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Making hard work out of team work…

As we come to put a lid on the issue of Ai that you have before you I’ve been taking the time to ponder a few things about my own airsoft activity and the internal politics of it. The airsoft industry as a whole can and does get quite “political” behind the scenes, just as any industry that is as tight knit as this one, but I’m not really talking about that. I’m coming from and angle that nearly every airsofter will have some involvement with at some point.

Personally, I’m not a massive fan of team sports, I’ve never been drawn to football, rugby, ice hockey or anything. Not that I’m not competitive, but I tend to prefer individual games. Don’t laugh when I say I’m more than a little partial to a round of golf. I’m not sure whether or not we can categorise airsoft as a “sport” just yet, but it goes without saying that it’s something that can get quite competitive. With more than one player on each side, it’s inevitable that teams form. Whether they are temporary teams that only have the colour of the band on their arm that day in common, or they are a more long-standing organisation it doesn’t really matter, teams are essential to the mechanics of the game.

Problems begin to kick in though when teams are formed and they need to be orgainised. Frenchie has pondered the issue of leadership in this month’s “Ninja” feature and it’s something everyone even considering forming a team should read through. Although we all have our own egos and our own motivations there always has to be one person in charge otherwise the principle of the team will be entirely lost. If that person in charge is you, you need to step back and wonder if you are being the sort of person you would listen to in that situation. I’m not the biggest proponent of ranks on the airsoft field but I will concede to the fact that somebody, at some point has to press the button and have the final say.

If a well-organized team can take their discipline effectively to the field, they are sure to be a worthy opponent, but the single biggest weakness for any team in infighting. Insubordination is dealt with harshly in the military and for good reason. If infighting breaks out, the enemy can forget about doing anything and simply sit back and watch as the team destroys itself. Again, I’m not condoning a court-martialing on the airsoft field but somebody needs to be in control. This is where the point comes round full-circle to something we mentioned a few issues back… Everyone wants to be something special, it’s natural. Everyone is going to want to be the leader, the commander… Ever heard of that phrase “too many chiefs and not enough Indians”? I’m sure you get my point…

What’s the solution to this then? I can’t give you s straight answer to that but perhaps the best way for you to find out how your team works is to rotate the position of command on a regular basis. The great thing about airsoft is the only consequence of failing is a dent in your pride. You can afford some trial and error and you can afford to let everyone have his or her turn.

One thing is for certain; you best get your team sorted as soon as possible. At the end of summer the Ai 5-Man returns and it’s sure to be the most strenuous test of your squad’s ability to achieve an objective. Why not book in and spend the summer sorting out your own pecking order before the big day on August 3^rd? Just please; try not to fight amongst yourselves!

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Third time’s a charm!

As I write this passage, we are just getting reports that Airsoft International has been voted “Best English Language Magazine” in Popular Airsoft’s 3^rd Player Choice Awards, so that puts a really positive spin on things from the very start! Thank you to all that nominated and voted for Ai this time round and we hope to encourage you to do the same next year!

We’re going to continue the run of good news this month too, as I’ve recently got off the ‘phone with the guys behind Urban Assault, one of the premiere CQB sites in the UK and we have begun the planning for the return of the Ai 5-Man tournament. After last year’s rainy event we’ve decided to play it safe and move the event to the hopefully warmer month of July, not April. Not only do we hope the weather will be better but this gives aspiring teams a good chunk of summer to get their act together and work on those drills as a group. Talking of drills, you’ll notice on the last page, next month we are launching on a bit of a skills and drills offensive. Make sure you check it out.

Firmly back in the here and now, we are getting towards the tail end of show season for the wider firearms industry and looking forward to the IWA show. Held in Nuremburg, Germany, the IWA is Europe’s answer to SHOT and is a great event to hook up with some big players in the industry and see what’s in store. By the next time we catch up with you, we’ll have been back and produced our show report.

Within this issue we’ve worked hard to bring you a varied bunch of kit and we’ve been out and about a little. Bill, our roving reporter has been out to the new AP South site in Hythe, Kent. You can find his report and a whole bunch of great images inside. The whole team also hit up the British Airsoft Show at Stoneleigh Park early in February where we had the pleasure of meeting many of you readers from around the country. Thanks for stopping by and keeping us on our toes all weekend, you can read our full report, which is also inside.

Our regular Gear Zone feature this month gives way to a one month only special on disposable pyro from Enola Gaye and TLSFx in the form of Blast Zone! There’s a lot of options for simulation grenades and despite what many think, there’s a banger for every budget. We also got a bit excited this month too, the WE Katana finally arrived and as promised, it’s a split gearbox cylinder based AEG that uses a lot of AEG parts. If you are keen to find out what all the hype is about, we’ve got pictures inside and out as part of our 3 page review. The innovation from WE continues with our pistol review of the WE M&P, a first for the company that usually relies on cloned designs. Not to get too swept up with all these new-fangled things, I asked Frenchie to pen a review on the venerable Tokyo Marui FAMAS. He’s written quite extensively on the subject of just how forward all this recent “innovation” has carried us in recent years so he’s putting his money where his mouth is and weighing up just how TM’s first AEG fares after 2 decades. You’ll find all this and more inside your jam-packed copy of Airsoft International.

See you on the other side!

Ben

CONTENTS

Page 6-8 – Gallery – Reader’s images in prints – Send yours to bwebb@ai-mag.com

Page 12-14 – British Airsoft Show Report – The Ai team were in attendance and we bring you our report from this year’s show

Page 16-17 – AP South Site Report – Bill tries out the new Airsoft Plantation South site in Hythe, Kent.

Page 18-19 – Ready Room – Teams from around the Globe – Show the world how you roll with your team

Page 22-31 – Shell Shocked – Two cold conditions load outs that will keep you comfortable no matter what the weather’s like
Page 32-33 – On Our Radar – Mayflower Research and Consulting is our focus for this month’s feature

Page 34-35 – Shop Check – Airsoft Armoury host this month’s Shop Check. Find out what they are all about in our interview

Page 38-41 – Blast Zone – Gear Zone gives way to a pyro-fest this month, we look at 16 different grenades from Enola Gaye and TLSFx

Page 42-44 – Take Down – Jack’s been getting down and dirty with another shooter this month, check out the feature to see what he’s pulled apart!

Page 48-50 – WE Katana Raptor – WE’s cylinder-based AEG has hit the shelves and we’ve given one a good going over in our review

Page 52-54 – WE M&P – Another innovation from WE, this time in the form of a pistol that isn’t a clone. Is it any good though?

Page 56-57 – TM FAMAS – It’s as old as some of our readers but can it still hold its own in a shootout?

Page 58 – Staff Shooters – It’s that DEVGRU-inspired MP7 again, but this time it’s in its finished state!

Page 62-64 – Tried and Tested – We’ve run a selection of kit through the gauntlet so we can tell you what’s worth owning

Page 66 – BAPS – No, it’s not our version of Page 3, this is the British Airsoft Players Survey…

Page 70-71 – Airsoft! We need a SitRep! – The current state of the industry and airsoft as a whole according to Frenchie

Page 72 – Quick Fix – Get your gun running sweetly with our guide to tuning your motor height.

Page 74-75 – Workshop – The mighty Dushka is coming together now. Find out what’s happened in this month’s installment!

Page 77-82 – DitD – Building the ULTIMATE gearbox with a little help from ASG is this month’s task, it was so big, we had to add a page!

Page 84 – Weekend Warriors – It’s time to start thinking about Weekenders. Here’s our essential checklist.

Page 86 – Editor’s Letter – Is playing it safe all its cracked up to be? Is airsoft inherently a little risky? This month’s piece could well be kicking the hornet’s nest.

