Airsoft News: Magpul 'Pulling Out'

My first post for August and I'm afraid it's a bit of a downer

I took a trip down to my local site on Friday to chuck in a couple of guns I'm looking to sell and have a look at one or two other shiny things I'm thinking of buying, only to be met with the surprising 'news' [to me at least] that Magpul have pulled the plug on their official licensing agreement with PTS

The upshot of this, according to the site owner, is that officially licensed and branded Magpul products made specifically for the airsoft market have been discontinued and will no longer be available in the future. So, once UK stockists have run out of product, that's it. You won't be able to get hold of any more

When I got home, I looked up what I could find on the web and sure enough, there's quite a lot of discussion about it on various forums and, just in case you are reading or hearing about this for the first time, I have included one or two links to said discussions below

http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/16980-magpul-pts-full-product-line-to-be-discontinued/

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/210433-pts-closing-down/

Much is being made of the fact that there we are still awaiting 'official' confirmation of this from either PTS or Magpul. I guess, only time will tell but I for one will be very disappointed if it turns out to be true. Watch this space, and if you're currently in the market for some PTS Magpul gear then you may well have to get your skates on. Happy hunting!

Airsoft: Arms and Equipment

I've been toying with the idea for quite some time and the other day I finally succumbed to temptation and purchased the item pictured below

I've been looking for a gun that's well built, reliable, with good range and a fairly rapid rate of fire. Whilst surfing the net for a suitable weapon I happened to come across this and set about finding out to get hold of one in the UK

I eventually found a dealer prepared to let the package I wanted [the gun and 8 additional hi-cap magazines] go for just over £520, including next day delivery. Not cheap, I know, but I was working on the premise that I ought to be getting what I was prepared to pay for!

I know it's not always the case, but the first thing that hits you when you tear through the brown paper is the quality of the packaging which is reassuringly expensive looking and suggestive of the fact that on this occasion it just might be

Inside the box you will find a gun, a high-cap magazine, a few BBs, a red plastic barrel cover, a cleaning rod tucked away underneath the gun and an instruction booklet, together with a few paper targets, cleverly secreted away in the lid of the box, which also has a couple of polystyrene blocks strategically stuck onto it for added protection

The magazines are predominantly made of metal, so are reassuringly weighty, very easy to fill with the 500 rounds they comfortably hold, and are absolutely solid as a rock when slipped into the mag well of the gun

The gun itself, being a TM, is unsurprisingly made of a mixture of ABS and metal making it fairly light, but by no means flimsy. The adjustable stock is easy to operate and pretty solid with very little movement even when fully extended

The fire selector and magazine release catches are all comfortably positioned, as they are on the real steel version, and access to the incredibly easy to use hop adjustment is achieved via the cocking handle on the front left hand side of the gun

Access to the battery compartment is a little trickier but by no means complicated or even fiddly once you've practiced it once or twice. Remove the flash hider at the front, release a small catch on the front of the cover whilst at the same time holding the cover, and simply slide it forward. The compartment is designed for 8.4V mini batteries but, as you can see from the photos below, it will easily accommodate a 7.4V Lipo

Other fixtures and fittings include a standard adjustable iron sight at the rear, a single rear steel sling point on the left hand side, and threaded holes on either side of the battery housing ready to take RIS rails should you wish to pimp it up some!

So. How does it shoot? Well, firstly let me qualify this by saying that I haven't yet taken it out into the field but shooting it in the garden the other day was a blast. TM weapons have a reputation for the quality of their hop units, giving the guns consistently good range without the need for excessive power

According to the sticker on the end of the box, put on by the dealer who tested it before it was shipped, the gun is shooting at around 275FPS out of the box, so universally site friendly and convenient from the customer's point of view since there's absolutely no need to mess around with any of the internals

Standing on the decking just outside my patio windows it easily reached the fencing at the bottom of the garden approximately 100 feet away, that's about 30 metres for all you youngsters that might be reading this, and the rate of fire on full auto was, well, grin-inducingly good! Watching the following short clip won't be anything approaching the fun of getting to hold one of these in your sweaty paws and then unleashing hell when you pull the trigger, but it might just give you an inkling of an idea!

