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
“Our current understanding is they will run a
scaled-back weekend event on the same weekend
in May as the proposed Op Scorpio and see how it
plays out, with the view to making adjustments and
develop the site more in readiness for the full-on
event May next Year.
“In the meantime, they want to
open the site up to airsoft events
and become a “known” venue in
both the the local area and amongst
the wider airsoft community”.
SCORPIO developing both as an
“first event” and into the future,
and he told me:
“We are very excited! We started
looking at the airsoft Industry some
20 months ago and it became
apparent very quickly that this sport
has a lot offer a lot of people, and
connects individuals in remarkable
ways. Offering for some a hobby,
others a sport and for some even
therapy! I have also seen how
people benefit in terms of “life
skills” such as communication,
problem-solving and team work.
We were looking for ways to
promote our other projects and
decided the best way to give back
to the industry was with an event
...a big one!
“We have a great team of event
organisers working on Operation Scorpio to ensure a
well- produced and managed experience. Because we
approach these sort of events differently, we are able
install features that will guarantee a little something
COMMS UP!
On a day to day basis I’ve been
in regular, direct, open, and
forthright communication with
the Project Zodiac Limited Project
Lead, Craig, and he’s kept me, and
all the other parners, 100% up
to speed on developments. From
that first moment, and in order to
get a firm grasp on the ethos of
the event I asked Craig what his
personal reasons were for initiating
the project, and how he saw OP
“WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF EVENT ORGANISERS WORKING ON OPERATION SCORPIO TO
ENSURE A WELL- PRODUCED AND MANAGED EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE WE APPROACH THESE
SORT OF EVENTS DIFFERENTLY, WE ARE ABLE INSTALL FEATURES THAT WILL GUARANTEE
A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX WHEN IT COMES TO
ENTERTAINMENT AND SPECIAL EFFECTS”
www.airsoftaction.net 69

AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
for everyone, and think outside the box when it
comes to entertainment and special effects.
“As for the future, well these events will be grown
by the players. We aim to host an annual calendar
date that gives players value for money and appeals to
all. We will endeavour to provide a stage for traders,
manufactures and exhibitors to showcase their
goods and services, along with a great networking
opportunity. All packaged into a 5 Day extravaganza
with fantastic catering, entertainment and visual
effects that leaves us all wow’d!
“As things stand we have found gaining community
trust an issue, so we have scaled right back on this
first one to give players opportunity to come and
see what we are made of. We are hoping that this
condensed or “lite” event will give us enough traction
to ensure that 2025 Operation Gemini is a sell-out.
We think that this is the best way forward and want
to make sure that we do things right.
“I have to be honest, as event organisers we have
relied heavily on feedback from sponsors, supporters
and players from the industry and we couldn’t do it
without them. The support has been phenomenal and
let’s face it, these guys know airsoft. By combining
our event abilities with their vision of what an airsoft
event should be, we know we have the ingredients to
make something truly special.
“The important thing is to ensure that guests feel
well looked after, entertained and that they have had
good value for money. After Operation Scorpio we will
be leaving behind a new premium woodland venue
in the south west open to players and other event
organisers which will be managed by Mark, the site
owner.”
So, what can we expect of the site itself as it is
completely new and fresh for airsoft? I threw this
question at Mark who has been busy developing the
physical infrastructure and he told me:
“It’s been hard work converting a one acre paintball
field into a 50 acre playable airsoft venue. When we
were approached by Craig and Project Zodiac, we
thought this was ambitious. But there has never been
more need for a community focus point in airsoft and
it was the catalyst for our partnership. Over the last
year or so we have been working on the site and will
be putting the final touches to our Game Zones in
the coming months, all based on the feedback from
the sponsors and players, so you know it’s going to
be both a great site and a challenge. We are looking
forward to testing these zones as we complete them
with some sponsor challenges in March & April but
shh, I think that’s still a secret.
“After Operation Scorpio we will be opening Airsoft
Raiders to the public as another premium site option
in the south west. We feel that privately owned sites
are vital at the moment as although MOD sites are
fantastic, they are not always accessible. We have
developed this site to be used by others as well, but
we want to support Craig’s vision of building the
airsoft community and would love to see other event
organisers run their games here. It’s a beautiful place
and open to all. Project Zodiac are helping us turn our
vision in to a reality.”
And with OP SCORPIO being “scaled down” for
2024, what does this actually mean? Craig told me
“AFTER OPERATION SCORPIO WE WILL BE OPENING AIRSOFT RAIDERS TO THE PUBLIC AS
ANOTHER PREMIUM SITE OPTION IN THE SOUTH WEST... WE WANT TO SUPPORT CRAIGS
VISION OF BUILDING THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE OTHER EVENT
ORGANISERS RUN THEIR GAMES HERE. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND OPEN TO ALL. PROJECT
ZODIAC ARE HELPING US TURN OUR VISION IN TO A REALITY”
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AA LEGION
UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
numbers of people and our supporters
know airsoft, as things develop we will
expand.
“Media Day was an important turning
point for us, and with a combined airsoft
experience of over 100 years from our
guests, we knew we had a lot to absorb.
We all agree that this is the best way
forward and a chance for the community
get a taster, before we go all out in 2025
for Operation Gemini.”
that...
“We have reduced our expectations on numbers for
a start; the engagement with the community suggests
this first event may not be massive. We have taken
out the tournament as this appears to be the most
distrusted area. It’s a shame, we’d catered for 100
teams but could still have achieved our goals with
just 50. I can’t wait until Gemini in 2025 and we get
to give away such a large prize. It’s life-changing and
perfectly achievable as long as event organisers we are
prepared to give back. I know cheating was another
concern and we wouldn’t attempt such a large prize
if this were not watertight. We will have some of the
challenges running to give an onsite with some cash
prizes over the weekend.
“Other areas that may be reduced will be the
attractions such as the climbing walls and caving.
These all cost a fortune. We will do what we can with
what we have. Rather than a “if you build it, they will
come” approach we are adopting an “if you come,
we will build it” philosophy. We are keen to hear what
people would like to see at these events, and I’m
doing all I can to make sure there are dinosaurs!
“It is a shame but it is important we get this right;
we’d rather grow our events organically, with and
for the community rather than rush ahead and get
things wrong. We know how to accommodate large
WHAT NEXT?
