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Real wood version from Patrolbase is £220 https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/dboys-WWII-KAR98k-Shell-Ejecting Rifle sling is £14 from Epic Militaria https://www.epicmilitaria.com/k98-rifle-sling.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo_3BUI6OkaQ2kKZ0Ot8i4ppyX_UlJZWPP8N1Wn7b6k0lQtKSay Replica comes with x5 shells from new, shells are £18 for 5 so £36 for the extra 10 shells Totals to £270 brand new Or you could buy his preowned one for £300, what a bargain?! Edit: He's since relisted it for £20 less than brand new 🤯

Well guys, it's been a while. So, some of you may remember that I have been working on something for the past 5 years: First one version Second version Third version Fourth version And now, I have finally completed it, the MOSQUITO MK1. If you didn't know already, the MOSQUITO is a 3D printed airsoft design, purposefully made to compete against other rifles in terms of looks, size, weight, and customisability. If you break a part, oh well! Just print another one! It uses a traditional V3 AEG gearbox and the usual AEG hop and barrel. However, you won't need a hop chamber. That's right, the hop chamber is 3D printed and proven to be very reliable on the field. Saves you from buying a new one. It has been designed to be as easy to print and source parts for as possible, using standard metric components. This final MK1 release vastly improves on the previous version in almost every way possible: New handguard design New mock bolt design New folding iron sights Refined grip design Refined folding stock Hope you guys enjoy it. I can finally move on 🙃. It's been five years since the original. Get it here! https://www.printables.com/model/1403014-mosquito-mk1-airsoft-kit And apologies in advance, the documentation is insane at 114 pages, and it isn't even done because I had to rush this release a bit. Hope you guys still have a shred of attention span that has been whittled away from brainrot of all sorts, BECAUSE I SURE HAVENT HAHAHAHA

Two optics, six feet apart cos they're not gay

Maruyama ISO556

No it's not shitty, termite-riddled balsa. It's REAL WOOD

Is this turning into a 'show off your shotgun' thread? Don't mind if I do... Hwasan Mad Max Sawed-Off Shotgun. Converted to fire APS shells, firing 17 BBs per shell. Nothing will beat the look of fear of everyone else in the chrono queue when they see this fire. Surprisingly impressive range, and can fire both barrels at the same time with a finger on each trigger.

Bought a cheap Ali Express chest rig and did little few little upgrades with bits I had already to make a nice quick detach rig.

Wouldn't worry about that, there's probably 10000 packages a day coming in to the country where the declarations aren't correct. Been that way forever. Though everything I import personally I of course 1000% ensure the declaration is perfect and inscrutable in its' validity and precisely accurate on valuation to the 1/10th of a penny. If necessary I sneak in to the processing facilities with correctly printed forms like Sam Fisher, use a nano-laser cutter on the little adhesive transparent wallet, extract the dirty, lying paperwork, insert the beautiful correct paperwork then heat seal the plastic again using a micro glue that's invisible to the human eye or even indeed any scanning machines.

Even if it was possible, No, definitely not, as they are the classifieds are as straightforward as they can be, while your reasons are clear due to the nature & circumstances of what you're selling, that would encourage some greedy sellers to push for a bigger payday on maybe rarer items etc, & if they didnt get the windfall they hoped for, who's gonna force them to ship the items ? it's a free forum with free classifieds, the mod team are all volunteers & we have enough work keeping the scammers out & keeping some semblance of order amongst the rest of you reprobates 😜

At this point, its actually cheaper in the UK, sure enough the postage from proact is bonkers, so I will gladly admit i was very wrong there - which screams to me, consumer not business posting. So that'll be a fuck no from them, as KIC can post a bigger and heavier rifle from Taiwan for ~$56 insured with EMS, so why I got quoted $140 for EMS from proact makes no sense other than they do not have access to business posting - information that was freely obtainable by contacting Chungwha post direct, which I have done.

Real Wood is the funniest Airsoftism. It doesn't mean it's actually quality, but it's one step above Little Timmy's fake wood plastic toy so you can use it as a selling point, apparently.

"it's not been fired just used as a promotional item" "I will throw a new battery in to prove it works" For some reason, these 2 comments seem to make it seem worse. Also the first one sounds like they're selling it at the price they paid for everything.

On the face of it, the pricing doesn't show anything alarming though more details on the scope the SSX303 rifle are needed and for the seller to confirm its mags have no leaks. Dave's Custom Airsoft products usually have a large margin added in their pricing but used, that price genuinely doesn't sound bad. Has the seller/trader got photos of the guns they're selling and videos to confirm they're working? Even if it's a face-to-face trade, you should get some peace of mind in advance.

Well I didn't wanna say anything... 🤣

Hmmm, sounds familiar.

I would always do stupid things to make my PKM beautiful... I attempted to order a rather expensive Zenitco stock for it from America a while back. The payment went through etc but it got returned at customs. Luckily they refunded me in full... I think the saying is "More money than sense"? 🤔😂 They sent me a tracking number about half an hour ago, it's looking good so far! Edit: I didn't think to check the email, they didn't send any tracking info just an email stating they would send tracking info. No tracking info yet (Saturday, so 3 days after paying)

You could consider the classifieds as a 'Dutch Auction'... market prices set the base line & the seller adjusts/lowers the price until they find a buyer. in theory only greedy sellers will lose out. Consider Macks as the airsoft moral compass.

