The_Lord_Poncho

Thanks ! I'll order some MAP gas, and give that a go then. Would swapping to a lighter bolt help matters (e.g. the 5KU lightweight bolt)? Do we think that the 150% nozzle return spring is helping or hindering?

So I have recently built up an AAP carbine – based around the TTI PCC kit, with a 210mm inner barrel. In terms of working parts, the only upgrade has been to add in a 150% nozzle return spring. In testing, everything worked absolutely fine – reliable feeding, good accuracy/range, and shooting at about 1.2 j (its semi locked). However, in its first game at the weekend, it initially chronoed at 0.7J for a couple of shots, and thereafter entirely failed to feed on any of my mags. Weirdly the bolt still happily cycled back and forth with every shot, it just wouldn’t feed. It was circa 14/15 oc, and the mags were filled with pure propane from a plumbers bottle. Back home at the end of the day – everything now feeding happily again at circa 20 oc. I know that gas guns don’t do well in the cold, but at 15 oc surely it isn’t that cold? And why would the bolt still be happily cycling but the gun not feeding – this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me? Any thoughts welcome + any potential solutions!

That's really interesting. I have a fairly positive view of the marshalls there - there is usually 4 or 5 per game, and 2 or 3 are usually older, more mature, and happy to get stuck in to sort issues out. The younger ones, much less so. I've been rather a lot, and only have seen one proper incident of aggression between players that left a bad taste. To be fair, the marshalls were right on it that time. Cheating, I've not really much of a barometer, but generally not something that I feel happens enough to spoil a game. The teams are never deliberately imbalanced in my strong view, but I can see where that accusation might come from - briefing takes place from a stage, and then the players are divided down the middle, counted, and the requisite number of people asked to volunteer to swap to the other side. BUT - it is always the case that significantly more young kids and rental players always stand on the left hand side (when facing the stage) - not really sure why this is - but probably because there is more space, and its less intimidating to be a little further away from the regulars/more seasoned players. This does therefore mean that there are usually more rentals on one side than the other - definitely something that the site ought to sort out! Re. pauses - I only play mornings - yesterday's 2.5 hour game aside, usually you get two games in a morning - 09:30'ish to 10:30, 30min break then 11:00 - 12:00. I presume the same pattern for the afternoons, but I wouldn't know! I'd definitely like a shorter (or no) break - 10 mins to grab a quick drink and bomb up the mags would be plenty.

Dogtag is adequate, Driver Wood is pretty good in my view. But then i haven't been to Worthing or Southdowns, so i can't form a comparison for you I'm afraid. My slight whinge in my post above aside, I'd be interested to hear what other negatives that you've heard for Driver Wood.

This last Sunday I had the first rather average morning I've ever had at Driver Wood. They seemed to be experimenting with a longer (2.5 hrs) game rather than two shorter games and a break- fine - I'm happy with that. At least 30 minutes extra game time packed into the morning, and of course people free to head to the safe zone for a break whenever they wish. What was less good was the decision to relocate the team spawns to the far corners of the playing area in order to spread people out all around the map. The Orange team spawn was hidden in a dense maze of rhododendron right on the edge fo the map - I genuinely spent 15 minutes walking in circles trying to find it, and even the times I managed to locate it first time, it was a tedious 5-10 minutes trudge from the middle of the playing area there and the same back. I know there is a balance to be struck - ultra quick re-spawns can be equally frustrating if you are trying to dominate and take objectives and the enemy players that you take out are re-emerging under a minute later (knowing exactly where you are). But being taken out of a game for 10+ minutes once you are hit is just boring. Driver Wood doesn't seem to suffer endemic cheating, but yesterday morning was different - with most players choosing to retreat a few hundred meters when hit, wait in a bush for a few minutes, and then come back into play rather than trudge off to try to locate the spawn. And frankly, I sympathise! Lets hope that they stick with the 2.5 hour games to maximise playing time, but have a careful re-think about spawn locations and suitable playing area size for the numbers.

Like the Sniper head nets that we were once issued for an exercise in the west of scotland - perversely not to use as a base for a ghillie head and shoulders - but rather to protect against the clouds of famously microscopic scottish midges. Seemingly ignoring the fact that the nets in question having holes that were circa 1cm x 1cm sized.....

We were actually issued waterproof samsungs, with secure comms apps for certain things, including urban. Never got a nice pouch for them though!