I hope that this will give anyone who is
thinking about attending OP SCORPIO in
May this year the little push needed to
get you signed up! At this stage, while
sensibly scaled-back from the original
“vision” it lets you get on board with a
totally new site, and a totally new and
fresh event format that I for one hope will grow into
something very special in the future!
I believe that the incredibly hard decision taken by
Craig and the team is the correct one; I want to see
an airsoft event that unlike so many actually lives up
to both expectations and its potential, and by winding
things back slightly at this point it sets the stage for
an event that in years to come becomes something
AMAZING!
Truthfulness and openness go a LONG way with
me, and the honesty and integrity shown by Project
Zodiac Limited now fills me with great respect in
relation to their comments towards working WITH our
wonderful airsoft community. So if you are in/around
the Gloucester area, keep your eye open for game
dates, get down there and give them your honest
feedback to help them develop the site to its full
potential, and support OP SCORPIO!
Airsoft Action and all the other industry partners
are certainly 100% behind Craig and the team at
Project Zodiac Limited to get this event rolling, and we
look forward to seeing many of you there as a new
era of airsoft events is born!
PLEASE NOTE THAT GRAPHICS SHOWN ARE FOR
ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY CHANGE
FOR THE EVENT ITSELF. AA
“TRUTHFULNESS AND OPENNESS GO A LONG WAY WITH ME, AND THE HONESTY AND
INTEGRITY SHOWN BY PROJECT ZODIAC LIMITED NOW FILLS ME WITH GREAT RESPECT
IN RELATION TO THEIR COMMENTS TOWARDS WORKING WITH OUR WONDERFUL AIRSOFT
COMMUNITY... SUPPORT OP SCORPIO!”
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UK - OP SCORPIO BRIEFING
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AA LEGION
PORTUGAL
OP BACK
TO BACK
AIRSOFT IS OFTEN A “DRIVER FOR GOOD” WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING MILITARY CHARITIES,
BUT SOMETIMES THINGS COME A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME AND ARE A BIT MORE PERSONAL. THIS
MONTH MIGUEL LANDS HIS REPORT ON A GAME THAT TOOK PLACE IN PORTUGAL WHERE THE AIRSOFT
COMMUNITY THERE CAME TOGETHER FOR A VERY SPECIAL REASON; THEY CERTAINLY HAD FUN PLAYING
AIRSOFT, BUT THEY HELPED ONE SPECIAL YOUNG LADY WHILST DOING SO, AND MIGUEL TELLS US
MORE…
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Unfortunately, we live in a time when it’s
not hard to find someone in need of help,
and sometimes these situations are quite
close to us. And this is what happened; one of
my teammates approached me with the idea of
organizing a charity event with the intent to help a
family that he knows.
Carolina was born with cerebral paralysis, and
with little government support, any help is welcome,
and with the current economic and financial crisis,
even more so.
With that in mind, we got to work, creating a
game module, inviting teams, sharing the event
to the community and of course, getting in touch
with our partners, Specna Arms and Viper Tactical!
And after a couple of meetings, with some adult
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beverages to help along the way, we finished our
game module, and with that “Op Back to Back” was
born, so now it was time to hit the field and prepare
what was needed! It’s important to mention though
that we held a small game session the week before,
to check out the areas of the field where the major
objectives were going to take place. Always test
before play people!
With everything ready, it was time to see the
player slots being filled, receive the goodies to give
away and hammer out any detail that appeared
along the way. We even held an online meeting with
the team members that were unable to be present
while we created the game; it’s important to have
everyone on the same page. A week before the
game, the slots were pretty much gone, so it was all
looking good. It was great to be contacted by teams
further away in Portugal, who were unable to be
present, but wanted to help anyway, it’s good to see
the community getting together to help.
The day of the game arrived, and we hit the field
early on to prepare objectives, check-in, the parking
spaces, re-spawns and any other important aspects
for the game. Soon the players started arriving and
parking, and of course it was great to see so many
known faces from our many years of airsoft. Players
messing around with other players, showing their
new gear, trying out their replicas; I went from car
to car, to welcome them and talk to each a bit,
and of course, those that I’ve known for years took
more time, time which was freely and happily given.
Everything was going well and on time, but if you
also organize games, don’t forget, it’s important to
remind the players of the time left until the briefing,
or they will lose track…
BRIEF… GAME ON!
At 0845, it was time for
the briefing, and this time
the game opposed “two
mercenary forces”, the
Brotherhood of Ash as the red
team, and the Lone Sparrow
as the Blue Team, fighting
to complete several tasks
in the area for their client.
Before the game day, I had
created a couple of WhatsApp
groups, where I shared the
main rules of the game and
the links to the Ares Alpha
App for each faction, because
during a briefing people
can be distracted, and some
important points might be forgotten. At 0900 both
teams headed to their HQ, and at 0930 the game
started.
The game was divided in four different stages,
each with one main and secondary question. The
main mission was always the same, but in different
locations. The teams had to find and dominate a
device for 10 minutes, simulating a search, and after
those 10 minutes they would get a coordinate to
find an item that had to be taken to their HQ. When
the game started, BLUFOR moved really fast, they
dominated the area of the device fast and another
splinter group moved toward the secondary mission.
In the first stage, the secondary mission was to find
and rescue a pilot that was signalled by a flare;
BLUFOR was again really fast and got into location
before REDFOR was even close. Meanwhile, in the
main mission, BLUFOR completed the 10 minutes,
“ONE OF MY TEAMMATES APPROACHED ME WITH THE IDEA OF ORGANIZING A CHARITY
EVENT WITH THE INTENT TO HELP A FAMILY THAT HE KNOWS. CAROLINA WAS BORN WITH
CEREBRAL PARALYSIS, AND WITH LITTLE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, ANY HELP IS WELCOME,
AND WITH THE CURRENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS, EVEN MORE SO”
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got the coordinate to the objective and moved
onwards. Only after leaving the area was REDFOR
able to find the device and started their 10 minutes
(both factions could complete
the main mission, but only the
first one would get the full
score).
At this point, REDFOR was
falling behind, because even
after getting the coordinate
of the objective, they made
almost no effort to move
and complete the objective.