Well Said 👍

https://www.usedairsoft.co.uk/rif-s/gas-powered_1/umarex-walther-ppk-james-bond-pistol_i86198 "They haven't produced another batch so it must be rare, more than retail!!!!!!"

That's exactly my conundrum 😂

I have a GE shotgun picked up second hand for a bargain Does it replace any other RIFs for a filmsim or proper day out? No Does it bring a smile to my face in CQB? Yes Do I feel like a badass cocking it and putting three in the chest of a good friend as he rounds the corner? Absolutely!! My tuppence: They're wicked fun and a giggle but don't forget to bring the AEG and leave in the car for days you want to be a bit more competitive

Currently looking for groin protection for airsoft. I know people say it is very rare that it can happen to be hit in that area but I would rather be safe than sorry. Looking online, someone mentioned crash slider shorts: https://www.bzpaintball.co.uk/hk-army-crash-slide-shorts I see there is some padding around the groin area on these. Anyone else have any recommendations?

As dodgy as it seems, Bullgear know what they're doing is pretty cheeky so I think they're going to do all they can to keep you happy should any issues arise. It's within their interest to keep their business going and avoid any customers slating them and destroying trust.

I, on the other hand, love it when they lie about the contents and say it's a "car air freshener" and a £5 "gift" so i skip import tax. Ayooooo

I worry about you.😂

Definitely didn't buy the Mac 11 spare parts bundle in the classifieds so I can have 3 functioning Mac's and some spares for when they inevitably break... One day I'll have as many Mac's as I do mags and will be able to throw them at the opposing team when empty and grab another fully loaded one to use 😂

Going by the cheap looking shiny plastic body and the stock the I'm 90% sure that's a cyma from the 5xx range and so not even worth half that new

Brave

A quick google and I’ve counted 6 UK retailers with them in stock 🤓

Unsure if this is a contender (i hope so this is now my favorite thread lol) https://www.usedairsoft.co.uk/rif-s/electric-powered/airsoft-m4_i86199 £250 for an unknown M4 with unknown attachments and internals and looks like its been chucked around the field almost of its life Oh we have some more magical electrical tape on the butt rest, £10 fix tho... and the down the barrel pic.. almost made me buy there and then...

That's being processed as an audio file on my phone, oddly. The trigger mech on the M249 is as simple as can be, so it's weird to have it fail. Try looking at the safety mechanism, maybe it's intermittently engaging and blocking the sear from dropping.

Yep, seen some pictures. I'm more interested in the HK after some research and a good night sleep, as hpa seems more agro for me and I'm moving away from airguns and into Airsoft. (I still have a dozen or so air guns, inc pcps, springers and CO2) Thanks for your reply mate.

Really nice work!

https://www.usedairsoft.co.uk/rif-s/hk-licenced-g28_i86147 Nearly spat my cup of tea - when brand new is £899 from Defcon (Assuming its the Umarex as seller says is an AEG) Yes you get the unbranded scope and red dot plus an ACM case but still....

Man I can't imagine plugging away at a replica for five years I'm ngl. I had an A&&K SVD and managed to get it to like, minimum BASR level of usefulness. Sold it after a year or so because it was so awkward to handle and just not that well built. There's aftermarket for basically every part of it from AirsoftPro in Czechia but after totting up the cost to make it theoretically shoot pure lasers mate no lies 200m flat I just sold it and built an ARBA gas sniper instead.

https://www.usedairsoft.co.uk/two-tone-replicas/electric-powered_1/electric-powered-ar-15-battery-and-magazine-included_i86164 The seller hasn't disclosed the brand and model of the AR-15/M4 replica so how do we know it's worth £115, especially when it's two-tone?

You on about the YouTube vid of sales at naf walk-around? Then yes it is hahaha.

Hi all, been a few years since I made a post. Just thought I'd share my build of the HMLMG from the video game Rust. I think its one of the coolest looking craftable guns from the game, and since seeing it I've always wanted to have an working airsoft version of it. HMLMG stands for HandMade LMG, hence why I thought it would be possible to actually do this project with the limited tools & materials I had. One of the things I didn't want to do for this was to damage the base gun, so attaching this HMLMG "case" to the base gun was a bit of a challenge, but in the end everything is removeable and the base gun underneath can be extracted completely unharmed. The build: -Base gun is a G&G Firehawk (DSG version), chosen for high RoF but also the loud sound that the Firehawk makes. -Box mag from the G&G CM16 platform, perfect shape and positioning compared to the source material (but yes it also takes just regular M4 mags). -Aluminium sheets for main structure (easy to shape without needing machinery, still relatively durable). -M3 nuts & bolts to hold most parts together. -Bit of fence from garden for stock. I used aluminium sheets for the main "case" of the gun which just goes over the base gun, cut to shape and held in place using nuts & bolts. The main barrel is made of aluminium pipes except for the giant hex nut which is steel, and the buffer tube on the rear of the gun is attached by long bolts to a u-shaped aluminium piece. Its all mainly held on by the bolts on the buffer tube, and by a very long extended outer barrel which runs right to the end of the aluminium pipe, which is then held on by a 14mm CCW piece which is perfect for securing the whole thing to the base gun. Everything was made at home using a hacksaw, scissors, screwdrivers, & aluminium tape, except for the holes on the heat shield & the buffer tube/outer stock which were done at the local men's shed. To access the fire selector I had to make a lever, but it is removable so doesn't get in the way in skirmishes. The mag release is still accessible as the underside of the HMLMG casing isn't filled in and I can just reach my finger up there. The Firehawk's external bits were removed, including charging handle, and the dust cover stays open, so hop-up is accessible by opening the top cover. The weight (without BBs in mag) is 3.3kg, roughly the size of an M249. I mostly tried to keep as accurate to the HMLMG in Rust as I could, but I had to compromise on the front grip as it seems too tedious to attach. The charge handle being a brass knob for a drawer also seems out of place as I want to leave the gun as full black for now at least. Modifications: -Due to the extreme upgrade in outer barrel length, I had to replace the inner barrel using a spare sniper barrel from a M40A3, which then caused the hop-up to need changing to a Mapleleaf 70. On the first skirmish I couldn't find the hop-up sweet spot, so replaced the unit with a rotary hop unit from Retro Arms. -The magazine was rewired to a button that sits on the heat shield as the original feed method was non-ideal. Performance: The gun is largely stock as it was brand new and I mainly did this just for the "look", and the DSG Firehawk's base performance is great from the first few weeks of using it. I'm running it on a 7.4v LiPo, it does around 1.07 joules (340 FPS on 0.2) at 29 RPS, so far found it to have good range and accuracy using 0.28g BBs. Magazine also feeds with 0 issues. Since the gun absolutely vomits BBs I'm changing to 0.25s in the next game just to lower the costs slightly... In the future I may upgrade its performance maybe for 11.1v batteries, but for now I don't see any need. Definitely a bit of a crude construction, but hey it looks the part, is sturdy, and most importantly it shoots like a beast.

