Everyone has read an interview with a prominent person within the airsoft community before, with all the normal questions " how did you get into airsoft?", "What's your favourite site?", "what's your loadout?" Blah blah blah. Questions that seem tailored or Ā focused on promoting a product, site to play at, a brand of gear.... everyone is so focused on what site you play at, what rifle you use or what make your gear is, maybe it's time to look at airsoft in the UK as a whole.
So first up is @goldilocks_airsoft, a player from Bristol who's played for Bristol recon but more recently had been playing for The Alphas. She plays at a range of sites across the UK, uses a Systema PTW and has a warrior chest rig, now we've got the 3 most boring questions out of the way it's time to see what she thinks about some other things.
Q1. If you could introduce a single new rule to airsoft, what would it be?
If you stand in a cluster fuck for more than 90 second, it's treated as a grenade kill and you have to regen, Because this will hopefully keep everyone moving and force people into more aggressive play instead of just standing about.
Q2. What's the most disappointing piece of kit you've ever bought? Now this isn't "what's the worst" but more, something you'd heard great things about but it didn't live up.
My first rifle, the Ares m4, when I bought it i was brand new to the sport and so I was under the false impression that it was good. I knew it had an electronic fire control system which sounded good at the time. Turned out to be a bag of shit. Seems obvious now though!
Q3. What 3 words best describe your play style?
Aggressive, determined & confident. During games I don't fanny about, I just get on with it. I'm not afraid to give back twice as many rounds as I'm getting flying my way . You won't catch me hiding at the back of a fight.
Q4. With the airsoft community in the UK currently somewhat fractured and the airsoft economy in the UK relatively stale...what would you like to see done differently or changed?
Try and build local communities as well as nationwide communities. Why? Because I'd hope that might encourage some local healthy competition and build up pockets of teams that train against each other improving performance across the UK. I'd love to see something like organised local training days rather than just your standard walk on.
Q5. Between the time you first started playing airsoft and now, what do you feel to be the biggest change positive and negative change?
Negative side of things, the community seems to have weakened. Players seem to be whiney and less supportive of their team mates. There's more aggression of the wrong kind. On the Positive side, technology has come a long way- HPA, mag flash, pmags etc which makes game play waaaayyy more fun and exciting! Better toys for the big boys (and girls!)
So there we have it, not your average female airsofter, answering some relatively different questions and all without trying to keep everyone else happy.
In this post we kick off our series of player interviews. Our weekly interviews are not all about the player, but more about getting to know what players think about their own communities (trying to be as honest as possible).
We caught up with CQB Russian based out of California. One of our members had the pleasure of playing alongside Russian during his travels of the US next year.
Russian is not only a sponsored player within the US, but has also become quickly known for a real advocate for spreading the good word and enhancing the profile of Airsoft, especially among the younger generations who are just getting involved. While you might think thats a rarity, its really not within parts of the US community. Something which ours lacks enormously.
We asked him a few questions in order to expand on what he does and doesnāt like about the Airsoft community as a whole.
Q1. If you could introduce a single new rule to airsoft, what would it be?
If I could change a single rule, I would lower the red ROF in the Polar Stars and semi only with a second between every shot.Ā
Q2. What's the most disappointing piece of kit you've ever bought? Now this isn't "what's the worst" but more, something you'd heard great things about but it didn't live up.
I had heard great reviews of the Emerson pants, so I purchased a pair. After only a couple of wearings they tore under the kneepads. The material used on them doesn't appear strong enough for heavy duty play.Ā
Q3. What 3 words best describe your play style?Ā
My style is Fast, Smooth and Accurate.Ā
Q4. With parts of the US Airsoft community seemingly booming, is there anything you'd like to see changed or done differently?
I really like that the Airsoft community is greatly diverse. There are players of all ages, ethnicities and and sexes. With many individuals joining groups or teams, I would really like to see the "community" become friendlier and more respectful of one another.Ā
Q5. Between the time you first started playing airsoft and now, what do you feel to be the biggest change positive and negative change?