Meanwhile, the second
stage started, and the main
objective was available again,
but as mentioned before,
in a different location. The
secondary mission also
launched, and this time the
teams had to find three crates
of “special ammo” spread
around the field. BLUFOR
already had a few members close to the main
objective and moved to dominate the device again,
but they were stopped by the tripwire traps that
were place around the objective and during these
few minutes some members of REDFOR appeared
and turned the situation around; they got the
coordinates after completing the 10 minutes and
moved toward their goal, In the meantime, they also
got two out of the threeboxes for the secondary
mission, so the game was quite balanced at the time.
BLUFOR also got the coordinates after completing
their 10m and moved out
just behind their opponent.
Both factions completed the
second main objective before
the third stage began, and the
score was almost a tie at that
moment, but RDFOR now had
a little advantage.
STAGE 3…
DOMINATION!
The third stage arrived, and
it was here that REDFOR
dominated completely; once
again the main objective
appeared in a different
location, and the secondary
mission (sniper rescue) was
also available, which is
“WHEN THE GAME STARTED, BLUFOR MOVED REALLY FAST, THEY DOMINATED THE AREA
OF THE DEVICE FAST AND ANOTHER SPLINTER GROUP MOVED TOWARD THE SECONDARY
MISSION. IN THE FIRST STAGE, THE SECONDARY MISSION WAS TO FIND AND RESCUE A
PILOT THAT WAS SIGNALLED BY A FLARE”
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“THE THIRD STAGE ARRIVED, AND IT WAS HERE THAT REDFOR DOMINATED COMPLETELY;
ONCE AGAIN THE MAIN OBJECTIVE APPEARED IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, AND THE
SECONDARY MISSION (SNIPER RESCUE) WAS ALSO AVAILABLE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO
MENTION THAT IT WAS AN OBJECTIVE CLOSER TO THE BLUFOR HQ”
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important to mention that it was an objective closer
to the BLUFOR HQ. For some reason, the BLUFOR
were really slow on their feet and let the reds control
the device from the main objective with little to no
resistance, and during the mandatory 10m almost
no attempt was made to get the control from the
enemy.
And so, with ease, REDFOR got the coordinate
after completing the 10m, but before leaving the
area, they sent a small group to rescue the sniper,
which was really close to many blue team members,
but completely ignored. They were able to find the
sniper and extract, right under the nose of BLUFOR,
and with this, got really ahead in terms of score.
BLUFOR did end up also completing their 10m, but
with no chance of catching up to their enemy now.
The fourth and last stage was quite different; our
idea here was to give the players a bit more direct
fun. In the stage, the team that held the highest
score would defend the building complex where the
“client” lived, while the other team tried to get their
honour back, and get the “bank transfer codes”
from a case in the possession of the client. But… this
was a pistols and shotguns only scenario with limited
spawn and a time limit (which was the end of the
game itself). It was fun to see the players rushing in,
with only their secondary replicas, trying to control
the complex, while the other group defended it.
Some players who didn’t have a secondary even
waited for their team members to run out of spawns
to use theirs. But, in the end, REDFOR successfully
defended the client, and with that, Op. Back To Back
came to a finish.
Of course, the event itself still had the giveaway
part, a great moment with players still trading fun
and not so fun moments from the game. Once
again, we had the support from good people at
Viper Tactical and Specna Arms, who sent us a lot
of goodies to raffle among those present. Our many
thanks to these brands who never disappoint!
In the end, we were able to gather close to €500
to help Carolina’s family, who were really thankful for
this surprise donation. Airsoft is fun, but as both a
player community and individuals we can always do
a small something to help those less fortunate; while
enjoying our game we also all did something good
for someone in our wider community. It’s doesn’t
take much, but it means more than just the money
to the persons receiving it, and for this it was our
airsoft community’s pleasure and honour to help. AA
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AA LEGION
TAIWAN
SINCE MOVING TO TAIWAN BACK AT THE TAIL-END OF 2017, STEWBACCA’S ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF
CHANGE IN THE SHOOTING SCENE AS WELL AS THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE, BOTH IN TERMS OF VARYING
LEVELS OF PUBLIC OR GOVERNMENT OPINION AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR HOBBY AND HIS VARIOUS TEAM’S
ACTIVITIES ON-ISLAND AND IN THE PUBLIC SPACE. FOR ONCE THINGS MIGHT BE LOOKING UP A BIT, AS HE
TELLS US ALL ABOUT A BRAND-NEW AIRSOFT BATTLESPACE THAT LOOKS 100%, POSITIVELY GOOD TO GO!
BACK TO
PEWNIVERSITY!
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When I first made landfall in Taiwan over half
a decade ago I spent my first two years
based in Taiwan’s “Silicon Valley”, the tech
hub that is Zhubei, where the semiconductor giants
and other tech top end businesses are based.
However, aside from the local KUI gun shop that
became my regular haunt and its groups of players I
would occasionally tag along with to outdoor sites in
the area, I spent most of my weekends (and a lot of
my income) taking the high-speed rail half an hour or
so North to Taipei, usually hitting the end of the line
in Nangang at the east end of Taipei and transferring
straight to the MRT that would take me to Action
Bunker (the multilevel underground indoor arena I cut
my teeth at all those years ago). I played around 80
games there in total over the years, even helping out
working in my free time to do DIY refitting of things;
building gun racks, the firing range cubicles and other
odd jobs in exchange for free play and some money
towards new guns!
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Sadly, as one of only two pay-to-play indoor arenas
in the area it managed to just about survive COVID
but eventually had to close a year or two ago due to
building issues; now only Taiwan CQB Club remains
in Linkou near where my day job is. However, a lot
of the time Team Taiji who I joined a few years back
(and likely the largest team in the country) largely play
outdoors assuming the weather isn’t set to “tropical
storm”, but the nature of Taiwanese airsoft is very
“fast and loose” or, as I’ve said elsewhere, it’s “the
wild west, out east”!
We largely play for free at unofficial sites where we
negotiate permission to play from the landowners, or
otherwise use public land outside of the mainstream
civilian populous view, for the most part without
issues or any negative outcomes as the people here
are pretty chill about any such things, and as long
as you aren’t making problems for them or others,
or walking around urban environments brandishing
weapons (or replicas thereof!) they just leave you be
to get on with it. This is especially true with the recent
increase in militarised-style training in the somewhat
public eye that has happened since the Ukraine
situation, and many here are thinking more about
civil defence preparedness with regard to “them’ns”
across the strait.