Scammers are messaging members direct with guns for sale and pretending to be Moderators at AFUK using our usernames. Do not purchase anything from them or give them your details. Report to the Mod team. We do not have friends, family, or team mates with items for sale. We would only sell guns via the Classifieds, in a proper advert, not by random direct messages. If in doubt, send us a PM.

Moving back to more of the H&K family. We've done the MP5'S, but now time for it's bigger brothers. First up is the L101A2 The HK53 (L101A1) first saw service late 80s early 90s. Originally came with it's longer type flash hider, club style stock and a mix of either the early slim or later wider MP5 handguards. Most didn't have optics. But have seen a few sas pics of the C.W.S night sight fitted. Then towards later 90s, they all started having issues. Which was found to be the roller systems were getting worn. These were eventually upgraded and became the A2. These now sported the smaller G3 style flash hider, slim style MP5 stocks and surefire handguards. Most now featured a form of optics. Usual seen was the A.R.M.S MP5 mount with trijicon RX05 reflex sight. Others seen was the B&T rail with ACOG. Mine is a LCT version. Based off the ones seen with CP teams in Afghanistan. With surefire replica handguard, genuine A.R.M.S mount, replica trijicon and mag clamp and mag. Still need to source a slim type stock. But holding out till LCT release their MP5 in 2025. Only other work is to get the correct markings added. Left side had the HK markings. Right side featured the L designation and the NSN. However, I. Still trying to found out what the actual NSN is before I can get it engraved. Next up is the G3A4. Now, mine is the LCT version. And was bought in the hope of getting it cut down to become the K version (L100A1) But LCT ended up releasing a K version, so mine ended up on the "for sale" pile for a while, as was told the G3A4 was never used. Till I did some research on intelligence groups in N.I. and was actually researching another weapon. Then got hold of some images and info showing that in fact, the G3A4 was infact used, but only in small numbers. So mine ended up back on the collection. Now meaning I've got to wait for funds to buy the LCT K version. At the moment I have done nothing to this at all. Just completely box standards, as that's all I saw. Sticking with the G3. I decided and had the opportunity to build the so called SBS MC-51SD Now, there is definitely proof that the MoD took delivery of variants of the MC51 in the early 90s for trials. The variants were; * Normal MC51 * SD * Short K version. However!, The MC51 was never actually produced by H&K. They we're manufactured by FR Ordnance here in the UK. Which were found to be uncontrollable with the heavy amount of recoil. But as for seeing service, it's only been hearsay, despite it's delivery been documented. The fact there has been no pictures of it, nor has it ever been denied or confirmed by any serving or ex serving personnel. Kinda leaves it as one of those mythical creatures of the weapons world. That been said. In terms of logic, would make sense the SD variant possibly been used. At the time of the SD variant been delivered. The SBS were sent to N.I to join one of the intelligence task forces (14 DET). Who at the time were known for using shortened or silenced weapons on ops. Whether it was or wasn't, I still think it looks a pretty weapon. So mine is both parts of a classic army sar 41 and a MP5 sd. The Mp5 front end had to be heavily modded. Slot for G3 charging handle had to be made longer. The section where it meets the body had to have bits either filled or cut off, same on the actual body too. Then the plastic handguard frame had to be dremelled at the back to fit over the g3 body. Extra holes added to the original mp5 screws to sit. As this is a "what if" kinda weapon to start with, I decided to add a 6p torch. The replica Z24 scope is on in the pics, but has actually been removed. Also added blue unit colour and Butt number similarly place to other G3 variants seen in service.

