THE NORTHERN SHOOTING SHOW!

Airsoft has been gaining speed in the world of shooting sports at an enormous rate in the last 5 or so years and with this growth comes an Airsoft presence in the world of events. The very first Northern Shooting Show was held at the Yorkshire Events Centre in Harrogate, Yorkshire and was a mix of real steel, Airgun and ‘The Airsoft Experience’ all in one show. Whilst not the first show of its kind, it has been highly anticipated by the Airsoft community since it was announced last year!

The Airsoft Experience was designed to introduce members of the British shooting scene to our sport and the team at Airsoft Action pitched up a tent to show our support! In true Airsoft community fashion there was a varied display to be seen as within the experience we saw Airsoft stores such as JD Airsoft, The Grange, Pro Airsoft Supplies and ASPUK, some of our favourite brands Nuprol and ASG, Stirling Airsoft providing fee taster sessions within their mini inflatable Airsoft skirmish site and a full Practical Pistol course so the punters could try another side to our sport to name a few.

There were many highlights of this event – seeing the highly anticipated ASG CZ 805 Bren in person for the first time, checking out some of the new products from Nuprol such as their new range of magazines and testing the latest generation of Alpha Tec Hex Grenade – 2016 is sure to be a great year for Airsofters and their kit.

The main highlight of this show for me however was definitely having a taster session of Practical Pistol with the team at the Grange, and dare I say it, since I’ve been trawling the internet looking at competition pistols and shooters belts – all in the trademark pink! (Shifting the blame onto you there Herman!) What I love about this side of the sport is that Practical Pistol is all about accuracy and speed, and the loadouts! They are brightly coloured and completely different to the Skirmish aspect. I enjoyed this so much I definitely think it will definitely become a new addiction for sure!

As well as the Airsoft experience skirmishers could try their hand at new activities such as clay pigeon shooting, archery, plinking, shooting real steel .22s and also attend gun safety talks.

Overall, the Northern Shooting Show was a resounding success, with tickets priced from £9 per day the event was great value for money! It was great to catch up with old friends and make new ones! Although I would’ve liked to have seen more retailers and brands at the show, it was great to see such a large Airsoft presence and try new aspects of our sport/hobby, and experience what the rest of the shooting industry has to offer us. I anticipate that the turn out next year will be even better! Here’s to the Airsoft Experience 2017!

Hardwick, K. (2016). The Northern Shooting Show. Airsoft Action. 63 (July), 31.

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'Tactical Reloadable Maritime Ready'

So Concept Tactical have done it again! From the creators of the original TRMR comes the next generation in the TRMR family – the vibrant TRMR-E1. Over the last 2 years we have seen many generations of TRMR – the original, the multi-shot, the x4 and now the E1.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the TRMR, it stands for Tactical Reloadable Maritime Ready and was originally designed as a multipurpose munitions system for use on maritime vessels by law enforcement etc that deploys a range of munitions, but for us Airsofters it is the fastest and safest inertia fired impact grenade on the market to date, it uses a twist to arm safety system (T.T.A.S) meaning it is completely safe until armed and it deploys a wide variety of commercially available blanks that create a bang and a flash of light. The munitions the X4 E1 can deploy are as follows: .209 primers, 9MM blanks, 8MM blanks 12 gauge and the new Magflash rounds which means it boasts the most universal base on the market. They are currently stocked by JD Airsoft, the UK’s largest Airsoft Retail Superstore based on Green Lane in Cannock, West Midlands and they are priced at £84.99 for all colours and the multi-shot base can be purchased separately for £29.99 but is only available in black, however Concept Tactical have plans to roll them out to more retailers in the near future.

Let’s talk about the facts! The new E1 is the enhanced version of the TRMR and has significant improvements on its predecessors including a new firing mechanism that is 30% more sensitive and gives an enhanced kinetic energy transfer to its firing pin, meaning the TRMR can now operate from a drop height of just 30cm rather than the 50cm we are used to. It has a new tri-lock bearing safety system that completely locks the firing pin until the T.T.A.S is within 2mm of the full arm position so no matter how hard the device is bumped or even if it is unintentionally dropped, it will not go off unless it is armed and it features a new stainless steel base cap with a new profiled pin hole to make using the multi-shot easier! I have used every generation of the TRMR from the original to the multi-shot and one problem I found with the multi-shot base is that when the TRMR is deployed and .209 primer detonates, the primer would swell and make it difficult to move the selector, but the new profiled pin gives the primer more space within the chamber and should therefore remedy that issue. The E1 measures around 4 inches from base to firing pin and fits in standard 40mm grenade pouches.

