Sniper Pistols

[Ryaw]

I just wanted to say thank you to all the folks who have contributed to this awesome thread. It's taken me a few hours over a few days to read through all of the posts, but I'm finally up-to-date.

 

I was attracted by the discussions about the TM MK23 SOCOM pistol, of which I joined the owner's club a few months back. I can't believe it took me 4 years of airsofting to discover how brilliant this gun really is. I've never had so much fun with any other airsoft gun. I love how stealthy, manoeuvrable, far-reaching and accurate it is.

 

I run it as my primary weapon at my woodland site and get the usual "where's your AEG?" questions each game. I love nothing more than quietly flanking the enemy, shooting from range (I'm getting 50-60m fairly accurately using 0.3g BB's) and them not knowing who shot them, until I wave the pistol at them.

 

The pistol is totally standard apart from a MK23 PDI 6.01mm TBB and I get around 315-320FPS at room temperature with Abbey, Green or Brut Sniper gasses (not much difference power wise). I tried Nineball and REAPS buckings, but the standard TM was superior (range & accuracy) to both in my testing. I recommend the PDI barrel.

 

I love the pistol so much, that I currently run 8 mags for it, kept on my chest rig with a small tin of gas and a 400 round speedloader. Not very lightweight these days, but still very manoeuvrable and fun. I use a hip-holster to allow the silencer to remain attached, without the LAM unit.

 

I may have to camo the pistol, as a fellow marshal told me last game day, that he saw the end of the shiny silencer poking out from behind cover, giving away my position.

 

As far as accuracy goes, 40-50m is good, walking shots on to target, with "iron" sights.......I just need to stop snatching the trigger on follow-up shots.

 

I also recently bought a TM P226 E2 for my secondary weapon, or if I want to go loud. I have 4 mags for it, but it doesn't like the cold and vents gas. So I'll keep it for warmer months. It also has a PDI 6.01mm TBB fitted.

 

I look forward to the thread continuing to grow........I may even submit 'war stories', albeit probably not as good as Dagonet's!

 

Ryan

[Dagonet]

Ryan !

This thread needs more like you,  feel free to spill tales of daring do and glory while outnumbered by box magged AEG players.(with any pistol)

 

If you don't fancy painting the MK23....... i ended up with an old DPM jacket pocket,  wrapped and held on with elastic bands around the silencer,  that will make a good effect on being more hidden.  Nice of fellow player to point that out to you.  Mines a few years old and also has the shiny finish silencer.

 

I only have 3 mags for mine,  but 6 for the Glocks,  that gets a bit weighty when i carry the lot

 

Mines still stock,  did run a purple nineball rubber,  but swapped back to stock TM,  i had to tweek the hop arm slightly to get it to lift the .30s and cure the curve to the right around 45m range.

 

Have you got the new import version ?  i belive the trade marks have been dropped to conform with UK/Euro zone retail trademark laws.

 

Also,  i suffer from second shot trigger snatch (high right flyers).  Not much you can do with the trigger,  it does improve slightly in feel,  some high grade grease in the linkages will bring a slight improvement in feel as well.  You could add a trigger shoe or tweek it with a file (be careful doing that)  that to can bring some added comfort and ease of use on the finger.

 

Always funny to watch the players shrug on impact,  look about,  think,  naaa must have been a random stray bb,  then whack em again, then wave the pistol at them.

 

Welcome to the Long range pistol club                   (photos are always welcome)

[Ryaw]

Thanks for the warm welcome Dagonet!

 

I got mine from Wolf Armouries around 6 months ago, as it was the only place in the UK that had them in stock. From looking at the pictures of yours, the only difference is that the HK trades on mine are not painted red and white like yours. They're just plain unpainted black. The silencer is the same black shiny one. Thanks for the tip about the cheap camo option. I was thinking about using sniper-tape on mine.

 

I ordered my original spare mags and PDI TBB from EHobbyAsia and they all had the HK stamps on them. Fire-Support recently got around 60 MK23 mags in stock, but stated that they no longer had the HK trades on them. I bought another 3 mags from FS last week, to bring my total up to 8 mags, but found that they're identical to the EHobby ones and still have all the HK stamps on them. I'm wondering if FS are just saying that to put off anybody looking to pull them up for trade copyrights?

 

I've had a bit of a hard-on for pistols in recent months, but never really get the chance to play CQB with them, so it's all woodland, with a few wooden structures to fight over.

If I could, I'd also own TM's 5-7, G17 and 1911 (Nightwarrior or MEU) pistols, but just can't justify the cost involved. I also really fancy a TM MP7 GBB.

