Simply Airsoft Guns

Radios are an incredibly effective way for commanders and teams to communicate with each other. But what are the best radios for airsoft?

As with anything in airsoft (sadly), the best radio really depends on your requirements and budget. If you have a number of teams, you may require strong, long ranged radios. If you’re just one unit, you could use small, short ranged radios. Either of these considerations will be limited on your budget – if you’ve already spent a great deal on your airsoft guns, you may find your budget is quite tight – and it’s no surprise that the better a radio you want, the more you’ll have to spend.

Radio bands

The first consideration when purchasing radios is the band. Personal radios can use one of three bands, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The British Army with some very unweildy radios!

FRS / PMR

FRS (Family Radio Service) / PMR (Personal Mobile Radio) radios are low-powered radios operating through an FM service of up to 14 channels. They are generally the cheapest and most compact radio out there, and can be used freely without a licence. PMR radios also allow a range of headsets and microphones which can prove very handy during airsoft games.

However, this flexibility does have its drawbacks – FRS / PMR radios are limited to small frequency ranges and often have small antennae, meaning their maximum range can be quite short. Some ‘hybrid’ radios also use the GMRS band to extend their ranges to up to 10 miles, although these ranges are only possible in ideal conditions, such as the sender and receiver standing on opposite mountain peaks!

From an airsoft and a more practical standpoint, their lack of power can be troublesome in built up or forested areas, with buildings and trees often significantly reducing their range and quality of signals sent and received.

MURS

MURS (Multi User Radio Service) use an FM service with five channels and provide up to four times the power of FRS radios. MURS radios are popular with travellers as they can be connected to external or exterior antennas and their signals tend to bend over hills better than their FRS / PMR counterparts. They do not require a license to use.

MURS radios tend to be more expensive than FRS / PMR radios and don’t support as wide a range of headsets. While they are potentially more powerful than FRS / PMR radios, they are less effective at penetrating forestation and buildings, and from an airsoft standpoint (in this writers opinion), they’re not an ideal choice.

GMRS

GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios make the most effective radios, operating on an FM service with 8 or 16 duplex channels. A range of powers are available up to 50 watts, and they are capable of communicating through repeater stations for extended ranges of beyond 20 miles or more. GMRS signals are also better at communicating through forests and penetrating buildings – a strength that is particularly well suited to airsoft games.

However, GMRS radios will require an FCC license (or suitable local licence) to use and tend to be very expensive.

Effective range

The most important factor that determines a radios effective range is terrain. Thick forestation, dense buildings and steep hills will significantly reduce radio range from that possible on a wide flat area.

Radio power and size of antenna are also important. Higher power models with larger antennas will be significantly more effective than their compact FRS / PMR counterparts. Of course, extra power isn’t free – higher power means higher cost and bigger batteries.

The verdict

The quality of radios needed will vary from team to team. While compact FRS / PMR radios are easy to carry and use, their signals are often poor or inaudible in built up or heavily forested areas. While GMRS radios are much more effective, they are expensive and can be an awkward weight to carry with large antennas often interfering with tactical gear and airsoft guns.

Audio extensions also vary from model to model. Some FRS / PMR radios can support a great range of headsets from small lapel mics and handset extensions, but these will vary in quality. GMRS radios tend to support a smaller range of higher quality microphones which tend to be quite bulky and awkward to use, with wires that can catch on tactical equipment and airsoft guns, and headsets that can restrict hearing and movement.

The final choice is really up to you. As with anything in airsoft, make sure you research your investment beforehand to avoid disappointment.

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Having joined the market a few years ago, RSOV has really made their mark on the airsoft scene by offering a massive variety of clone guns and very specific parts at jaw dropping prices. They also offer exceptionally fast international couriers at reasonable rates and most importantly of all, regular and friendly customer service.

Whether you’re looking cheap airsoft guns, tactical gear or internal upgrades, RSOV is a great place to start, and with 12% off for Christmas, you won’t be disappointed.

Note to consumers: The quality of clone airsoft electric guns do vary in quality and you should always research your purchases before to buy to avoid disappointment.

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Put down your airsoft guns, it’s time for the real thing!

Wolf armouries (UK) are now offering training sessions in dynamic shooting techniques with real firearms…sign up for a course this month now and receive £100 off!

We have all seen the videos like “Art of tactical carbine” and the online clips on YouTube and such showing dynamic shooting techniques and dynamic shooters doing some amazing stuff running and gunning. Now you too can get trained up so that you can be a better, more efficient and dynamic shooter. Wolf Armouries Airsoft has partnered up with Titan Defense to provide you with this unique and amazing real firearms shooting experience. We can provide accessible, affordable and dynamic firearms training using some of the latest in gear and techniques taught by qualified and experienced instructors from the USA, UK, Canada and Russia. You will be trained on the AK47 or the Glock 17 depending on the course you take. MP5s and HK416s will be added to the arsenal in the future. Courses available range from tactical pistol courses, tactical rifle courses to a full 15 day Certified High threat operational Close protection Course. No experience is needed as we will instruct you from the ground up and courses are designed for pure beginners but we also cater for individuals who wish to be certified for the close protection industry. This is not some pansy Stag do shooting gig, this is a the real thing. By the end of your course you will be shooting and scooting like the PROS! Book now for the courses in Nov 2009 and get £100 off the November course of your choice.

To Book or for more info please go to our website (www.wolfarmouries.co.uk), call
us on 0870 754 9653 or email us at info@wolfarmouries.co.uk.

The Dynatec blank firing airsoft grenade is another great addition to your airsofting arsenal. It is by far the cheapest reusable airsoft grenade out there, relying on extremely inexpensive 9mm blank rounds to create a loud ‘bang’ which, in airsoft rules, will count as killing all players within a (usually) 3 metre circumference.

