Oh btw if you're running the DE Noveske but getting that venting with TM MWS mags, that's the cause. They're clones, but actually slightly different. TM mags don't like up quite right and maintain a seal so they piss gas everywhere.
MP7s, at least the VFC and TM, don't tend to do that because they have an in-battery safety plus the right mags. You get different issues.
The funny thing about GBBRs is that the "M4 is the default gun" mindset means people experience the gassing out a lot more often, because they have no in-battery safety on Semi and so vent the moment anything jams the bolt carrier. Funny issue they inherit from the real thing.
I have not experienced the dreaded venting mags issue yet on my MP7, but a friend of mine that I play with often gets this alot and it almost put me off getting a GBB ngl.
GBB are more fun and a tad more realistic, but they are also a lot more work and alot more pain on my wallet lol (Plus MP7 mags are some heavy mfers lol)
Oh btw if you're running the DE Noveske but getting that venting with TM MWS mags, that's the cause. They're clones, but actually slightly different. TM mags don't like up quite right and maintain a seal so they piss gas everywhere.
MP7s, at least the VFC and TM, don't tend to do that because they have an in-battery safety plus the right mags. You get different issues.
The funny thing about GBBRs is that the "M4 is the default gun" mindset means people experience the gassing out a lot more often, because they have no in-battery safety on Semi and so vent the moment anything jams the bolt carrier. Funny issue they inherit from the real thing.
Did anyone make it over to Mayhem for their Airsoft weekend on the 1st/2nd? If so, how is it? Wanted to go but didn't work out for me with real life commitments.
Had a fantastic half day at Worthing Airsoft this weekend. Only played half the day because my boots were rubbing (I have a pair of nasty blisters now. Good thing the weather is nice and I largely wear sandals and flip flops at the moment...), but also because the top of my calf muscles started cramping on both legs.
So... why did this happen? Much faster-paced action from me, honestly. I've had cramps before while swimming and someone suggested magnesium supplements, and I think it's time I did so since I swim most days and airsoft most weekends. After last game day coming to the realisation that sniping just isn't fun at the site during the summer with how overgrown it gets, I went out with a 1.1J gun today. Not only that, but I didn't even take my mk12 MWS out which was what I planned on doing, as that was having issues, so I went with my backup gun instead; a 10.5" CQBR MWS in a very 2000s build with a co-witnessed Holy Warrior aimpoint clone. It's the one I posted in the gun picture thread that was very reminiscent of my first ever AEG build, and not only that but the sidearm I was using for today was my Bell 1911, which was my first airsoft handgun I got waaaaaaaaaay back from an airsoft shop in Almeria, so it was a very nostalgic day.
However, this meant that I had no MED to worry about, and didn't have to worry about shooting too much; no DMR trigger spam to keep under control, just 1J of GBBR fun. I ran the whole day on semi-auto anyway, because GBBRs and full-auto are just wasted ammo most of the time, and I played way way way more aggressively than usual. Had a leafy boonie, but otherwise no ghillie, and flat OD shirt, so no camo pattern on that and I still managed to go very undetected a whole lot.
First two games were a king of the hill style game on one of the bases, with sides swapping after the first game. First game I pushed so far up that I actually just... stopped and dug in because if I went much further I'd start being able to see and shoot at their spawn, and I haaaaaaaaaaaaaate spawncampers and will never be one. Second game I pushed up really far again and managed to dip down to the bottom of the site. However, by the time my long flank was done, the game had 10 seconds left. If we had 5 more minutes I would've taken out the entirety of a very confused yellow team, but alas it was not meant to be.
Third game took us to lunch, so this was the last game I played. Each team had gold bars that they had to take to the saloon to play a round of blackjack with a marshall. If you won, you got another gold bar. If you lost, you got shot and lost your gold bar. We had a younger lad constantly running back and forth playing blackjack while the rest of us held the area down, and we managed to do this for pretty much the entire game outside of the last 5 minutes. I flanked around and was going to push down the hill again, but there was a large section-strength group of them there, so I fell back into the ferns and basically played guerilla fighter, popping up occasionally to shoot a bunch of them in the side. I did eventually get taken out when a laaaaaaarge group of them pushed down that way, but then came back, went along the flank again, and picked a few more off from the side.