I’d drawn the short straw, or more accurately failed to call “shotgun” in time and as such, I was squeezed into the back of the car with a rifle bag on my lap and a large Multicam backpack doing its level best to make me aquatinted with the door. When we had loaded into the vehicle at around 5:45am on a cool, damp Sunday morning it had been pitch black and I hadn’t really noticed it gradually getting lighter as we travelled. My head and attentions had been buried in my newly purchased digital version of “No Easy Day”, the engrossing story of the successful Kill or Capture mission against Osama Bin Laden on my phone.  I’d tuned out of the conversation going on between the guys in the front but the change of pace and centrifugal force of coming off the motor way and rounding a roundabout made me look up, snapping me out of the Black Hawk helicopter the book had immersed me in. Like the SEALs I was reading about, we were closing in on our destination. Hopefully though, our destination would be a little more welcoming.

As we swung round a couple more back to back roundabouts and passed the familiar chain stores that sit in the industrial areas of most modern cities, we were starting to wonder just how accurately our Sat. Nav. was until all doubt was cast from our minds and the giant “CQB Tactical Airsoft” signage came into view. At only a few months old, CQB Tactical is a fledgling site, but it is situated in a disused industrial unit amongst several glass-fronted office type buildings, all with rather meaningless “dynamic” sounding business names. Before we drove past looking for somewhere to park we were expertly marshaled into a parking area on the opposite side of the road to the actual site. Friendly faces greeted us and pleasantries were exchanged before we headed to park up and get our kit sorted. At this point it’s certainly worth noting that you DO need to cross a public road with your equipment so it’s vital that all guns and sensitive equipment need to be properly bagged up and out of public view.

After hauling our kit into the reception building of the site we temporarily dropped our kit to read and sign the mandatory insurance waiver, check in and pay or £30 walk-on fee. A swift and painless exercise thanks to polite and organised staff. Since we arrived a little later than many, we didn’t hang around and swiftly headed upstairs to the designated ready room and safe zone. CQB Tactical’s ready room and safe zone is great. It’s fully undercover with plenty of makeshift seating and table space to get your kit readied up and even electricity outlets to charge batteries. Tea and coffee is available for free and there’s an onsite shop and range to test and chrono your guns, which every player must go through. Instead of the interrogated feeling that you get from some chrono tests, the CQB Tactical staff made the process easy and although both of the guns I used were well within the 350fps limit, I felt that should a gun come up hot they would deal with it tactfully.

After hastily getting kitted up and topping off magazines, all players were called to assemble at one end of the ready room where a concise, to-the-point safety brief was given. The onus was on common sense but also covered some points unique to the site, such as blind firing and shooting over the partitions set up inside the gaming area. We’ve sat through some briefs and safety talks that are simply too long, meaning even with the best will and intentions, players drift off and attention starts to wander. It’s easy to see that the proprietors of CQB Tactical have a solid background in customer service because their brief was tight and simple to understand. In a matter of minutes everyone was clued up and ready to hit the ground. We donned eye-pro, descended the stairs and mags were inserted as we entered the play area.

The main arena of CQB tactical is within a building to the rear of the check-in and safe zone building and it’s a disused industrial block that is in a state or dereliction. Large winds and doors are missing meaning that much of the facility is undercover, but still “outdoors” in a sense. The wind can certainly blow through enough to clear a smoke grenade from the building quite quickly, meaning there are no restrictions on their use. This large main room has a central “kill house” made from prefabricated office space dividers which means a couple of completely blind corners to check. Scattered around are movable tire-walls and low barricades, mostly made from abandoned furniture and dividers.  As a novelty, two abandoned cars are also free to be used as cover or objectives.

Doors lead off from the main arena, leading to smaller interconnecting rooms that sit between the two halves of the lower of the site. Once you transition into them the loss of light is noticeable and it’s dark enough to require the use of a torch almost constantly. Another large open area contains lots of barricades and walkways built from tires and pallets, but also hanging polythene sheeting and hessian. A number of stairwells lead from the downstairs areas and up to the second floor which is another large, open room furnished with makeshift barriers. Unassuming doorways on the second floor lead to a couple of discreet “sniper hides” that give fantastic firing positions over the main arena and give players the opportunity to use rifles that would otherwise be unsuitable for use elsewhere.

Finally two stairwells at either end of the main building lead downstairs into a basement area that is filled with disused machinery and industrial piping. The Basement is very dark and only lit by a few lamps and lights making it ideal for close contact, sneaky gameplay. Immediately I was aware that the perimeter of the site was not far from the main arena in some areas and a simple mesh fence or barred metal gate was all that separated players from the outside world. In actual fact it is possible to see into and out of the site and despite the assurances from the site owners, it took a little getting used to being able to see passing traffic was holding my airsoft gun.

The first game we played was one known as “Virus” which pitched a smaller team against a larger force, each time one of the larger forces was hit, they would don red tape on the arms and switch sides. This kind of game is great for getting people into the action without standing around too much and gave us all a good chance to see as much of the site as we liked to. Initially the game started rather slowly, with the large group of players ambling around a little unsure of which direction to head in, or where the enemy might come from, but it wasn’t long until the familiar “pop” of AEG fire broke out and lines of contact were established. Because of the likelihood of extremely close contact all areas with the exception of the main arena are restricted to semi-automatic fire only and this makes for some exciting and dynamic gaming with movement being a key principle. As the sides began to even up as more and more players got hit and donned red tape the first, and probably only major issue started to rear its head and that was numbers. The day we visited CQB Tactical was December 30^th, the first Sunday after Christmas and the day before New Years Eve. We expect a combination of people wanting to try out their latest gifts and not really having to go to work the next day caused a spike in the number of players, an extremely healthy and record-breaking attendance of 102.

This high density of players meant movement became a little stunted as each corner was generally occupied by a host of team mates facing off against a similar density of enemies. The second and third games before lunch were rolling room clearance games with evened up teams. The problems with numbers were exasperated as players were funneled into natural bottlenecks. The CQB Tactical staff did their best to keep some flow going but it was clear that different scenarios would be needed after lunch.

After clearing our guns and removing magazines we filed back up to the safe zone for a lunch of hotdogs, drinks and a chocolate bar all provided courtesy of the house, it’s a nice touch and lessens the necessity to go off-site during the break, meaning things can get going faster. Whilst scoffing down the chow, the general consensus amongst players was that the numbers were perhaps a little high. The marshalls and organisers duly noted this and immediately a change of plans and a modification of the games set aside for the afternoon was carried out. The afternoon was split into 2 longer games that encompassed the entire site and reduced the density of players in any one area at any one time, it made a fantastic difference and allowed for much more tactical movement and sneaky attacks.

During the afternoon I was able to make great use of all the arenas of gameplay, sneaking between shadowy areas attempting to surprise the enemy. As mentioned before, contact IS very close and a full face mask is very much recommended, although the semi-auto rule does ensure that things stay sensible. Thanks to the darkness and the limited rate of fire, stealth, aggression and tactical thinking are far more effective than high ammo capacities, long range or high rates of fire so it gives player a brilliant opportunity to field the weird and wonderful guns from their collections. At several points in time, nimble springer shotgun wielders were able to blast their way across the site racking up impressive killstreaks and moscart launchers can be used to devastating effect.

Unfortunately a couple of negatives emerged throughout the day, mostly centered on the hanging hessian and polythene sheeting used as dividers. To prevent injuries, it is prohibited to shoot under or over them, or through the gaps that exist between them and the pillars they are connected to. This led to some frustrating stand-offs where players could stand physically back-to-back, but neither could make a move to take the other out. It would be an improvement to see more substantial, solid barriers in place to curb this issue.

Undoubtedly the single strongest link in the CQB Tactical chain is the willingness and open-mindedness of the organisers. All feedback is taken on and immediately digested and actioned upon, the answer is never “we’ll try that next time”. At CQB Tactical you can be sure that you get value for your money and never feel left out of the game. Since our visit, the maximum limit for players on site has been capped at a reasonable 80, which we think is a fantastic idea and a shining testament to the dedication of the organisers. Throughout the day there was always a marshall nearby, present but not invasive and at all times they were polite and mature, despite many being younger guys. As always, with a new site with lots of people, I found myself a little disoriented and it was tough to stay “on task” without getting caught up chasing targets so if objective based gameplay is your forte, it might be tough to find that.

