FEATURE
TAIWAN | ISLAND INSIDER
THE
AIRSOFT ACTION’S “MAN
IN TAIWAN”, STEWBACCA,
CONTINUES HIS JOURNEY INTO
TAIWANESE ACTION AIR.
OF ACTION AIR
Putting pellets on paper and poppers!
Following my qualification for my IPSC competitor’s licence
at the end of March, Sunday the 19th of April and my first
official IPSC Action Air competition neared in a surprising
blur. I managed to squeeze some additional training sessions in
with the rest of SPPT - the Setup Project Practical Team - in the
days before we set off early doors on the Sunday morning. Six of
us regulars would be competing alongside one of our other more
senior members, who was more focused on helping to organise
and film the event.
Having already used it to pass my qualification exam, I then
somehow managed to snap the trigger bar on my KWA USP
Compact during my (apparently unlucky) thirteenth practice
session, making it somewhat useless until I could acquire
replacement parts! As a result, I decided to try some of my other
GBB pistols and see which suited me best and worked well for
competition. Unfortunately, my TTI Glock 34 is not permitted in
IPSC’s Production division due to its longer barrel and slide; so
no John Wick style range burndown GoPro footage for my first
competition it seems! Instead, I trained with my more standard
profile M17 and CZ Shadow SP01 and ensured I had as many
magazines as I could muster.
In the end I used the M17 on the day as I had more magazines
available for it, and due to its striker fired format and simplicity
as well as its extended magazine base plates that would help
absorb the bumps and scrapes of being dropped on the ground
in a hurry. However, since then I have been comparing the two
as scientifically as I can during further training sessions and when
shooting groups on targets at home, and I’m leaning towards
using the CZ75 in the longer term due to its lower bore axis, fast
and light trigger and heavier metal frame that allow for very rapid
double taps, reduced recoil and ease of pointing.
Although deciding to use that does mean more worrying about
removing the magazine and manually de-cocking the hammer
on it then re-inserting the magazine prior to holstering, and then
making the first shot in each stage using double action, in order
to follow the production division specific rules of the IPSC. I feel
the performance benefits are likely worth the minor hassle longer
term, however, I just didn’t want to risk the fiddly manual of
arms and a potential rules related disqualification on my very first
competition at least!
With just enough time beforehand to get our heads together
and practice some varied stage layouts, reloading and handling
as best as possible with our final choices of equipment, Sunday
morning finally rolled around and I awoke at just after four in the
morning to make my way to the team leader’s house so we could
all drive down together in his car. Instead of taking a taxi which
would have been the convenient and safe choice, I of course
elected to try the healthy option and get in a warm up by taking
a uBike (Taipei’s version of the “Boris Bike”) from my place to
his. However, I managed to fall off it on the way, trying to stop
suddenly while juggling my phone (for its GPS) like an idiot, and
cut up my knees and elbow - a great start to the day! Thankfully
my pride was hurt worse than my joints at least.
After a taxi ride I arrived a little later than intended and we set
off for the mountains East of Taichung - Taiwan’s central city a few
28
JUly 2020