MasterChief's new website address: MasterChief's have changed their web address to www.master-chiefs.co.uk so it's tiem to update those bookmarks folks.

Here's the latest from Liz at MasterChief's.

"...The new website is www.master-chiefs.co.uk and will be the official Master Chief's site. It is still under development but there is enough stuff already there to make it worth a visit..."

New issue of GunMart out! The July issue of GunMart is out on the shelves now, as usual our (the Airsoft community's) little space is packed full of decent articles. Thanks go out to Roger (of PracticalAirsoft) for sending in the scan. Here's what's in the latest issue.

• "Rebel, Rebel!", by Graham Allen, (on the Airsoft shop 'Rebel Troop', in Reading)
• Elite 85 custom L85A1 rifle, by Roger Stenning!
• Site review - Combat South, by Andy 'Hitman-AC' Coutanche
• Airsoft news - As usual, courtesy of Arnie's Airsoft
• Masses of advertisements for Airsoft suppliers, militaria, clothing, etcetera!

If you don't have your own copy it's time to pop down to WH Smiths to buy one!

AirsoftClan have the KSC Elite HardKick up for sale for 110 USD shipped to the US and 116USD shipped to the UK (there's a higher charge as UK shipping is more expensive).

We've been banging on (please excuse the poor pun) about the wonders of the KSC Elite for some months in the forums (well DolphinCommand has ^_^) and it's always good to see retailers having deals on decent pieces of kit.

TM G36... Right just before everyone goes bananas over this one, please read the article fully and understand what it says. ^_^ Given the hype over a possible production G36 from Tokyo Marui I've resigned to not mentioning anything about the matter unless it's fairly official or from a 'reliable' source. The following news dropped in my inbox today.

Many thanks go out to SpaceCowboy for doing all the digging, Jack Traven (of ESwat) for dropping the email my way, and Sangwon Park (aka AMX-014) for the scans and translation.

Space Cowboy found the news several days ago, thanks to a friend of his who was at the Shizuoka show. As Stinger mentioned in his RisingSunRecon report (he couldn't get to the show sadly) that in his experience "..TM always has some other little things tucked away on the corers of their displays that are equally, if not more, interesting than the showcase releases and announcements.", well as usual he's not wrong.

In short, TM presented some pictures relating to their in-development G36. This info didn't seem to be referred to anywhere else, until some days ago when it was mentioned by the Korean military magazine "Platoon". Sangwon Park (aka AMX-014), from the ASZ forums, was nice enough to scan the pics, as well as to translate the article and allow us to put it up here. Here's that translation:

Trapper Industries full metal Airsoft RPK: James Stewart of Trapper Industries has been kind enough to let us know about their latest product, an Airsoft RPK. Here's the latest from them:

"...This is the first legal all steel Airsoft weapon that uses many of the original factory RPK/AK parts. As we are tied in with the Russian factory we have been able to have the parts produced for us as non gun items. The internals are custom Marui with the rest either custom made or mostly real RPK items.

Also a little known fact: we can custom make any length 6.05 brass barrel to order and as far as we know we are the only barrel makers in the UK.

Our full steel RPK is made from standard Marui AK internals with the addition of a longer tightbore barrel, side rail for sniper sight, bipod, long cleaning rod, and wooden stock and front hand guards. The internal assembly is fitted into a genuine specially made (legal) RPK receiver and barrel group. The finished weapon uses a large quantity of genuine parts and is the correct size and weight for this weapon.

The whole weapon looks and feels just like its live firing brother and is one step up from the usual plastic AEG’s. At the time of building we can upgrade any of the internals as required. The custom made 9.6v 1.4Ah battery fits neatly inside the clubfoot stock."

Price is set to 750 UKP + postage (the scope shown isn't included). You can contact Trapper Industries on 01293 515141 or 07785 764705 (mobile) or you can email them at trapper_industries@hotmail.com.