By the time we left CQB Tactical at around 5pm, we were well deserving of a post skirmish burger and chips and certainly, amongst the group I visited with, we had lots of positives to talk about. We did have some criticisms as outlined above but bearing in mind that the site is still in its infancy at just 3 months old, CQB Tactical has a lot of potential. The doors are open and the staff welcome the suggestions that players have so if you are at all local we strongly suggest visiting and becoming part of what we believe will become a strong and unique site in the West Midlands.

Location:
Cheney Manor Industrial Estate

Darby close

Swindon

SN2 2QW

Terrain: Urban/Disused Industrial Unit

Price: £30

Times: 10am – 5pm

Hire guns: Yes

FPS Limits: Auto 350fps/semi 350fps/single 400fps

Other restrictions: MED and specific sniper positions, Semi only in most areas.

Shop: Full Shop facilities available on site.

More information available at: www.cqbtactical.co.uk
Whilst we make every effort to check our information is correct, please check with the site prior to visiting, in case rules have changed etc.

Not content with bringing you just one guys opinion of a day at CQB Tactical, here’s a few alternative points of view from fellow players that also attended on the same day:

CQB Tactical is a newly established site run by a group of experienced Airsofters who want to bring the sport to a larger audience, they are friendly and willing to listen. The site is 9600 sq meters of gaming area mostly indoors with three levels of game play. The initial safety brief was concise and understandable, it laid down the rules. The games at the site tended to be more paintball type scenarios than a Mil-Sim type game, a shame as I definitely prefer Milsim. The engagements were at close quarters, which is the reason it’s called CQB Tactical. FPS limit of 350 is fine but all games should be single shot, this will limit over kill but not eliminate it as some have very good trigger control and response. Blind firing could be really problematic but was not evident on the day we visited. There is no using of pyro up or down stairwells, which I can understand as it could be unfortunate to have a burning mark 5 land on your shoulder. There was no firing into or out of the buildings, this hampered movement and created bottle necks but may have been in place to stop BB’s leaving the site and hitting members of the public and property.

C. Blake

The site itself was brilliant, really tight environment. I enjoyed the cover, like the tyre walls, pallet walls and the cars. However I feel they need minor improvements, people were shooting through them, and being shot through them.

The marshals were excellent, took on all comments, good and bad, and then resolved any issues being had. Games were well thought out, just not executed very well; several times I thought to myself I have no idea of the objective, or where it is, the marshals helped out on that though.

Spawn areas were a bit weird and off, in a few games, there were both team’s spawns next to each other, and miscommunication led to people coming out of spawn, and getting lit up by enemies as they left the spawn.

Smoke grenades inside isn’t really a great thing in my mind, several times I couldn’t see or breathe inside.

Number of players, it was a one off having 100 people there, but the number should be capped around the 60 to 70 mark, otherwise it gets too crowded.

A. Riddick

The immediately noticeable thing about CQB Tactical is the almost boundless enthusiasm of the staff. Paul in particular takes a large hand in driving the day, always looking for ways to improve player experience. Player suggestions are welcomed; and where applicable, acted on with remarkable swiftness. Everyone is made to feel welcome and encouraged to take part in the community. The site itself has fantastic potential, and already the management are utilising it in more intuitive ways. The action is up close and personal, and with continued investment CQB Tactical could become one of the premier indoor sites in the country.

D. Collister

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A long and winding path…

As I sit amidst the contents of three or 4 AEGs with their gearboxes split open and their internals gears and springs spilling out over my workbench I’m forced to hark back to what it was like when this all began. No, I’m not talking about the beginning of existence or even the creation of the first AEG, but rather thinking about when this airsoft thing began for me. I’ve been playing and participating in the hobby we all share a love for for merely a blink of an eye in comparison to many, but I’ve just experienced Tier 1 Military Simulation’s lastest game that took place at STANTA in Thetford, East Anglia, that I must profusely thank Mr Ed Denson for. Little did I expect all that time ago that I would be experiencing -10C and a driving blizzard during the course of my weekend’s airsoft, but I guess that’s called progression!

I remember my first game, a walk-on game at a woodland site with a borrowed AEG that I’d managed to secure use of because said friend was too hung over to play himself, saving me from the horrors of the dreaded rental AK. A few weeks later I remember saying to my good friend and contributor to Ai, Jack Baxter that “I wasn’t really interested in getting all this camo and loads of guns” and that I just wanted one decent gun that worked. Shortly after that the decision on camo was overturned and the necessity of a solid uniform was compounded as I found a sheep tick clamped perilously close to my Gentleman’s region, which was incidentally the first of a few times that airsoft has been the cause of me ‘phoning my mother in a inconsolable panic. The gun thing was also eschewed not that long afterwards after I got my first taste of urban site gaming and I discovered the sniper rifle I had been using wasn’t going to cut it in the confines of buildings. I continued to kid myself though, just a couple of uniforms and a couple of guns for woodland and urban was the upper limit… That was already starting to slip though and I bowed to the allure of a decent sidearm.

The next marked step on the ladder to the point I’m at now was dealing with my first gun breakdown. It’s a real coming of age for most players and again and experience I shared with Jack. Being the inquisitive sort that he is he’d already had a dig into the unknown realm of the AEG and began to hone the skills that would eventually become so valuable to us all and despite me being in a total state when my RPK failed to do its business, he coolly and calmly put it right for me. The next time it happened I peered over his shoulder and my learning experience began. This is something you can share with me by way of our “Devil’s in the Details” and “Take Down” features but now I’m happy to embark upon even complex fixes and breaking down a gun to its component pieces is now a routine exercise.

If we fast forward some considerable time, plenty of guns, more wallet abuse than I care to think about and an inconceivable amount of BBs, I find myself in a position where airsoft is now more than something I do once every couple of weekends and it’s now a staple part of my life, my full-time job. I wouldn’t have given you credit for it if you’d suggested this was how it would be back at the beginning but I’m more than thankful for it now. One think that has struck me though is that no matter how many guns and how much tactical kit I have, the enduring memories I have through all this time are of great times, laughing until I cried in the safe zone with people that have become close friends, crashing behind some cover, sheltering from hundreds off BBs whizzing through the air with a guy that has instantly become my best friend and borrowing a speedloader for the weekend off of a dude that I’d only just met at a spawn point. Of course these examples are just points in time I can recall instantly, there’s so many more things I could write about that would fill this entire magazine but without detailing them all, they all have one thing in common… I can’t really recall what I was wearing at the time or even what gun I was using. At the risk of sounding a little corny and dewy-eyed, I’m going to say airsoft isn’t about the kit or the games, it’s not even abut getting kills or winning, it’s all about the guys next to you. Savour all those moments huddled round a camping stove; those explosions of laughter at the spawn point and those cramped car journeys at ungodly hours because you can’t buy them.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we did producing it, and until next time, have a great time!

CONTENTS

Page 6-8 – Gallery – Reader’s images in prints – Send yours to bwebb@ai-mag.com

Page 12-14 – SHOT Show Report – Eric Fine reports back from the biggest tactical and outdoor show of the year.

Page 16-17 – Local Load Outs – Reader’s real world load outs. Show us what you skirmish in set the trend

Page 18-19 – Ready Room – Teams from around the Globe – Show the world how you roll with your team

Page 22-31 – Get in character with Phil Duthaler as we showcase two of his favourite load outs
Page 32-33 – On Our Radar – 0241 Tactical is a small manufacturer from the US that we’ve had our eye on from the start

Page 34-35 – Shop Check – This month we paid SGAirsoft in Ireland a visit to find out what’s going on over at their neck of the woods

Page 38-41 – Gear Zone – Lights, sights and lasers! We’ve gone off the rails when it comes to clamp-on accessories!

Page 42-44 – Take Down SRC SR40 – A Budget WW2 shooter gets stripped back. Pay attention because this one has a unique gearbox!

Page 48-50 – Celcius CTW MX-3 – The question on everyone’s lips is answered, is the CTW as good as the Systema PTW?