So after searching high and low for years, earlier this year I managed to get my hands on this S&T sterling. Formally known as the L2A3 SMG. But got alot of bits to do to get this looking reasonable. So have managed to source a genuine sling and rear cap (not fitted yet). I plan on having the rear end worked on to look more correct along with rear cap machined down slightly. The charging handle/bolt will be getting engraved along with an extra strip of metal at an angle to replicate how the real bolt looked. It also needs cutting down at the rear, as is way..... too long. I'm looking at getting a large spring welded and cut. This will replicate the real spring, while making way for the rear of the gearbox while still leaving working space for the battery. Engravings and stamps need adding to the top of the magwell. Then will be getting repainted as crap as I can. As real one, the paint would just flake off in areas. Some people will say that they had a weird wrinkled effect. And you do see these on deacts. But after doing some research, these were actually civilian/export versions sent out on MoD orders to commonwealth countries. I have been told a few did make they're way on to British armouries. But have no image proof, only hearsay on another forum. But there is a lot of controversy over the manufacturing of the sterling and the rights to produce. And was infact produced in 2 different factories. One was the original factory at the Sterling engineering plant in dagahnam. Second was the Royal Small Arms Factory Fazakerley in Liverpool. But will spare the history lesson for now. Next up, is a bit of a rarity. this is an original Deepfire M72 Law. Th British designation is the L1A1 66mm. The real one was used for some years, till late 90s. Then when afghan kicked off, was brought back into service. But with a more modern and updated version of it. (L1A3). Mine requires a bit of work. Some of the screws holes need addressing/re taping. And the rubber has perished on the fire button. I have removed some of the older Deepfire stickers. And replaced with newer more accurate stickers.

Next up Colt model 715 Colt model 725 Model 715, later known as the Diemaco C7 This is more well known for use by the SAS during GW1. But the later variant is also used by path finders, paras and royal marines. What makes this stand out is the fact it has Colt export markings, an A1 style rear sight, yet an A2 brass deflector. Upper is refered to as the M16A1E1 upper. Other thing is that it has an A2 style lower with full auto. The U.S versions originally only came with the burst option. My build uses a G&P M733 Upper along with a very old discontinued Guarder m16 civilian lower. As all other airsoft m16 lowers are either A1 types or marked Burst. For GBBR, VFC do the correct Type body to achieve this. But a pain like me if sticking to AEG. Has a steel barrel and front sight. Has a real m203 upper and quadrant sight. Still on the look out for the old school A2 metal trap door butt plate. Also Both my 715 and 725 bodies have had the serial numbers stamped and marked on upper and bolt the same as on a UK issued C7s, referenced here by Jonathan at royal armouries. C7 Heres a version of my later 715/C7 as issued to the paras and RM. Model 725, later known as Diemaco C8 This version is very close to the Colt 723, but the 725 was made by diemaco. Also has the same upper as the 715 (M16A1E1) My build is a G&P M733 body, which at the moment is incorrect as its an A1 style lower with the auto markings, when it needs to be an A2 style lower same as the 715 above. So will stay as it is till I get a blank lower engraved. Also got a steel barrel & front sight. Real slim AR handguard, Old school metal stock and HAO Diemaco locking ring

L115A3 This is the ARES AW338 spring version. It's all pretty much standard at the moment, needs some work internally. Externally I managed to source the correct flash hider for this. The brand is calibre, and had to order from abroad. But never heard or seen them since. I know ARES did do one similar for their Stryker range, but the dimensions made it look fatter than it should. I was also led to believe the AW338 barrel is slightly thinner than that of the stryker, leaving their flash hider too loose a fit. I've added extra serial number stamps on the bolt and handle as is done on the real thing. Managed to source the correct Type scope mount, and a replica S&B scope. Then I've had a dovetail to picatinny scope mount 3D printed, correct to the real one. Now at this stage, it is just a prototype. And still working on the finer details. Other part 3D printed, is the L115A3 45° STIC NVG rail. This Is clipped into the front of the rifle as per the real thing. Both parts have been painted an aluminium colour. Then sprayed over with black. Worn back around the edges, giving the illusion it's metal. As I have based this off of L115s in Afghanistan. Most rifles seen were covered in tan SCAPA tape at the time, with some individuals adding some extra colour/camo to their rifles. Similar to those seen on the earlier issued L96 at the beginining of the OP herricks in afghan. Mine is a replication of that, covered in SCAPA, and the paint scheme similar to that of a family members. Also added ranging marks as also seen on sides of the rifles at the time.