When I first started playing the Polar Star guns were just becoming popular. Ā One of the most positive change that occurred was HPA. The hpa system on the Polar Star created guns that were much more reliable and consistent. It's become a favourite for many players. Ā The negative side is the recent abuse of the system, Ā by over shooting your opponents and inflicting needless pain to others.
There you have it, the opinions of a very well thought of player within the US. Interesting to see that he recognises that HPA systems are great (you all know, we love them), but also that they need restrictions to keep it all fun. Something that we whole heartedly agree with. Far too many players get their hands on them and just outright abuse them.
Be sure to check out CQB Russian on Instagram, FacebookĀ and YouTube.
The newest addition to the UCAP family and by far the closest to us, only being in Shepton Mallet (about 45 minutes out of Bristol). After the hype that was built up before the opening day, we couldn't wait to get ourselves booked in for a game day. But being smart, like we obviously are (that's a joke by the way), we waited a good 4/5 weeks before booking on just to get a bit of feedback from other teams and friends who have tried it out. Ā
Always worried about sites over-subscribing in order to immediately make a profit out of a new site, we were over-joyed when we rocked up and just 36 players had shown up. Dream. The site itself is the admin building for the old jail which was once the major landmark of this small town. With 4 floors of office laden corridors, large open canteens and other weird and wonderful areas, you won't actually find any jail cells here. Not like the Gaol up near Leicester.Ā
Ā With the usual setup of games, we got stuck in to properly explore the site and I must say, it's impressive. Lots of staircases, tons of open space to fight in. Don't you just hate those sites that have dozens of long, cramped corridors with people hiding in cupboards, etc? So how was the marshalling? That's always a big topic for us. Started off great, we even discovered we knew a couple of them from 'back in the day' and was great to catch up with them. Then came the issues. Let's put the old hit taking issues aside and concentrate on something a little more worrying. Grenades up and down stairs. Now you must be thinking, paper pyro and underarm only, right? Wrong! Any grenade. Thrown however you like. Up and down. Now I was personally quite excited by this prospect, but then you let some of our other community members try it out and it goes horribly wrong. Solid states coming hurtling passed you just missing your head is not cool, and ridiculously dangerous. As we have previously discussed, our community is far too immature to expect players to be sensible and respect our favourite rule of 'don't be a dick'.Ā
Ā Verdict? Definitely a site we would re-visit but would want to check how many players were going first. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like with 80 players on site, which is their player cap. That aside, we have always had a lot of respect for the UCAP guys and as a venue, this one will definitely not let you down. Just be prepared to get hit a lot, at very close range.
The search for decent ammunition within Airsoft had always been something we as a team have been interested in and to that end, we've been doing some comparisons between several brands (if you can think of one we should try, let us know).
The two brands that we have currently been comparing are the Ares Amoeba .28g VS the Madbull. 28g BB, both are listed as being high grade diamond precision BBs. Out of the bag there's very little difference in colour, both being a slightly off white colour, both have very tight tolerancesĀ (average of 0.008mm for Madbull and 0.012mm for the Ares Amoeba).Ā
The Ares is slightly rounder than the madbull but the madbull is closer to the listed 5.95mm. On the scales the madbull weighs in at an average of .28g and the Ares Amoeba is a slightly heavy. 29g (which is coincidentally the perfect weight for polarstar rifles). Stats aside, both BB brands used worked perfectly in our rifles with no chopping or stray shots, both provided a very good range with the Ares Amoeba giving a tighter grouping at maximum range and a slightly longer range than the madbull.Ā
Ā After using the two brands, for us, the Ares Amoeba BB's come out on top, it's a close battle on stats but the price swings it in the end with Redwolf UK selling the Madbull for Ā£17.95 and the Ares Amoeba for Ā£11.50 with both bags being in the 1kg (4000rds) region. TL:DR, if you can get the Ares Amoeba BB's, do so.