Extreme Procurement stock updates: Simon over at ExtremeProcurement has sent in a spreadsheet listing all their currently available BlackHawk stock. If your after some of those new SOLAG gloves that we mentioned reviewed earlier last month then you could be in luck!

"..Due to the Queen's Jubilee public holiday items will not be shipped until Wednesday if ordered before. As there is little stock and demand is still far outstripping supply it is advised to email us to check before placing order in case stock already sold."

New website starting: An email dropped into my inbox recently concerning a new website that's soon to launch by Carl Owens. Here's the latest from him:

"...Announcing the launch of a brand new website dedicated to Airsoft. www.airsoftonline.co.uk At present there isn't anything on the site, which is why I am writing to you. I am currently looking for your story's, pictures, reviews and general comments about airsoft. This site will be dedicated to Airsoft alone and will be run by members of the Airsoft community. If you have a website, then please send me your address and I will place a link for you. Many thanks go out to Animal of Master Chiefs for helping me get started and passing on this e-mail. Should you have any enquiries, then please send your questions to H-Q@AirsoftOnline.co.uk you may also use this address to submit your tales and photos, ALL relevant material will be used.

I will have the main shell of the site up by the end of next week and the site itself will be fully operational within the next month. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all, and thank you for your time.
Please pass this e-mail on to your friends - HOORAH..."

If you think you can help do drop them an email via the above address.

AmericasArmy: It's not strictly Airsoft, but as it's rather intriguing, and I know that more than a few of you out there will be interested here it is. America's Army is the 'official U.S. army game'. Designed, and used by the US military (apparently), the new game is available for free. Currently US citizens can preorder their own copy (for free), sadly us bods over here in the UK will have to wait until the summer for the 'high-bandwidth' downloadable copy to come online. You can find a bunch of screenshots for the game online here.

Why is it free you ask? Is Big Brother watching you? Is it some mass recruitment drive? Is it a maniac scheme to weed out all the elite FPS gamers and turn them into raving gun toting loonies? Well to be honest I don't know.. All I do know is it's free - and apparently rather good. ^_^ Thanks go out to Jonathon Hill for letting me know about this one.

"...The America’s Army game blends two vivid simulations: Soldiers, a role-playing portion in which players navigate life’s challenges to achieve goals, and a first-person action game, called Operations.

Developed by the U.S. Army and a world-class team of Department of Defence experts in simulations and virtual environments, America's Army will be available in August. The Army will distribute America’s Army for *free* in response to requests at America's Army and GoArmy.com, through distribution partners that include leading computer game magazines, at Army events, at recruiting stations, and through internet download..."

Metal/Wood AK article: AirsoftPlayers has a lovely article up (written by Mr. Whoa) about fitting the DTP metal receiver and Guarder wood stock set to the TM AK47 (thanks go out to Erik for reminding me to put it up).

As usual the replacement parts, specifically the metal part aren't that simple to fit, and require the use of a dremel, several cans of beer, and a lot of effort.

"...The conversion started with a very common theme. ALL HOLES MUST BE BIGGER! Of course this meant taking very minor cuts/grinds/hogg'z and then trying to refit a piece, it wouldn't fit, try again. This process went on for hours. Eventually after every ill fitting wood and metal part was beaten into submission the pile of parts started to resemble a gun again, and the realism of the conversion began to immerge. The Guarder wood kit's finish is simply amazing and REALLY adds to the look and the feel of the gun. When I first received the gun everyone that saw it commented on how good the wood looked… Silly kids! The stock plastic kit really is quite convincing….Until you see the wood kit..."

Latest AirsoftSurgeon custom work: ClarenceLai has very kindly dropped me an email to tell us about his latest work of Airsoft art the Boland 2002 HiCap. As usual it's a real work of craftsmanship, and one that any collector or dedicated IPSC'r would love to own.