The standard of play today was actually really high. Both teams had some really strong players and it made for some fantastic airsoft. The games (at least the ones I played in) were also great and well run. The past two game days at Worthing have been really, really good, but I definitely think 1.1J is the way to go at this time of year.
I always carry mole skin tape with me or pre-apply it before a game; the stuff is a must-have lol. I had such horrible blisters once; I have a huge scar on the back of my heel from it. Now I don't risk it.
After a week of walking and bivvying on Dartmoor, a warm morning saw the Lad and I packing the car for a trip to Airsoft Plantation; the Lad had not played for many months, so was rather looking forward to it.
Around 120 players were present, which is a nice amount for AP, allowing plenty of room for sneaking as well as head on assaults.
Following the usual rituals, we set off for the first game, in which we were the defenders. Our task was to prevent the Red team getting a player into the driver's seat of the Jurassic Park jeep and closing the door; we could start anywhere in the village and had two lives, while the attackers, who started at the Border, had infinite regens on a marshal. The Lad and I initially set up on the right flank, but soon realised that the attackers' main effort would probably come down our left, so we moved over there instead. It was a long and very good fight as we were slowly forced back; I had some great battles in the scrubland on that side of the village and eventually had to go back to the safe zone having been hit twice. The Red team eventually achieved their objective.
After a short break to take on fluids, the game was reversed; a group of us ran into strong resistance from the huts around the dried up pond as we attacked down our right; at one point, I was slightly startled to see the Lad crawling towards the enemy on his belly. We eventually overran them and tried to push into the village; at this point I was hit for about the third time and, having regened, decided to go with a group who were attacking down the centre. We repeatedly got shot to pieces but, over time, we wore the defenders down and pushed further into the village, despite some determined defending. Eventually, the defence crumbled and one of our players made it into the driver's seat in a time that was slightly shorter than the Red team had managed.
Another break followed, for which the Lad did not appear; I went in search of him and found him scrabbling around in the dried up pond; the rear sight of his AKMS had been snagged by a bush and both sight and leaf spring had pinged off. He had found the leaf spring, but there was no sign of the sight itself.
Just after we returned to the safe zone, the next game was briefed, in which we would be attacking from our starting point at the DEA base; with infinite marshal regens we had to force our way to the Bedford in the mortar pits, in the back of which was an ammo box with two grenades, each of which contained information on where in the village they had to be delivered. The defenders had one life in the mortar pits and one in the village. Our attack on the mortar pits initially stalled in the face of dogged resistance, but the defenders were inevitably whittled down and we managed to secure the grenades. During this attack, I got a very satisfying hit on a chap on the top deck of the bus from a very acute angle. During the attack on the village, I decided to try to sneak around the far left flank and became engaged in some delightful firefights with defenders, slowly reducing their numbers and keeping them away from our targets between my trips to regen. Our first target, the casino, was taken, followed after a long delay by our second, the town hall.
Luncheon followed, during which some players left because of the heat and my friend Gary arrived to drop off his malfunctioning AK, which I had offered to overhaul. We also went back to have another look for the sight, to no avail.
After luncheon, the grenade game was turned around; the Lad's AK47/M thing immediately started behaving oddly; I gave him my VZ58 and ran it back to the chrono area to see if I could find a solution. Fortunately, it was simple; the motor height has slipped, so a quick readjustment solved the problem. We put up a strong defence of the mortar pits; I got a lot of hits from a position atop the bunker before eventually being taken out. Falling back to the village, I noticed the Lad moving into the rear woods and followed him. We lay in wait for any attackers attempting to flank the village; unfortunately, when they arrived they shot me, so my part in the game ended. However, it took them longer to complete the mission than it did us.
There was another shortish domination game (Whatever would the Vicar say?), which we decided to forgo as we were feeling a bit knackered and wanted to get home.
It was an excellent day of hard fought airsoft, played in a gentlemanly manner between two good teams. The Lad has to return to the urban wasteland that is Stoke on Trent tomorrow, so will not be playing for a while unless he manages to come down again.
I always carry mole skin tape with me or pre-apply it before a game; the stuff is a must-have lol. I had such horrible blisters once; I have a huge scar on the back of my heel from it. Now I don't risk it.
Yeah, one of my friends suggested it too. I'm definitely going to pick some up for the back of my feet because I just got out the shower and that was agony. Never again!
