GEAR | DEADLY CUSTOMS DC4 KYDEX HOLSTER!

Hey everyone! 

Welcome back to the blog! Today I’m back with another review, and in this one, we’ll be looking at the DC-4 Series Holster from Deadly Customs. 

First, let’s chat about what Kydex actually is! Kydex is a line of thermoplastic material manufactured by a company called Kydex LLC in Pennsylvania, U.S. 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! Over the last few years, the popularity of Kydex holsters in airsoft has sky-rocketed, with their main attraction being 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 be wiped off and they retain their shape throughout their lifetime. Kydex holsters are ready to use straight out of the box and they don't need to be broken in as some holsters finished in leather and such. 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. 

The DC-4 Series Olight Holster is made from genuine 2mm thick Kydex and works with both Olight torches and Olight clones and has 3 adjustable retention points to tailor the fit to your liking. It is RMR cut, meaning you can run an RMR sight on the holstered pistol and it also accepts suppressor height sights and threaded barrels. The DC-4 uses your attached torch for retention so if you run the same torch on different pistols as I do, this holster is something to bear in mind. The staff at DC have tested the DC-4 with over 150 different pistols and to date only 3 do not fit - the full-sized Desert Eagle, the ASG USW and the Hudson. It will fit the bigger frame handguns such as the FNX pistols and weapons with wide trigger guards, like the AAP and pistols with taller slides like the 1911. The DC-4 does come in other torch variants if you don’t have an Olight such as Surefire X300 (and its clones) and the TLR (and its clones), as I have the Olight Valkyrie PL-2 I opted for the Olight version in grey because that’s my jam. 

I have mine mounted on a Safariland QLS (Quick Locking System) on a low rider so it’s lower down on my hip, I also have a leg strap so it doesn’t go flapping about. DC do other options such as malice clips and combat loops but I think the QLS system works best for me, personally. 

The construction of the holster is sound and the finish on all the edges is smooth. It is easily adjustable thanks to the 3 adjustable retention points - I just inserted my pistol then adjusted the screws with a screwdriver. On inserting the pistol there is a really positive ‘click’ which is what I look for in a good Kydex holster. It has so far been through 6 months worth of training and skirmishes (now we can play again!) and it’s held up really well - there are a few surface scratches but that’s from me being clumsy and knocking it against walls whilst playing CQB *facepalm* but this doesn’t affect the use of the holster. It hasn’t scratched my pistols when removing and reholstering. 

Although there’s not THAT much to say about Kydex holsters, the main selling point of the DC-4 is its versatility. Buying a bunch of holsters for all your different pistols gets expensive, I like that I can just swap my Olight to a different pistol and just use it straight away. I’ve used this holster with my TM HK45, the RWA X Agency Arms EXA, TM G17 with an aftermarket Agency Arms slide, my custom Nighthawk 1911 and also my M&P Shield. Having just one holster means my kit is also more streamlined. 

The holsters start at £49.99 for the DC-4 for just the holster but for the full package like my set-up, it would set you back £90.96 (there is free shipping over £50 and you get a free patch and sticker). You can use my code ‘femmefatale’ for 10% off your entire order. Whilst the full package is an investment, it can be used for loads of different pistols so you won’t have to replace it when you get a new sidearm. 

It is worth noting that because of how a light-bearing holster works, you can’t use the holster without the torch as it won’t retain. Deadly Customs makes other holsters for this option, such as the DC-1, DC-2 and the DC-3. The DC-4 Series holsters are all able to attach onto mounting platforms that use a 3-screw system including Safariland (which is what I am using), Blackhawk, FMA, G-Code and G-Code RTI and Blade-Tech.

Post sponsored by Deadly Customs.

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SITE | THE DEPARTMENT CQB: UPDATED!

Hey friends! 

Welcome back to the blog! As the next set of lockdown restrictions have been lifted we’re finally able to play CQB again and it's great to be back! My local CQB site is The Department CQB in Leicester (you can check out the full review here) and it's undergone a revamp during the last lockdown.