 

I wear a Russian Gorka suit in Partizan Summer camo, which works quite well in woodland, along with a OD mesh full face mask, so when I'm stalking about it keeps me nice and camo'd with the green background. The mask also gives me the confidence to rush into buildings without fear of losing a tooth or eye at close range. It's a real game-changer.

 

I've had some really good times with the MK23, including a duel with a friend of mine who was running a 500FPS HPA-powered L96, against my pistol. We duelled for a good few minutes, both narrowly missing each other. He was was behind cover in a darkened wood and I was elevated on a tower platform with my top half exposed. He had a friend with an AEG trying to flank me, but I scored a gun-hit on the AEg and knocked it out of play, so his friend had to revert to his GBB pistol. I managed to get them both in the end. The sniper now wants to get a MK23 for himself! We still speak fondly of how good a fire-fight that was.

 

Other highlights were lying low inside an enemy base with an enemy player trying to be sneaky and outflank our attackers (who also had no idea how far forward I'd crawled and been waiting for 15-20 mins for the right moment). He snuck up within 2 metres of me before I double-tapped him in the chest. He got such a fright as he never heard the shots as they hit him and had no idea how close he came to standing on top of me. His death gave my position away though and on trying to move forward I was shot.

Another fond memory was defending a base at the bottom of a hill, from a 3-sided attack. I moved forward, to the back-edge of the woods where a 5 metre wide corridor of tall grass meets the fence boundary. I was well in front of my team-mates and just sat alone, waiting on the enemy players being sneaky and trying to come in our back door. I didn't have to wait too long. Again, my camo and face mask helped me blend in nicely in the dark treeline. An enemy belly crawled through a bush about 5 metres in front of me, not knowing I was silently sitting there. So much to his surprise, I double-tapped him.............not realising that another enemy (one who is well-known for being super-sneaky and being well-up for belly-crawling for miles through knee-deep poo if he had to) had crawled past me, dual-wielding pistols. I heard the faintest sound of movement and spun around to see him less than 5 metres behind me, drawing his pistol and taking aim at an unsuspecting friendly player who had his back exposed. I was a bit slow to react, as I was admiring how sneakily and how close he'd gotten to me, so he managed to get a shot off first......only for his GBB 1911 to jam! I then double-tapped him. He'd hadn't heard me shoot the first enemy, otherwise I'd have been his first target with a shot in the back, so the MK23 saved my bacon on that occassion.

 

I find pistol play difficult, but very rewarding. It's far easier when defending, as I find myself an nice place to sit and wait, before popping up. I don't mind dying in-game, as long as I can get a few sweet kills in first. Big smiles, from ear to ear and the admiration of fellow players goes a long way to making a good game-day a great one!

 

I'm planning NEVER to sell my MK23! I have considered buying a 2nd one, fitting a G-Spec barrel and having the choice of which to use, but carrying 2 of them around, might be impractical and hinder movement.

[Dagonet]

  i was being a tart and painted my trade marks,  been lead to belive that current re-stocks of Mk23 and mags will be non-trade marked,  however shops will still have old stock floating about so i reckon shops will say no,  some people may get a mix of marked and plain equipment.

 

Got a stock JG G-spec brass inner to play with as a winter barrel,  still needs trimming down but should allow summer level fps when it's subzero

 

Only a gentle mod to the outer barrel to allow the G-spec to pass through.

 

Before you know it you will be trying to make a shoulder stock as well.

[T3CH]

I believe I've found the Holy Grail of MK23 holsters

 

http://www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?products_id=9681

 

 

 

BUT, there's always a but isn't there, the MOLLE adapter is out of stock everywhere does anyone know if this will fit on a BlackHawk strike plate (or a CLONE)?

[Hatchet]

I did have a look at that, but Airsoft GI apparently don't ship outside the US. More importantly, I'm not convinced you'd be able to holster it with the suppressor attached, since it's wider than the frame of the gun. The joys of kydex...

[T3CH]

I don't use the suppressor anyway so thats not an issue, them not shipping outside the US is. Dammit.

[Dagonet]

Had some pistols in for a service (photo in Walther picture thread)

 

Had to compare size against my MK23

 

Only been able to test to 10meters,  but quite impressed by the Maruzen NBB P99,  stripped and cleaned and back with it's owner now   

Much smaller and lighter than the MK23,  quirky hop unit and not as quite or far reaching (from what i can gather) as a MK23,  but then it's smaller.

Very nice, very pointable,  trigger pull is much lighter and as quirky to use but easy to get used to as a MK23 is.