"Battle Tested "something that is shown to be reliable and effective by being used in battle" We've never been keen on giving praise for the sake of keeping up appearances, we're not known to mince our words and we don't believe in the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't open your mouth".Ā
All of the above being said, trust us when we tell you that the D3cr is a great bit of kit. We've had D3cr chest rigs in the team for the last year or so, during that time they have been thoroughly battle tested both in Airsoft & by our Infantry team mate and So far, it's not failed to perform brilliantly.Ā
Ā The D3cr is lightweight, can carry 5 AR or AK type magazines, 2 pistol mags and has 2 small/medium utility pouches, it embodies the idea of "fight light", it even has an optional flat pack attachment for use as a daysack/ backpack. Once adjusted to your body it's surprisingly comfortable (so much so that you can forget you're wearing it) and holds well to your body but doesn't restrict movement, unlike traditional webbing or larger rigs. It can also be attached to a plate carrier system, which works well and provides continuity when swapping between high and low profile setups by keeping all your pouches in the same positions.Ā
Ā Profile wise it is perfect for urban/ cqb/ enclosed environments along with vehicle based operation, it being no wider than your torso comes in handy for cramped crew compartments in Armoured fighting platforms and regular vehicles alike. The only down side is it's small utility storage capacity but that is easily over come and more than offset by the increase in manoeuvrability that comes from the system. The construction of the D3cr is very robust yet elegant in its simplicity, there's no wasted space or unnecessary features, it's hard wearing yet light and there's been no compromise on quality.Ā
Itās available in a range of colours and camouflage patterns for a wide range of environments, there's also a heavy version for higher calibre weapon users, which is designed to accommodate larger magazines. Before finding the D3cr we had a mix of rigs made by Warrior Assault Systems, Crye Precision and so on, since finding the D3cr.....another 2 teams members have made the switch with possibly more to follow. The verdict: If you have the money, get one. If you don't have the money, start saving."
One hundred and twenty two miles, two hours thirteen minutes from home: It's a chilly morning at South Coast CQB.Ā
We arrived at the site on time, it was easy to find and the site entrance was car friendly. This is compared with mile long, pot hole filled tracks which have been experienced previously. The safe zone was comprised of two rooms on the ground floor and an upstairs area which I didn't visit. It was warm and dry but the ground floor rooms filled up quickly and did not have enough table space. The silver lining was free tea, coffee and (would you believe it) hot chocolate! Around half an hour later, the reception desk had defrosted (speaking metaphorically, of course!) and we're signed in, smiles all round.
It's fantastic to be able to confirm that there was minimal faffing and the marshals enthusiastically got everyone organised. The game briefing was informative and succinct which meant more game time (woohoo!) and we were teamed up and ready to go in no time.
The site is made up of a number of small to medium buildings, a couple of which are two storey. It appears to be a well planned lay out of open windows and doors. In the centre of the site, there is a tyre yard which provides a decent spot for a good old fashioned scrap. The site doesn't have too much rubble within the buildings which pleases me a lot.
Onto game play: The first game gave rise to several hit taking issues and some resultant grumpy players. The marshals picked this up quickly and grumbles were turned around in minutes. On the whole, the marshals had a good attitude and were on the ball which had a positive impact on the entire day. There was only one occasion that I was aware of where there was a discrepancy between information fed through the marshals. They were keen to resolve this and it was addressed immediately. It was apparent that feedback (good or bad) was encouraged, to the extent that they opened up the floor to the players on some new ideas they had in the pipeline.
Game play improved throughout the day, no doubt due to the marshals' attentive approach. Games were adapted to suit the play style of the gamers that day and player suggestions were often used. There were a mixture of complex games and simple run of the mill games which seemed to work well. Generally it was a positive atmosphere and some reasonably competitive playing.
One major issue that desperately needs addressing is the permitted use of full auto throughout the site during the vast majority of the games. I note that the site consists of both outdoor and indoor play but regardless of this, it is in fact a CQB site. There is absolutely no need for full auto, even the less experienced players should be able to cope well without this. It is perfectly adequate to have semi auto in play the entire time. I understand from another source that this may be under review and semi-automatic may be considered for future games. Ā A smaller trivial point for consideration is the use of the buildings: it would good to see the development of games to allow for more indoor play and increased overall usage of the buildings.
