G&G CUSTOM CM16 SRL - THE BLACK ROSE VERSION 2!

So earlier this month, the team at G&G made me an extremely happy bunny indeed! A few months after I started Femme Fatale Airsoft I remember seeing this gun on one of my now dear female friends in the industry, Unicorn Leah's Instagram page and I instantly fell in love. The only problem was, there was only one of these in the world so the dream pretty much died there and then. Until a care package arrived at my sponsors, JD Airsoft with her sister gun and lots of other G&G swag, as you can imagine, lots of girly squeals followed.


G&G are well known for their combat machine M4, especially in regards to performance, reliability and affordability, and have become a recommended gun for beginner to intermediate players however in 2015 the combat machines have undergone a serious upgrade.

The Black Rose Version 2 is a custom CM16 SRL AEG made by G&G Armament, it has a very sturdy polymer receiver and a CNC'd full metal keymod rail system in the Black Rose black/anodised pink colour scheme. The total length of the rifle is 810mm and is extremely lightweight at just under 2.3kg total weight with no attachments.

It features a 6.08mm aluminium inner barrel, a 1800rpm motor, 8mm brass bushings and an all new electronic trigger system with a programmable MOSFET which incorporates the 3 round burst. It has a 6 position crane stock too which has plenty of space to house the battery and it has a decent sized rubber buttplate for comfortable shouldering of the weapon. I love how lightweight this gun is, it is super light and easy to maneuver even though it is bigger than my typical CQB weapons. One of my favourite things about this is the programmable MOSFET as it enables you to access the 3 round burst - which is really fun to play with! Something that threw me with this gun was that it didn't work with a 7.4 Lipo - cue almost heart attack when I pulled the trigger and nothing happened! The MOSFET in my custom Black Rose version 2 requires an 11.1 Lipo. It also comes with a set of metal flip up ironsights which are easily detachable if you aren't feeling them. The pistol grip is another functional feature of the RIF that I really like - it's ergonomic as it has the grooves for your fingers to sit comfortably. The pistol grip also has a metal end plate that helps dissipate heat from the motor and allows for motor adjustment. As far as FPS goes, it sat comfortable around the 330 FPS mark on 0.2g 6mm BBs.





The first 'Black Rose' - G&G GR4 G26 was my second Airsoft gun and I LOVED it! *insert heart eye emoji* but it had a very bulky front end, which although was very spacious to keep the battery in, it was an ordeal to access. I am in love with the look of the Black Rose version 2, the keymod rail system is a massive improvement on the handguard of its predecessor and as any Airsoft keymod rail accessory can easily bolt onto the rail, it doesn't just look good, it's extremely functional! I am also really keen on the new polymer body and its artwork - G&G have certainly upped the game with the new details that sets this particular M4 weapon system apart from the scores and scores of Airsoft M4s out there. The pink is what I would call subtle - only featuring on the charging handle, sling attachment point, dust cover, fire selector, ambidextrous mag release and the Femme Fatale silencer but it still makes the gun stand out from the crowd. The Femme Fatale Silencer on this particular gun has replaced the birdcage flash hider on the original CM16 SRL (which even has the threads to attach a quick detach suppressor!) and it really adds to the look of the rifle.

I was really pleasantly surprised with the performance, having tried this bad boy out in both CQB and Urban game environments I feel I can safely say that it is definitely a fab all rounder! I am pretty impressed with the range the stock internals give and the ROF is good at 19 rounds per second on the 11.1 Lipo.

Overall, I am so impressed with this RIF. From the aesthetics to the performance, I have always held G&G in high regards to their quality, reliability, affordability and performance even for their beginner ranges but this CM16 SRL with all the new upgrades has definitely solidified this. This definitely gets the seal of approval from myself, good work G&G and thank you for sending this awesome piece of kit!






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AIRSOFT NATION - AIRSOFT'S NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM?

So today we see the launch of Airsoft Nation, a new social media platform just for Airsofters, could this be the new Facebook for Airsofters?

Airsoft Nation is a brand spanking new social media platform that was created to bring together the best Airsoft information, resources and community under one roof. What are it's aims?