Kind of counts for this thread I suppose - A TTI PCC carbine build around an AAP-01. 210mm Unicorn Airsoft inner barrel+ unicorn hop rubber that came with the barrel. 3d printed short stroke buffer, semi lock selector plate, and angled fore grip. Performance seems pretty decent - good accuracy and hop at 1.2 joules (305fps) on a .28g bb - I'll try some heavier ones later. Whole thing is very solid, and rather light/'pointable'. Only bit that is annoying me is the octarms M-Lok handguard - even with no shims there is a gap at the back of it of at least 4mm between it and the receiver. I might need to try a different design that doesn't simply rely on set screw holes in the barrel nut and shims to align.

I'll give this a go, thanks for the tip!

Albeit if that example in the photo - laden as it is with all the 'bells and whistles' - is in any way lighter than the L85, I'll eat my hat! I've been known to sack the issued grip pod thingy into the locker and swap the susat for irons on certain occasions in a desperate yet somewhat futile attempt to try to reduce the weight of the L85.

Cracking evening of CQB this past Wednesday at Invicta Black Site. As always well run, very very little time waiting around between games, and fast paced jumpy CQB action in pitch black darkness. New Glock 34 was playing up (mag related I surmise), so most games played with the ASG JW3 hicappa (bought second hand from the classifieds for peanuts, and thousands of rounds later continues to perform flawlessly), and the Double Eagle UTR45 (great, but in tight CQB I still prefer a pistol). Quite pleased with my performance, but as ever, the more tired I get in the later games, the more fast, frantic, and poorer thought through my movements seem to become - with so many more players getting the drop on me as a result. I really need to work on slowing down my pace in the last few games and taking a breath... Took some of the most painful hits i have (drew blood through my clothing) - so its convinced me that, heat be damned, I need to invest in a plate carrier when playing indoors! Only negatives (aside from the overly painful hits) was that, when you have an hours drive home and the last game doesn't finish until 11pm, you really could do without waiting 10 minutes for a marshal to unlock the car park gate and sign you out....

100% my thinking too! Only drama being, as long as my wife doesn't see all my black M4s/ARs in one place at the same time, i'm ok and it is entirely plausible that I own just the one..... A tan rifle will somewhat stand out as new......

I have a number of different Lipo batteries that fit different shooters, so always use the storage charge function on them after a game day- whilst I wouldn't tend to leave it over a month between games,there is no garuntee that any particular battery wouldn't end up being left for months on end. And it's not really any hassle.

Or a lightweight molle only chest rig - e.g. the new one out by Mil-tec that's a little over £20 - and some cheap Osprey mag pouches. You can always add different/bigger pouches later on in your airsoft career. The Osprey MTP mag pouches (both in 1 mag, and 2 mag flavour) are insane quality and blow most commercial pouches out of the water, yet can be had on ebay for £2-3 each (and many are brand new). I'm surprised not to see more of them in use.

Ah, that would explain why the CTR stock i bought a month back got returned to seller before it left china then! (refunded by AE as soon as i spotted the return on the tracking and requested it)

Loads of stuff ordered over the years - the majority has arrived before it's due date, and 99% turns up. There is the odd thing that has never arrived, but I've always been refunded no questions asked.

Would MP5 mag pouches work for extended (50rd) glock pistol magazines, or are their better options? I'm not after open top (i.e. taco/bungee) type pouches....cheers!

Well, i never knew something like that existed! Just prompted me to do a search for 'empty felt tip pen' and voila, it appears that you can buy packs of empty/refillable felt tip markers! https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAVITA-Refillable-Markers-Painting-Graffiti/dp/B0B51H1J2B/ref=asc_df_B0B51H1J2B/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=641529185451&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3277307157925442133&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044964&hvtargid=pla-1731300655915&psc=1 Perfect to fill with a light silicone RC shock oil or similar. Excellent, erm, tip!

I've been 5 or six times over the past year. Mostly had fun, but its a little 'rough round the edges'. Always had all guns chrono'd, but not tagged, and just as we went out for the first game. Site is effectively a subterranean grid of tunnels, with obstacles placed along their length. It is dark (and a light is useful/required), but there is much more light than e.g. Invicta Black Site. Engagement distances can be very close (lots of hits from <1m from people hiding behind barricades etc), and some of my most painful hits have been sustained here. They play a particular game every now and then which involves one team working up a single corridor, and the other defending, with a rolling re-spawn a few meters behind the attacking team. Not my cup of tea that particular game - very very painful, and quite frustrating. In general though, the sites nice for a mid-week game every now and then, and I generally come away on a high. Usually between 12 and 20 players each event, 'registration' by banging the guy an email pre-event, and then cash in a biscuit tin on the night. As per the post above, I wouldn't advise taking kids there, and full face protection+ gloves essential in my view.