Too tired to post pics so... I don't have the detailed knowledge about the specifics of pews I have & those with a close or a tenious connection to the British armed forces, so be prewarned... what I think I have is potentially wrong/incorrect. L96A1/L115A1 springer, bought as a basic two-tone before my ukara & now painted to resemble the Green Meanie. L96A2/L115A2 springer, another cheap wallhanger I've rattle canned with a 'Kewl' desert pattern cam. L96/Arcti Warfare, left stock & un painted simply coz I like it as it is. SMLE mk3, springer, previously a tow-tone but cleaned up fairly well by the previous owner. Thompson 1921, a denix replica in full 'gangster' mode with 50 rnd drum mag. Thompson M1A1, a rattled ex two-tone which needs a much better paint job. Sten mk2, denix replica (weighs a bloody tonne, in fact all the denix stuff is heavy). MP5SD6, retractable stock, had one years ago & craved another one. MP5, hard stock. MP5, based on an Iranian Embassy pic with slim hand guard,retractable stock & humungeous SL-20XL torch on a crane mount. Mp5K Sterling mk4 L2A3, rubber prop, Cleaned a couple in the TA in my youff but never got the chance to fire one (as a chef in the ACC attached to the RA my spatula skills took priority). Steyr Aug, does the Falklands defence force count? EM2, rubber prop but cool as F*^k. L22A2, springer wallhanger. L85A2, with Daniel Defense hand guard, LLM01 & SUSAT L85A3, with fore grip/bipod & Elcan scope with RMR. L85A1, springer with iron sights & bayonet. L85A1, replica with susat & BFA. L85A2, with L123A1 UGL M230 GLM/UGL L131A1 glock17, does exactly what it says on the tin. L9A1 Browning High power. Sig Sauer L105A2 Sig 226, aquired a couple recently. M1911, got a few in different styles including a denix. M16A1, more of an VN than a UK. C8, Canadian version really. L1A1 with bayonet & wooden furniture, well it's really a rubber prop in need of a better paint job. L1A1, ares make. My first entry into airsoft (second time round), Love it as it was my personal weapon in the TA. L86A2, yeah I like bullpups 18 in total. Most have scopes/sights accessories to a certain degree, & lots of slings boxed away(most slings look messy on wallhangers IMO). I'm sure more of my collection have a link to UK armed forces but with even more tenious links than those above.

This one from the embassy seige is a Maglite. Taped up, so presumably a stand-in for a Streamlight.