  • To provide free to use social media platform specifically for Airsoft players.
  • To keep UK players up to date with all the latest UK Airsoft news and activities including the Police and Crime Bill, regional/national events and the Airsoft promotions.
  • To create user friendly guides that covers a broad spectrum of subjects on everything Airsoft from general info to gun maintenance.
  • Promote MilSim events in the UK
  • Develop and improve the overall Airsoft scene and positively promote UK Airsoft.
Who's behind this new venture? The creator, Graham Hoffman, is a player with 11 years experience in the Airsoft scene who became frustrated with the fragmented and divided community. His plan is to promote and unify Airsoft and he is involved in all aspects of Airsoft Nation.

What can we expect to see from Airsoft Nation?

So in 2016 we can expect to see the launch of Airsoft Nation today that includes the website and the iOS and Android apps available from their respective app stores, and in June we will see the completion of the UK site map, but what about for the future? We will slowly see a complete MilSim calender, the launch of MilSim User guides, MilSim writeups, Airsoft Beginners Guide, the launch of the Airsoft Nation Podcast, a redesign of the new sales area.

The idea is fab and I think it will be a very easy transition for the community because of the styling. Femme Fatale Airsoft wishes the team at Airsoft Nation all the best with this awesome project! Check it out for yourself at www.airsoftnation.co.uk live at 7pm!


On Airsoft Nation? Add me as a friend @femmefataleairsoft
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FEMME FATALE AIRSOFT ANNOUNCES THE SUPPORT OF ENOLA GAYE!


Femme Fatale Airsoft grateful for the support of some of the brand leaders in the Airsoft Industry and is excited to announce that the worldwide brand leader in Smoke Grenades, Enola Gaye has joined the crew! I am really looking forward to working with Enola Gaye! #TEAMEG



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NUPROL BOCCA SUPPRESSOR RELEASE!

This week sees the release of the Nuprol BOCCA suppressor ranges and I popped into the Nuprol office to see the team and get the info on this new line of products. Nuprol are constantly adding new lines to their ever expanding range of high quality products and these are the latest addtions - 5 all new lines of suppressors. 

BOA model


The BOA model from the new Nuprol line of suppressors is made of metal with a sprung foam insert that dampens the muzzle report of Airsoft replicas, this particular line comes with a steel 14mm CCW flash hider to enable a quick detach system - perfect for transitioning from Urban to CQB. The BOA comes in 2 colours - black and bronze and also in 2 lengths to give Airsofters a greater choice for their weapons system. The BOA range has an average retail price of around £25 (do check with individual retailers though!)


Viper

The Viper model is the least expensive of the new line of suppressors, coming in at an average retail price of £10 (again do check with individual retailers) and features a metal casing and is threaded both ends to enable the Viper to fit a 14mm CW or CCW thread - very handy if you only want one suppressor but want it to be interchangeable on weapons with different threads. The Viper is an intermediate length suppressor and only comes in black.

Copperhead Series

The Copperhead series is the shortest of the new Nuprol suppressors and instead of being designed to dampen the muzzle sound, it is made to enhance it! Much like the Sound Hog suppressors. The average price for this bad boy is around £15, is made of metal, comes in both black or tan and has a 14mm CCW. This particular suppressor is a huge hit with me, I really like the size and the overall look of the Copperhead series.



Mamba model

The mamba model is very similar to the BOA model except it isn't threaded at both ends, it has the sprung foam insert to dampen muzzle report, a metal casing and a 14mm CCW metal quick detach flash hider. This model also comes in at around the £25 mark. 


 Cobra

The Cobra is by far my favourite out of the new suppressor range, I love the aesthetics of this model! This model is full metal and is designed to quickly attach/detach to an M4/M16 Birdcage flash hider, which is a standard flash hider for many M4/M16 Airsoft replicas. This model also comes in around the £25 mark.

The new range of suppressors is fab and are all priced extremely competitively so I think these will be a big hit amongst Airsofters.
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Cloud 9 Combat Ring Pull Smoke Grenade Review!


Once again the ladies at Cloud 9 Combat kindly sent me a care package of their new branded C9 Ring Pull Smoke Grenades to test and review for the Warzone Battle Simulation's Operation Cryptkicker!