Over the last few years we’ve seen a few of our
regular haunts permanently closed or been otherwise
notified that
they’re strictly off
limits to us and
we’ll face serious
legal repercussions
if we’re caught
playing there; a
lot of them are
in the Taoyuan
area surrounding
the main airport,
which is being
extended so a lot
of the condemned
or disused
buildings or
areas we played
at are boarded
up for a quarter-mile radius around its existing
boundaries ready for steamrolling and redevelopment
to accommodate a new runway it seems. The ground
has been shrinking under our feet here somewhat,
along with worsening public opinion thanks to real
gun crime and the media misconstruing our toys as
part of that problem…doesn’t that sound familiar,
fellow players?
Whilst the midlands like Taichung and its
surroundings (and likewise Southern Kaohsiung) have
more organised indoor and outdoor pay to play sites,
and we do occasionally venture to the midlands to
play, as with my experiences of playing in Spain the
climate here means we only tend to play the mornings
and break around lunch or shortly after due to the
intensifying heat. It’s a bit of a trek to go so far south
for a few hour’s play and it means co-ordinating
everyone and having people set off earlier and leave
later, some with wives, girlfriends or families who are
less understanding in many cases if it’s a whole day
away!
CLOSER TO HOME, AND… OH MY!
Thankfully we recently became aware of a newlyopened
site a little over an hour away from Taipei,
which is not much more of a travel-time radius
than all our other playing sites here. However, this
one comes with the advantage of being not only
“THANKFULLY WE RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF A NEWLY-OPENED SITE A LITTLE OVER AN
HOUR AWAY FROM TAIPEI, WHICH IS NOT MUCH MORE OF A TRAVEL-TIME RADIUS THAN ALL
OUR OTHER PLAYING SITES HERE. HOWEVER, THIS ONE COMES WITH THE ADVANTAGE OF
BEING NOT ONLY AWESOME, BUT IS OPERATED BY AN OFFICIAL BODY WITH PERMISSION OF
THE LANDOWNERS AND AUTHORITIES”
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awesome, but is operated by an official body with
permission of the landowners and authorities, so we
shouldn’t be getting booted off by the 5-0 here as
has happened occasionally before. It’s also pretty epic
because it’s an entire abandoned university campus!
Towards the end of January we made our first
trip down with only around fifteen of us attending,
along with some friends from the East coast and the
organisers padding out the OpFor and our team.
We arrived on site at the former university on the
border of Miaoli and Hsinchu counties, now home
to the “Tianquan Tactical Training Center and RoC
National Defense Association”, our hosts for the
day, some of whom are already familiar faces from
both the local airsoft scene and the Taiwanese team
from the G&G CQB World Cup. Having been settled
in for a few weeks prior to our visit, they’d already
busied themselves setting up various VTAC barricades
and targets in old classrooms or laboratories that
constitute the lower-lying outbuildings and the
Safezone where we could conveniently reverse our
vehicles right up to the building and unload into our
home for the day… an old food standards science
lab with conveniently large worksurfaces to unpack
and dump all our gun bags and gear onto, but even
just having a staging area protected from the outside
elements was a nice change.
After testing and confirming zero of all our guns
and donning our full battle-rattle we were lead on a
brief familiarisation exercise of the ground floor areas
to the North we were allowed to use; unfortunately
the upper levels of this horseshoe- shape of buildings
are still not accessible at present due to the mountains
of furniture piled up to block their stairwells from
adventurous urban explorers or the like! I’m not sure
if they will eventually clear them away and open the
upper levels up too, but for the first few games we
were more than content racing around the ground
floors both undercover and out in the open with a
slight drizzle prevailing throughout the day.
Everyone was in their element and having a great
time doing the fire and manoeuvre drills we’ve
practised extensively as a team over the last few years
which has made us fairly formidable in general, but
especially at MilSims where we maintain
a decent squad and command structure
along with radio comms and coordination.
Luckily this site gives us a lot more
breathing room and running space to make
those drills last a lot longer or cover more
ground in a realistic fashion with better
spacing and making use of the genuine
cover or concealment provided by the
numerous columns, doorways and other
leftover obstacles of the former higher
learning establishment. We were certainly
all getting “back to school” ourselves in
that respect.
OUTLIERS FTW!
After the first two rounds of around thirty minutes
apiece with a quick re-arm and debrief followed by
switching ends and playing a similar scenario, we were
given a bit of a lunch break to reload, rearm, take
on fluids; we were all surprisingly warm after getting
some longer movements in wearing all the gear and
weight! Then we were told to prepare a grab-bag of
ammunition, gas and anything else we would need
for the afternoon… as we were going for a bit of a
walk and wouldn’t return to the Safezone until Endex!
We were lead up the hill to the large multi-storey
building we’d passed on the way in that dominates
the skyline and gives a commanding view of the
campus…
More flights of stairs than I (or my old man knees)
cared to count later; we snaked our way through the
various open lower concourses and found ourselves
“WE ARRIVED ON SITE AT THE FORMER UNIVERSITY ON THE BORDER OF MIAOLI AND
HSINCHU COUNTIES, NOW HOME TO THE “TIANQUAN TACTICAL TRAINING CENTER AND ROC
NATIONAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION”, OUR HOSTS FOR THE DAY, SOME OF WHOM ARE ALREADY
FAMILIAR FACES FROM BOTH THE LOCAL AIRSOFT SCENE AND THE TAIWANESE TEAM FROM
THE G&G CQB WORLD CUP”
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on the seventh floor in among abandoned classrooms
and stripped out lecture theatres, being told we had
the run of the top three levels, so we had the 6th,
7th and 8th floors to make use of, along with three
different stairwells to allow for myriad strategies or
attack and defence patterns to test our mettle with
each other.
This is where the fun really began!
Normally we don’t have anywhere to really
practise moving and covering or assaulting stairs as
the other Yangmei site is a bit of a death-trap with
open stairwells that have no handrails left, and are
littered with a lot of loose masonry, so we can’t really
go charging around them for fear of serious falls or
injuries.