Happy hunting!

A Date For Your Diary

Next year, Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th February to be precise, sees The British Airsoft Show and The British Shooting and Countryman Show coming together for what promises to be an epic two days of 'gun fun' and 'shooting related shenanigans'

Two airsoft buddies of mine, who used to shoot with me regularly as part of the team I'm in, and both of whom have recently moved down south due to work commitments, mentioned that they were planning to come up for it so chances are I'll be there along with the rest of 'the squad'

Both partners in the enterprise have a website you can easily check out. Take a look at the screenshots below and see if you're tempted to find out more

Not that I'm wishing my life away or anything silly like that, but I can barely wait to be there! See ya!

Airsoft International Goes Digital

Yes, that's right folks! For those of you that don't already know, and for all I know there might be one or two of you out there, Airsoft International, the UK's most popular and widely read Airsoft magazine, is now available digitally thanks to a hook up with PocketMags

The new and improved digital version is compatible with all mobile devices and desktop systems so you can 'pick up' and read AI quite literally wherever you are in the world! [As long as you have a device of some sort handy!]

Finding your digital AI couldn't be easier. If you have an i-phone simply go to your Newsstand or visit the App Store and search for Airsoft International. Follow the on-screen prompts and away you go. Alternatively, visit the PocketMags website, search for AI and then follow the equally straight forward registration process which you are guided through each and every step of the way

You can buy the mag one issue at a time for £3.99 or purchase one of two subscription bundles. The first costs £10.99 and allows you to buy 3 issues and the second costs £17.99 which gives you access to 10 issues. In each case you can choose whether you buy new issues or back copies and there are no time limits. Not sure whether you like the idea of reading the mag digitally. Then download the free 'try before you buy' issue and see what you think, just like I did this morning when I signed up!

Airsoft: Arms and Equipment

For the airsofter who has everything, how about one of these?

Standard Battle Mug. The M4/AR-15 carry handle is an optional accessory

                      

I was sent a link to a blog [The Firearm Blog] featuring this curious product and I have to say I'm tempted, as were the other guys in the team I play in. You can get in a variety of finishes and, should you so desire, you can even have the bottom engraved! How's about that then?

                  

From the website (BattleMug.com):

Battle Mug starts life as a 13.5 pound solid block of 6061 T6 billet aluminum before it enters a state of the art CNC facility in Huntsville, Alabama. This facility produces specialized parts and equipment for the U.S. Department of Defense, major weapons manufacturers, NASA, and a host of other companies working at the U.S. Rocket and Space Center

Built to military specifications, Battle Mug features a M1913 rail interface system which allows the operator to mount a standard issue M4 carry handle, tactical light, laser device, holographic sight (we call them beer goggles) or even a bayonet for close quarters, high risk operations

BattleMug also comes in a 'dog tag' edition which allows you to mount a dog tag in the base! Check out the company website for more information by clicking on the link above. Happy hunting!           

Airsoft: Events

DATE : Saturday 26th May 2012

LOCATION : Orcop, Herefordshire

RV : Orcop Village Hall, Orcop, HR2 8ET

HOURS : Start 1000 hrs. End 1700 hrs approx. Check-in from 0900 hrs. Safety checks 0930hrs.

PRICE : £80 (£5 discount to Troopers who have completed any previous Training Wing course)

BOOKINGS/PAYMENT : Please make payment in one of the following ways and email contact@soldieri.com, or send us a message via facebook, to reserve your place.

Direct transfer to: -

A/c name: Rock 'n' Roll Embassy

Sort code: 30-92-06

Number: 02196350

Cheque payable: Rock 'n' Roll Embassy

Mailed to:

Rock 'n' Roll Embassy

PO Box 129

Boston

PE20 2ZD

Or payment via Paypal sent to email address faith@rocknrollembassy.com

NOTE: if paying via Paypal please add £3 surcharge to the prices stated above (ie £83 / £78) to cover Paypal fees.