As so often seems to happen on a Sunday, this morning I found myself in deepest Essex at Airsoft Plantation. Despite it being peak holiday season, there were probably just over 100 players present, a good mixture of regulars, new visitors, rentals and a group returning after a long absence.
Having set up the latest addition to my collection, a very nice Double Eagle M923G DEX bought from @WildBoneZ, that has undergone a slight transformation, and had a plant burger for breakfast, it was time for the usual morning rituals, during which I found myself standing next to a chap riding an inflatable dinosaur; apparently, it was his birthday and he had lost a bet. At least, that was his excuse; I suspect that it is actually some previously unencountered perversion.
The first game of the day saw our Red team heading off to the mortar pits where, with two lives each, we had to try to prevent the Blue team grabbing flashing lights that were attached to five vehicles in that area and getting them back to their start point. They started in the village outskirts and had infinite regents at their start point. Possibly rather foolishly, three of us decided to set up in the fort, improving our position with some pieces of wood and an old whiteboard that were lying around. We soon spotted a large group of the enemy trying to sneak around to attack the mortar pits from the far side; we forced some of them to choose a longer route and sent several back to regen. Eventually, I was hit and ran the gauntlet of flying BBs back into the main part of the mortar pits, where I ended up near the bus. With our numbers dropping and the Blues closing in, it became something of a target rich environment and I got many pleasing hits until I was hit in my turn and went back to the safe zone.
After a short break, the game was reversed. A group of us went on a long flank march to attack the mortar pits from the far side while keeping well clear of the fort as it is on a hill and has an excellent field of fire. As we attacked, I was hit and trudged back to regen and then back into action via a more direct route. Moving forward, I found a flashing light and took it back to our start point; a couple of others were already there and we soon had the remaining two, giving us a good victory as we completed the task rather more quickly than the Blues.
During another break to reload, take on fluids and generally hang out, the teams were rebalanced and the next game was briefed. Starting at the border, we had to enter the village, capture five high value targets who were hiding in buildings and get them back to our start point. The defenders had two lives, while we had infinite regens on a marshal. I don't know why I always try to attack up the right flank on games that involve attacking the village from the border as it is essentially a shooting range for the defenders. However, this time, it seemed to go a little better than usual; the M923G reached out and hit enemies in the first hut and then in the more distant fishing shack as we pushed forward and eventually broke into the village, where we were shot to pieces! Having regened, we pushed forward again, this time with more support from our colleagues to our left. After a very tough fight, we broke into the village again and began to clear it, capturing the five HVTs and taking them back as sacrifices to our marshal.
Luncheon then followed, during which we all hung out again, took on even more fluids and I had another plant burger. The birthday boy was give a Colin the Caterpillar cake; I don't know whether he or the dinosaur ate it.
The HVT game was then reversed; I found myself on the right flank of the village, along with a largish group of highly exuberant rentals, who appeared to be having the time of their lives. Having got them almost organised, while it was still rather like fighting alongside the US army with all the whooping and hollering going on, we proceeded to halt every enemy group that came our way, while also providing fire support to our centre, who were under a lot of pressure as the blues seemed to have decided to attack straight down the middle, which didn't seem to be going brilliantly for them. Eventually, a wafty BB wandered my way and tapped me ever so politely on the shoulder before falling to the ground, where it lay exhausted after its long journey. I fell back and found a new position from where I could shoot across the village towards enemy players who were pushing into our left; this became rather lively and I got some very pleasing hits through windows and against people who were showing a little too much of themselves while in cover. Eventually, the game timed out without the Blues finding all the HVTs.
After the final break of the day, during which ice lollies were available, the final game was a three point domination. A member of our team was offered the choice of start points and chose badly, so we started at the Boat Shed; the domination point in the mortar pits was very accessible for us, but equally so for the Blues, while the other two were definitely easier for them. One variation from normal domination was that, having put up your colour at a domination point, you could not camp on it; you had to keep patrolling and attacking. This resulted in a very free flowing game with some surprise encounters, sudden changes of fortune and a pleasing degree of chaos, at the end of which we held one point and the Blues held two.
It was a very hot, humid and extremely good fun day of airsoft; despite the weather conditions, it was played in a good spirit with no real issues.
Darren once again persuaded me to buy raffle tickets for prizes that I do not really want, although a TM NGRS might be interesting to dismantle; he could sell pork pies in a synagogue.