The remaining two rounds of the day were a tour
de force of force on force attack and defence between
the two teams, with a medic rule implemented that
saw us counting to ten with a hand on a casualty
from our own team to revive them, or getting hands
on an OpFor casualty to put them out of the game
permanently This setup worked excellently, and again
due to the largely linear nature of a lot of our game
sites it’s not something we can usually effectively
implement; suffice to say there was a lot more
urgency in our movement and we were all covering
the angles and watching out for each other getting
taken out!
The last round saw me pinning a
lot of OpFor down on a top corner
overlooking a wide central staircase
with a large surrounding opening
and railings somewhat reminiscent
of the prison sites I’ve seen others
play at overseas. I ended up getting
taken out three or four times in the
course of that action and thankfully
my teammate Jimmy was covering
the rear stairwell behind me and was
able to play Florence Nightingale for
me throughout, while also giving the
attackers some stick from his vantage
point in between. I managed to burn
through all four magazines for my
RATech Noveske N4 GBBR which was
making an awesome clattering noise
all day, throwing BBs out laser-straight
and echoing off the walls in an exciting fashion; I lost
count of how many eliminations I managed to get
“EVERYONE WAS IN THEIR ELEMENT AND HAVING A GREAT TIME DOING THE FIRE AND
MANOEUVRE DRILLS WE’VE PRACTISED EXTENSIVELY AS A TEAM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
WHICH HAS MADE US FAIRLY FORMIDABLE IN GENERAL, BUT ESPECIALLY AT MILSIMS”
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with it during the day, but the footage from my newly
acquired Insta360 Pro headcam turned out great and
I’ve already put videos of all four rounds of gameplay
up on my Youtube and public Stewbacca Island Insider
facebook page.
The general intensity of the game play and the
movement and communication of the team and the
other elements in our OpFor made for a great day’s
gameplay and a lot of lessons learned along with wide
grins and excited ideas of what we can do
in future when we manage to bring more
of the team along in force, or perhaps
organise to play against other trusted
teams in the area. Our team founder spent
most of the day out of play and in talks
with the organisers as well as having a
more thorough walk around and briefing
of the grounds and facilities available.
Along with us no doubt making
this a regular playing venue on an at
least monthly basis given our positive
experiences and the fact it gives a great
alternative for foul weather weekends
that would otherwise force us to go to
Linkou CQB, we are already considering
the possibilities for urban gameplay MilSim events
and the fact we can just camp out in the buildings
without the need for lugging tents down and setting
them or other camp facilities up. Suffice to say we’re
all brimming with excitement at the prospects the site
holds both in terms of skirmishing and training events,
so lots to look forward to in the near future fellow
shooters… and more reports to follow as things move
on again! AA
“THE GENERAL INTENSITY OF THE GAME PLAY AND THE MOVEMENT AND COMMUNICATION OF
THE TEAM AND THE OTHER ELEMENTS IN OUR OPFOR MADE FOR A GREAT DAY’S GAMEPLAY
AND A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED ALONG WITH WIDE GRINS AND EXCITED IDEAS OF WHAT
WE CAN DO IN FUTURE”
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AA LEGION
EVENT REPORT – SHOT 2024
VIVA LAS
VEGAS!
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EVENT REPORT – SHOT 2024
SHOT SHOW IN LAS VEGAS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN THE CALENDAR FOR SHOOTERS FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD, WHERE INDUSTRY, TRADE, MEDIA AND “CELEBS” GATHER TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS
“FIREARM” AND SEE WHAT’S NEW FOR THE COMING YEAR! INCREASINGLY AIRSOFT IS A PART OF THIS
MAGNIFICENT GATHERING, AND AS ALWAYS AN AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM WERE THERE TO CHECK IT ALL
OUT AND BE PART OF THE CELEBRATION!
Bill told me last Year... “It’s a marathon, not a
sprint!” and boy, this year was more intense
than last! 2024 would also see the largest
Airsoft Action team so far making the long haul to
Las Vegas as we were joined by our “rookie” Steve.
The long trip to “SHOT” started in Yorkshire
where myself and Steve hail from; our first leg of
the trip was to travel 135 miles down to meet up
with Li’l Stu before we all boarded the train to
Heathrow, another 110 miles away. Finally making
it to Heathrow some five hours after we’d set off,
we checked in and then a three hour wait to board
the plane to fly some 5,082 miles to Las Vegas, and
to SHOT SHOW 2024!
Ten hours after take-off we landed at McCarran
Airport, now known as Harry Reid International. We
had a smooth trip through US Border Control and
then headed out to our hotel.
With an eight hour time difference we decided
to get some snacks and an adult beverage before
hitting the sack.
The first day for us, but Shot Show -3 in reality,
started with the three of us having a quite slow
and steady day, introducing Steve to the routes and
places we’d be going to during the week; whilst
Steve has been to Vegas before, he’d not been to
the Venetian Center, home of SHOT. We also had
a short walk around looking at the rooms and halls
which were in the process of being set up and
readied for the show, and then after an early dinner
we decided to turn in and try to catch up on sleep.
Day 2 for us, Shot Show -2! We met up with
our friend and Las Vegas-resident Shaun and
headed out to a
local range with him,
Discount Firearms, for some real-steel fun.
We started out with just a basic package of a
handgun and rifle; Stu chose the Glock 17 Gen 5
and an AR, Steve and myself chose the Glock 17 Gen
5 and H&K MP5. We grabbed a couple of extra mags
for each and went
“WE MET UP WITH OUR FRIEND AND LAS VEGAS-RESIDENT SHAUN AND HEADED OUT TO A
LOCAL RANGE WITH HIM, DISCOUNT FIREARMS, FOR SOME REAL-STEEL FUN. WE STARTED
OUT WITH JUST A BASIC PACKAGE OF A HANDGUN AND RIFLE; STU CHOSE THE GLOCK 17
GEN 5 AND AN AR, STEVE AND MYSELF CHOSE THE GLOCK 17 GEN 5 AND H&K MP5”
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decided to have another package each, this time
we all chose the 1911 for the handgun and for the
rifle Li’l Stu had really wanted to use the AUG but it
was “offline” so he plumped for the P90. Steve and
myself decided to go for the big boy .50 cal Barrett
Light 50.