Overall the site was a standard ex-barracks set up with basic facilities but it was run well and issues were dealt with swiftly. The management, enthusiasm and want for feedback distinguished the site from other similar places and it excelled on this basis. If the full auto issue is addressed, I would more than likely return and recommend, despite the long, long drive. I would be interested to see the development of some ideas that were bounced around during the day, these included talks of evening games and private hire (although private hire seemed a little costly) but I urge the staff not to lose focus from the positive attitude and swift resolution of any issues as this is what distinguishes an otherwise standard site from others.
Firstly, this was a rather impromptu trip to the Gaol, we had seen photos from other Airsofters on Instagram showing the site but never met any players at our regular sites that had been there (the 3 hour drive from Bristol probably the main cause). We had found out that there was a 1pm to 9pm game on the 30th of December so two of the Alphas decided to take the drive and try the site out.
Three hours after leaving Bristol we had arrived at the Gaol and found ourselves in a decent sized car park a very short walk from the main building and game site. At this point we're still trying to take in the high security fences and multiple heavy gates about the site, which is now a sort of industrial estate. Once you get through the front door you're greeted by a friendly member of staff who will collect your game fee, which was a very reasonable Ā£25, and give you a brief overview of the admin building if needed.
The admin building (safe zone) had multiple kit rooms with tables and chairs for everyone to prepare their kit on snd never felt cramped even on this rather busy day. There is a site shop that sells game day essentials such as ammo .2g upto .3g, disposable pyro, BFG, face protection and even a selection of pistols, the shop also doubles up as the kitchen which is both handy but also a slight inconvenience if you want food whilst someone else wants to get hands on with kit, but that's not a massive drama. There was also proper male and female toilets but we didn't spend much time sniffing about in them.
Site chrono was quick & easy with a site limit at 350fps , a marshal team very friendly with HPA systems and knowledgeable on how to chrono them properly. The chrono is also indoors, which helps during the rainy days.
Site briefing was very good, short & to the point with no unnecessary spiel and no topics missed out. It's a semi only site with support weapons restricted to short bursts inside, worth noting that the Krytac LMG does not count as a support weapon here, neither does any other rifle type weapon with a box mag. TAG rounds and pyro launchers are allowed which did make for some interesting play outside.
Game area at the Gaol is 3 large cell blocks and surrounding areas each fenced off from the other with choke points and cover in between. The courtyard areas all have flood lighting Ā (which is turned on or off depending on the scenario) and the cell blocks have lights aswell which you can switch yourself. The interior of the buildings is a mixture of winding staircases, long corridors and small cells, all of which makes for some interesting CQB.
Game types used for our visit were a mix of attack & defend, capture & hold and capture & place objectives. All the games worked really well and it was good to play a nice mix of long, medium and short games with reasonably quick turnarounds.
Game play, the level of play from both the site regulars and the marshals was above average, hit taking was good, there was issues with friendly fire but mostly from us working our way ahead of our own team and them not realising it.
Marshalling was a mix of both player marshals and hi visibility marshals, they moved with the flow of the game play and reacted well to the games as the playbshifted about the site, Very proactive and not reactive, Also very down to earth and even took the time during the darker hours to remind everyone that there's no guarantee that you can hit someone in the dark and a few extra BBs in that players direction isn't a bad thing.
Overall we had a great time, whilst the massive drive to the site isn't going to make this a regular site for the team, we're definitely going to be visiting again in the near future and we'd recommend it to anyone who isn't affraid to get stuck in & likes to play in an urban environment.
If we gave out thumbs up, it'd receive many from us.
Why has airsoft grown so much in the US, but not the UK?
We know Airsoft is growing in popularity in the UK, over the last few years there's more sites appearing, milsim events are booming and even a few places that are doing weeknight games. But the tragedy is that when compared to how the Airsoft scene has exploded in the US, we're still in the stone age.