So let's start with the facts - they're low toxicity and CE rated meaning they can be used at most UK Airsoft sites (although do check with individual sites before unleashing them!). The C9 Ring Pull smokes provide players with 60 seconds of dense smoke coverage with a ring pull ignition system that is more reliable than the conventional strike to ignite system. The grenades are available in 4 colours - white, red, green and yellow (Although I got a little over enthusiastic at the MilSim and only have white grenades left to photograph - sorry everyone!)

I have previously reviewed C9s 90 second Maxi Smoke grenades (you can read that post here) which performed really well so it is great to compare the two, firstly, the ring pull ignition is a lot easier to use, especially with gloves on and there isn't a striker to lose so this is a big plus! The quality of the product is identical to the Maxi - the smoke is dense and provides a good smoke screen of cover when moving from positions, I really like the colours but I do much prefer the Ring Pulls - they are a lot easier to ignite than their strike to ignite sister product. Again, as with the Maxi's, my only complaint about this product is the smell - it has a very strong Sulphur smell that other brands do not - this however is down to the recipe.

Overall, the Ring Pull smokes are a winner for me, with for their ease of use and dense coverage. It would be good to test these against other brands but that is a post for another day! Huge thank you to the team at Cloud 9 Combat!


Photo credit to Henry Nicholson


Photo credit to John Wright

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HW Holsters: Kydex TRMR and Glock 18 Holster review!

A couple of months ago I was contacted by a company called HW Holsters about testing some of their products in a new hot pink Kydex - as I was already looking into a Kydex holster for my TRMR I was excited to give their products a test. In this review I have tested the Kydex TRMR holster and a holster for my WE Glock 18C, both in hot pink (who DOESN'T love hot pink?! Haha)

So what exactly IS Kydex? Kydex is a line of thermoplastic acrylic-polyvinyl chloride materials
manufactured by a company called Kydex LLC and is manufactured in Pennsylvania, U.S. This material has a wide variety of uses for real steel, cold steel and Airsoft. The Kydex sheet was originally produced in 1965 by Rohm and Haas to be used on the interiors of planes but the line was purchased in 1987 by Kydex and the rest is history!

There has been a surge in the popularity of Kydex holsters in Airsoft over the last year or so and their main attraction is that they are virtually maintenance-free unlike a lot of the traditional fabric and leather holsters. Due to the nature of the material, any dirt or dust can simply be wiped off and they retain their shape throughout their lifetime. Kydex holsters are ready to use straight out of the box, they don't need to be broken in like some holsters finished in leather etc. Some of the advantages of Kydex holsters are as follows: they are waterproof, scratch resistant, holds shape and the friction between the firearm and the holster is low.

One aspect that makes me nervous of using Kydex holsters is the clearance between the gun and the Kydex - is it enough to to ensure the finish isn't rubbed off? I have been assured that when made correctly the holster won't wear the finish any faster than traditional fabric/leather holsters.

First up on the agenda is the multi shot TRMR holster! Firstly the colour was a lot brighter than I was expecting - never the less, a colour right up my street! Admittedly when I first opened the packet my first impressions of the TRMR holster weren't great, I thought it was quite thin and I had some trouble in opening the clip to attach it to the molle system (damn those long nails!) I utilised a flat head screwdriver to open the clip and set about attaching it to my Plate Carrier, it was really easy to attach to the molle system on my PC and really easy to fasten. I gave the holster a good tug to check that it was stable and fastened securely and it was good to go. The multi shot TRMR fitted securely in the holster with very little movement - the testing for this product may have given people the impression I was very odd, jumping up and down frantically to test the security of the holster. It has to be said, and is pretty obvious that you should only keep the TRMR that it is made to accomodate in it - otherwise you risk losing your TRMR. Deployment is easy and can be done one handed - overall I am very impressed with this piece of kit!

Now for the Glock 18C holster, I usually prefer a universal fabric holster and I will probably continue to use them as I vary my loadout quite a bit and that is the only limitation with the Kydex holsters - they can only hold one type of pistol. The colour is great and the streamline shape of the holster is definitely a winner if you like slick, low profile loadouts so aesthetically the holster is a a solid choice. The pistol fits secure within the holster and there is no chance of it discharging whilst holstered. Overall, I really like this holster, but I have a couple of complaints - the sound that is made when holstering/unholstering the pistol sounds very scratchy, and when I checked the inside of the holster the friction had caused some damage to the paint work. I feel this wouldn't be that much of an issue with a pistol that doesn't have such a delicate paint job, and if it did, it would look more battle worn than anything else. But with the paint job my pistol has, it wasn't an ideal holster for it.