Page 52-54 – Head To Head – Two gas giants are pitted against each other. The New KRISS Vector and the equally fresh TM MP7A1

Page 56-58 – PTS Masada SV – Cash is tight these days and PTS have responded with a slimmed down version of their acclaimed Masada, has it managed to keep its charm?

Page 62-64 – Tried and Tested – We’ve run a selection of kit through the gauntlet so we can tell you what’s worth owning

Page 66-67 – Gear Focus – Smocks… An often overlooked but invaluable piece of fighting equipment.

Page 70-71 – That’s Pretty Ninja – What’s old is new so they say, or are we just all blinded by the glitz and glamour of all that is considered “Gucci”…

Page 72 – Quick Fix – Give your barrel a thorough cleaning with the help of Abbey Gun Solutions products

Page 74-75 – Workshop – Jay forges on with his insanely ambitions project. Things are really starting to shape up!

Page 77-80 – DitD – I gone done broken my AK motor and Jack had to help me fix it! We suspect it’s a common problem, so listen up and learn some new skills!

Page 82-83 – Weekend Warriors – Guns for show, knives for a pro, as the saying goes, but Jay is here to give you some pointers on all things pointy.

Page 84 – Mythblasters – Can an AEG really have PTW trigger response? Is it really as easy as throwing in an £85 upgrade part, find out inside!

Page 86 – French Letter – Is innovation all it’s cracked up to be, and do we need to complicate everything with new-fangled technology? Frenchie gets a bit grumpy about all us whipper-snappers in this month’s French Letter.

With a reputation like that of Real Sword we expect big things from all their products, so does this quirky rarity of a compact assault rifle carry the tradition forward?

You don’t see many Real Sword Type 97s on the skirmish field; in fact, you don’t see many real steel ones although contrary to popular belief, they are actually a Chinese-made gun designed solely for export. This replica promises to be as faithful and accurate to the original as possible though, so let’s see if it lives up to the hype, and let’s see how well it performs.

The Type 97 is commonly misidentified as the gun issued to the People’s Liberation Army, or the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China and being fair, it’s an easy mistake to make, the weapon issued to these troops is in fact the Type 95 which bears many resemblances with the Type 97 aside from a few key points. The Type 95 is manufactured in a joint venture between Norinco and Jianshe Corp. for military issue; it was developed as a replacement for the Type 81, a weapon itself developed by the Chinese for their armed forces, but one which borrowed much from the AK family of arms. Although it had some significant improvements over its forerunner, the Type 81 still used the same 7.62mm ammunition and could not shed the few ergonomic idiosyncrasies it carried over, in addition to this the Chinese were keen to develop their own weapon using their own intellectual property.

The Type 95 (or QBZ-95) was developed prior to 1995 and first seen outside of China in 1997, presumably as a publicity stunt and demonstration to the world as the United Kingdom handed sovereignty of Hong Kong over to China. The weapon departs significantly from the Type 81 in its construction and appearance primarily through its bullpup configuration and synthetic, polymer construction. Not evident from an over view is the round the weapon fires. Gone are the days of heavyweight 7.62mm ammunition and in is an intermediate, high velocity 5.8x42mm cartridge developed by the Chinese that allegedly performs better than the NATO and Russian equivalents. The Type 95 represents an entire weapon system developed by the Chinese almost from the ground up, in fact the one hangover from the AK-based system, and of particular note to us, is the magazine. The Type 95 retains a magazine design that is both shaped and fitted to the rifle in a similar style to the AK (and Type 81) in that its leading edge is offered up and the rest of the magazine is “rocked” into place.

The Type 97, the weapon of which the AEG we have here is a model derived from the Type 95 but built for export. Instead of the 5.8mm round, it is chambered for the more abundant 5.56mm NATO standard ammunition and instead of the AK style magazine, the weapon is fitted with an alternative receiver with a deep magazine well able to accept STANAG type M4 magazines. Whether Real Sword chose to manufacture a replica of precisely this model for the ultimate level of realism, after all it’s unlikely that you’d see a Type 95 in the hands of anyone other than a member of the Chinese authorities, much less overseas, or they did it purely for reasons of practicality remains a mystery. We are quietly confident in feeling the reason is the former though, since no expense or attention to detail has been spared elsewhere in the manufacture of this replica.

Ultimate realism

The concept of “realistic” in the context of airsoft guns is something that is bandied around quite a lot, although there are only a select few that are truly realistic, for reasons mostly based on cost and practicality, many manufacturers make compromises. The most well known of which is the width and size of your average M4 AEG pistol grip, it’s significantly fatter than a real steel model since it has to house a motor that doesn’t cost the earth, but is also powerful enough to make the gun turn over. This isn’t the case with Real Sword, and in the case of this AEG it’s built from the ground up to be as exact a replica as possible.

The entire gun’s back bone is formed by the beefy receiver and a steel barrel that thanks to the bullpup design is deceptively long, long enough to house a 485mm inner barrel. To put that into perspective, a full length M16 only has a 509mm inner barrel as standard and at only 760mm in total length the T97 is decidedly shorter than the M16 at around 1000mm. This adds up to a weapon that should be accurate and efficient with being cumbersome. The receiver itself is CNC machined from a hunk of what Real Sword call “Duralumin” which in layman’s terms is a nice heavy and importantly, hard metal. It’s hard anodised in a dull matte black and left without any kind of lacquer which would add undesirable shine to a tactical weapon. Real Sword claim that this is the same anti-corrosion finish as the real weapon, not that it is produced in the same factory as some reports online have claimed, either way, it’s an impeccably high standard of finish that looks realistic and very business-like.

The vast majority of the remainder of the gun is constructed from a high strength polymer material, which again is produced to the standard of the real steel weapon, according to Real Sword. It’s all a dulled, matte black finish again and if you’ve been put off of “plastic” guns in the past, taking hold of this one could well sway you, it’s incredibly solid feeling. This sturdiness is aided by the fact that the outer of the weapon is produced from very few parts; in fact, the entire user interface area (the pistol grip and forestock) is formed from one large piece meaning no creaks or other off-putting movement. The plastic pistol grip and trigger guard (which is of ample size to be easy to use with even thick gloves) are moulded as one piece, with an accessible storage area inside the grip. One concession to total realism though, is the fact that this space is used to house a custom type battery to power the AEG.

The sights are still metal though, the front being on top of the gas parts that are mounted to the barrel, which is all also made of steel and the rear being formed by a part of the receiver that braces the rear of the integral carry handle. The front sight is an enclosed post that is adjustable for elevation, and the rear is a revolving multiple aperture design, with three different sized peepholes and one open post, an unusual combination but true to the real weapon.

The gun terminates at either end with a steel birdcage type flash hider that screws on to the usual 14mm thread in a counter clockwise direction, and a rubberised butt plate for comfort. To field strip the weapon, it’s simply a matter of removing two pins with your bare hands and taking apart the exterior which is well explained in the accompanying literature. Even though the battery lies deep within the gun, it’s easy to get at thanks to the realistic take down.

The user controls however, are a little awkward, no fault from Real Sword though since they have only replicated the real weapon. The fire selector is inconveniently place in the firer’s armpit when aiming, so a concerted effort is required to switch from safe to one of the fire modes. The mag release is also in an awkward position behind the magazine well on the right hand side of the gun. Sure this is likely a compromise on the original designer’s behalf, since this is a modification of the Type 95 design, but it sure takes a little getting used to. Strangely, these quirks remind us a little of our very own L85, another ergonomically challenging bullpup!

Internals

As individual as the Type 97 looks on the outside, it all pales into insignificance when you take a peep under the hood. An entirely unique gearbox shell holds the steel gears which run on 7mm bearings ABOVE the piston and cylinder assembly. Also incorporated into the shell is the motor which sits above the cylinder pointing backwards along the length of the gun, it’s all very unusual and to be frank it would be hugely off-putting if the quality of the factory fitted components wasn’t so high. When disassembling AEGs you learn to get a feel for the quality of the factory build and nothing within this AEG made us think anything but stringent attention to detail has gone into this product. The reason for such a proprietary gearbox is to maintain the external realism to the furthest extent possible and it’s been designed cleverly and implemented well here.