The new E1s come in an all new range of vibrant colours – Obsidian Black, Viridius Green, Citrus Green, Rosso Red, JD Orange, Battle Brown, Tyrian Purple, Royal Blue and Aureus Gold. Although I am disappointed to see there isn’t a pink TRMR in the range, there is no doubt that the new colours are absolutely stunning – ‘too good looking to chuck’ is an understatement! The overall aesthetics are greatly improved and aid the usage of the device. The enhanced mid body texturing and machined cut outs give you added grip and assist with reloading, one of the most notable new additions to the enhanced E1 is the dual machined shield sections that are located on the top of the device which have been designed to aid users remove the device from pouches and to aid with single hand arming and deployment. These shield sections can also be engraved with team logos, names etc by JD Airsoft for an additional fee.

Now those are the facts, but how does it look, feel and perform? I love the new look, it

still retains the TRMR’s signature shape but everything from the colours to the new machined details, it is a stunning piece of kit and with the new shield sections, the engravings are clearer, sharper and this means that more detailed designs can be engraved, so you can really make it your own! One thing that makes the TRMR stand heads and shoulders above the competition for me is its clean design and the fact there are no pins or levers to lose/damage (the T.T.A.S removes the need for these) is a major plus. It has a good weight behind it thanks to the aircraft grade aluminium and stainless steel. The X4 base is anodised and the firing pin is hardened to milspec standards so it can be loaded with a variety of munitions without compromising the integrity of the device, all these little details add to the look, feel and reliability. The new texture helps aid with grip – especially when wearing gloves and arming it singlehandedly.

I tested the TRMR in both a skirmish situation and also in a controlled environment, and I am seriously impressed with how it performed! Admittedly in the earlier generations of the TRMR and there have been situations where I’ve thrown my armed TRMR and it has failed to deploy, although these were few and far between it was still an issue. With the new firing mechanism, I’m pleased to say this didn’t happen – I deployed my TRMR around 12 times over the course of the day and it performed flawlessly but 12 throws isn’t enough to base a review on so I took the TRMR and a pack of primers into a controlled environment and set about putting some rounds through it! Now throwing the device 50 times, without the rush of CQB wasn’t the most exciting task, I admit but after each throw I was more and more impressed with the reliability of the E1! It failed to detonate just once out of the 62 throws it went through that day! Very, very good odds!

Overall, I am seriously impressed with the new generation of the TRMR and I have found it difficult to find any negatives, my only complaint is that it doesn’t come in pink! It is an affordable impact grenade (adding the mulit-shot base does make it a little more expensive) and the most versatile on the market, along with the safest! It is easy to use – both to reload and deploy, and I’m extremely impressed with the reliability thanks to the improved internal mechanism! I am really looking forward to putting this through more skirmishes and even using the Magflash rounds in my next MilSim!

Purchase details:
Online at: www.jdairsoft.net or instore at:
JD AirsoftUnit 5 Virage ParkGreen LaneWalsall RoadCannockStaffordshireWS11 0NH

Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 9am - 5pm, Thurs 9-8pm, Sun 10am - 4pm

Hardwick, K. (2016). Tactical Reloadable Maritime Ready. Airsoft Action. 60 (April), 68-69.

* Note after publication: The TRMR E1 is now available in pink! JD/Concept Tactical very kindly sent 15 to the anodisers! These are available to purchase on the website and in store - but be quick! Once they're gone, they're gone!

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Femme Fatale Airsoft Press Release 2016

 2015 was an amazing year for Femme Fatale Airsoft thanks to the support from all our followers and the Airsoft industry. 2016 has had an explosive start and just today FFA reached 60,000 views on the blog and 18,000 followers on Instagram - absolutely awesome!

There are so many amazing events, games and shows planned for this year including: Warzone Battle Simulation's Operation Crypt Kicker (25th-27th March 2016), the Viper Titanium launch at Land Warrior Airsoft (9th-10th April 2016), The Midlands Airsoft Fair (23rd April 2016), RedWolf Airsoft Showcase (18th June 2016) and not forgetting the NAE at Ground Zero ( 25th-28th August 2016) amongst others that I am seriously looking forward too! You can keep up to date with confirmed events on the FFA home page!