I use a standard bit of webbing strap with a triglide buckle on mine. But if you don't want to butcher an existing sling, perhaps a loop of paracord to hook onto with your sling hook? A double fishermans bend would be a neat/tidy way to knot it.

I've been using a 3d printed universal adapter similar to the above - for a variety of non M4 mags (including UTR 45). A bit more awkward to hold in order to keep the nozzle of the adapter pressed into the mag as you wind the BBs in (i rest the base of the mag on my upper thigh), but perfectly doable.

Another Sussex dweller here! Within the list of sites above, i frequent Driver Wood (excellent), and have been to dogtag (pretty good). To add to the list if you enjoy CQB in the dark- and with weekday evening games- the Epsom air raid tunnels (every wednesday night), and the Invicta Black Site (some wednesday nights and some weekends) are worth a visit, and good if you can't get a weekend pass from your keeper! I was at Invicta Blacksite last night - absolutely awesome.

People should absolutely have the confidence to crack on with chest compressions without formal training, similarly, maintaining an airway. With an unresponsive casualty, to stand by due to a lack of confidence may hasten their death/increase the likelihood that they end up with severe brain injury through oxygen starvation. To have a go and do you best may just mean that they are in a state that when professional/qualified/equipped care turns up, they can do something useful. Of course the gold standard is to get some training, and frankly i find it astonishing how few people do - especially when the overwhelming likelihood is that it is a family member or a good mate that is the person in desperate need for first aid from you. Re. one the the above points - agree that motorcycle helmets should be removed - but only if essential to perform immediately necessary first aid - e.g. to maintain an airway and/or to perform CPR. In the example above, if the person is still talking then it wouldn't be necessary to remove the helmet. There is a correct way to do so in order to minimise neck/spinal movement. The trick is to work down the priorities of first aid - Airway, Breathing, Circulation (yes i know its more nuanced than that, but for the purpose of this thread...!) i.e. - if the airway is blocked - you MUST do something about it (i.e. clear it, get the casualty into a position where it is cleared and unobstructed). If they are not breathing/oxygenated blood getting to the brain you MUST do something about it (i.e. chest compressions + mouth to mouth if you are comfortable/able). If there is a catastrophic (i.e. arterial) bleed, you MUST do something about it (i.e. direct or indirect compression). There are right and wrong ways of going about these actions, as well as ways which would minimise the likelihood for causing secondary long term complications/injuries, but everyone must still have a go after first calling for help - unless there is someone better able with you that can perform those immediate actions more effectively. Example, a motorcyclist is unconscious and unresponsive. After ascertaining this, you remove his helmet in order to open up his airway and perform CPR. In the process, it later turns out that you have exacerbated a spinal injury and the person is paralysed. He is, however, alive and with a functioning mental state - you having maintained a supply of oxygenated blood to his brain until the ambulance arrived equipped with a defib etc. The alternative scenario, you look on, paralysed into inaction as you are concerned about something you read on the internet about never removing a motorcyclists helmet/a nonsense sticker on the helmet itself stating the same thing; the person is pronounced dead at the scene when medical care does turn up, and you spend the rest of your life wondering whether you could have made a difference for that bloke and his family! Appreciate that this is all a little emotive and heavy a subject, but i do think it is rather important. Perfect excuse for people to book themselves onto a first aid course/get your workplace to do so at their expense!

In my view, on game days no need for anything more than a couple of plasters and a wide roll of zinc oxide/fabric tape in the safezone for those annoying cuts and grazes; anything more major (field dressings/eye washes etc) should be able to be supplied by the first aid kits legally required to be held by the site. Kits for cars, walking, life etc are another thing - i personally have medical scissors, a large field dressing + tourniquet in each car; and a personal first aid kit for weekends in the woods, walking etc with the above+ more dressings (tip - eye pads are great for cut fingers), fabric tape, saline for eyes, quick clot packing tape, and a resuscitation mouth seal thingy to make vom covered mouths more palatable.... I'm afraid In my view this is nonsense. You should always always have a go, and do what you think will help, unless there is someone better experienced/qualified available immediately to take over. The law will protect you (in this country) if you have done your best and what a reasonable person would have done. We aren't in America, where things might, sadly, turn out rather differently. I for one would find it a struggle to maintain any degree of self respect if i passed someone by that needed help just because i was afraid of a theoretical legal action from aggrieved relatives. I'm sure the (UK) statistics of success of such actions of that nature will back the point up.

Yep, I've been there too! I assume you are talking about the black cab? How that vehicles suspension still stands up to the amount of BB's in it, I'll never know! I'm planning on heading over to Driver Wood this weekend I think. (Invicta Black Ops tomorrow night first)