L108A1 MK1 MINIMI. Mine is a take on the minimis used by the ill fated SAS team "Bravo two zero" during Gulf War 1 The pic below is their actual weapons that were captured!. The weapon system itself was just a standard Mk1 minimi. You may notice in the pics there is one difference! it was fitted with a gpmg flash hider. Which was also adopted by the Australians on their minimi's. (Designation F89) The L108 was only ever really used by the SAS. It was some years later before the minimi would become issued among the regular army. But that was the PARA version which was later designated the L110A1/A2 However the L108 was, and believed still is held in stores. My L108 is an original TOP M249. Has been upgraded externally with Guarder steel gas block & front sight, guarder steel upgrade body parts, guarder steel barrel/top cover block, g&p steel cocking lever, g&p steel bipod. Replica steel gpmg flash hider. I will eventually get round to doing internal, and convert the original gearbox over to a classic army one. Was then sprayed and weathered. L7A2 GENERAL PURPOSE MACHINE GUN WARNING.... EXTREMELY LONG READ!!! I've tried to keep this as short as possible without losing too much needed info. An even deeper version will be done at a later stage, which will also focus on the early FN and newer HK versions. This is a complete custom build, made of full steel, and is currently 99.9% accurate to a real L7 I know that for some of you, who have seen some of this build before, we’re covering old ground - but please don’t run away just yet! Now, with the final piece of my puzzle, an accurate custom made steel barrel arriving. I've decided it was time to sort it all out, and refresh the build for a more informative experience. And to help explain why the L7 isn't just another M240..... Also, having done so much research over the course of this project, I’d thought it was time to share some of what I’ve learned and hopefully shed some light on why the changes I’m making were necessary. I’d also like this post to be able to aid others in their builds, and to hopefully shine a light for those with a particular eye for detail upon the things that might otherwise be overlooked. So, let’s begin. The basis for this project was originally an Inokatsu’s M240B. However, over time, this changed, and I had to have a completely new body and barrel made due to the amount of differences. The old inokatsu bits ended up being used in exchanges of parts. So as I got thinking about making a British variant, I did decide to do a bit of light reading (so I thought) - and I was completely astonished by just how much history surrounds the GPMG. So, for the history lesson! THE FN MAG 58 The first Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal (FN) MAG was designed in the early Fifties by a guy called Ernest Vervier. It combines the trigger mechanism and belt feed system from the WWII-era German Maschinengewehr 42 (MG42) with a more updated take on the gas-operated mechanism from the WWI-era American Browning Automatic Rifle (M1918 BAR). It was called the MAG 60-20, later the ‘MAG 58’; MAG being the acronym for "Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général’ or “Mitrailleuse á gaz”, French for ‘General Purpose Machine Gun’, and “58” denoting the year production commenced. The 3 primary MAG variants were: • MAG 60-20 Infantry version • MAG 60-30 Fixed aircraft version with either left or right feed • MAG 60-40 Coaxial version Specifications: • Calibre: 7.62x51mm NATO • Action: Gas operated, open bolt • Feed: NATO M13 ammunition belt or the non-disintegrating DM1 • Weight: 10.9kg (24Ib) • Length: 1,232mm (48.5 inches) • Rate of Fire: 625 - 900 rpm • Muzzle Velocity: 838m/s (2,749ft/s) • Range: 800m (2,625ft, light role) - 1,800m (5,905ft, sustained fire role/tripod mounted) THE L7 The original British variant of the MAG 58 (technically the MAG 60-20 T3), the L7(A1), was brought into service in 1957 and produced by FN. Then in 1962, under license by FN, the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) in Enfield Lock, took over production making further improvements and incorporated into the L7(A2) (MAG 60-20 T6). In 1984 the RSAF became Royal Ordnance Plc., which four years later was bought out by BAE Systems, resulting shortly thereafter in the closure of the original site. After that, it fell to several sub-contractors, notably Manroy Engineering (now FN UK), to oversee both the production of spare parts, and general refurbishment of the GPMGs until mid-2008. In late 2008, Heckler & Koch were given the contract to produce all spare parts and accessories, having had the task of producing new barrels for the gun since 2003. In 2011 HK won an additional three year contract for a mid-life improvement program (MLI). In 2008-09 the MoD solicited tenders for manufacture and support of the GPMG; by this point the original design copyright owned by Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal had expired. The three main respondents were HK, FN, and Manroy. The tender required the entrants to submit guns for testing, with HK’s version being the most publicised. Finally, after years of testing in the laboratory, training and in the field, in late 2014 the MoD announced that HK had won the contract to produce the L7s and their spares for the next few years. The L7 GPMG, nicknamed “the General” or “the Gimpy” (pronounced ‘Jimpy’), has seen every British military engagement since entering service, including action in Aden, Borneo, Rhodesia, Northern Ireland, Oman, Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Iraq. THE MAG 58 WORLDWIDE Over 200,000 examples of the MAG series and other variants have been used by more than 80 other countries over a similar period under different designations. For example: • Austria - 7.62mm MG MAG/Pz • Argentina - 7.62 ametralladora Tipo 20-60 MAG • Brazil - M971 • Canada - C6 • India 7.62 2A1 • Indonesia - SPM2 • Republic of China - CQ 7.62x51 • Sweden - KSP 58 • Taiwan - Type 74 THE M240 America did eventually jump onto the bandwagon, but relatively late and not until it had designed its own version of the MAG series. Known as the M240, it was put in service in 1977 and was used only as a co-axial variant fitted to armoured vehicles. An infantry variant - the M240G - wasn't introduced until 1991 by the USMC as a replacement for the dated and unreliable M60. The US Army adopted the weapon in 1995 as the M240E4, later the M240B. As in British service, several variants were to follow, including the M240C, M240D (E1), M240H (E5) and M240L, which is a new lightweight variant. Compared to the L7 the M240 infantry variant has only seen a few engagements mainly, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq (1991 and 2003). THE PARTS Like myself at first, many people don't realise just how different the L7A2 and M240 are, despite being the machinegun equivalent of siblings. After extensive research and months spent studying plans, photos and parts lists, I was left with a list almost an A4 page long of parts and work that would be needed to turn my M240 into an L7A2. Over the course of a few years, I gradually acquired all the parts necessary to complete the build. They were: • Inokatsu original style replica flash hider • Barrel washer • Foresight & Foresight block (early type) • Sling swivel • Bipod with height adjuster • Bipod retaining latch • Gas block & gas plug replica • Gas regulator • Top cover • Top cover plunger • Top retaining bolt and castle nut • Carry handle assembly • Barrel release catch • Cocking lever and knob • Feed tray • Ejection port cover • Trigger Group retaining pin • Rear sight aperture and slide • Trigger grips • C2 sight side mount • Stock • 50rd belt tin • Sling Later came things like my tripod, carry cases and all the other ancillary parts associated with the gpmg. As the build started to unfold, I took the opportunity to actually show you some of the major and minor differences between the L7 and the M240 parts, to help explain why I needed to change or alter so many of them. Now, not just the parts, but even the body differences are quite drastic. • Rear sights (M240 straight, L7 curved with finger grooves) • Reinforcement for stock on side plates (M240 bigger gaps, L7 more Reinforced) • Cocking lever support bar (M240 grooved, L7 more reinforced) • Front trunnion (M240 has a small ridge, L7 rounded) • Gas tube (M240 has large rear section, L7 slimmer rear and 2 vent holes. Also to note the L7 variant has grooves both sides to allow for an ambidextrous mounting of sling swivel. M240 will only sit on the left side) • Barrel (M240 is smooth behind Gas block, L7 has 2 grooves that allow for a better seating on Gas tube) MARKINGS The top row speaks for itself; the next row is the first important bit. The first two letters denote the country then factory; "BL" for ‘Belgium Liège’ (meaning the gun was made by FN), "UE" for ‘UK Enfield’ (meaning the gun was made by RSAF), Additionally, "HK" for ‘Heckler & Koch’ along with their test batches will be engraved on all future GPMGs. The next two numbers denote the year of manufacture, e.g. 75 for 1975. The possible combinations are 57-73 (BL), 62-88 (UE) and 08-11 12-present (HK). The "A" prefix is a batch number and was just added to the sequential sequence to allow the 4 digit serial number to remain (e.g. A0001-A9999, then rolling over to B0001 if the production for an individual year exceeded 9999 guns). Then next the four numbers are the last four digits of the weapon’s serial number. Newer Heckler & Koch made examples have 6 digits followed by three proof marks. The bottom row of numbers is the NSN (NATO Stock Number) for the weapon. The NSN is a 13-digit code used to identify more or less everything purchased by NATO forces. Individual components and whole weapons are listed (for example, the GPMGs carry handle alone consists of six individually-NSN numbered parts; the entire assembly is also listed as a single NSN). The weapons themselves are listed whole: L7A2 - C1/1005-13-103-2524 L85A2 - C1/1005-99-250-9030 L119A1 - C1/1005-21-920-6546 BARREL MARKINGS Early Barrels ( before HK) were stamped with a “L” designation along with the weapon’s serial number, which should be within 6” of the chamber on the right side using a 5-6mm (⅛”) stamp. This would normally be the weapon’s full serial (‘UE84 A2912’) and barrel calibre. So the infantry barrel was designated L1A2. My original barrel has been done, just need to get the new steel one done. The reason why barrels are normally stamped with the serial number is because each barrel is paired to a specific parent gun, and not supposed to be used with other guns. This is because of cartridge headspacing (CHS) matching between the barrel and body. So over time the barrel locking thread on the body wears, and to counter this various size locking nuts with different thread thicknesses are in use. On the locking nut itself, there are some serrations that the barrel locking latch will use to keep the barrel from coming free, and these cause the latch to click repeatedly as the barrel is locked home. The number of clicks is important - the minimum is three and maximum is 7 - as it demonstrates whether the barrel nut is too worn. If the latch clicks fewer than three times, the barrel will not be held or locked sufficiently. If it clicks more than 7 times, then the thread on the gun has become worn and the locking nut must be changed for the barrel to stay positioned correctly. Because one gun may have to use barrel nut size 2, it may fit perfect on that gun, but it will possibly be too tight or too loose to fit onto another gun; hence, the pairing arrangement. PAINTING Early gpmgs were painted with a paint called Suncorite 259. This was then changed in mid 2000s, having been phased out under new EU environmental regulations. All contractors - the likes of Manroy and HK - are now free to use their own firearm coatings, so long as they meet the standard, which in the UK is called ‘DEF STAN 80-56’. Mine was sprayed with what’s called ‘Small Arms Black’. However, I have also sprayed parts with Halfords satin black and can tell you there's not that much of a difference. BALANCING MARK On British GPMGs they have a white line placed towards the rear right side of the weapon, called a balancing mark. The white line corresponds to the position the cocking handle should be in when ‘balancing’ the weapon. It acts as a visual guide to show where the working parts make contact with the second sear (the former being the safety sear). The safety sear was put in on later models to stop what’s known as a ‘runaway gun’, a condition where the bolt doesn’t engage the sear and the gun will fire uncontrollably without trigger input until the ammunition is exhausted, you have a stoppage, or bits of the gun begin to melt. These would be placed from new or fresh refurb, when the weapon was balanced with it’s parent barrel, and its spare barrels matched. The mark can vary in size with Tippex or a white paint pen. The line itself will always be placed directly above the last rivet. UNIT MARKS/BUTT NUMBERS These are basic armoury numbers for quick counting and easy identification, and are normally referred to as “Butt numbers”. These are most commonly found on feed covers & buttstocks. The numbers are there for ease of retrieving a particular weapon from the rack. For example, L7A2 BL69A073249 could be rack number 55. It’s easier, when looking at a rack of 100+ weapons, to just grab the one with the big 55 number on it, instead of having to go through each weapon to check for the serial number. These would often just be written on with a paint pen, but is becoming more common to see them done with a label machine. Other number/marks will include: Vehicle or unit call sign, e.g. "10B", "33A", "24C" with the exception of "11" and "22" in an armoured battalion. The number plate if mounted on a vehicle, as has been seen on some wmiks in afghan. "Sf(followed by butt number)" if part of a Support fire role (with tripod) Zap number; the individual soldier’s casualty identification number, this is the first 2 letters of the surname and the last four from their service number. For example, Davis 25015598 would be DA5598. Some people had this written on a bit of scapa/sniper tape, which was wrapped around the stock just in case in Afghanistan, but it was not standard procedure. Units have also been known to paint colours on the top covers. This is sometimes done to identify a company or squadron within a regiment, battalion or battle group. Coloured patches are normally placed on the top cover, and although it’s not commonly done, it is more often seen on L85s & SUSATs The usual main colours are red, green, blue or yellow. I've kept mine simple, and just added the number "13". Originally I had it marked with red to symbolise A COY 3 PARA in afghan 2008. But later removed it. Barrels Some times the carry handle is marked to determine if its the main, spare or even blank barrel. Some are even marked with the weapons serial or sf number. I've added the number "1" to mine to determine its the main barrel. GEARBOX AND FEED SYSTEM Having devoted so much of this thread to the externals, it's time to show the beating heart of the beast. The gearbox was originally built up when I purchased the M240. Since then I’ve had to replace a few bits due to general wear and tear, but this is how the internals stand at present: Guarder SP110 mainspring Ultimate piston head (ventilated hexachrome aluminium) Systema Area 1000 v.3 cylinder head Systema Area 1000 Teflon cylinder Systema Area 1000 oilless 6mm bushings Systema Energy v.3 tappet plate Systema v.2 flat gear set Systema Jet AK nozzle TM AK hop-up chamber parts Madbull Blue hop-up rubber TM EG1000 short-shaft motor TM 509mm (M16-length) inner barrel It currently chronographs at 337fps with Blaster 0.20g BB’s; consistency is excellent and the range is wicked on 0.20's, although trying to get it to fire individual shots is very hard as it’s either safe or cyclic! I've kept the standard barrel on this and not upgraded it for the simple reason that I want to use it how a support weapon should be used. With work I could have it DMR accurate, but I like to harass a whole barricade, not just one person. The inside of the Inokatsu is a fairly typical AEG gearbox; what complicates the gun is - as usual for box-fed airsoft guns - the feed system. I had originally wanted to use a G&P M249 auto-winding box magazine. Unfortunately, after receiving a donated one I found that the mechanism itself was just too big to fit into the smaller 50rd ammunition tin fitted to my gun. I looked at other types of box and drum magazines, but nothing stood out until a forum member approached me with a spare Echo1 M240 box magazine for sale. Having received it, I promptly ripped it apart for the feed mechanism. Unhappy with the wiring I decided to strip the G&P box for parts too, and soon a Frankensteinian monster was in the making. The chief reason for trying to marry the G&P’s electronics to the Echo1’s mechanics was my decision to power the gun with a 9.9v LiFe. The Echo1’s harness is made of extremely thin wire, and I’m worried that the stress of long bursts of fire may cause it to overheat. The G&P harness is heavier-duty, and also has a circuit board with an integrated transformer to vary the battery’s high voltage to the lower voltage required by the winding mechanism’s motor. Usefully, the circuit board also continues to wind the magazine for a few seconds after you release the trigger, ensuring there are BBs fed for the next burst. I cut and bent a metal plate to act as a makeshift reservoir, and cut a rectangle in the side of it to hold the LiFe. I'm still looking for other ways to store the battery, so this isn’t necessarily final. I also tried to think of a way to hide the feed tube, but there wasn't enough room to do so; for the moment at least I've had to stick with the feed sticking out the bottom. The feed tube may have been too big but the wiring wasn’t, so that has now been hidden after making a cut out in both the body under the feed tray and on the edge of the ammo box lid. Bear in mind that this magazine is really only a prototype and still under development. I need to make sure things work reliably, and I would like to simplify the wiring at some point before I make something more permanent Hope you've enjoyed this build and all the info that makes the L7 unique, and you haven't fallen asleep yet. Thank you for taking the time to read. Now for the finished item...