ABOUT: Be prepared for an intensive day of training. Following a brief introduction it'll be straight into a full day of practical work, including: dry training - stance - accuracy training - turns - shooting on the move - confidence training - fast draw.

A great course in its own right but also the first step in CRW/Black Ops.

KIT REQUIREMENTS: Participants will need to have own airsoft pistol, hip or shoulder holster (or both), BBs and safety glasses/mask. [we can provide hire weapons if needed - price on request - please contact us ASP to book hire kit].

OTHER: Hot brews provided all day. Bring own lunch/provisions.

Camping overnight we suggest : www.burhopefarmcampsite.co.uk

 
Terms:

In the event of a cancellation on your part: 
 
The course fee is non-refundable (and not transferable to another course). Your booking is transferable to another person if you wish to make arrangements for someone else to take your place (full fee payable), as long as we are informed in advance.
(Note: We would help as much as we can to fill any cancelled places and look to issue refunds where possible).

In the event of a cancellation on our part: 
 
Due to the nature of our Instructors' line of work there may be unavoidable circumstances which mean we have to postpone a course at short notice. We reserve the right to cancel a course for any reason. If this happens you will have the option of either a full refund or you can carry booking forward to next available course date.

A safety briefing and FPS check will take place prior to the course commencing, usually at 0930hrs. You must attend said briefing and adhere to site rules at all times.

For all you WALTs and WANNABEES out there, have fun!

Airsoft: Arms and Accessories

So, stuck with a cupboard full of gun bags? Do you have them lying around in awkward to get at places, or taking up shelf space, or even deposited carelessly on the floor where everyone can trip and break their neck over them? Well, this product could well be the solution you've been looking for!

 
I came across this whilst leafing through a recent issue of Airsoft International and have to confess I was quite taken with the idea. Only trouble is, I'm having difficulty finding a decent stretch of 'outside wall', unencumbered by furniture or other fixtures and fittings, to attach it to

Made by the chaps at S-Thunder, what you're looking at is a modular gun rack system constructed from durable nylon plastic and aluminium. Airsoft World commissioned them to make some for their store and I have included a couple of images from the shop to give you an idea of what the thing might look like with a number of guns fixed to it

The rack is made from 4mm extruded aluminium and the gun mounts are made from solid nylon, mounted on aluminium fixings. Using the gun's own magazine well, they mount via the solid nylon magazine shaped mounts and utilise the gun's own magazine catch to secure the gun in place

The Wall Mount is one metre in length and can accommodate up to a maximum of 16 gun holders.  Wall mounting holes are spaced 6 inches apart from centre to centre. The gun holders are available for M4, MP5, AK47, and G36 real guns or replicas and each of them can hold a gun weighing up to 10 Kg. The Wall Mount is shipped with eight gun holders included in the price and you would need to specify gun type when ordering. Gun holders are also available separately

M4 mounting unit

MP5 mounting unit

The Wall Mount costs £39.99, complete with wall fixings, and the separate gun mounts retail for £6.99 a piece. So, well worth considering if you are in need of tidying things up a bit, or would just like to show your guns off more effectively!

Airsoft: Arms and Accessories

I came across this the other day, whilst looking for a product on an airsoft retailers website, and thought you might be interested in taking a look. I hadn't heard of it before and my guess is you might not have done either, even though it's been around since 2009 in the online version

 

For more information, check out the e-zine, or the website which is: www.recon-rag.com

Airsoft: Arms and Accessories

It's a long time, or it certainly feels like it, since I posted about anything to do with airsoft. For this post, I've chosen to highlight two things. These two things have one thing in common, they are both pieces of kit, but in virtually every other respect they are poles apart

The first is a set of knee pads, made by Warrior and available from UK Tactical. They look like this

Slightly smaller than the average pad, they are designed to sit in just the right place on the knee

They come with a securely fixed, rigid contoured cap

The inside of the pad is cupped and well padded

The HWI Next Generation knee pads are designed to decrease weight and drag while maintaining excellent protection. Our innovative knee pad system is designed to absorb impact force. The NGK100 is a compact solution for all tactical situations where knee protection is essential. The HWI Clip system allows the pads to be removed at speed and each tab is fully adjustable for a perfect fit. This is one of the most comfortable and well designed knee pads on the market

