Tactical Pith Helmet

Over the years I've had a handle and shot several people's sniper rigs. I've asked several airsoft snipers what holdover points they use for different ranges, as several rifs have been fitted with MAP style reticules. I've usually received a blank look in reply, so having someone know how to use a rangefinder and holdover might be a bit of a gamechanger.

Are these worth getting? I resent being asked £15 plus postage for a ZCI unit until AK2M4 gets some stock in. Then again I'd not begrudge the extra if the SHS unit is crap. I particularly like the way the ZCI doesn't shift when adjusted.

Expect not to shoot anyone... Seriously, the first night game I did I became seriously confused on my local site. I later learned to have a tight beam on my rif light and a wide one on my head torch.

Read your post and might show up for this myself! There is a kit list. Stick to it and you'll be fine. It does say that you will be in an unheated barn unless you pay an extra fiver for barrack access. TBH with the current 'Rona situation I would just rely on the tent. If it's a decent tent it doesn't matter where it's put up. Usually you dump your camping kit at the camping site/area and only carry your game kit in game. I do as many of these types of event as I can each year. Stick to the guidelines and don't be afraid to ask what to do/where to go when you get there. If you arrive in good time you'll be fine. I take a rucksack for the hard respawn with 7 or 8 litres of water, that days food, waterproofs, spare ammo, spare batteries etc. Saves a walk back to the camping area if you need something. Take whatever you think you may need the first few events and discard as you get to know what you really need is a good idea.

Fencing style mesh mask and a hoodie done up tight around it. Woolly gloves with stretchy lycra and the rubber grip bobbles. Unless he's a seriously big lad, a helmet, tactical gloves etc will drown him I imagine.

I use mine a boring amount of time. Basic rotary hop and a plug in 'fet and away you go. I originally bought it as I saw how the rentals were abused at a local site. Years later it is still running as well/poorly as it ever did.

6mm Ammo have stock at £12 per 1000.

A penguin is driving a rental car through the desert when suddenly the air conditioner stops working. The penguin, frantic with the heat, swerves into the first car repair shop he sees. Penguin jumps out yelling, "Quick, quick! Drop everything and fix my air conditioner. I'm literally dying from this heat! Really, it's an emergency!" The mechanic says, "Calm down, now. I can fix your car in about a half hour, and you should just go across the street to wait in the ice cream shop. It's cool in there, and they sell soft-serve ice cream." The penguin is thrilled, jumping up and down, and yells, "Yay!! Soft serve is my favourite!", and he scampers across the street waving his stubby wings. Exactly a half hour later the penguin rushes out of the ice cream shop with vanilla ice cream all over his face, and runs into the repair shop, yelling, "Did you fix it!? Did you fix it!?" The mechanic says, "Yeah, no problem. It looks like you just blew a seal." The penguin frantically wipes his mouth and yells, "No fucking way! That's just ice cream!!"

Milsurp boots are one of life's great bargains if you know what you are doing. I have odd sized feet, so need a half size and specific width. This means either custom made boots at £300-£400, or off the peg Lowa's at £200+ when they do a run of width sized boots. Width sized milsurp boots as low as £30 are a God send. They are also designed for some serious hard use and far better quality and design than most tacticool gear. I've spent the last week or so clambering up some seriously high peaks, going well into the snow line, and sometimes in pretty grotty weather. No problems from the old British assault boots and wool socks. Do you have a local surplus shop? Trying before you buy is a good idea. Once you know your exact size then using mail order is easy.

I second the gaiters. There is a pair for sale on here for a tenner. Surplus waterproofs give years of wear. They will work out much cheaper than cheap Go Outdoors stuff in the medium never mind long term. I have been over various mountains today in the pissing rain. Deerhunter jacket £20 from Sportsman Gun Centre, £10 surplus leggings, thinsulate beanie from a petrol station. Well dubbed surplus boots. Warm and dry all day. Polycotton underwear from Lidl's and away you go. I have had my kit years and years. Buy quality buy once.

A penguin walks into a bar and orders a pint of best bitter. He asks the barman, 'Have you happened to see my brother around? 'Dunno,' says the barman, 'what's he look like?'

Call me somewhat old fashioned, but I think we've all been at their mercy since the 15th century at least. Airsoft would be in far better shape if The Peasants' Revolt had succeeded.

Of course not! They merely allowed you to struggle completing the shipping option until I e-mailed them thinking it may be a tech issue... Now it is 'improved' to telling you at the checkout again.

Got a notification that Taiwan Gun had CM.048Ms in stock. Tried to order but no dice. They are not shipping to the UK again. Bollocks.

G&Gs do this. If you take the hop out and lube it it may free up. Otherwise take it apart, clean, lube and reassemble. An ML is pretty much the uber hop, but the standard green G&G one is fine for .28s, so your .20 should be fine. You may find on stripping that a bit of plastic at the edge of a mould is not smooth, just trim it with a knife. Even after careful reassembly mine would whip .20s into the ether. A ZCI plastic rotary hop sorted matters for less than a tenner.

