Lozart

See - I have the opposite problem; my fingers are relatively short for the size of my hands. I have no problem operating my M4 fire selector with my thumb but I can't reach the little tab on my AK selector without taking my hand off the grip (which is why I have a tactical selector en route from Bunny Workshop). Now, granted I did have an issue with the base of my thumb knocking the M4 selector very slightly in use which would usually knock it just far enough to engage auto but that seems to have gone now since changing to a Magpul grip which by design positions my hand slightly further back. The fire selector can also be stiffened up by tightening the screw inside the receiver that holds it on. Of all of the assault rifles I have the SCAR is by far the most easily useable fire selector. Instead of being a 9/12/3 o'clock position it's more of a 7/9/11 o'clock position and is ambidextrous. I tend to go up from safe to semi to auto using my thumb then back down again with my index finger first or second knuckle.

The metal shouldn't shrink THAT much. Plastics aren't unaffected by temperature variations either so it's worth seeing if your hop rubber needs attention before you start swapping out the hop itself.

You're right about the suitability of the SLR for close quarters work but ISTR that they also had access to the Stirling SMG at the time if need be. Also - worth remembering that sometimes a uniform is NOT for concealment but for a show of force. The British patrols in NI weren't always looking to be concealed they needed to be seen as a deterrent. We had plenty of undercover types in plain clothes for concealment when the situation required (the best way to blend in for an urban environment is just jeans and a jacket after all). Some US police forces have adopted ATACS LE for the same reason, not because it hides them in an urban environment (let's face it - anyone wearing a dark uniform, tac vest and ballistic helmet is going to stick out in a shopping mall) but to look imposing and be a show of force.

Our very own DEDSEC is selling a bunch: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/22776-x7-star-30-round-ak-magazines/

As you will have seen from the above threads there are very much two camps at play here. One says get the Combat Machine because it's cheap, reliable, easy to maintain and there's plenty of parts available to customise. The other says get anything but because M4s are the clitoris of airsoft (every c*%£'s got one). If you're looking for something different then there is a whole world of weaponry out there. Which in itself can be a bit of a challenge because some of the nicest looking guns or more "unusual" guns aren't always the best performers. Something to take into account is also what gear (as in load bearing equipment) you might need. There's a far wider choice of kit available to work with the more common gun designs (G36's, M4's, AK's etc) but there's also a lot of - shall we say "generic" designs like the LBT1961 or the SAAV that will take all manner of magazines and bits and bobs. All depends on whether you're the sort of person that just wants something practical for the job in hand or if you want to try and recreate a particular look or load out. Very often trying to achieve a particular look will drive out the choice of gun - Brit kits dictate the L85, US the M4 etc. The other thing to bear in mind is that while this is your first gun it's unlikely to be your last or indeed your only one. Airsoft is one of those hobbies that sucks your wallet dry at an alarming rate and if you get the bug then you need to expect to end up with a small armoury and more kit and gear than you could ever hope to use! For my money your first gun needs to be something reliable that won't put you off. It needs enough performance that YOU are the limiting factor not the gun. It needs to be a sufficiently ergonomic design such that you don't end up aching or chafed as a result of using it and it needs to have sufficient options for fitting the various bits of tactical frippery that nobody really needs but everyone wants. Finally it needs to have decent second hand value (both financially and in saleability) because let's face it - you might change your mind and decide that airsoft (be it the early Sunday mornings or the mongs that ruin your day or even the permanently empty wallet) just isn't for you after all. A lot of those points will most likely drive you down the route of the Combat Machine M4. There's a very good reason why so many people have them and indeed why they are our usual "go to" recommendation!

I think you should get the MEU version. They're like...a bajillion times cooler and will make women more attracted to you INSTANTLY. One like this: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/24456-tm-1911-meu-plus-mags-and-serpa/

^^^^^that sounds like this: It it's still under warranty I'd get it back to the retailer before going any further.

Have you tried firing it until it dry fires then taking the upper off to see exactly WHERE the BB is stuck?

Unfortunately there is no Warrior Assault Systems distributor in Australia. You could buy it from the US direct though https://www.chasetactical.com/warrior-assault-systems/db/18 http://www.warriorassaultsystems.com/ if the postage is better that way. Their kit IS top notch though.

Use the stock attachment strap for an M4 style stock tube, wrap it around the narrow end of the stock, bob's your uncle. Or of course, just put the sling through the gap in the stock.

Oh too true mate, too true! I've never quite understood why you would take a perfectly good pistol, useful for it's intended purpose and then make it LESS manoeuvrable and compact by putting it in a body kit thing. Maybe I'm getting old....

That. The grip button control thing is cool though and the whole thing is nicely executed but yeah....the light is just too blocky.

Next stop - Specsavers!

Someone needs their tools taking away.

Very inventive. Fugly...but inventive.

6.03mm is a tight bore anyway, any decent brand tbb will be fine.

Having been spectacularly dismissive of the MFG (Muzzle Flash Generator) and slightly bemused by the SMG Rattle, I was rather intrigued by the new Incentive Designs (henceforth ID - I really can't be arsed typing all that out) Tracer Mags. As a bit of a CQB freak I've been using a couple of tracers for a while (the B&T one and a QD Dytac one) both of which have been very effective but rather ungainly (especially the Dytac one stuck on my SCAR - makes it just that bit too long for running up stairs safely). I have an old G&P tracer mag that got used a few times but just wasn't all that bright. Having seen a review by a buddy of mine the new ID ones seem to use much brighter LEDs (technology has come a long way in a year or so) and having chatted with him they seem to be much better. So ID started selling Pmags modified with their new guts for £65 incl postage on ebay but 1) I don't like Pmags 2) they won't work in my AK and 3) I didn't want to pay that much for a tracer mag! I got in touch with Kev at ID and he offered to modify a couple of my own mags for £45 each including return postage so off went one G&G metal hi cap and a Cyma AK74 hi cap. They came back ina adecent amount of time and I finally had a chance to do a side by side comparison last night. The main difference in function is that the ID mags have a small slide switch on the side to turn the UV LED on and off meaning you can turn off the tracer function and still use the mag as a standard hi-cap. They use a micro LiPo battery and come with a small USB charger that lights up red while charging and blue when complete (not sure if it auto shuts off though). To the naked eye the ID mag LED is MUCH brighter - easily more than double the output of the G&P one. In use it certainly makes the tracer glow much brighter, not as bright as the silencer types but certainly more usable than the G&P. Granted the first few rounds will gradually fade in the hop unit so if you're a dedicated single shot sneaky ninja these are probably not for you (but then you probably won't be using hi-caps anyway). I've yet to properly skirmish the mags but I'll certainly report back with my findings (and hopefully some video if I can find someone with a decent camera that will pick up the tracer). TL;DR - yeah, they're pretty good!

Blimey....Combichrist. There's a blast from my murky past.

Might try that. I like Black Bush myself. Tried to visit the Bushmills Distillery while I was working over there but it was shut (on a Sunday - no shocker there I guess).

Jack is NOT a bourbon. Jack Daniels is a Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey. The process is slightly different than making bourbon as it includes an extra stage (the Lincoln County Process) which involves filtration through charcoal prior to ageing. Wild Turkey is indeed a bourbon (as are Jim Beam and the far superior - in my opinion at least - Makers Mark).

Sorry - do you mean Old No.7? The only No2 they do is from the Master Distiller series.

23:1 is more of a torque up ratio than a high speed ratio.

Sooooo many lengths! #confused

A standard knights armaments ris handguard for an m4 with delta ring and cap is actually 6.25" by the way. That's from knight's own website.