Well, that's the advertising blurb right there but if they're anything like the Hatch knee pads, which look virtually identical, and fasten in a virtually identical manner with quick release D-clips and Velcro adjustable elasticated straps, then they probably will be very comfortable and do everything they're supposed to for a very affordable £22 a pair. What's more, they currently come in three colour varieties, namely tan, black and the lovely Multi-cam

So, the first item I have chosen to post about is a) practical, and b) easily affordable, which is much more than can be said for the next item



Weighing in at a fairly hefty $635 this is not a cheap gun, nor is it practical for skirmishing unless you can guarantee being stuck in one place for any length of time, and you don't object to the idea of having to pick up goodness knows how many plastic, brass coloured, imitation shell casings before hoofing it off to your next location

There is an excellent review of this gun in AI, Volume 7 Issue 4, and they rate it very highly, scoring it four out of five for build quality in respect of both its external and internal parts. Rate of fire is around 740rpm, similar to the real-deal weapon, and velocity was clocked at an average of around 260fps, so no problems there. Accuracy was also pleasing, with a 10 round grouping of 13.9cm, in the reviewers own words, '.....the best shell-operated airsoft gun we've ever played with.....'

In short, utterly useless as a skirmishing tool but with 'fun factor' off the scale! It's '.....immensely entertaining to use.....an airsoft gun that will put a big smile on your face every time you use it.' So, if your bank balance can take the hit, it would make a very lovely collectible






See you again soon!

Airsoft Arms and Accessories: New Stuff From ITW

 
For those of you who don't know, ITW make a heap of very useful and lovely 'stuff' like Web Dominators, GrimLocs, Tac Links, Mag Boots and the fantabulous Fast Mag!

I bought a couple of Gen III Fast Mags at the last AAF and absolutely love them. Well, imagine my delight when I discovered that the company has just brought out two new Fast Mag products to add to their range

The first, the Fast Mag Heavy, has been designed to accommodate larger magazines and, just like its slightly smaller cousin, can be double stacked either with additional Fast Mags or with nylon pouches

 

The second product is the Fast Pistol Mag which, just like the others, can be worn separately on a molle platform or double stacked on top of an existing rifle mag holder, as illustrated in the picture below

As ITW say themselves:

The FastMag™ Pistol [FMP] is built from the same hi-strength, GhillieTEX™ IR reducing, anti-fragmentation polymer as the original FastMag™. Our new FMP reduces reloading time for the operator and can be mounted in the up or down position. This system eliminates the need for traditional top closures, while providing a secure point of access. The enhanced urethane tension strap is adjustable to meet the users preference for removal tension. The FMP is also designed to 'double-stack' on all FastMag™ Gen III & FastMag™ Heavy

Now, I don't currently have a need for any FM Heavy holders, but those FMPs are a different story. They look very cool indeed and if they're anywhere near as good as the rifle mag holders they will do a dandy job. The fact that they are designed to fit the standard Gen III holders is all the more reason why I've just got to have one, or two.....

All I need to do now is find a UK stockist. I'm off on the hunt!

Rubber Up!

Apologies for the title but rumour has it that rubber patches are fast becoming de rigueur in the airsoft world

By rubber patches I mean, of course, Velcro-backed patches that you can attach anywhere on your rig [where you already have Velcro sewn on] made of rubber rather than embroidered fabric. In short, 3D patches made of rubber!

Hazard 4, an American tactical gear manufacturer, already make a variety of these things, including the two pictured below, and their website promises more designs will come out in the future

Not too keen on the stars and stripes but I rather like the smoking skull and what I certainly like is this, the new 3D rubber patch being advertised in the current edition of AI and available at www.raider-mag.com or via the Afghan Heroes web site

 

As they say themselves:

The Raider Union Jack IFF patch is manufactured out of hard wearing (snag free) rubber and for the first time ever presented in 3 dimensions. This desert Union Jack will fix easily to your shirt, armour or helmet, in fact anywhere you have Velcro panels

If you buy one, for £6 including postage, not only will you get to look that little bit more snazzy on the airsoft field, you will also be able to grin with self satisfaction, secure in the knowledge that you will be making a welcome contribution to the AH appeal fund

So, no reason why you shouldn't be wearing rubber the next time you're out on the skirmish field then? I know I will be!