As part of the revamp, the safe zone has been extended to include a players lounge that is equipped with a vending machine and arcade machines including a punchbag machine, Time Crisis II, The House of the Dead and air hockey!

For those who don't fancy playing the arcade games, there are sofas to chill on and a flat screen TV with Netflix!

The game zone has also been completely overhauled during the last lockdown. For those of us that have played the Department before will remember the chipboard and plywood structures in their usual colour - the site has now been painted grey and had new structures/props installed to fight around.

Game times are as follows: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 6pm – 9pm. 

The site is closed on Mondays and Thursdays. There are 2 sessions on a Saturday: 10am – 1pm (arrival at 9.30) and 2pm – 5pm (arrival not before 1.30pm) and the Sunday session is 10.30am – 1.30pm.

Game prices are £20 (members pay £18 a game) The memberships are £50 per year and they give players two free games per year and it gives you 10% off every game after that (making them £18 down from £20). It also gives you 10% off gas and BBs in the store!

Post sponsored by The Department CQB.

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SITE | DIRTY DOG AIRSOFT!

Hey friends!

Welcome back to the blog! Since the lockdown restrictions in England have been easing, I’ve been getting my airsoft fix and trying new sites. On the 25th of April, I made the journey to Dirty Dog Airsoft and here’s what I thought:

Dirty Dog Airsoft is a 25-acre woodland airsoft site that has a 2 storey container CQB village located in Shildon, in County Durham. From my home in Derbyshire, it took around 2.5 hours to get to the site. Most of that time was spent on the M1 northbound so it is a relatively unremarkable but easy drive. The postcode on the website took me to a residential street however if you follow the additional information on the ‘Find Us’ page on the website you will arrive at a dirt track with a Dirty Dog sign - the site is just a short drive up the track.

On arrival, players are met by a Marshall and temperature tested in their cars. Once you pass the temperature check, you will be pointed in the direction of a parking space which is where you will set up for the day. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I like to set up out of my car boot because then all my airsoft kit is in one place and it’s lockable. It’s worth noting due to COVID restrictions you have to wear your mask in the safe zone if you’re near anyone not in your bubble. The car park is spacious and has all the site amenities located within its boundary including the sign-in desk which has a small onsite shop where you can buy consumables, a seating area (which has a small portacabin next to it, but I’m unsure on what this is for) and of course the toilets. Whilst there are some chairs in the safe zone, it’s advisable to bring your own camping chair. I was really impressed with the toilets at Dirty Dog, they have a new male and a new female toilet (that aren’t just portaloos) that are very clearly looked after which is a nice touch. They even had some great smelling soap. Food isn’t served onsite at the moment so be sure to bring food for the day.

The site consists of a pretty open area of woodland that has various barricades, trenches and bases, at the very back of the site there is a snatch Land Rover which serves as a respawn. The CQB village, however, is really what won me over at DD - it is made entirely from shipping containers which means the BBs bounce in all directions! The village houses 2 double story sniper towers, 20 and 40 ft steel containers as well as numerous 32 ft portacabins that players can fight around and through. There is also a fort, various cars and caravans that are dotted around the game zone to provide additional cover.

Briefing is around 9.45 am and site staff member Ritchie gave a very comprehensive safety brief - explaining the dos and don’ts of the site, what smoke and bangs are allowed onsite what to do in an emergency etc. DD is a single and full-auto site (full-auto can only be used outside the village unless it is otherwise specified in the game brief). The site limits are as follows: AEG 350 FPS, DMRs must be locked to semi 425 FPS and bolt action Sniper rifles 500 FPS. The site rules are in line with most other sites. The safety brief is delivered well, with confidence and humour which puts you at ease.