All in all, I feel HW Holsters have developed a strong line of products that offer Airsofters an alternative to the conventional holsters. I am definitely very taken with the Kydex TRMR holster and this will become a statement piece in my Femme Fatale loadout but I feel the pistol holster needs a few adjustments.

If you fancy getting yourself a Kydex holster from HW Holsters, check them out at www.hwholsters.co.uk and www.facebook.com/hwholsters.
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Ambush Adventures: The Billet!

In October I traveled to the South of England to meet up with some friends and play a cheeky skirmish, during my visit they introduced me to a CQB site in Aldershot ran by Ambush Adventures – The Billet.

Ambush Adventures: The Billet is a relatively new site (having been established around 18 months ago), set in an old military barracks within the heart of Aldershot. From my home in the Midlands, the site is around 151 miles so it is a fair drive for those of us in the more northern regions of the UK but is really easy to access via the M40 or M1. The site itself is easy to find as the Ambush staff have signposted the entrance - as you drive through the gates you are greeted by the sites marshals, you are checked against the list and directed to the large car park that has plenty of space for the sites players ready to start the day!

Booking onto the Billet is really easy and is done by completing a form on their website, and after talking to a few players on the day it appears that this is a new booking on process which has improved on the previous method. The walk on fee is £35 which includes a lunch of two hot dogs – the game day fee is a little more expensive than the average game day fee however. Although the site books up quickly, there are plenty of chances to play the Billet as games are ran every all day every Sunday with around 40 players in attendance and they also hold Wednesday night games that are gaining in popularity. The night games run from 7.30-10pm and for a walk on fee of £15 is the perfect bargain for that midweek pew fix!

The safe zone at The Billet is arguably one of the best safe zones I have seen, it’s a large room full of tables ready for the day’s activities and is big enough for their maximum player count of 50. The safe zone has a kitchen that provides lunch and sells snacks and drinks throughout the day, it is heated (which is much appreciated), has electricity points so you can charge batteries etc, it is also well lit and clean. Inside the safe zone, there are well-equipped shops for all your Airsoft needs from RIFs to beebs to eyepro – Just Cause Airsoft and Sierra Alpha Supplies. Just Cause Airsoft specialise in RIFs and Sierra Alpha Supplies focus on  Army surplus and tactical kit for the avid Airsofter, the store has been going for over 4 years and like Ambush is a family run business by Simon and his son. The shop is has everything you could need (because let’s be honest – new kit is a need not a want!) and for those things that are a little more special – they have an order in service. One thing I really like about the facilities is that there is a separate toilet for women, it sounds small but it makes a big difference! The site runs a strict chrono limit of 350 maximum for AEGs and Pistols and because the site is extremely close CQB, it’s not suitable for snipers or DMRs so leave those at home!

Let’s talk a little bit about the site’s staff, Ambush Adventures is a family run business, owned and operated by Christine and Charlie James. What immediately hits you about them is that they are welcoming, friendly and happy to engage in conversations with their customers. The safety brief delivered by Charlie is animated and engaging. It is clear from how they interact with their players throughout the game day that they have built a solid relationship with their customer base. Their marshals are another strong asset to their team, especially Head Marshals Tony and Dave. One thing I can commend the staff on is their professionalism and light-hearted banter which keeps morale up during the day – even during the 3pm slump. Whilst at the Billet I had the pleasure to meet a member of the Ambush team who has made quite a name for himself within the industry – Stretch the chicken from Super Mega Tactical Airsoft News and his side kick Matt. I have seen videos and photographs of the infamous stretch floating around on social media for a while, it was great to finally meet Stretch and sling some plastic with him (I tried for a chicken kill but alas I did not possess the stealth!) He was kind enough to indulge me in a tactical selfie and gave me some super sweet patches to add to my growing collection – man love de bakewell!