Airsoft Arms and Accessories: MP9 and Lonex Mags

Welcome to July

I spent yesterday at my regular airsoft site, Fireball, playing a very enjoyable series of games in near perfect weather conditions and whilst there I came across a couple of items of kit I liked very much indeed

The first was a wind-up mag with a difference. Instead of spending forever winding up the little plastic wheel protruding from the underside of the magazine casing, or using a key, rather like the ones you used to use as a child when you played with your clockwork train set, and which you have probably already lost in some safe zone or other, you simply open up the bottom of the magazine to reveal the winding mechanism and pull a wire a few times. Just in case you can't picture what I've just described, I've included a couple of images from ebairsoft

At over $25 a pop they are by no means the cheapest hi-cap M4 magazine you can buy, but the reviews on the web site are excellent and the handful of guys at Fireball who already own some were similarly impressed when I spoke to them yesterday

Reviews from ebairsoft

This is really a 5 stars one !
Fill it, pull 5/6 times the small rope and you're done.
I tested 4 of them with :
Marui M4A1 933
VFC SCAR L
JinJong M4 CQB
JinJong G36 with M4 magazines adapter
Never failed nor "holes" in short, long and extra long burts.
Real capacity is 357 +/-1 USABLE rounds plus 25 rounds to engage the spring.
The finishing is raw-steel like with that blue effect which is making it great !
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

Bought 2 of these and instantly bought another 2 as they really are that good!
Everyone at my local airsoft site asks about these when they see them and my winding hicaps are purely a back up now I have 4 of these superb mags. Needless to say I'll be ordering a few more!
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

I used my only two Lonex mags at this past weekend's game and was blown away at how well the magazine works. It takes but a few pulls of the metal wire and the magazine is ready to go. I could not believe that it would unload a full magazine; no more pulls of the wire were needed. The magazine only had about a dozen or so BBS left in it. If more pulls are needed or a quick re-load of the magazine is required it can be done very quickly. The construction seems pretty good. I have used them in my ECHO 1 XCR and it fed the BBS perfectly.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

The lads at Fireball got theirs from the above mentioned retailer, and they are available on ebay as well, so I'm told

The other item I came across yesterday was a gun, the KWA MP9 GBB pistol. The words 'outstanding' and 'blown away' are used far too often these days but in my opinion they are well warranted where this particular weapon is concerned

Two of the Fireball regulars brought one along yesterday and I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to fire both of them. Suffice to say, I had a smile on my face as wide as I don't know what, and I've already decided to put it at the top of my wish list

This is what it looks like, just in case you haven't seen it.....

The KWA version of the MP9, available from ebairsoft

It's also available from Landwarrior Airsoft in the UK

 
.....and this is what it sounds like, and shoots like



The rate of fire is awesome and it sounds tremendous, so expect to get through the 48 round magazine in the blink of an eye. Fill the magazine with your gas of choice and it will shoot 3-4 lots of BBs before needing a top up. You may choose to buy a spare mag or two, but they will set you back around £40 each. The gun itself is around the £200 mark

Spare mag and single point sling for the MP9, also available from Landwarrior Airsoft

More from me later. Happy hunting

Airsoft Arms and Accessories: Latest Additions

Last week I went to the third AAF [Airsoft Arms Fair] over at the Grange in Balsall Common, and a very enjoyable day out it was, too

Whilst there I picked up a couple of Fast Mags from DingoDogs Airsoft and an IMI belt extension platform for my Sig 226 holster

The Fast Mags are fixed securely to one of my Warrior Molle platforms, and when I say securely, I really do mean it. The rubberised straps at the back of the mag holder slip easily through two Molle loops before reattaching to the bottom of the holder. It takes a little more effort to reattach them than it generally does with the usual press stud arrangement found on most Molle pouches, but once in place they are solid as a rock

I've tried a number of different magazines in them for size, a bog standard M4 metal hi-cap mag, a WE gas mag for my GBB Scar, and a Magpul PTS 'waffle' mag, all of which fit beautifully, extract with ease, and none of which fall out when you turn the chest rig upside down and shake it for all you're worth!