Another major part of the internal portion of the gun is the hop unit, another unique design that is screwed firmly to the chassis of the gun, something that encourages consistency when firing by stabilising the inner barrel and keeping the seal between the air nozzle and hop unit tight from shot to shot. It’s adjusted using a wheel accessed through the ejection port of the gun and has a solid, slack-free feel, with a huge range of adjustment to allow you to squeeze maximum range out of your chosen ammo. It is possible to choke up the barrel with the hop on full, so take care when adjusting to avoid damage to the hop rubbers or gearbox.

Performance

Satisfied with our analysis of the gun as a whole, it was time to put it to the test on the chrono to find out how all these parts worked together. Given this gun’s origins, it’s no surprise that the velocity it was spitting out BBs was a little lacklustre compared to some. Over ten shots it ranged between 296 and 307fps on a .2 BB but thanks to the quick change spring design, high quality internals and readily accessible gearbox it’s quite literally a 5 minute job to throw a stronger spring into the gun. The included magazine also fed flawlessly at 682 rounds per minute when using a 7.4v Lipo and Excel .2g BBs, although we did encounter a couple of jams with G&G branded BBs.

Summary

Whilst the Real Sword Type 97 isn’t exactly a “go to” choice in terms of what it replicates it’s a very, very high quality AEG. It’s not going to appeal to many airsofters, perhaps taking influence from what can be seen in the media, the news and in movies, and since it’s not technically a military gun (remember, that’s the Type 95) it might not suit the die-hard re-enactor type.

Aside from it being a replica of a somewhat obscure gun, which when we gather some perspective on the matter, is the only real downside, the Real Sword Type 97 is a beautifully made piece of kit. Real Sword haven’t got sidetracked by adding bells and whistles, they simply made one of the best AEGs I’ve handled, in terms of build quality, design and faithfulness as a replica, it’s copied 1:1, warts and all.

Vital Stats

FPS average: 301.2fps on .2g BB – Moderate but sensible!

ROF average: 682rpm or 11.3rps on 7.4v – Going Steady!

Overall Length: 760mm – Positively stumpy!

Weight: 3.5kg – A solid heft!

Extras: 1x mid-cap magazine, multi-piece cleaning rod, dummy oil can – Just the basics.

Colours: Black

Price: Around £410 from Landwarrior Airsoft

At a Glance…

Scores

External Parts = 5

Internal Parts = 5

Performance  = 3

Field Testing = 3

Good Stuff – Beautifully made, accurate replica, easy to work on gearbox, very unique.

Not-so-good Stuff – Awkward ergonomics, restricted battery space, may be hard to find spares.

Here’s one that’s sure to be a divider of the masses. AK purists will be chundering into their ushankas and the Magpul fan-boys could finally be ditching their M4s. Perhaps it’s the beginning of the end, after all its 2012, or perhaps it’s just another AEG on the market. Whatever happens it’s going to cause a bit of a stir, something tells me Beta Project knew this though. After all, what did they think would happen when they painted a Magpul stocked AK in tan and put a rail on it?

To some, it’s desecration but to others it’s a necessity. Ever since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare came along and rammed an M4 stocked AK into your eyes, more and more users have been “tactical-ing” their AKs. These users have a fair point though, as pure and simplistic as an unadulterated AK is, it’s still a design that’s about as old as your oldest relative. Those dodgy palette wood handguards and stocks might be regarded as a work of art in their context, but they are nigh on useless if you ever want to attach a weapon light or foregrip.

The idea of a “tactical” AK weapon complete with rails is not a new one. Ever since its arch nemesis, the AR family of weapons sprouted rails, attempts have been made to follow suit with varying degrees of success. Replacement polymer furniture with rails, bolt-on scope mounts and all manner of other just less than 100% coherent solutions have been used and those that have employed them have done so with varying degrees of success. Aside from risking exile from any group of hardcore AK users, these brave pariahs have had to make do with custom fitting all manner of aftermarket components just to get their rail fix. Is this all going to end with the advent of the Beta Project Tactical AK?

What in the world is it?

Everyone knows that according to the current laws of airsoft, anything bearing the badge of “tactical” must fulfil certain criteria. It must have rails itself or be rail mountable, it must be compatible with or be in some way “Magpul’d” and it must be available in some form of tan/flat dark earth/putrid beige. So does this AK qualify? In short, yes. It has rails, lots of them, the whole front half of the gun is one whacking great 4 sided rail system. Is it Magpul’d? Check… Out back we have a genuine Magpul PTS CTR stock sliding on an M4 style buffer tube and yes, it’s only available in tan. It’s tacticalisation doesn’t end their though, it goes above and beyond by employing not one, but two charging handles, an aftermarket style M249 type pistol grip and even a Beta Project semi-transparent, polymer AK magazine. It’s reasonably departed from the standard AK-104 style weapon it’s based on.

Externals

The first thing that strikes you about the Beta Project Tactical AK, when taking it into the hand is the considerable heft it has. From the all metal barrel, RIS and body, down to the burly metal buffer tube assembly that the sliding stock runs on, it’s got some weight. The centrepiece of the gun, a stamped style AK receiver is powder-coated in a tan tone, with a front sight post and an AK47 style top cover finished to match. The receiver itself appears to be slightly different to  the VFC/LCT or Marui type of AK AEG body in that a sliding polymer block (located inside the mag well) stabilises fore end of the gun in the receiver, this is opposed to the Tokyo Marui design with 4 screws and the VFC/LCT type with 2 screws, and only really pertinent if a RIS scope mount is required to be mounted, not something that this gun particularly needs given the substantial RIS front. It is of interest though, because it simplifies assembly and disassembly.

The receiver differs elsewhere too, notably right at the back. Instead of the usual solid stock mounting points on most standard type AKs, a cylindrical buffer tube mount is in place. Into this is threaded a metal buffer tube that is held fixed in place by a hardened steel lock-ring which will be familiar to most M4 users. Theoretically, you could fit and AR pattern stock to the back end of this gun, but Beta Project have saved the majority of users a little hassle and put a genuine Magpul PTS CTR stock in place. As common with Magpul PTS parts, it’s a high quality piece of polymer furniture and its locking adjustment system functions just as well here as it does in any other application. It does wobble a minute amount of the buffer tube, but to be honest, I’ve not encountered many weapons short of a Systema PTW that this DOESN’T occur with. The essential thing here is that the buffer tube is absolutely rock solid and allows 4 points of adjustment.

The aforementioned M249 style pistol grip is another polymer part and for me feels like a massive improvement over the traditional AK style grip which is sometimes a little small and short. The one we have here is nice and chunky, giving a positive, secure feeling grip, particularly good given the weight of the gun as a whole. The gun does retain the basic AK trigger guard/mag catch combo which could be criticised for not being “tactical” enough, but it does the job nicely here. Perhaps it could be on the hitlist for a user upgrade should you decide to pick one of these up?

The fitted fire selector is also standard AK fare, and in my eyes one of the more awkward feeling parts of an AK, but I guess it’s the quirks that make the gun, huh? It is possible to pick up some aftermarket parts to trick this area up, so perhaps another think on the list for uber-tactical owners? Something else that IS spruced up is the ambidextrous charging handle set-up, it’s not massively important or effective on this AEG, since the only time you ever need to touch it is when you are adjusting the hop (more on this in a while), but the gun doesn’t have just one switchable handle, but two fixed ones! To achieve this, a modified top cover and mock bolt is fitted with an additional charging handle protruding from the left side as well as the right, the handles themselves are styled just like the ones fitted to the Magpul PTS ACR and protrude much further than the original AK ones. Looking from the top down the gun looks a little like it has wings or perhaps ears! I’m sure this will earn it some skirmish-field nicknames as time goes on. One thing it certainly does do though is make the whole thing a damn sight harder to store and transport thanks to the additional width… A minor niggle.