The 1911 was a great deal of fun but the grin
on Li’l Stu’s face when he started with the P90 was
evident. Then with the RO’s call of “FIFTY COMING
OUT!!!” we made sure our ear protection was firmly
in place and he loaded it up with one round at a
time. The muzzle blast from that thing was almost
like a punch in the nose for the firer, but for others
around the range the blast must have been more
powerful. Both myself and Steve fired 5 rounds each
and left the range with big “daft” smiles on our
faces.
Once we’d left the range we went out for lunch at
the local In-N-Out Burger Shop. This was much nicer
than a McDonalds and around the same price. From
there it was back to the hotel and await the arrival
of old friends Bingo and John before we all headed
over to the Venetian Center to collect our Media
credentials. With early evening came the arrival of
our friend Trampas, the owner of Armed Lifestyle
Magazine, and the now traditional family dinner.
into the range. The
handguns were great
fun, but then when we
went to the rifles; we
started off on semi-auto
for a couple of mags,
then we finished out
the last two mags, the
first being short bursts
before letting the last
mag go on full-auto!
After the first stint,
we decided to go back
into the shop and
peruse all the goods on
offer, the majority of
which would be highly
restricted here in the
UK. After a break we
“THE MUZZLE BLAST FROM THAT THING WAS ALMOST LIKE A PUNCH IN THE NOSE FOR
THE FIRER, BUT FOR OTHERS AROUND THE RANGE THE BLAST MUST HAVE BEEN MORE
POWERFUL. BOTH MYSELF AND STEVE FIRED 5 ROUNDS EACH AND LEFT THE RANGE WITH
BIG “DAFT” SMILES ON OUR FACES.”
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GETTING REAL
Day 3, Shot Show - 1; this was
an early start with no chance
for breakfast as we had to be
over at the Venetian Center to
board the buses to head out
to Industry Day at The Range.
This is where the members
of the media and industry
buyers visit the Boulder
City Rifle and Pistol Club
to test fire a wide range
of firearms from a large
number of manufacturers.
“Range Day”, for us Brits,
is the opportunity to fire
everything from a .22 LR
pistol right up to a .50 Cal Barrett
bolt action. The best bit is that it’s
totally free. Industry Day is not just
firearms, but also a chance for
some accessories and kit stands to
show their wares too.
My stand out firearms were
the pump-action .223 rifle from
Bilson Arms and the range of
pistols from Walther, which, at
the invitation of the guys on
the stand, allowed us 2-3 times
more ammo than the usual
5 rounds per person. From
Steve’s perspective, having
the opportunity to shoot a
.338 Lapua, via an Accuracy
International AXMC out
to 1084 yards, and a 6.5
PRC via an HTI XPR out to
1km was a big highlight – cue
silly stupid grin again. At the opposite end of
the spectrum the Armscor BBR 3.10, in .45 ACP, was
equally impressive. For such a small pistol shooting
such a large round, it was surprisingly comfortable
and accurate to shoot. The three ports in the barrel
really do make this pistol surprisingly good!
Day 4… SHOT SHOW DAY 1… and GO!
Well here it is, after a couple of days of testing
firearms
and a couple of
meetings the opening day of Shot
Show had arrived!
We joined our fellow media members in the media
room for a light breakfast and coffee, where we
discussed the plan for the day. From there we moved
down to the lobby where we had a short wait before
““RANGE DAY”, FOR US BRITS, IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIRE EVERYTHING FROM A .22 LR
PISTOL RIGHT UP TO A .50 CAL BARRETT BOLT ACTION. THE BEST BIT IS THAT IT’S TOTALLY
FREE. INDUSTRY DAY IS NOT JUST FIREARMS, BUT ALSO A CHANCE FOR SOME ACCESSORIES
AND KIT STANDS TO SHOW THEIR WARES TOO.”
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the doors opened at 0830. Myself and Lil Stu headed
straight for the Lancer Tactical stand where we
met up with our fellow AA Legion
Associate Laylax
Marck and he showed us the new Laylax electric
speedloader.
After a good half an hour discussing products with
Marck and his colleagues, we then moved down to
meet Eduardo at the ASG stand. We chatted about
existing products and then he showed us the new
Hera Arms Chassis KC-01 which Eduardo told me was
having its debut at Shot Show and will be followed by
the European debut at IWA.
Having encountered several unexpected flight
delays, our remaining crewmember Dan finally landed
at the show to meet up with us nearby the Vaultek
booth. Whilst we were waiting for Steve to join us on
the floor we had a walk around a few other stands
showcasing accessories that could also be used on
airsoft replicas. Once Steve joined us we had a walk
down to the Tacticon stand where we met Mani,
from Leeds (UK) but now from Cordova, CA and he
showed us a number of MOLLE products which we
will be featuring in coming issues of Airsoft Action.
In his first year at Shot Show, Steve told me...
“Despite having been around firearms and shooting
multiple disciplines over 30 years, I’m very new to the
world of airsoft. I’ve received a very warm welcome
from both the Airsoft Action and Swanson Media
Group teams, despite me asking what I am sure are
the silly questions to the experienced airsofters.
“After Day one of the show, I have to say that I was
blown away with just how popular airsoft is here in
the good ol’ US of A and clearly around the world.
Being from a firearms background and used
to working within tight UK regulations I
expected that there would be little market
space in a country where laws are far more
permissive.”
MOVING FORWARD, TAKING
GROUND
Day 5, Show Day 2! After yesterday’s long
walk round, today was a little more focused
on the stands we wanted to revisit after the
“recce day”, as we call it. Our first meeting
was with Charlie and Patryk from Specna Arms
who showcased some of the new and innovative
products from their range. Amongst many of the
exciting developments were an all-new L96 bolt-
“WE MOVED DOWN TO THE LOBBY WHERE WE HAD A SHORT WAIT BEFORE THE DOORS
OPENED AT 0830. MYSELF AND LIL STU HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE LANCER TACTICAL
STAND WHERE WE MET UP WITH OUR FELLOW AA LEGION ASSOCIATE LAYLAX MARCK AND
HE SHOWED US THE NEW LAYLAX ELECTRIC SPEEDLOADER”
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action platform,
several new AK pattern AEG’s, and
a sneak peek at Specna’s upcoming Bluetooth ETU
and brushless motor which will be fitted as standard
on an upcoming new release later on.