Femme Fatale Airsoft would like to thank the support of these amazing brands and retailers: Nuprol, Land Warrior Airsoft, G&G Armament, JD Airsoft, Concept Tactical, Tippmann Arms, Viper Tactical and Cloud 9 Combat, thank you for your support! 2016 is going to be a brilliant year!

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My first look and first impressions of the ASG CZ Shadow SP-01!

Hey everyone! This is a really exciting blog post and this is the ASG CZ Shadow SP-01 roadshow and this is the very first blog review on the pistol!

So let's look at the Shadow's background, it is the Airsoft version of the Real Steel CZ Shadow SP-01 that was designed by Angus Hobdell, a champion British shooter who moved to the U.S and the genius behind CZ Customs, and also by Adam Tyc, a double world shooting champion from the Czech Republic. Their aim was to create a pistol that focused on accuracy and speed, which the Shadow delivers. Now they have brought out the Airsoft version, how does it stack up?

The first thing I noticed immediately is the aesthetics - I love the details on the slide and the optics. It also has a great weight to it and the grip isn't uncomfortable in my small hands - something that I have encountered with pistols in the past!

The ASG CZ Shadow SP-01 comes standard with a black rubberized grip, but as you will see in my photos the post production Shadow I tested at JD Airsoft features the metallic grips. These are part of the Shadow accessories range that are sold separately. The grips come in 3 colour ways - the CZ Orange, red and blue. Not only do they look awesome and are a great way to personalise the pistol, the metallic grips allow more palm contact with the pistol itself, creating a more secure grip for the shooter. It also features a 'beaver tail' style grip which allows your palm to sit snug in the curve - creating a more positive feel for the pistol.

The Shadow also features an oversized safety switch so you can rest your thumb on it and also an oversized mag release as seen in the picture to the right. One of my favourite features of the Shadow is the short stroke competition trigger! It's a two stage short stroke trigger designed for speed so when you cock it back, the internal mechanism shortens the stroke so when the second shot is taken, you rack it back and it's there, ready to go! The chrome finish of the trigger is also a nice touch.

The slide is embossed with all the markings of it's real steel counterpart and as it has a front end slide, it can also be disassembled in the same way, it's definitely worth mentioning that it is a 1.1 scale replica of it's counterpart! The Shadow comes with back and front optics, the front being fibre. The back optics blades are at angles and let more light into the sight and then deflects it at the rear so you get a clearer view down sight. Although I was a little skeptical of the back sight at first as it's not a sight system I'm familiar with, I was pleasantly surprised! It has attachment capabilities, so attaching a pistol torch or laser is really easy!

Now you know all the awesome features of the pistol, let's talk about price, accessories, whether its Co2 or Green Gas. There is no recommended retail price (RRP), so it is entirely down to the individual retailers however it will be around the same price point as the CZ P-09 which ranges between £110-£150, which is a pretty competitive price in my opinion! Out of the box the Shadow comes with a Green Gas mag but Co2 mags are available to purchase separately. ASG are bringing out an accessories range which includes the metal coloured grips, a fluted magwell, rubberized footbeds, a compensator and a suppressor to give shooters loads of options to dress it up and really make it their own! Something us Airsofters love! In fact, a lot of you will have seen from my Instagram feed that I've become a bit obsessed with customization lately and this would be no exception!

My first impressions? and how does it shoot? Like I've said further up in the review, I think the Shadow is really pretty piece of kit! I'm all about details and the markings on the slide, the optics and the metallic grips really hit the spot - although it is a shame the metallic grips don't come in the box.

The pistol has a nice weight to it and feels secure in my hand although it may not be something I'd run for a MilSim due to the weight, it would definitely be a strong contender for Airsoft Surgeon and such like where accuracy and speed are king. I was really impressed with how the Shadow shoots, its super accurate and has a lovely kick to it. Honestly it was hard to find things I don't like about this pistol! That being said I'd love to see the metallic grips made in pink, or come in a few more colour ways and to be included in the box as standard.

If you wanna check out the ASG CZ Shadow SP-01 for yourself ahead of its release this year, here are dates/locations for this month: 9th ASPUK, 11th Halo Mill/Patrol Base, 14th First and Only Retail, 16th RedWolf/Double Tap, 17th Watford Practical Pistol Club, 20th Smokey's Airsoft and finally on the 24th Jan at StrikeForce CQB! If you want to get in touch with ASG UK, feel free to contact Paul Wignell at pw@actionsportgames.com!

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