L129A1 sharpshooter. The real rifle is a Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) 7.62mm sharpshooter rifle. The British then gave it the designation L129A1. It features *LMT crane stock *LMT rail panel *LMT sling point *LMT Ergo grip *KAC flip up sights *Harris bipod with A.R.M.S QD mount *Surefire FH762K05 flash hider *TDI arms FFGB2 folding grip Most models came with the *Trijicon Acog 6x48 BAC .308 scope. But some others were also fitted with the *Schmidt & Bender PMII 5-25x56 scope. These were the main scope used on the L115A3 rifles. The airsoft one; These are not your run of the mill production models. Both the flash hider and rail, are custom made replicas of the real thing. Mine is fitted with *Clone KAC flip up sights. *Clone LMT panels *Clone LMT Ergo grip. *Genuine LMT stock *Genuine LMT sling mount & Rear plate *Clone TDI arms grip *Clone Harris bipod *G&P bipod mount The base rifle is a G&G SR25 E2 APU model. I've also added butt number with a white paint pen and also the British QR code to the magwell. This is where it is placed on the real rifle. There are a few things that needs doing to this. Mainly getting the correct trades done. A few other parts of the body changed. Then giving it a coat of FDE as per the real rifle. Next up is the 6X48 Acog. Mine is a 3D printed version. Lots of stuff has been done to this to make it as accurate as possible. A clone 4x acog was used as a donor internals. Whole thing was sprayed silver, then had several layers of black over the top. Then just weathered it back to look like it's really metal. Also added the QR code, serial numbers and butt number to the top.