The pistol is completely custom, with specially reinforced and tuned internal parts, a custom grip and a whole host of gorgeous external parts. Here's the brief from Clarence's website:

"...Jim Boland was legendary gunsmith in 80's. His custom works marked on "lots of welds and drills" for ultra light weight and advance in design. He always had an optic sight associated with the front and rear sight in the same piece of pistol, in which standard sights would serve a back-up in case of scope optic out of order. Boland 2002 Hi-cap is built by the hands of Clarence Lai on the philosophy of Jim Boland as well as blending with AirsoftSurgeon™ innovative idea..."

WA SVI Championship news and specs: Matt (aka MobiusStrip) has kindly scanned in and translated the specifications and details for the new SVI Championship from WA. Here's the latest from our lovable guru:

"On the WA page: http://www.wa-gunnet.co.jp/cool/wa-ifd01.html it talks of 15 or so important factors to this gun, some of these features have been seen before on other WA guns: Here's the blurb *some based on educated guesswork* :

1 10 Hole Compensator
2 Scope mount base with 20mm Weaver rail
3 Non HOP Long inner barrel
4 ABS (Lightweight) slide for faster cyclic rate and less recoil
5 Shorter Progressive Rate Mainspring for easy/fast action on compression (as the hammer is cocked by the slide) according to WA "striking force is increased!!" (To compensate for the shorter spring the 'Mainspring housing pin retainer' is much larger than normal)
6 Leaf/Sear Spring -adjusted for lighter trigger pull
7 High Speed mainspring cap - possibly machined ally, rather than the cast (heavier) normal type
8 Lightweight Hammer strut for faster Lock Time *
9 'Irregular pitch' recoil spring - for faster/easier initial compression just like the Systema (etc) ones for your AEG!! Possibly stronger overall rate.
10 Custom Grip - a small under cut below the trigger guard and the removal of some material on the edges of the front strap - enables a slightly higher hold and the grip feels smaller
11 High speed Buffer - The insertion of an additional short stocky spring over the guide rod, restricts the travel thus during the blowback action of the slide; its travel is just far back enough to load the next BB from the mag for faster slide cycle time. The slide will not lock back far enough to use the slide stop with this in place. However it is removable.
12 Bigger mag well fitted for faster mag changes
13 Interchangeable length trigger blades for different size hands
14 SV Hammer
15 SV Beavertail etc.....

*5,7 and 8 descriptions - I will try and clear it up by giving the general function/differences of the Mainspring System is that it now has a shorter Progressive Mainspring, enlarged Mainspring housing pin retainer to compensate, a lighter hammer strut and a lightweight Mainspring Cap - for faster "Lock Time" and (the time it takes for valve to be struck once the trigger is pulled), and faster "Cyclic rate". N.B. This is my assumption based on real steel principals and what I can translate and see."

Issue 1 FPS out! Thanks go out to Mike Pentrack of PDMC Airsoft for letting me know that the first issue of FPS is out (June 2002). You can download the issue here (or click the image to the left) it's 3.8 Mb in size, and you'll need Acrobat Reader to view it. In this issue you'll find:

• Comparison between the real SIG Pro 2340 and the KSC Airsoft replica
• Is that orange on your barrel (or are you just pleased to see me)? - An explanation of the legal and moral obligation that US residents undertake when owning toy guns
• Interview with Norberto F. Reyes III, president DropZoneProductions the brains behind Operation: Iron Angel
• Details of Operation: Inclement Weather
• Q Project M134 release news and information
• Viewers articles
• Workshop - M4 SIR, want to build your own M4 SIR? This may be the article for you.
• 'The tactical edge'
• US team interview

Here's the latest from Mike:

"...After many hours in the grinder and countless Tylenols, we have issue #1 of FPS ready for your reading enjoyment.

We're new at this and hope to improve with each issue. Your feedback, suggestions and contributions are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Our goal at FPS is to become the premier source for US Airsoft news & events coverage. With the help of the airsoft community, we'll get bigger & better as we go.

I want to thank everyone that contributed to this issue in one way or another. Producing this was no small task and this issue wouldn't have happened without the outstanding support we've already received from members of the US Airsoft community.