So… The night before we were due to leave for Namsoft I suddenly find myself voiceless and shivering, running a temperature. A good night’s sleep and I am just fit enough to drive by nearly midnight the following day. Not the best of starts, but there we go. The van was packed, the tickets bought and the Covid test passed A-OK. Set up camp at about 2:30am as quietly as possible after nearly three hour drive. Decent safety brief; comprehensive despite almost every player being something of an old hand at the game. For the few that were new, nothing was omitted or rushed. Game started with clear objectives and well defined fire teams to carry them out. The basic premise of the game is the film Southern Comfort. This was about a group of national guardsmen on a training exercise in the Louisiana swamps that fall foul of a group of Cajun’s who believe that they have been fired upon. Good film, great theme for a game. The action started with some LARPY shit, role playing as F.B.I., local Sheriffs, Cajuns and Guardsman. Plenty of banter and an increasingly tense atmosphere as everyone anticipates the start of the fighting. Someone slots a sheriff and a several way firefight starts. The various groups pull out and regroup to decide how to achieve their objectives in a newly hostile environment. Playing as a Cajun, I accompany the small four man group to retrieve an ammo crate, having first to find the cash box to have the necessary funds. This goes surprisingly easy, as we find the sheriffs have arrested a fellow Cajun, and due to the presence of the hated ‘Feds, we surround them and demand his release. This achieved, he reveals that he is our contact as we lead him away. A good start. Crates retrieved, we proceed to hunt the US troops. Eversley Alpha is one hell of a site. There is a pile of rhododendrons, dense marsh and thick cover. With only about 35 players, we restricted the action down to easily identified areas and soon had the US in sight. They were oblivious to our presence, which is just how it should be. A short and murderous firefight followed, with excellent sportspersonship. I say sportsperson as that rare beast, the airsoft female was present in some numbers (OK about four, but it’s a start.) The swamp dwelling set victorious we carried on hunting the sheriffs in order to attack the F.B.I. contingent that accompanied them. All great fun. At some point I reverted to true character and lone wolfed for the rest of the weekend. I harassed and harried the opposition at every opportunity, sniping with the M14. The ML hop set up lofts .3s with ease, whilst over hopping .28s madly. I get some great shots at range, bopping GIs through sanger observation slits and picking off squads at long range. At some point I end up stalking at close range, and keep a whole section pinned down by firing from some rhododendrons at fifteen yards range. I feel guilty when one chap walks over, thinking that he has spotted me at range, and I shoot him at about two feet. One skinned knuckle and an apology at endex followed. Not that said chap was aggrieved. Admiration for crafty concealment far outshone the odd flesh wound. I lost the exact set up after this and concentrated on harrying any opposition that I saw. An attack of the enemy base I learned of via my radio; and this was joined with enthusiasm. Following on from my highly successful solo escapades, this was bound to end in disaster and I was captured. The closeness of the enemy’s respawn allowed them to swarm us before we could change position. Not being fools, this was exploited in full by the enemy. The game progressed in similar fashion for hours, neither of the sides having a complete upper hand all day. The site was amazing as ever. The gameplay is excellent. The scenario is brilliant and easily learned. The cherry on the cake as it were, came at the close of the day. Number one son had bought his girlfriend, assuming that the usual round of shopping and cafes would be indulged in as the players played. Unfortunately, no other female company arrived, and so as cash free and in totally unexpected twist, a hostage appeared. By the end of the weekend we had one really excited young lady, hell bent on playing air soft at the earliest opportunity. That to me is a result. Good on the organiser for giving a second (personal) detailed safety brief, and for changing the storyline so that everybody had a good game. Sunday dawned far too early, the night centring on Cuban cigars and single malts. I dragged a reluctant arse out of bed and lone wolfed the US soldiers again. I worked my way into the middle of the enemy position and let fly with the M14, many players moaning at ‘friendly fire.’ Ho, ho, ho. Overall, given the price, plus cost of diesel, this was not cheap. However, you only live once, and the fun factor was off the scale. I still feel ultra shit re: congested chest, lack of energy, lack of strength, BUT the buzz from the game has stayed for hours later. The social and in game play was simply spot on and I will attend next year, yet again. If anyone fancies a spot of redneck carnage and or Vietnam style airsoft action, send me a PM.

If I was spending £500 tomorrow as a newbie, I would get a Cyma M14 and ask a decent tech to fit a simple 'fet, tightbore and Maple Leaf bucking. IIRC a metal toothed piston is a good idea for one too. You will have a great shooting rifle for around £230 - £250. As the man above says, recoil systems etc are a pain in the nuts. A simple mosfet to protect the titchy trigger contacts on a CYMA is a good idea though I think. The rest I'd spend on decent boots, eyepro and a minimal set of webbing etc. The change I'd spend on satisfying post-game burgers, or possibly Curly Wurlys, with a chance of scotch.

Dave walked into the pub last night with a black eye. 'How did that happen?' I asked. Apparently, his wife asked him to make a bird table. She only came in at number seven.

I have used tens and tens of thousands of Blitz BBs by Zeroone, both bio and non-bio. Never had a stoppage in about fifteen or so rifles, some with tight bore barrels. Ordering 25,000 again soon tbh. Doesn't mean that they never had a bad batch mind.

plenty of "working" guns can still have serious issues needing correction, hell even (some would even say often) "fucked" guns can have major unguessed at fuckedupness. How I actually read that sentence...

Great day at Tuddenham with the lowly G&G M4. It's Skirmish at the end of the month so the usual simple games with nothing too complicated. Marshalling was to the usual high standard, weather was bloody muggy, and due to a series of things going wrong, I ended up going on my own. I was surprised at how much enjoyable not parenting and playing was, since I originally got into airsoft to spend time with the lad. Some well spirited gameplay, especially in the afternoon, and a great load of fun around the village area with the buildings. Had some decent scraps around the containers and managed to keep a group hunting for me by the simple expedient of lying down where they expected me to be ducking around the tyres etc. Stalked a player in the shower block area as he did the same to me and we both hit each other simultaneously, which gave us a good laugh. Got hit in the back a fair few times as the opposing team could actually flank properly. Nice to see a girl leading the team as player marshal, btter still to see her getting players to push up and exploit the ground well. More power to her I say. A few moans from some re: hit taking but I saw nothing but good sportsmanship all day. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the huge disappointment of missing out on the Namsoft weekend.