So, on to the bit you’ve all been waiting for, perhaps the biggest single “tactical” enhancement on the whole AEG, the front end and RIS unit. Since the weapon is based on an AK104 platform, its CQB length barrel terminates in a combination front sight post and mock gas block onto which the conical steel flash hider threads. It threads on in a clockwise manner and to enhance the tactical appearance of the gun, and perhaps reduce the length marginally I’d be tempted to fit an AR birdcage type affair. Then there’s the RIS. It runs the entire length of the barrel and gas tube with the lower half clamping to the barrel via an allen bolt system, the upper rail clamps to the mock gas tube via a similar clamping system. This results in a surprising amount of rail space and possibly the most solid feeling system we’ve felt fitted to an AK. The rail components themselves are of the crisply cut, anodised black aluminium variety and are perhaps let down only by the “Made in Hong Kong” marking, indiscreetly emblazoned in white down one side.

This Beta Project AK comes with a Beta Project AK magazine. It might look like the same mag that comes with the recently released Magpul PTS Masada AKM, but it isn’t. The AKM uses its own proprietary mag. This one is the same fitting style as most other AK AEGs.

Internals & Performance

Taking the cover off of this AK, we can see a black finished gearbox shell housing reasonable quality metal gears and other generic V3 parts are abound including a set of metal 7mm bushings, and essentially it all seems to work well together. It’s not groundbreaking but it gets the job done. Interestingly, the motor cage bears a small marking that reads “CM028” which leads us to believe the ‘box may have been sourced wholesale from CYMA. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, CYMA branded AKs have a great reputation with some users who are certainly not shy about telling their story online and first hand, we’ve seen them function well with just a spring change to bring them under site limits. This theory was bolstered when firing through the chrono. Over 10 shots the gun recorded a variety of readings ranging from 342fps all the way up to 355fps on an Excel .2g BB, a little too hot for many UK sites.

Ahead of the gearbox, inside the gun is the hop unit, in this instance it’s a cast metal number just like you would expect to see in any other AK AEG. It’s easily adjusted using the slider that is conveniently marked with number to allow you to gauge just how much backspin you will be applying. It’s a little stiff to get moved, but that’s a good thing, as the lateral movement in this design does mean it has a tendency to creep if loose, especially with the vibrations caused in use. One of the hidden benefits of the ambidextrous charging handle is that it’s much easier to hold the mock bolt open to access the adjuster compared to the normal bolt handle, especially since AKs lack any kind of bolt catch.

Summary

There’s no denying that this AK is going to have as many haters as it has lovers, it’s a brave release from Beta Project but I think it’ll certainly get some looks and cause some conversation on the skirmish field in 2012. Sure, it’s not massively ground-breaking internally, and externally it is just a modern pattern AK with a rail and AR stock bolted on. It isn’t that far removed from what could previously be achieved with a careful selection of aftermarket parts and the right AEG to begin with, but it saves a lot of work for the prospective tactical AK owner. The fact the internals of the gun are readily and simply available V3 parts mean that upgrades and repairs should be easily sourced with minimum fuss. No more do AK owners have to make the choice between the modularity and practicality of a modern weapon system and the kudos of, well owning an AK! It’s all here in one solid package that shoots great straight out of the box, although maybe a little hot for some.

Vital Stats

FPS average: 355fps on .2g BB – Too hot for some sites!

ROF average: 655rpm on 8.4v – Going Steady!

Overall Length: 815mm – 895mm – CQB Friendly!

Weight: 3.5kg – A solid heft!

Extras: 1x mid-cap magazine, cleaning rod, instruction sheet – Just basics.

Colours: Tan

Price: Around £370 from Fire Support

At a Glance…

Scores

External Parts = 4

Internal Parts = 3

Performance  = 3

Field Testing = 4

Good Stuff – Rails on an AK! Solid build, unique looks.

Not-so-good Stuff – Rails on an AK! Heavy weight, too powerful out of the box.

First things first, let’s take a look at the outside of the gun, which, since the whole things runs on an M4/V2 style gearbox are going to be the most likely to set it apart. Being part of the “intermediate” or “Combat Machine” range, the GR4 G26 comes with a Nylon Fibre receiver, but don’t let that put you off at this early stage, it’s actually very well made, with sharp, defined edges and barely a mold-line or seam in sight. The upper and lower portions of the receiver mate together perfectly too, with no gaps, creaks or wobbles. The receiver itself is probably the most understated portion of the entire gun, it’s a simple “armalite” style receiver bearing a white G&G “crest” logo, printed on the mag-well, the upper is equally familiar, being a flat top, RIS offering.

The controls fitted to the receiver are made from a combination of steel and what we expect is the commonly used aluminium alloy mazac. The body pins hold in firmly, the bolt cover is sprung, with a catch allowing you to store it in the closed position and the mag release is positive. The feel of the fire selector itself is exceptionally good, solidly and definitely locking into Safe, Semi and Auto positions smoothly and without any slop giving the gun a feeling of quality far outside its price bracket. The trigger guard is also a custom-style design not dissimilar to the Magpul or perhaps Knight’s Armament products, it’s far more comfortable than the flat, angled mil-spec style one and has a slight “loop” shape to give more room inside the trigger area, all good stuff.

Also attached to the receiver and a slight break from the usual AR fare is the pistol grip, instead of the commonly seen mil-spec grip this one is strikingly close to the HK416 type. It’s made from a comfortable textured, Nylon fibre material and combined with the enhanced trigger guard, offers a great interface area for the user, again belying the price of the gun.

Working from the receiver down towards the business end of the gun, we get to the handguard which is held on using a proprietary delta ring design. The ring isn’t actually sprung like with most designs, instead, part of the false gas block further down the barrel serves to hold the lower half of the guard, the top then slots into place. The design is similar in shape to the Magpul MOE guard, a rounded, vaguely triangular shape that’s actually rather comfortable to take hold of, and despite the unusual locking mechanism, pretty solid.

Along with slots along the sides and bottom, the guard has an integrated rail and backup sight built in to the top, and interestingly, a flip out LED torch powered by a single CR123 battery within the lower half. It’s not particularly bright or easy to use, but it does carry a certain cool factor! Not only this but the front portion of the barrel is removable via a grub screw, and a second one, included in the box, incorporates a laser sight with batteries housed inside the top portion of the handguard. Of course, all these batteries and extras do take up a lot of space, which would otherwise been used to store the main battery since the gun is front wired, but fortunately, G&G supply an extra front-set if you don’t want to use the torch, lazer or both. Of course, you can still fit a battery in the space left, but you’ll be restricted to the one supplied, an 8-cell split-pack, 9.6v, 1500mAh, NiMh with a mini-Tamiya connector. Spares or replacement batteries are available in a similar configuration, but they will be tougher to come by than “standard” configurations of cells, for that reason, it might be prudent to opt for a simple 7.4v LiPo to power the gun, should you need to replace the original.

As we mentioned, the outer barrel of the gun is segmented, fixing together by means of grub screws but it’s also made from turned metal adding much needed weight and rigidity to the AEG. At full length, the outer barrel is long enough to accept a 233mm inner barrel, and it terminates in an aggressively pronged and oversized flash hider, not dissimilar to the PWS DNTC designs. It is VERY aggressive and although it’s a plastic material is still quite sharp, so anyone that playing at very close quarters may want to switch it out for any other anti-clockwise flash hider to avoid any kind of poking injuries to fellow players!

Back out at the rear of the gun, G&G look to have taken a little more influence from the Magpul line of aftermarket weapon accessories. Mounted on a finely machined metal buffer tube is the multi position, locking and sliding stock. It has a shape and design largely similar to the MOE or CTR stocks available, with a very similar locking mechanism to the CTR. There are a few important differences though. Firstly, the top of the stock where you rest your cheek features an over-moulded, rubberised pattern that’s both grippy and slightly squashy, adding a little comfort and luxury. There’s also the storage compartment built into the lower brace of the stocks skeletal design. Simply pushing a button allows you to swing out the bottom portion, revealing a void space perfect for storing CR123 batteries… Just the ticket for powering that torch/laser combo up in the hand grip!