We will also be printing 250 copies of Issue #1 in full color. This issue can be ordered through FPS at a cost of $17.95 (which basically is what it costs FPS to print each copy.) Email fps@pmdiamond.com for information. Hopefully, if FPS is a success, these copies will fetch a pretty penny on eBay in a few years!"

MadAboutAirsoft updates: MadAboutAirsoft have kindly dropped their latest updates our way. Here's the latest from the guys there:

"...madaboutairsoft have revamped their website for June and are currently offering the following deals:

• P90TR AEG, Battery & 2 Hi-cap mags for just £290.00 (including delivery)
• Western Arms Beretta 92FS Centurion Pistols - Pistol & 2 Mags for only £195.00 (including delivery)
• MultiCom Pro Radios - Professional radios with throat mics from just £155.00 (including delivery)
• 10xExcel 02.g Ammo - Delivered to your door for £94.50!

New pistol releases: There are several bits and bobs that are termed as 'on the way out' or just released. Here's the latest from the other side of the globe (info from Tokyo Model Co.):

Tanaka fixed slide (NBB) Glock 17 - 9800yen, length is 200mm, weight 776g, and it comes with a mag capacity of 25 rounds. This pistol comes with a rather funky silencer that has a barrel extension in it (much like the KSC addon for the M93r). As with all NBB pistols it's billed to be a powerful little pistol, and should be a winner if the little bugger can hold its gas. The Tanaka Glocks have always been highly rated for their build quality, and rather panned for their gas systems, here's hoping that they've got it right this time round.

WA SV Infinity Championship .45 - Price: 25000 Yen, length is 280mm and weight is 1045g. The pistol comes with the standard SV hicap 30 round mag. Advertised by WA as their own production tuned IPSC replica, the replica comes with an extended muzzle, and a silver scope mount. The internals are apparently fairly tuned and beefed up, although details are somewhat sketchy at the moment.

Maruzen PPK/S - Price is12800 Yen, length is 158mm, weight is 380g and is has a mag capacity of "22+1rd".

KSC STI 4.3 - Price is set to around 18800 Yen. Weight is 860g and it comes with a 26 round mag. The STI series from KSC are by all accounts quite good, but are sadly overshadowed by the WA .45 series. (source KSC)

KSC SP2340 Trial Custom - KSC seem to have a bit of a thing for the SIG series at the moment (that's not a bad thing though ^_^), and are launching the race version of their GBB SIG. Hopefully KSC will add some SIG accessories to this release such as SIG compatible mountings for those rails on the underside of the frame which are notoriously rare, and hence very expensive. (source KSC)

More news from Q: There have been conflicting bits of news floating around about The Q Project's latest products. Jerry has been kind enough to send in an official statement to clear up any questions. Here's the latest from them:

"...This is Jerry Avalos of Tek Arms giving you the official statement concerning the two new products we are making:

Recently, there have been many conflicting reports on the latest projects announced by The Q Project on Arnie’s Airsoft as well as by an employee from Monster’s in Motion, USA. Forums threads, even on reputable sites, can contain errors that are confusing or just plain untrue. The companies and people involved wish to set the record straight, namely The Q Project, Steel Hawk, and Tek Arms (not a subsidiary of Monster’s in Motion).

Designs: The Vulcan M134 is an exclusive development of The Q Project and Piper Precision Products. The final specs on the gun will be released via press release shortly. This custom-engineered gun will outperform any other Airsoft gun of its type. It is truly in a class by itself. Other guns may look like it, but there is truly no other gun with this level of precision and quality of materials that has been engineered. It is available only at www.theqproject.com.

The PDW (MP7) was originally initiated by The Q Project. As a design partner in this gun, the services of a newly forming company were sought. Tek Arms will participate in the design and manufacture of the gun. This new partnership blends the best of engineering and craftsmanship. The PDW will be exclusively sold by www.theqproject.com.