At £18 a pop they aren't inexpensive, but they do exactly what they say they will do, and they look pretty cool. The latest generation of Fast Mags, which these are, are also stackable so you can fit one on top of the other should you want to

The IMI belt extension platform is another rugged and versatile piece of kit which will set you back about £20 and, in my opinion, is well worth the money

It fits perfectly on to a rigger's belt and is designed primarily to be worn in conjunction with a vest or chest rig, the idea being that when fixed to the platform the holster hangs below belt level, thereby giving you clearance to draw your side arm without getting tangled up in your vest. It obviously works just as well without a vest and makes placing your side arm on your hip that little bit more comfortable if you happen to like wearing your trousers quite high, thanks in large part to the fact that it has three different fixing points, all of which give you the option to rotate the holster through 360 degrees

At the moment I generally wear a chest rig and a PLB belt and already have a Serpa drop leg platform. However, I've been toying with the idea of going out with a second side arm but a) didn't want it fixed to my PLB belt and b) didn't want it fixed to my chest rig. The IMI BEP allows me to carry a second side arm suspended from my rigger's belt which drops below both my chest rig and my PLB belt!

And that's not all I spent my hard earned cash on last week. I mentioned in my review that Land Warrior Airsoft were at the show for the first time, and I was delighted they were. A week or two before the show I ordered, and paid for, an Ares PPSH 41 from them and picked it up at the show to save on postage. Ive been wanting one of these iconic guns for some time, and finally decided to take the plunge

The Ares PPSH 41

There are three versions of this gun currently available, the Hexagon, the Ares and the S&T Armaments one, which is to all intents and purposes a lower priced clone of the Ares. I don't usually do this, but on this occasion I decided to go for the most expensive option and buy the Ares, and I'm very glad I did

The build quality is excellent, and it looks and feels absolutely fantastic. Taking the battery in and out couldn't be simpler. Flip down the cover on the butt plate, unclip the false screw at the top to allow the butt plate to swivel out the way and, hey presto, you're there. It will take a small 8.4 battery, or a 9.6 crane stock battery, which is what you can see in the photo below

I can't tell you what the rate of fire is, [but it sounds pretty reasonable] and I don't have a chrono at home but the video below will give you an idea of what the FPS is. It fires on semi-auto [single shot] and full auto, the hop is readily accessible and very easy to adjust, it has an EBB [electric blow back] action and the drum mag it comes with has a capacity of 2,000 rounds! Plenty to keep you out on the field of battle for quite some time, even in a general open day game let alone a WW2 one, without the need for a refill. A good job, too, if you ask me. I have one tiny criticism of this gun, and it may well be one of those things which varies from gun to gun rather than being a design fault, and that's that the magazine cover is very tight fitting. It's a bit of a wrench to get it off, which in some respects is no bad thing, but it would be tricky to refill it in the middle of a firefight. And refill it is what you would need to do, because as far as I know you can't buy spares!

The mag cover [top] is very tight, even with a dab or two of trust petroleum jelly smeared around the edge

This baby holds around 2,000 rounds which is far in excess of the rival Hexagon version

Detail of the hop adjusting mechanism, accessible by pulling the bolt back and locking it into position

A more detailed shot of the repro strap. Unfortunately this doesn't come supplied with the gun, however, real ones aren't that hard to come by and if you have a scout around on a WW2 airsoft forum or two, as I did, you ought to be able to get one pretty easily

That's all, folks, as far as new additions to my collections are concerned for this month. If you fancy one of the guns, I would heartily recommend the services of LWA. What's more, they offer it at the best price for a UK based retailer. Happy hunting