The easy way to explain it would be to say that the American gun culture has led to more people willing to try the sport and (due to the widely available real firearms) easier access to buying your first Airsoft weapon...but I don't think that's entirely the case, the UK has mostly just the wrong attitude towards Airsoft.
So what is the UK doing wrong? What do we as a community need to fix? Firstly, we need to fix the community, we have become almost tribal in how we play airsoft, unwilling to venture away from the comfort of our home site and how can you feel any sense of "community" with someone who you have never met? It has always been said that travel broadens the mind, we as a whole need to start travelling more.
On the topic of community, Our Facebook groups have been largely overrun by people trying to sell their own airsoft weapons, not a day goes by that our feeds don't get filled up with people advertising things to sell, and from seeing this we start to turn away from the community groups because they all show the same thing , people screaming "buy my stuff".
But, the biggest issue we have in the UK is that Airsoft is treated as a hobby, not a sport. As a hobby airsoft is doing OK, but it needs the energy, the pride that a sport brings, the need for proper teamwork more than just individual skill, and ultimately, sponsors to get involved.
If you look at our community from the outside, it looks like it's the primary school playground, everyone is content in their own circles but (and I hate this saying) most people don't know what they're missing.
So go out, be brave and venture outside of your bubble, you might even like it.
You hear it all the time on the game field, along with a barrage of fist pumps, congratulating someone on making an awesome play. But what Iād really like to cover is; what does it mean to be in a team?
Iāve been fortunate enough to travel around a bit playing Airsoft and earlier this year I was over in the US playing alongside some of the best teams Iāve ever had the pleasure of meeting. So whats the big deal? Well, let me explain.
More often than not, youāll come across new teams youāve never heard of every time you visit a playing field. Its real easy to create one. Get a few people together who love playing Airsoft, think of a name, create a logo, make a Facebook page and crack on. But what separates those teams from the āI got your back bro!ā mentality?
Its a real rarity to see in this country at the moment, but when you do come across it, you get that warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach. Ever heard the term 'Battle buddiesā? Look it up, its the perfect way to describe the term 'I got your back!ā. No, Iām not just describing the expression, Iām talking about the actual act. Donāt fight with your back against the wall, fight with your back against your buddies. Know their every move, the sound of their rifle, their rate of fire and the most important, know what they are about to do before they do it. You look out for each other, and heres the clincher. In every walks of life. Stand up for each other.
While I was playing in the States, there were two teams there that really showed what being in a team really means, and it was fun. A lot of fun. Not only were they two of the most successful teams on the west coast, but they knew each other inside out. Fought together, drank together, worked together, knew the families. Hell, they were a family, and thats what made them strong. They truly had each others backs.
So I'll leave you with this thought, can you honestly say you have your teammates back? I am fortunate enough to say I have.
Some of you may be more than familiar with Infiltration Airsoft. We have been to several of their events over the 18 months - one of our members is yet to miss one and there is good reason. They simply never fail to show what can be done at a decent Airsoft event if you properly think about it. Gone are the days when all players care about is loud bangs and more people to shoot at than you know what to do with. We need more than that.
Well yesterday saw their final event of 2015 (we are told there will be one in the early months of 2016), and what an event it was. Held in some old WW2 tunnels just outside Kidderminster, the event had been one of the main talking points of the UK community for months. Whoās going, what are you taking, whoās afraid of the dark and so on. With a 4 strong Alpha team, we were excited.
The venue? Well this was a special one. Drakelow Tunnels is rarely seen by events companies, apart from Zombie events for stag and birthday groups. Just imagine miles of underground tunnels, some with 20 foot ceilings and wide enough to easily fit vehicles down. Cool right? Well now turn all the lights off and fill it full of smoke. Scared yet? Now try and shine your torch down them. You get the same effect when trying to drive with full beams through fog. Absolutely pointless. Lasers and light sticks came into their own here. Guiding in fire with a simple laser dot was more than enough to assist with those close range engagements down the dark tunnels.