The G36C is also a joint project from The Q Project adding the design talents of the Tek Arms craftsmen. The stock version of this AEG, with selected cosmetic accessories will be available exclusively at www.theqproject.com and www.steelhawkairsoft.com. Performance upgrades for this product will be handled exclusively by The Q Project. Steelhawkairsoft.com is a site that will serve as a source for certain selections of exclusive offerings from The Q Project as well as a major source for Tek Arms products in the future.

In order to give our new customers confidence in the quality of the products we need to clear the air.

1 - The M134 6mm Airsoft Cannon is a custom-engineered product that is original in all of its internal design while remaining true to the look and feel of the real steel version. The strengths and quality of the materials in this gun are vastly superior to anything used in any other airsoft product.

2 - The PDW is made of a polymer resin that will exceed the tensile strength of ABS plastic commonly used in airsoft guns. The design of this GBB weapon precludes it from kit or conversion quality. Certain mechanical elements are used from the KSC M11A1 blowback system since these parts have demonstrated their durability over the years. There are other M11s on the market, but none of them are as good (or as expensive) as the KSC version.

3 - The G36C is also made of the same resilient polymer material. To improve durability, the gearbox and lower of a Tokyo Marui MP5K are used. However, the design of the gun precludes the "kit or conversion" quality as well. Kits are inherently weaker than unitized designs. Therefore, to provide the very best to our customers, we have used this process over the "kit or conversion" process.

Additional information will be available in joint press releases and postings on selected sites. Specific questions on the guns can be sent to info@theqproject.com and sales@steelhawkairsoft.com. Thank you..."

Q Project unveil the M134: As promised The Q Project have released the news and specs of their M134 6mm Airsoft Cannon / Minigun replica. All you Jesse Ventura wanabe's really do need to read this article. Here's a brief piece from the full article:

"...Piper and Ma were jointly concerned about the effective use of this gun in airsoft combat simulations. With the field knowledge and experience from some of the most successful stateside events held on the West Coast, they focused on making the following design improvements over all other predecessors:

• Integration of 1:1 scale housing unit with gas in-line feed
• Use of space age machine materials (trade-secret) patented for use on the M134 toy gun
• Integrated battery and rotary hopper system with unique collapsible bolt system which allows the gun to continue to function in the event of an imperfect BB being fed.
• Aesthetic design to retain as nearly 99% of M134 original design including U-frame support
• 6.04mm tight inner barrels for superb accuracy via the Ultimate .25g High Precision BBs
• Electronics activated system to reduce spent gas for functioning bolt firing mechanism
• Relative operational power in ratio to airsoft guns worldwide to truly achieve support weapon status, i.e. In terms of RPM/ ROF, FPS/ Competitive Kill distance, and options in higher power for avid collectors to purchase for private "plinking" use
• Extreme efficiency in internal design for durability and less maintenance in the lifespan of the gun
• Firsthand applications in R&D for the airsoft player in mind to create the ultimate in all airsoft guns to date..."

Sadly pricing is unknown at this time (although it should be cheaper than the Japanese replicas). Optional accessories include a feed chute , back pack of 3x 20oz. bottles, high capacity ammo box system, laser sight, shoulder strap, chewing tobacco and a large floppy brimed boomer hat (no really). ^_^

If you want to see the first 'production model' (of the Airsoft variety) in action check out Paul Piper's homepage, that includes 4 videos of the replica firing! If you've ever wanted to write your name in a cardboard box at a range of 20 feet your wish has been answered.

WA Magna vol 1: Ben over in HK very kindly sent in a complete scan of the new WesternArms (WA) magazine Magna, which can be found in the box with the new ParaOrdnance 14.45 replicas.

In this edition you'll find news of the WA Beretta Elite 1A that's on it's way out, an advert for the new M93r that's due out 'sometime soon', and an article covering the complete history of 'Magna Blowback' including some rather nice cutaway diagrams of the internal mechanisms.

All in all there's plenty to look at, hopefully we can get an English translation up of some the more interesting material in the magazine.

Please note: We contacted WA directly to receive direct approval to place these materials online, but we've waited over a week and had no reply. All material is Copyright 2002 WesternArms.