Between the rather nice machined stock tube and sliding stock assembly to the receiver sits a useful and durable feeling single point sling plate, perfect for hooking up any kind of sling. In its factory position, the plate allows the user to hook up the sling to the left hand side of the weapon, best suited to a right handed shooter, although it doesn’t look too difficult to simply flip the plate over for a left-handed user. Finally, to finish up the outer of this AEG, a compact flip up rear sight is perched atop the receiver to compliment the front sight built into the handguard, a useable and unobtrusive set-up right out of the box, especially when you consider the laser aiming device built into the front end.

Internals

Since this G&G gun uses a tried, tested and proven design, the V2 gearbox with large 8mm oil less bushings, we think it’s wise that they’ve not tried to reinvent the wheel. V2 boxes are not without their faults, which only really show up after extended use, or when you a really trying to push them hard, but this simple, reliable ‘box should be firstly, solid and dependable to use in its standard guise, and secondly, easily fixed without spending large amounts of cash should anything go wrong.

With all that said, it should be noted that the gearbox shell at the heart of this AEG isn’t actually totally standard, it comes with a few little extras in the shape of G&G’s new “pneumatic blowback system” which is actually rather exciting. Previous electric blow back designs as in, guns that had bolts or mock bolts that moved when you fired, relied on rudimentary and inefficient piston “hook” designs to pull back the bolt when the gearbox was working. G&G have done away with this basic design, since it’s known and proven to reduce the working life and performance of the ‘box, and have come up with a far more advanced design that uses a secondary air cylinder to mimic the bolt movement of a real gun, without adding undue wear and tear, great news!

Another not-entirely-standard feature of this gun is the functional forward assist, positioned on the right hand side of the receiver. Although in an AEG, the forward assist works in an almost opposite fashion to the real steel, allowing the spring to return to its most relaxed state by disengaging the anti-reversal latch, it’s still just as useful and adds peace-of-mind for the user.

Aside from the gearbox, the other vital part of the AEG is the hop unit. G&G have opted for an all plastic, one-piece design in this gun, which is no bad thing, considering it’s well molded and achieves a good airseal with the surrounding components. The hop is adjusted via a wheel that turns a set of cogs to apply pressure via an arm to the hop nub, nothing groundbreaking there, just proven, solid designs manufactured and assembled to a high standard. In use we did find the hop perhaps a little too effective though, with such a large range of adjustment available, it was actually possible to jam the barrel, so caution should be exercised when dialling on the hop!

Unfortunately no information was provided with the gun about the bore diameter of the standard inner barrel, but upon inspection it appears consistently machined and free from burs or debris so should provide reasonable performance provided you use it with good quality BBs.

Accessories & Extras

It’s fair to say this gun comes packaged with an almost unprecedented amount of extras in the box, which can sometimes raise a few eyebrows with doubts about the quality of what you do get, but that’s not the case here. G&G generously package a quality battery, a bag of 2000 BBs, a 300 round high capacity magazine, a spare front handguard set, a battery charger, a set of stick-on decals, some G&G playing cards and even a Velcro G&G patch! The only item that perhaps wasn’t up to scratch was the basic charger, since we’d always advise using a high quality aftermarket model to get the best from your batteries, but other than that everything was of top notch quality.

Of course, the most essential extra, aside from the battery, is the 300 round high capacity magazine. Featuring an overmolded grip design, in fitting with the other parts of this gun, the mag is comfortable to use both in reloading and also to use as a grip, but it is pretty bulky and impossible to use in mil-spec mag pouches. That’s no big issue though, since any other brand of M4 type mags fit just fine in the receiver. In use, the included mag fit and fed perfectly though, so it’s fair to say it’s perfectly useable.

Another extra that isn’t always included, but should be, is a well printed, well translated and well illustrated instruction sheet. Covering everything from battery installation to hop adjustment, the A3 full colour sheet helps even the freshest newcomer get up to speed on their new purchase, and goes a long way to preventing disappointment and damage through misuse or misunderstanding, bravo G&G, a huge plus.

Summary

Its looks aside, the G&G GR4 G26 DST Blow-Back is undoubtedly a cracking gun straight out of the box,  perhaps not for the seasoned player or avid collector, but for a newcomer to the sport or youngster looking to make their first purchase, it’s perfect, and won’t leave you falling short on the field.

High quality manufacture, great performance and all importantly, well implemented added features all add up to make an exciting finished article. It’s not a huge thing for those well used to getting new guns, but G&G have gone to the lengths to package this AEG beautifully, with a full colour box and the aforementioned added extras, making it an ideal option as a gift package. There are even enough BBs in there to get through your first skirmish!

If you think you are going to want to upgrade your gun much, especially externally, we have to be honest; there are probably better guns out there, within G&G’s extensive range and beyond. As a reliable, exciting gun straight out of the box, we can’t fault it, even though the cynic in us initially wrote it off as a gimmicky plaything. All told, the G&G  GR4 G26 Blowback is a solid choice,  especially because of the package it comes with, provided you can handle its unique looks!

Vital Stats

FPS average: 331.9fps on .2g BB – Skirmish Friendly!

ROF average: 850rpm – Solid performer!

Overall Length: 700mm – CQB Approved!

Weight: 2.4kg – Nice ‘n’ Light!

Extras: Battery, Charger, Electric Blow-Back, Functional Forward Assist, Integrated Light & Laser, Spare foregrip, BBs, Velcro Patch, Playing Cards, Stickers – Feature Packed!

Colours: Black, Tan or Two-Tone

Price: Approx £220

At a Glance…

Scores

External Parts = 3

Internal Parts = 4

Performance  = 4

Field Testing = 4

Good Stuff – Usable straight out of the box. Plenty of fun features. Lightweight and easy to carry.
Not-so-good Stuff – “Marmite” looks. Difficult/Expensive to upgrade.

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As I write this we are well into January of 2013 and it follows that by the time you read it, we’ll be even further into the month. All is well and good though and it turns out the Mayans were either wrong or at least inaccurate about the impending apocalypse which meant that instead of being sucked into a fiery void, I was able to make my way over to Swindon to visit the fledgling site called “CQB Tactical”. You can read our full report of this very promising facility elsewhere in this issue but what I wanted to write about in this short passage was the matter of reputation.

A single event that occurred during the course of the day made me think a little about how reputations work in airsoft and how a little careless bending of the truth can be magnified greatly, with rather disproportionate consequences. Despite having an overwhelmingly positive day at CQB Tactical, before the last game, I overheard a player a few people down the queue to get back into the safe zone say, “I’m not surprised the other team are cheating, half of them are the Ai @$&£?” (four letter expletive beginning with “C” removed)… Now, since I’ve been doing this job a little while now I’ve become somewhat accustomed to dealing with things from left-field, airsofters can collectively come out with some quite bizarre statements and mind-bending questions but the completely unfounded nature of this somewhat accusing tirade really struck me. At the time I brushed it off, somebody was obviously having a bad day but as we drove a couple of hours home I began to reflect on it. What had caused this outburst?

Airsoft is odd in the fact that, due to everyone generally wearing a rather similar outfit, it sometimes being quite dark and also the fact you’ll generally only catch fleeting glances of other people, anonymity is reasonably easy to retain. Although I’m no shrinking violet I hadn’t made any particularly overt announcement that I was “Ben from Ai”, I’m plainly not that egotistical and secondly, I didn’t really want to identify myself as “walking target A”. By the same token, when I’m playing airsoft under the banner of the magazine, I make sure I do so with nothing short of impeccable behavior for the very reason of reputation. The person responsible for brandishing such expletives obviously hadn’t thought of the consequences of his actions. If he thought I, or somebody in my party had been cheating he should have told a marshall, although upon investigation this didn’t happen.