We then walked
over to PTS Syndicate who had some
beautifully constructed ZEV Custom OZ9 Glocks,
and a ZEV Custom / Ed Brown special 1911, Dead
Air and Griffin Armament Silencers, all of which
are being released soon. After seeing the muchanticipated
MAWL in 3D prototype form last year,
this year there was a fully working production
model for the Japanese market,with the European
and US variant coming soon. Of other note Dan
spied an interesting 240 BB prototype midcap in
“Fakelite” coming for the AK lovers tucked away
on the display wall. An interesting feature of
that magazine is the empty mag / loaded mag
indicator.
Moving round to the mighty Evike stand there
were a good number of products that caught
our collective eyes. Among these were the Daniel
Defense, FAMAS and Noveske licensed GBBRs,
as well as the Staccato GBBP and an entire
rack of John Wick-themed rifles and pistols,
including his distinctive TTI tuned SIG MPX
from the second film.
The guys at Evike took Steve into their testing
booth for what was his first time with airsoft replicas
in the form of the Maxim GBBP and the Krytac LVOA
AEG. Needless to say Steve enjoyed himself and
commented at how well made both guns felt in the
hand and handled when attempting a few drills.
Dan spent some time fondling the new releases,
from the SIG Air P226, to the VFC FNC GBBR and
FN FAL, the latter of which he learned might not
be making it to the US after all due to perhaps
resembling the real deal a little too much with its
inner workings.
I spent a couple of hours taking our friend Tyler
from Red Dirt Firearms in Florida around the airsoft
stands to show him the value of airsoft as a cost
effective training alternative. With the restrictions
on certain ammunition in the US, more and more
training is done with airsoft (6mm Training)
and being used for force-on-force training.
ROLLING EVER ON!
Day 6, Shot Show Day 3! After three days
now roaming the floor and having meetings,
our hips and feet were certainly reminding us of the
mileage we’ve racked up to that point. Thankfully we
all brought painkillers!
Day 3 was another day of meetings and checking
out products that caught our eye. There have
“OUR FIRST MEETING WAS WITH CHARLIE AND PATRYK FROM SPECNA ARMS WHO
SHOWCASED SOME OF THE NEW AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FROM THEIR RANGE. AMONGST
MANY OF THE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS WERE AN ALL-NEW L96 BOLT-ACTION PLATFORM”
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unlacing which is a huge benefit for those who need
to put their boots on quickly... like me when I’m
late for work! We were all impressed with
how comfortable they were for a slip-on
boot and the grip was brilliant, even on a
slippery surface.
After leaving the Altama stand we went to
check out what new products were on the First
Tactical stand. One of the sales representatives,
Troy Broddrick, introduced us to the new
Defender V2 shirt, which
is made
been a load of new
accessories and airsoft products,
too many to mention in this report, so watch out
for more on this in Airsoft Action Magazine later!
After our usual breakfast in the Press Room where
we coordinated our plans, Dan, Lil Stu and myself
headed down to the Law Enforcement hall, where
Steve joined us shortly after. Our first stop was at the
Altama Boot stand where we saw the great slip on
boot in the form of the Alpha Freedom Hands Free.
This boot, once laced up and fitted properly
can be put on and taken off
without
from
a slightly different
material and comes in at around
UK£20 cheaper than the normal Defender shirt.
After talking to Troy on the stand I asked if our
old mate and design-lead Cory was around so
that I could say Hi again after meeting up with
him last year. Cory is the gent who designs
most of the First Tactical products and who
designed the Slash & Flash glove which
saved my hand when a flash bang went off early and
caused an injury. It would have been so much worse if
“ON THE FIRST TACTICAL STAND…. ONE OF THE SALES REPRESENTATIVES, TROY BRODDRICK,
INTRODUCED US TO THE NEW DEFENDER V2 SHIRT, WHICH IS MADE FROM A SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT MATERIAL AND COMES IN AT AROUND UK£20 CHEAPER THAN THE NORMAL
DEFENDER SHIRT”
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hadn’t been
wearing appropriate gloves...
there’s a lesson when using pyro! Cory was pleased
to meet up with myself and Lil Stu again and we
introduced him to Dan and Steve. As Cory only
had a few minutes between meetings we bid him
farewell and carried on with the day. Time for a
brew!
We decided to go down to the lower level
coffee stand to get a drink and plan the day
up till lunchtime, then over to the
Ceasars Forum to
I
check out as many stands as we could. Our first stop
was straight away to the KWA stand, where we saw
the new ATP-Z and ATP-GT, as well as the related
chassis kits, all of which will be available separately
around mid-to-late Q2 (May-June). This was also
the second chance for Li’l Stu to get his dabs on
the Lithgow Arms F90 AUG which we saw last
year when it was debuted, and I think we can
all agree he’s got one of these picked out for his
Christmas present!
Whilst at their stand we introduced fellow
SMG member Shaun and Tyler from Red Dirt
Firearms to the KWA products that could be
used for training. Needless to say they were
both quite impressed with the performance
of the replicas, especially the
LM4D. We also
briefly
met with Debbie Hu, the
General Manager of the USA part of KWA.
Also at the stand was Mr. Hu, the owner of KWA
and Woody, Debbie’s brother. Before we left, we
made an appointment to have Dan swing by
the following day to conduct an interview with
Debbie which will run in Airsoft Action at a later
date!
For the rest of the morning and into early
afternoon we perused the other stands in two
of the Caesars halls, before making our way
back to the Venetian L2. It’s here that we met
with Bill’s ol friend and main man Ray Chang from
“OUR FIRST STOP WAS STRAIGHT AWAY TO THE KWA STAND, WHERE WE SAW THE NEW
ATP-Z AND ATP-GT, AS WELL AS THE RELATED CHASSIS KITS, ALL OF WHICH WILL BE
AVAILABLE SEPARATELY AROUND MID-TO-LATE Q2 (MAY-JUNE)”
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VFC and had a look at some products and a good
chat about airsoft replicas. He also mentioned his
good friend and our fellow Airsoft Action colleague
Stewbacca and some of the experiences they have
shared in Taiwan. Once we’d had some photos taken,
Ray then had to go to another meeting so we decided
to go off in the hunt for more interesting products.