For the first game, we played an attack and defend game with us, the attackers, starting at the village and taking on the defenders in the woodland. The woodland on-site is varied - from trees to small bushes, to brambles spread over hilly paths which make it an interesting terrain to fight through. On the day I visited it was quite dry so the terrain was easy to move through, and the defenders put up a great fight but we moved quickly as a force and reached our destination which was the stretcher with the mannequin. Attack/defend games are a great way to get a feel for the layout of the site!

The second game was my favourite of the day which was an attack/defend game in the village, the attackers' mission was to infiltrate the village by taking out the defenders and pressing a button in one of the first floor containers in the middle of the village that releases a smoke grenade, attackers then need to fight their way to the second button that detonates a BB moscart mounted to one of the containers. The village is well constructed and feels sturdy. The one thing I will say is that the BBs were bouncing off every single wall in the container and the sound is savage. The ricochets also come sharp! The village is a large area of the site and is different at every turn which varies gameplay, the windows and bridges also give some great vantage points.

There was a short game in the village before lunch, then the games were reversed in the afternoon. The last game of the day was a full-auto game in the village which I respectfully sat out (haha). The staff onsite are knowledgeable, friendly and they were attentive during games.

I thought the walk-on price for the day was excellent - just £20 for none members (£10 for members which is fantastic) and they do offer rental packages for those without their own gear at an additional cost. It is also worth noting that they only accept cash on site.

Overall, I think Dirty Dog run a great day of airsoft and utilise their site well - the village is a really cool space to fight through and was definitely my favourite area of the site. Walk on fees are super affordable and a lot lower than other sites which is a huge selling point. It was thoroughly worth the drive! I’m looking forward to visiting DD again in the future!

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ACCESSORIES | PRIMAL GEAR WAIST BAG!

Hey friends!

Welcome back to the blog! Today I’m back with another review and in this one, we’ll be looking at the Primal Gear Waist Bag from gunfire.com! 

The Waist Bag by Primal Gear is a tactical waist bag designed with carrying capacity and end-user comfort in mind! It has been manufactured from 500D Cordura - a durable and utilitarian fabric that we see a lot of tactical kit made from. It features a large main compartment with an internal pocket and a drainage hole, a small external pocket with a buckle closure, a front pocket with an internal mesh compartment, a flat front pocket that has a rectangle of loop velcro, a phone pouch that is attached using MOLLE / PALS webbing and has a D-ring and it also has MOLLE on the top and back so its carrying capacity can be expanded with more pouches. It can either be used as a waist bag and fastened with the buckle strap or it can be attached to a Plate Carrier or belt using the MOLLE at the back.

It is bigger than your average tactical fanny pack which in my opinion gives it more usability and applications from the range, travelling, dog walking and hiking. The construction is sound - with straight, uniform stitching and the material feels of good quality. The edges of the buckle closure pouch and front flap are also reinforced. The zippers have paracord pulls on them so it is easy to open/close even with gloves on and the main compartment has a lining that feels water-resistant (I can’t find any official information on this fabric so I’m hesitant to say waterproof) making this a good all-weather bag. The waist strap is also completely adjustable and adjusts to accommodate most body types.

As I haven’t run a Multicam load-out in a game yet (it is coming, don’t worry!), so I used it during one of my range testing days at my local site. As it’s really spacious, I managed to load it up with ‘essentials’ including 3 M4 magazines, an Odin speed-loader, a QUAKE8 grenade, 2 packs of .209 primers, tools and gloves. It really is a Mary Poppins tactical fanny pack! I am really impressed with it’s carrying capacity.

I’ve also been using the Primal Gear Waist Bag on dog walks and hikes. As summer approaches I want to be fully confident in Dexter’s recall so we can go on loads of adventures so this bag has been a great tool for recall and off-leash training. The bottom of the main compartment expands so I can fit his portable water bottle and his 10m recall training lead which does take up a lot of space due to the thickness of the material and the length, the buckle-closure pouch is great for keeping doggy bags and the front pouch has plenty of space for treats/kibble. I like the addition of the D-ring on the detachable phone pouch as it lets me attach his clicker.