Double action pull only,  was chugging along around 310fps at room temp.

 

Was nice to have a go with one,  bit more elegant than MK23's.

[Dagonet]

Played in the snow today,  weather MK23s are made for.

 

One mag had been left empty and refused to take gas,  base seal had contracted with the cold,  got a frost burn as it vented out the base where i was holding it.

 

Got lucky, back at home, empty mag,  put it on a heater for 5 mins to warm through and heat up the seals,  jab of gas, leak slowly stopped, another jab of gas and warm seals have reset and holding,  didn't have to do a fullstrip down and drill out the blind pin.

 

Still kept the 2 working mags in pockets when not in use,  dropped from .30 to some stealth black .25 as hop will not be as good and pressure will be down.

 

Range was down to the 30-40meter area,  and i had as much trouble tracking black BBs as the targets had seeing them coming,  while not super accurate i was able to push players back or into cover.  Several pistols on show and being carried,  but only saw a WE Gen4 G18c running TM 50rd mags in actual play,  the big mags helped a lot there.

 

Got some nice sneaky shots in

[farrasdevell]

I ran my KJ Ruger mk1 in the snow this weekend. Didn't skip a beat all day!

Not a true sniper pistol more of a backup but for sneaking up on people or tabbing them when they have no idea where the fire is coming from it is Amazaballs. It has an effective range of 30-45mt but can lob further if i'm just harassing and not too worried about being effective.

80mm inner barrel you say... my yes. shoots about 335fps w.2g on propane, I use .8g or .3g depending on what is available.

I with there were better Hop options for this pistol though.

[Bobby Lemain]

Still waiting on a suppressor, will need to bore out the barrel cap to cover the exposed adapter end, and I need to figure out how to cut the slot for the barrel C-clip, but its coming along!

[gisburn20]

 

Thanks for the inspiration Farrasdevell.

 

I had the day off work, so I thought I'd  try out your assassin mod

 

Might have to see about some slim wooden grips as the Hogues are a bit big to holster (nice and comfy though!)

 

Trimmed the hammer spring and took about 15mm off the inner barrel, hammer buffer to come next.

 

Has anyone got a spare "stick on" front sight from a VSR?  I might have to put one on the silencer for accuracy sake!

 

Jim

[Senor Bear]

Just a note on the Maruzen P99 NBB vs Marui MK23 NBB.

IMO the MK23 is better.

For why? In my experience it is quieter, the mags don't randomly stick open, better hop, more common (therefore parts easier to get hold of), more accurate and doesn't run insane FPS on propane (my P99 used to do 380 in summer on .2s).

 

I still own both and only really use the P99 for kicks (mags too unreliable, already had to ditch one).

[farrasdevell]

Gisburn, I took the front sight off mine it kept getting snagged in my holster. Instead I put a small white line on my silencer and aim low. Mostly this is used for close work where I shoot on instinct but I find the loft of rear to bore sighting works for me.

I was thinking about getting some houge grips as I have very long fingers.

[gisburn20]

Farras

 

I used to have a white line (5mm wide insulating tape) down the tracer unit on my MK23 for night pistol games (Urban Assault- ahh those were the days!)

 

So I should have though of it for this!

 

The Hogues took a few minute work to fit but nothing drastic just a light dremeling, they are comfy with a large thumbrest,

 

but this makes them bulky to holster , almost doubling the width of the pistol.

 

If I can find the originals I might trace them onto some wood and make some simple wood grips,

[farrasdevell]

I have a spare set of originals if you cant find yours.

[renegadecow]

 

I with there were better Hop options for this pistol though.

There kind of is, but not exactly. It uses a patch of rubber for the hop, much like on Marushin and Tanaka revolvers. While none are really made for them specifically, you can modify an existing AEG hop rubber of your choosing to fit in it. Basically you just cut out the hop nub of the AEG bucking into a square patch the same size of the original hop rubber. If you need to gain on thickness (like on Marushins, they're built thicker) you can just cut a similarly sized square on the smooth sides of the AEG bucking and use it to double the thickness of the one with the nub.

[gisburn20]

RC, The underside of my KJW hop rubber has a concave patch moulded into it a bit like an R Hop (?)

 

Seems to work pretty well as it will overhop 0.4's , just not easy to set without an alan key!

 

Do you fancy making me some of your beautiful wood grips? 

 

Jim

[gisburn20]

 he saw the end of the shiny silencer poking out from behind cover

 

how about this?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jack-Pyke-Neoprene-Moderator-Silencer-Cover-Rifle-AirGun-Shooting-Colour-Options-/130798013636?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Hunting_ShootingSports_ET&var=&hash=item1e742b4cc4

 

 

 

I have a spare set of originals if you cant find yours.