SHOT BITES…
Day 7 for us, Shot Show Day 4! Day Four and the end
of a hugely busy week for the team of Li’l Stu,
Dan, and I; running the show
had
and some awesome armour for SWAT teams. Then
we decided to divide and conquer with Dan and
Li’l Stu going over to Caesar’s Forum to make their
appointment with Debbie Hu, the General Manager of
KWA, and Dan’s initially planned-for “short” interview
ended up turning into a much longer discussion as the
conversation transitioned from the interview segment
to a conversation (via Debbie, acting as translator)
with KWA’s engineer about potential product
improvements and many other topics. They both were
pleased and honoured to meet Mr. Hu, the owner
of the KWA company worldwide.
Afterwards, Dan embarked on a personal
crusade to see as much of the remainder of the
show as possible. Being a real steel shooter
too, there were also a number of booths in
his lane of interests that he wanted to see for
himself. Last year, he estimated him and the
AA team maybe saw only 25 – 35% of what
was there before having to depart. Despite
fitting his Lowa’s with a fresh set
of cushy insoles and
really bitten us by
this stage, our feet aching but it’s safe
to say that we have all enjoyed the hard work, along
with some not-so-hard fun times. It’s was also a
pleasure to work alongside our Swanson Media Group
colleagues of Trampas, Bingo, John, Amy and Jamie.
As always it was a cracking week of walking the floors
and seeing the new and upcoming products in the
airsoft and real steel worlds.
This morning Steve was away on a business
meeting, so myself, Dan and Li’l Stu met up in the
Press Room to chat and work out where we were
going to visit on the final day. We started in the Law
Enforcement hall for an hour and saw things like the
less-lethal/non-lethal munitions, breaching equipment
“DAY 7 FOR US, SHOT SHOW DAY 4! DAY FOUR AND THE END OF A HUGELY BUSY WEEK FOR
THE TEAM OF LI’L STU, DAN, AND I; OUR FEET ACHE BUT IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE
ALL ENJOYED THE HARD WORK, ALONG WITH SOME NOT-SO-HARD FUN TIMES”
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now hauling a Mystery Ranch 3-Day Assault Pack to
carry the “swag haul” in comfort, he fell short of his
personal goal by at least two great halls. Well, there’s
always a next time as they say!
I spent the morning walking the floors with
Trampas, Bingo and John from SMG and we visited
a number of stands relating to the training that the
Swanson Training Group carry out around the USA.
Heading out to lunch at The Rock House bar, the
whole team sat and discussed various products that
we’d seen over some really great food and soft drinks.
Then it was time to head back to The Venetian Center
(US SPELLING) for our final foray into the halls, where
Steve re- joined us.
The 4th day is often when some of the big-name
booths crack open an ice cold keg for show attendees,
and we gladly made a couple of gratuitous stops to
“sample the wares.” This proved to be just the ticket
to take the edge off our sore feet and power us
through to the remainder of the day, and we finished
it out with a final visit to the Shield Sights booth and a
hands-on experience with their VR shooting system!
THAT’S A WRAP!
Well, that is it for the 46th Shot Show, held in Las
Vegas, Nevada! When I started writing this report,
before I realized it, I was at 8000 plus words! Our
illustrious leader Bill mentioned that he’d like it more
concise so that we could actually fit in a few photos
too... well, we only took about 3000 photos during
the show!
I’d like to thank the team that was with me in
Vegas and especially our ‘rookie’ Steve. His selfconfessed
“silly questions” have not been silly at all
and his fresh set of “real shooter” eyes are welcome
in our sport, and in our team!
So, Day 8, Home James! After an exhausting but
enjoyable week, it was finally time to start the long
trip home. As we were not flying out until 2230 we
decided to book a late check out for 1500. After such
a busy week it would have been hard to spend sven
hours just mooching around “The Strip” and it could
also have gotten quite expensive if we had gone back
to the range!
Starting off with a leisurely AA Team breakfast
we had a chat about what we’d seen and all things
airsoft, and also received a surprise visit from Scott
Allan of Land Warrior! Once breakfast was over
we headed back up to our rooms to finish off the
packing. This normally would be an easy task but
with all the swag we had collected I had to arrange a
second checked bag. Even Li’l Stu had to shoehorn his
haul into his bags. Steve also collected a sizeable haul
and his bag came in just 300g under the 23kg limit.
With the extra time we had before we needed
to be out of our room we decided to start the write
up for the main article. Two hours of discussion and
typing later we decided to have a break and a light
lunch. The time to check out arrived and we left our
room and headed down to grab a cab to the airport.
By 1530 we were at the airport, admittedly seven
hours early but it was either this or spend more time
and money walking the strip and acquiring even more
stuff to bring home. By 16:30 we were feeling a little
hungry so hit the Starbucks in Terminal 3 for a coffee
and light snack. Soon after this we heard the sound of
a Scotsman and looked over to see Scott Allan and his
guys arriving for the same flight as we were taking!
Boarding was at 21:40 and as it was speedily
carried out we were ready to push back around 25
mins later. Wheels up and in the air we had a steady
flight home arriving some 10 hours afterwards. A
simple transition through UK Border Control and then
we headed for the train station for the Heathrow
Express. Brilliant!
We got to Paddington in time to get the onward
train; well we would have if the station staff had let
us through the gates to the platform. Oh well, cue a
trip to Costa for a coffee and snack to while away an
hour before our train arrived. The train arrived and off
we went back to L’il Stu’s local station where we were
met by Lucy, Stu’s wife. This is where Steve and myself
handed him back to Lucy’s care, we said our farewells
and then got in the car for the drive back to Yorkshire.
After a long TWENTY-FIVE hours since leaving our
hotel, I dropped Steve off and then ten minutes later
I was home, tired but pleased it had all gone well and
everyone was home safe...
We are hoping that next year for Shot Show
#47 we all will be given permission by our partners
to make the trip again. Fingers crossed, now he’s
recovered from his “Big C adventure” we may even
sneak Bill into our luggage for what I think would be
the largest AA Team to attend Shot Show ever!
After around 40 miles of walking each during the
course of the week and the long days, it’s not all fun
you know! We are just about recovering, but already
we’re already looking forward to The British Shooting
Show this month, then Bill and Jase’s trip to IWA in
March, The Northern Shooting Show in May and
then our return to Las Vegas in 2025. Add this to
everything else we do to produce Airsoft Action and it
really is non-stop! AA
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