The site itself is comprised of 2 spider buildings with multiple linked rooms that have over 30 entry/exit points which makes for varied gameplay. The buildings have an abundance of corridors full to the brim with lockers and other obstacles to fight through and around. The site utilises a mix of different sized rooms, some submerged in darkness that contain lockers, bunkbeds and other pieces of cover. There is a large amount of outdoor space around the main building where the cover is provided by the buildings themselves, shipping containers, lined fences and a variety of trees – the outside element to the site opens the doors to more game play options. Due to the close quarter’s element of the site, the gameplay however is concentrated within the building complex itself and is intense (prepare for a ricochet party!). This site is the type of CQB that really gets my adrenaline running and heart pumping! Room to room clearing, knowing that there could be an enemy round every corner or hidden away in any locker really gets the fear going! This element of fear results in an overall better performance for me personally. My favourite aspect of the site is at the very heart of the spider buildings – the toilet blocks that connects the two halves of each building together. It’s exactly what you would imagine, rows of toilet stalls with sinks and showers thrown in the mix. The toilet blocks have been jazzed up with smoke machines and speakers to distort the players field of vision and to drown out sounds in an epic guitar solo. Clearing the stalls and shower cubicles with nades, pistol and knife kills is an awesome feeling and is something I look forward to in the defend and attack games!

The games the site runs are always varied and well ran. They vary from Team Death Matches, Zombie games and objective games. My personal favourites are their objective games- they give you something else to aim for than just the kill. Ambush use a variety of tech and props to really bring their objective games to life. There are two that really stand out to me: the ‘Flashy Light Box’ and the ‘Hostage Rescue’ games. The ‘Flashy Light Box’ game is exactly how it sounds, 6 objective boxes with two switches and two different coloured lights are placed in the game zone waiting to be captured by either team, once the box is located the player must a flip the switch that belongs to their colour to control the box. If the box is already under the opposing teams control, two players are required as a player can only flip on switch – so one to flip the switch to disarm the other teams light and one to arm their own. This game is always fast paced and intense, from the frantic search at the beginning to locate and arm the boxes to defending them fiercely to keep the balance of the game in favour of your team. I’ve always enjoyed this particular game mode.

The ‘Hostage Rescue’ game is another of my Billet favourites, is where one team, defends two objectives that are dispersed into the spider buildings. The objectives are usually a piece of intel such as a briefcase or laptop and the Ambush flight pilot mannequin, Steve. The attacking team must complete the 3 phases in the least amount of time possible. Phase one is to capture the intel, phase two is to rescue the hostage and phase three is to transport the objectives to the extraction point. This game really encourages players to work together to capture the objectives which is what the sport is all about! The games are then reversed so both teams get to experience both aspects of the game. Ambush Adventures operate a really interesting respawn rule that I’ve not seen at any other site so far – each team has a clock at their respawn point with alternating team coloured 5 minute sections, and upon reaching the respawn clock if the minute hand is on your teams colour you can get straight back into the game, if not, you must wait until the minute hand does reach your colour – which can be an agonising wait if you were involved in a particularly intense firefight.

The other players on site are one aspect of the day that really impact how I personally feel at the end of the day, and I’ve played the Billet on two separate occasions – once on a regular game day and the second time to review the site. I made a rookie mistake the second time and announced on social media that I was covering the site which meant the game day was fully booked and attracted some ‘difficult’ players, in light of this I have based this review on my experience of a regular game day as it is fairer to the site and its regular players. I encountered no problems on the day (no cheat calling or non hit taking), everyone was in high spirits and a pleasure to be around. There is a real community feel amongst the players at Ambush. There is a particular team who really stand out when I recall my visits to the Billet – Scorpion. A fairly large team of fun loving, honest lads from the South East of England who I had the pleasure to run with. They were really friendly, welcoming and you could certainly have a laugh with them. Teams and players who share the same attitudes as Scorpion really make me proud to be a part of the Airsoft community.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Ambush Adventures the Billet. The site is well run by professional and friendly members of staff that take pride in their site and games they run. The games are varied and entertaining yet provide a great challenge for both beginners and seasoned Airsofters.

Contact Information:

Charlie & Christine James
Ambush Adventures The Billet
Matla Barracks
Forge Lane
Aldershot
GU11 2RE

01252315225

07595948760



Hardwick, K. (2016). Ambush Adventures: The Billet. Airsoft Action. 57 (January), 68-71.
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