Airsoft Action October 2020 | Page 5

Contents OCYOBER 2020 CONTENTS OCTOBER 2020 8 ARMOURY: G&G TR16 SBR 308 MK II G&G Armament have been busy whilst the rest of the world has been in “lockdown” and have continued to roll out new additions to their line, not only in the form of upgrades to existing models but also with some exciting all-new pistols, rifle and carbines too! Bill finally gets “hands on” with their latest addition to the TR16 line-up, in the form of the TR16 SBR 308 MK II! 14 ARMOURY: SPECNA ARMS SA-249 PARA CORE Everyone loves a support gun, right? Or is the thought of a support gun that really gets people going, as the reality is that unless they are used effectively you’re just humping a lot of extra weight around all day with no real gain! Bill does some “gruntwork” with one of the latest models from Specna Arms to see if this is still the case… 20 EVENT: WESTERN AIRSOFT Yeehaw pardners! Its time to saddle up and head out to the Wild West, as Chris Wray, aka “Captain Pringle”, reports from his latest foray into the world of six-shooters, chaps and coffee! 24 PHOTO SPECIAL We were so impressed with the photos taken by Peter Bates, from The Airsoft Project, to go with Chris Wray’s “Western Airsoft” article, we thought you might like to see some more. Many thanks Peter, for some great images!! 26 ARMOURY: ICS CXP-ARK Normal service (and some degree of sanity!) resumes at Airsoft Action, as Bill finally gets back to his true love, namely the “Avtomat Kalashnikova” platform and takes the new CXP- ARK from ICS Airsoft for a spin on the range! Does he, like Mikhail in the meme, disapprove of all this “modern stuff”, or will his head be turned by the newest kid on the block? 34 AA LEGION: RED CELL One of the most regular criticisms heard from the airsoft player community about AEG and GBB reviews, both in terms of magazine coverage and online blog/vlog articles, is that the focus is always on completely new models that are “shiny, fresh from the box” and that this process ignores “what happens next”. Red Cell is the answer. 38 FEATURE: IN SEARCH OF THE WEIRD If you want an AR- or AK-based airsoft gun you are spoilt for choice and whilst other styles are plentiful, there are some that you simply cannot find for love or money. Over to Frenchie… 42 KIT & GEAR: PANDEMIC LOADOUT At last, we’re all heading out to games again in line with the new safety guidelines and it’s a good thing that we are, as some of the Airsoft Action crew have been going a bit “stir crazy”, with loadout ideas heading off in new and unusual directions! Taking the “pandemic” theme (possibly just a step to far), Bill and his mates have been putting together a couple of sets of gear inspired by the TV series “The Last Ship”! 46 KIT & GEAR: RETAIL ROUNDUP Another month goes by, and it doesn’t seem to be getting easier for either players or retailers, although we’re hearing very positive things from the community that “airsoft life” continues to thrive! We’ve kept our beady eyes on what’s “new and shiny” and as usual now bring you a few things that have really got our attention! 50 KIT & GEAR: RANGE GEAR TO GO The “light is right” mantra has been with us for some time now, and numerous manufacturers have swiftly jumped on the bandwagon with their takes on what gear the “tactical athlete” should be wearing this season! Helikon-Tex, however, have taken their time to perfect an entire new system and Bill takes a close look at a setup that’s bound to please airsoft shooters anywhere! 56 FEATURE: LICENCING Why are licenced products so important? Bill brings has an opinion based on his knowledge of both airsoft and the “real” firearms markets that may provide an answer… 60 THE CAGE: OLD FAVOURITES Amongst the Airsoft Action “family” we have a combined “airsoft age” that literally stacks up into a whole heap of playing years (more than some of the members would rightly like to admit) but one thing we all share is a love of the “KISS” principle and sometimes it’s true that the simplest things are the best, most useful and indeed, the most treasured! 64 LAST POST: MOVING FORWARDS… SLOWLY! Following a burst of activity when it seemed like UK airsoft was about to return, Frenchie ponders the result and how things are now moving forwards.