Unfortunately, the phone pouch is too small for my iPhone 11 Pro Max so the chances are it would be too small for a lot of the latest iPhone/Android phones out there. As my phone doesn’t fit in this compartment when I use it my phone goes into the internal pocket in the main compartment. This is the only problem I’ve found with it so far, however, I do want to revisit this review once I have had the chance to run it at my next MultiCam event!

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The Waist Bag by Primal Gear is available from the Gunfire website for €28,40 however at the time of writing this review it was out of stock. 

Post sponsored by Gunfire.com

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PISTOLS | EMG ARCHON FIREARMS TYPE B

Hey everyone!

Welcome back to the blog! This week I got my hands on a pistol that has just arrived at Extreme Airsoft - the EMG Archon Firearms Type B! As we’re finally back playing in the UK I took this along to my latest game day.

Until I saw this replica in the store I was unaware of the firearms manufacturer Archon Firearms but here’s some background info on them: whilst Archon Firearms is a relatively new name within the industry, their history goes back to Arsenal Firearms and the development of the STRIKE ONE pistol. “Unhappy with the then available offerings in the striker-fired, polymer-framed pistol market, the STRIKE ONE with the AF-Speedlock barrel locking system was developed. This new system takes a departure away from the venerable Browning tilting barrel design with a cam-activated, floating locking block system. Fast forward and the STRIKE ONE was reimagined as the Archon Type B and re-built from the ground up under Archon Firearms to better cater to shooting enthusiasts” The airsoft version of this pistol has been manufactured by EMG, who is well known amongst airsofters thanks to their STI/TTI Licensed John Wick 3 Combat Master.

The EMG Archon Type B is a slimmed-down, compact gas blowback pistol that features a CNC machined aluminium slide with serrations at the front and rear, a slide lightening cut, and officially licensed Archon Firearms trademarks. The frame is made from heavy-duty fibre reinforced polymer and has aggressive slip-resistant texturing, an oversized trigger guard, reversible magazine release and an accessory rail that can be used to mount a variety of lights and lasers. It is an accurate 1:1 replica of its real-world counterpart. Internally, it has an adjustable hop and a three-stage recoil spring.

It comes well packaged in a green/grey box with the Archon Firearms logo on it. Inside, there is the Archon Type B gas blowback pistol, a 19-round gas magazine and a certificate of authenticity. When it’s in your hands it has a nice weight to it thanks to the aluminium slide and it feels well balanced. It is a great looking handgun - the serrations and aggressive texturing give it a futuristic vibe and the shape vaguely reminds me of an HK45. One of my favourite features on the Archon Type B is the texturing on the pistol grip - although it can be harsh on bare hands, whilst wearing gloves it is really grippy and gives you a feeling of security whilst holding it.

The magazine is easy to load and has a positive click when inserted into the magwell. It has an ultra-low bore axis which helps with the lever effect and perceived recoil. The term ‘high/low bore axis’ refers to the position of the barrel of the handgun in relation to the shooter’s hand - low bore means the bore of the gun is as close to the top of the shooter’s hand as possible. This also makes it very comfortable to use. It is capable of firing off shots in rapid succession and it performs well - there were no misfires or gas venting during use.

The only thing I’m not keen on, on the EMG Archon Type B is the 19 round magazine - whilst I understand its lower than average capacity is due to its compact size, I would to see some extended magazines released. Of course, you can just carry more magazines (which in turn means more reloads). The magazine release also got a little stuck whilst I was reloading however this is easing off with use.

At Extreme Airsoft, the EMG Archon Firearms Type B is currently on sale for £179.99 (usual price of £194.99) and can be two-toned if you don’t have a defence. I think sub £200 for a fully licensed pistol is a reasonable price. You can use the code 'femmefatale' for 5% discount on the Extreme Airsoft website. It's worth noting that Deadly Customs will be manufacturing a kydex holster for this pistol.

Post sponsored by Extreme Airsoft.

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