Model 603. The model 603 is what later came to be called M16A1. The ones issued to UK forces was the Colt export version. These became the go to weapon for the SAS In many theatres for some time. The difference between this and other AR platforms in use, The 603 had a forward assist, aswell as a full fence side. Compared to the non forward assist AR's in use like the 604 (partial fence) and the early 602 used in borneo (slab side) They also did away with the duck bill flash hider for the standard A1 type and a phosphate bolt, where 604 and 602 were chrome plated bolts. Mine is a take on ones seen sprayed/taped during jungle warfare and the odd ones seen during the falklands. Only thing that is left to sort on this, is to get rid of the standard markings and get the Colt M16A1 export marking ls added. And for those looking for the extra little details. The 603s had their serial number crudely engrave on the left side l, inside the carry handle.

2 more UK AR platforms added. First up. COLT MODEL 604 Here I have started to build a colt model 604, As issued to the British army in the late 60s, early 70s. So the Model 604 is a slight variation from the original model 602 (XM16/M16 VN) The 604 comprises of a XM16 stock with a pivoting sling mount. Not the static version fitted to the later model 603 (M16A1) Compared to the model 602 (M16 VN) which had a slab side, and the full fence of the model 603 (M16A1). The Model 604 used a partial fence. Now despite being upgraded internally the same as the 603, the externals pretty much still resembled the 602, with it's 3 prong (duck bill) flash hider and lack of forward assist. The British version differed from it's U.S. counterpart, and only had the standard colt export markings. As Well as being painted black with a paint called Suncorite, which all UK weapons had at the time. Now mine is still a work in progress. Ive had the markings filled. I'm still to source the correct rear sling mount. I then tried to replicate the suncurite paint best I could. As the real paint was just slapped on. I tried the same but in the picture below, looks smoother than it actually is. Only other thing is slings. Early version came with AR15 slings. But very quickly guys swapped these out for L1A1 SLR slings. So will look at that in the future too. Next up. COLT MODEL 701 To most its just a M16A2.... It is, but not quite. Main difference being, the fire selection. The U.S. issued A2 was colt model 702. Which externally are identical apart from the 702 was 3 round burst. Where the British issued 701 was full auto. Pictured here in use during OP barras in 2000. As far as I'm aware these where only purchased in small numbers, compared to the earlier colt model 715 (C7) which is still in wide use today. With mine, I've replicated the correct export markings along with with the correct "auto" marking. Upper is just a standard G&P upper with a real A2 handguard.