Weapons Used:
JG SA58
Double Eagle M923G DEX (sort of)
Classic Army MC51
No pistol as it decided that cycling was not something that it wanted to do today. Where is my pistol guru when I need him? Oh yes, he is in Stoke, poor sod!
Finally made my way back down to Driver Wood this weekend, as I haven't been in a few months because of other commitments and other games (battlesims, filmsims, large events etc.) and it's my secondary site behind Worthing Airsoft, as I've got far more connection to that site having been my first site I started at around 21 years ago, and I prefer the general vibe. However, Driver Wood's actual site and facilities are superior and I'd be lying if I tried to say otherwise. Also, I finally bumped into @The_Lord_Poncho
Arrived *slightly* later than I wanted to, because I forgot my google maps was set to "avoid motorways" and so it avoided the like... couple of miles of M23 to route me through Crawley itself which delayed me a few minutes, but oh well. Got there with plenty of time to spare (and was reminded that a part of my soul dies every time I hear the AI "welcome to Driver Wood Activity Centre, please fill out a waiver form..." spiel over loudspeaker that plays when you arrive. It was incredibly useful that I arrived with plenty of time, however, because I had to fight with the chrono today. M40A5 was running at 0.7J for some reason, so I had to open the bolt big time. Speaking of, my gun choice was... very marine today. M40A5 for the rifle, and 1911 MEU for the sidearm, with lots of experimentation:
- 144a in cloudy but muggy 24c?
- Long Action Army mags now that they're upgraded?
- 1911 MEU first run out?
The 1911 MEU was flawless for the most part.. Was shooting so nicely with the TTI TDC hop unit, Stalker barrel and 4uantum rubber combination.
144a was... not the play though. I think green gas would've been far nicer, as the MEU was a little sluggish and wouldn't get through a full mag
But the long Action Army mags were... really crap. The mags themselves were super consistent, but they weren't consistent with each other and I was constantly having to adjust the hop as they shot at very different powers.
Anyway, first two games were the same but reversed. First game the green team had to get the scientist into the double decker bus, then second game the purple team (team I was on) had to do the same. I spent the entire first game in the top of the double decker bus just dropping shots on people at 90m+ and I got a surprising number of kills considering I was having to constantly re-adjust my hop; green team didn't get anywhere near so purple won the first one. Second game I swapped out to my short mags that are always flawless and ran them for the rest of the day. Didn't get too much done here myself, but did get a few nice shots through some narrow gaps at range. We got pretty close to the bus, but couldn't push the last bit so green won the second game.
After lunch we played a close-in game where there were a pair of flags (one green, one purple) and each team had to raise their colour. I went out on a flank to make sure nobody could push through that way and got a few kills there, but one group of theirs went all the way around the site the other way (a really really long distance). I managed to get one of them as they didn't spot me, and the rest of the team managed to take out the rest without them doing too much damage, which was fortunate because I think we controlled the flags for most of the game and won it.
Then the last game was a simple king of the hill near the centre of the site. I managed to sneak my way into one of the helicopters and posted some really nice shots downrange and into the double decker bus a few times when enemy players found their way in there, with nobody spotting me thanks to some shadows and the fact it was far brighter outside.
All in all it was a decent day. Hit calling in the morning was pretty good from what I could see, though the afternoon was... not so good; I think players got the standard 3 o'clock syndrome where they hadn't had enough water and so were dehydrated, tired, and couldn't be bothered. I also saw some of the worst blind fire I've seen in a long time, and it was from a guy who also wasn't calling his hits. I'm pretty sure there was a marshall in line of sight of him and they did nothing about the blind firing; the guy was literally holding his m4 out around the corner and spraying wildly.
I do think though that sniping in the summer isn't for me, even at Driver Wood; since I've been doing it a LOT, maybe there's just a bit of fatigue there. Also, I want to be more active as I am trying to lose weight and playing airsoft actively is one hell of a full body, all day workout. There are areas you can get good sight lines at Driver Wood (far more than Worthing...), but there are very few places where I couldn't get the same shots with a DMR, and I do oh so love my GBBRs, so I think DMR at Driver Wood, regular 1.1J at Worthing for now. Probably with the same rifles, just tweaking the NPAS between sites.