 

@Farras  if you fancy selling your original grips mate drop me a PM, I cant find mine!

 

I settled on gluing a TM G17 front sight onto the silencer for now,

 

However I also realised that the top rail and hop dial from a KJW 10/22 might be able to be modded on giving a rail for an RDS and better hop adjust on the run...

 

Inspiration from some of the holsters I have seen for scoped MKII/MKIII

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ruger-MK-III-Scoped-Holster/dp/B004Z01PVO/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_1/185-5698624-0963941

 

Jim

[renegadecow]

The KJW Mk1 is a clone of Marushin and practically all their hop patches are built like that, similar to Tanaka. It's the other way around: the R hop was patterned after them to be applied on AEGs. Don't have a Mk1 at hand anymore so I'm afraid I can't make grips for you.

[Bobby Lemain]

Its suppressed! Its suppressed! Its finally suppressed!

[T3CH]

I always meant to ask. What IS that?

[Senor Bear]

Digicon Straight Custom.

[farrasdevell]

rockinghorsepoop is what it is my friend. a very hard to source pistol.

[Ryaw]

I played a midweek indoor CQB night game 2 Tuesdays ago. The lighting varied from none, to low-level around the game zone. There were only 10 players per side. I was running my MK23 SOCOM with 8 mags and had my TM Sig P226 E2 as my secondary, with 4 mags. Suffice to say it was very cold and the Sig wasn't performing at its peak. But up close, I managed to get a few kills with it, christening it in the process.

 

The MK23 was however performing flawlessly. I noted that there were at least 3 other players running MK23's that night, however all had them holstered as secondarys, which seemed pointless to me, given their awkward size with the silencer attached. I was running .30g BB's and Abbey Brut Sniper gas and went through approx 6 mags in each 30 minute game. The included LAM unit was pathetic compared to proper weaponlights on site, but did allow me to see some dark rooms a bit clearer. I'm glad I fitted it.

 

I think it was just me and my mate running pistols-only and I had amazing fun running the MK23 up against AEG's. In the closer quarters it was perfect, accurate and got me plenty of silent kills, holding its own against the AEG's. However, on the open straights at longer ranges the AEG's got on target quicker. In the very confined corners, I had to use my Sig, as the MK23 was too long and the silencer would have given away my hiding spot.

 

Given the noise of the AEG's, I found that the enemy players would look at me and hesitate to duck/move when we were engaging each other. I think the lack of *BANG* from the MK23 somehow made them assume that I wasn't actually shooting at them, so they kept their heads up longer. This worked in my favour, allowing me to shoot them. I've also seen the opposite in the past, where a misfeeding, but still shooting GBB pistol, had folk ducking and diving, even though no BB's were leaving the barrel. I guess noise does make a difference to how people react.

 

This was only my 2nd proper CQB game and my 1st night game. The following became quickly apparent :

 

Kneepads are required for concrete floors. Bruised knees aren't fun.

Likewise gloves with padded knuckles and fingers would be a good investment.

A proper weaponlight would have been very beneficial for checking out dark rooms and would have potentially saved me walking into hidden enemies sitting in the dark.

Tracer Units are awesome for night games. Obvious you say, but that's the first time I've seen them in action and boy do they work well. There were a few cheats there on the night. Folk not taking hits at close range, but calling me for mine, which I always took. I know I hit them, because I don't miss at that range with 3 or 4 shots, but without using the tracer BB's, it was difficult for me to prove. It was mostly older guys with too much kit weighing them down who dodged hits. I reported one blatant guy to a marshal who sorted the issue, but being the new guy at the site, I didn't want to rock the boat too much.

 

Sooooo, I've ordered a Streamlight TLR-1S weaponlight for my MK23 and a real steel Rynotek MK23 SOCOM picatinny rail adaptor to mount it on. I just hope to God that the real steel rail fits the TM without modification. I am awaiting delivery of both.

 

Next purchase will be Clawgear Stalker trousers with built-in kneepads and probably a thread adaptor to mount a TM Tracer Unit on. The gun won't be as silent, but I'll be able to see the BB's hitting targets in the dark.

Folk were commenting about me and my "damn Socom pistol" being a menace, which made me smile. Travelling light (as light as you can with 12 metal gas mags) was great for CQB and trainers instead of boots kept me quiet on the hoof.

 

Can't wait to go back in a few weeks for more of the same, with my beloved (and hopefully pimped) MK23!