The consequences of you simply deciding somebody is a cheat are pretty deep. You tell the players around you, they tell the next player they meet and before long, the entire opposing team has the same impression, an impression based on what? It’s an impression based on one person’s generally unjustified snap judgment. I’ve marshaled enough airsoft games to know that there are two sides to every dispute and I have to say, at least half the time that fateful call of cheat is unfounded, based on an over-estimation of a players’ ability to shoot or the range their weapon achieves. Face it, as the shooter you are in a pretty bad position to see what a 6mm BB is doing at 20m, let alone further. The law of Chinese Whispers then dictates that within a week the site word will have spread and the site will now be tarnished with a reputation of being frequented by cheats. Unjust at best, damaging to the livelihood of the site operators at worst, all because an individual isn’t able to accept the fact he may not have hit his mark.

I’m not going to say I’m an angel, there have been times when I’ve been hit by a BB and been unaware until I was told, but I can honestly say I’ve never brazenly cheated.  Cheating and not taking hits need to be dealt with in turn, but believe me, I’d rather deal with those that make unfounded accusations first. Fortunately the instance outlined here was isolated and I’m able to brush it off, the owners of CQB Tactical are proactive enough to put it past them but next time you decide to brandish somebody a cheat, please consider the consequences of what you are about to say, the may last a lot longer than the heat of the moment.

CONTENTS

Page 6-8 – Gallery – Reader’s images in prints – Send yours to bwebb@ai-mag.com

Page 12-14 – Site Report – Read our After Action Report from the new site in Swindon, CQB Tactical

Page 16-17 – Local Load Outs – Reader’s real world load outs. Show us what you skirmish in set the trend

Page 18-19 – Ready Room – Teams from around the Globe – Show the world how you roll with your team

Page 22-31 – Mix Up, Look Sharp! – Mixed camouflage patterns and the use of camo in general is the cornerstone of Kit Up! This month.
Page 32-33 – On Our Radar – We take a look at the story behind the innovative RAMP from Gear 4 Grunts.

Page 34-35 – Shop Check – This month we paid JD Airsoft a visit and were blown away by their amazing set-up

Page 38-41 – Gear Zone – Fire Support let us run riot in their stock room and we pick out a selection of low-cost gun gadgets!

Page 42-44 – Take Down RWL Nighthawk – A custom 1911 with a difference. This one is CO2 powered and will blow your socks off!

Page 48-50 – ACM BAR – A budget friendly BAR was something that we thought would come clutched in the trotters of flying pigs, but it’s here and we’ve reviewed it!

Page 52-53 – TM M9A1 – Marui finally get round to putting an adjustable hop in their M9 replicas, was it worth the wait?

Page 56-57 – TM PS90 – Frenchie eyes up this weird looking P90. Will its performance excuse that narwhal style barrel?

Page 58 – Staff Shooters – Bill shows up the ins and outs of his venerable MC51. It’s a total franken-gun but it shoots like a monster too!

Page 62-64 – Tried and Tested – We’ve run a selection of kit through the gauntlet so we can tell you what’s worth owning

Page 66-67 – Gear Focus – We take a look at the gorgeous TAD gear line-up and find out what happens when fashion meets function!

Page 70-71 – That’s Pretty Ninja – Away games… Frenchie discusses away games and why they are important for your sanity.

Page 72 – Quick Fix – Apply a cold blued finish to your steel parts with a little help from Abbey Gun Solutions

Page 74-75 – Workshop – Jay forges on with his insanely ambitions project. Things are really starting to shape up!

Page 77-80 – DitD – 40mm shells or moscarts as they are often know can be great fun but often leak. Jack shows you how to fix them.

Page 82-83 – Weekend Warriors – Jay continues his focus on pyro and deals with remote detonation this month.

Page 84 – Mythblasters – Trade with confidence with part three of our guide to online selling

Page 86 – French Letter – Are you dressed appropriately? Frenchie mulls over the point and wonders why it seems so difficult to turn up dressed in the right gear.

Click here to buy this issue in a digital format

AIRSOFT INTERNATIONAL VOLUME 8 ISSUE 8

Welcome all and sundry to this issue of Airsoft International. Unless you are living under a rock, or perhaps one of our readers close enough to the equator to enjoy all year round warmth, you’ll have been stricken by the plummeting temperatures of wintertim

e. Aside from it stopping our gas guns in their tracks and freezing our little tootsies off

, Airsofting in the wintertime inevitably brings lower numbers to games. Running around in the outdoors when it’s just above zero just isn’t as appealing to the masses as when the sun is high in the sky and it’s hard to keep a shirt on your back.

Sure, it keeps the stag parties away but these slim-pickings and low attendances can lead to games being cancelled and ultimately less Airsoft. It makes you take a step back and really re-evaluate what you enjoy about the game. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but sometimes what I think it does is really make you desperate for a good shoot-up. If your game day falls a bit flat, you can be left feeling rather disheartened. If you’ve been playing for a while and managed to avoid having some kind of mental breakdown in the process, you’ll have no doubt realised that with airsoft, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Some days go better than others. The decision to go left instead of right at that corridor sometimes results in getting half a mag in the arse-cheek and sometimes other players don’t seem to take hits. Does that mean you can’t have fun though? If you are only motivated by winning, perhaps maybe, but if you appreciate the finer points of airs

oft, the camaraderie, the strategies and perhaps even the odd post-skirmish pint, with the right level of expectation, you can come away with a great feeling of satisfaction every time. People wear more layers in the cold, that’s a given so don’t be shocked whe

n the guy with his back to you at 50m doesn’t take the hit on his Puffa jacket.

Airsoft might be competitive, there’s no denying it’s rewarding to emerge as the victor, but when temperatures and numbers are low there’s something else that’s altogether more rewarding about the game, something that makes it greater than the sum of its parts, something that sets the game apart from kicking a ball about on a field, or screaming at some guys racing cars around on the TV on Sunday morning. If you keep playing through winter remember you are part of the hardcore, savour those moments,get stuck in and above all remember to enjoy it.

See you on the skirmish field in 2013 guys!

Buy Airsoft International Volume 8 Issue 7 Digitally Now!

Hello and welcome Ai Volume 8 Issue 7,

As you flick through this issue, or perhaps digitally scroll through the pixels that make up the pages of our newly improved digital version that’s available for iOS, Android, Mac and Desktop PC platforms, you might notice we’ve launched something of a fresh new look. The pages of Ai should now be cleaner and easier to read no matter how you choose to digest your monthly dose of Ai.

The outward image of airsoft is something we do take great pride in here at AiHQ. Although we are only a small team, airsoft is dear to the hearts of every single member and we do our damned best to cram each issue of Ai with as much value as your £4 will stretch to. It’s true, we are only a hobbyist title and many of our contributors write for us in their spare time outside of their day jobs, but that doesn’t mean we do anything by halves. As you no doubt notice the pages of your favourite airsoft magazine are furnished with high quality, vibrant and professional images of the latest and most exciting kit we can track down. After all, if you wanted to see blurry images of somebody wearing some surplus DPM at the bottom end of somebodies back garden, you could probably do that yourself with a quick browse on Facebook. In fact, Frenchie discusses the matter of airsoft photography in his regular “Ninja” feature on pages 70-71.

Airsoft isn’t all about image though, and neither is Ai, we pride ourselves on in-depth reviews of not only guns but also the associated and essential equipment you’ll need. In this issue you’ll find our “Gear Zone” section has now been upped to a healthy 4 pages and features more new gear than ever before. If it’s worth knowing about, you’ll find it on pages 38-41.

That’s enough about us though. The nights are drawing in here over the UK and thoughts have no doubt been turning to those “Winter Projects” that will keep us all sane through the coming months. Something that has caused a bit of a stir is Jay’s ambitious DShK Machine gun project that’s getting underway. If it were anyone else attempting to make this gun in airsoft form, I’d probably be a bit wary of the outcome, but since it’s Jay masterminding the handiwork we can’t wait to see ho it turns out. If you are planning something equally outrageous, hair-brained or zany, we’d love to hear about it. As always you can feel free to drop me a line on bwebb@ai-mag.com! Let me know about your latest games, your biggest skirmish-field frustration or even your most recent epic failure. Get in touch!

Until next time, enjoy this issue and see you in the safe zone!
Ben Webb