As Iām sure some of you already know, the Infiltration crew work very hard to keep the story line true to form with each event picking up exactly where the last one left off. Obviously taking into account which team won and whether they completed a series of side missions along the way. Yes they are Milsim events, but with a technological twist. Hacking units, death counters, hell you can even check out how many deaths you had on their website after an event.
There is of course now a core group of followers who youāll always see at every event, but it always gives you a warm feeling inside to see so many new players now turning up to the events. Means they must be doing something right to attract so many new players still. Just by having a 10 minute chat with Harry and his team, youāll know exactly how they do it. They listen to all of their players and react accordingly. A rarity in the Airsoft events world right now (in the UK that is).
We will of course be signing straight up for the next event, if only to keep The Rain winning (yes, we are 6-1 up now I believe) over The Flame. Go check them out at http://infiltrationops.com .
Iām not talking about Airsoft in Bristol, I am in fact talking about one of the original CQB sites in the South West, Bristol Airsoft. Others may know it asĀ āThe Courthouseā.
For one reason or another, this sites reputation has been very up and down over the last 8 years, but things are very much on the up for the guys down at The Courthouse.
I ventured down earlier this week to check out what all the fuss was about. Well for those of you like myself who havenāt checked out this site in at least a year, youāll be in for a nice surprise. Gone are the days where you can engage down a hallway the length of the entire site. There is now plenty of cover for you to weave your way across, both upstairs and downstairs. Further rooms are now open for you to explore downstairs, just to make those engagements around the cells extra tasty.
So what else is happening? Well, a brand new Airsoft shop will be launching from site. I am told the website is very sparkly and due for launch very soon.
Bristol Airsoft are currently running 5 games a week, soon to be 6 (from the beginning of October). Thereās even talk of going to a 7 day a week site, which I think everyone in the surrounding areas would to see.
Things have definitely changed down at Bristol Airsoft and we canāt wait to spend some more time down in the cells.
Spartan Airsoft. We have all been going to this great woodland site in some form or another ever since it opened. Some might remember the owner from Ultimate back in the day out at Thornbury. Others may not.
Well I thought it about time we do a little snippet on them as without fail, we always have a great day every time we attend. Our last major outing was the fairly recent charity event they hosted, in aid of Children with Cancer and Leukemia. They raised over Ā£2800 in a single day which is a huge feat for such a worthy cause.
Yesterday saw the return of just one of our members for a last minute day out with some good friends, and once again, it was a great day. Marshal team are always on point, which is a good sign of any airsoft field. Not to mention, the amount of work thatĀ āBeardā and his team have put into the site since if was just a mere blank canvas is truly phenomenal. It would also be terribly unfair not to mention the catering team (all family run) at the site. What more could you ask for than a bacon roll and a cup of tea when you first turn up on a Sunday morning? Whats more is there is always a decent supply of different weight BBās, pyro and now their very own clothing range.
Spartan Airsoft, we salute you. Keep up the outstanding work you have already put in and we will be seeing you again very soon.
So its no real secret where we play on a fairly regular basis. Thats right, Ironsights Airsoft just outside of Andover (this isn't to say we don't travel around when we can). If you're not familiar with the site, its the perfect urban mix. Want some CQB? Check. Want some ranged fighting? Check. Want friendly staff? Check. Want good facilities? Check. We've been playing there for about a year now in some form or another and even though its a good hour and a bits drive first thing on a Sunday morning, we think its totally worth it. If you'd like to more, check out their Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/ironsightairsoftandover or head on over to their website @ http://www.ironsightairsoft.co.uk where you'll find upcoming game days. They usually run every other Sunday during the day and a Wednesday night game most weeks. Keep a good eye on their Facebook for their night games. You'll usually see us at the Sunday games so pop over and say hi.
Something we are incredibly passionate about is SPEEDQB. If you're not particularly familiar with it, check out the video above. Its fast, aggressive and extremely tiring, but its a hell of a lot of fun. Not quite made it across from the states just yet, but it will eventually so watch this space. One of our members was fortunate enough to be in California earlier this year and experience it first hand. Catch him at a game day to learn more.