Introduction

The Dynatec blank firing airsoft grenade is one of the only reusable airsoft grenades that does not rely on gas (which is prone to failure in cold weather) or bb projectiles, which can often fire in the wrong direction, at the ground, or simply fail to hit the intended target.

The Dynatec airsoft grenade is a small padded cylinder just larger than your hand which uses a sprung pin to pin to fire 9mm (or 12mm with an adapter) blank ammunition. With the spring being the only moving part, Dynatec’s are incredibly robust and dependable, and can seriously surprise the enemy with an effective kill radius of 3 metres and (especially with 12mm ammunition) an incredibly loud bang that will, at the very least, distract them long enough for you to finish them off with your airsoft guns.

Loading the grenade

The Dynatec airsoft grenade is loaded by unscrewing the top cap to reveal the firing pin. A loading tool (provided with the grenade) is then used to push a protruding firing pin down until the pressure on the safety lever is relieved, allowing the safety pin to be added.

After the safety pin has been added, the blank ammunition is added to the top cap and the top cap screwed into the body of the airsoft grenade, placing the ammunition just above the hole where the loaded firing pin is recessed.

Removing the safety pin will release the sprung firing pin, which will move up the body of the grenade to fire the ammunition in roughly 3 seconds.

The loading process takes roughly 20 seconds to do, and while it can be a little tricky to push the plunger down at times, it is certainly easier than other reusable grenades which may require you to carry gas bottles and replacement valves.

Costs and durability

The initial outlay for a Dynatec blank firing airsoft grenade is roughly $100. Now while that sounds high compared to other grenades, it is worth remembering that 50 rounds for the Dynatec will only cost you $20 – that’s only 40 cents a throw – an incredibly small amount compared to disposable grenades which can cost up to $5 each, or a reusable airsoft grenade which (when including gas and new valves) can set you back up to $2 a throw.

Having so few moving parts also means the Dynatec airsoft grenade is incredibly durable. In the 4 years that I have had my Dynatec I have never needed to clean / repair / replace it and it has paid for itself 100 times over. One tip from me though would be to add brightly coloured streamer to your grenade – you don’t want to lose it!

Another great advantage to the Dynatec is that as the ammunition is so cheap and the grenade is so robust, you will use it in situations where you wouldn’t use a disposable grenade. For example, I have often found that there are enemies that I would like to throw a grenade at, but as the throw has been a difficult one I have decided not to throw my disposable airsoft grenade in case I missed and wasted $5. The Dynatec does not have that problem – at 40 cents a throw I’m throwing this thing all day all the time, and it’s great fun.

Me throwing my Dynatec

Other uses for a Dynatec airsoft grenade

How many times have you been defending an objective and thought – what if we could booby trap this chest that the enemy are trying to capture? That’s where the Dynatec airsoft grenade comes in.

As Dynatec’s are built to work as true grenades, they can be used to booby trap paths, doors, objectives and anything else you can think of. It’s as simple as setting a trip wire to the safety pin or adding a little weight onto the safety lever and covering it with leaves – now all you have to do is wait or them to reach it and boom – an easy kill or a great distraction while you lay down the fire with your airsoft guns.

Conclusion

If I had to say what my favourite and most reliable supplement to my airsoft bb guns it would be, by a long way, the Dynatec airsoft grende. Dynatec’s give you an incredible edge over the competition – clearing rooms in close quarters battle (CQB) games, setting traps and moving enemies out of cover, the Dynatec airsoft grenade does it all for a tiny per throw cost. If you’ve the $100 to invest in a Dynatec go out and get one now – you won’t regret it.

For a great selection of airsoft guns and grenades, visit Wolf Armouries.

In our previous post ‘Airsoft guns and tactics‘ we looked at the key tactics for successful airsoft games. Over the next few posts we’ll be looking at how those tactics apply to specific locations, the first of which will be CQB, or close quarter’s battle.

What is CQB?

CQB is where small units of players engage other players at short range, generally indoors, in quick assault and defend games. As players are engaging at short range, long barrled airsoft guns tend to be replaced with more compact weapons including submachine guns, shotguns and pistols.

Planning and communication

The most important part of a successful CQB game is the planning and communication. With so many players moving quickly around enclosed spaces, it’s crucial that you identify where the opportunities for attack and defend lie and how to exploit them within the limitations of your airsoft bb guns.

Communications between units and teams must be maintained to co-ordinate strategies. Hand signals are very quiet and effective. Radios are also invaluable when teams line’s of sight are separated.

For a comprehensive list of airsoft sites in the UK, visit airsoftmap.

Posture

Always move in a manner that’s ready to react. When moving through a cleared area, keep your weapon in front of you angled slightly down, allowing a quick draw and making you as small a target as possible. When moving through a danger area, keep your gun shouldered, in front of you and pointing where you are looking.

Movement

Movement should be quick and silent. Do not move unnecessarily and when you do move, stay low and as small as possible. Running should be considered a last resort as fast moving targets are more noticeable and create more noise.

Covering is another crucial part of movement. If you approach an open area such as a hallway, staircase or intersection, cover your team as they move around them.

Cover

In CQB cover is also used temporarily before clearing rooms but remains a key factor in a team’s success.

Good cover includes door and windows, which provide full body cover and can be moved around quickly. When using doors and windows, stand close to the opening (but not exposed) and lean out with the hips to expose the smallest target possible.

Fields of fire

Cover all the angles by assigning fields of fire to each member of your team. When covering fields of fire, let your team know who and were the contacts are – and if they have been neutralised.

In a unit of five, typical fields are fires are:

• The front man (known as the point man) covers the front
• The second man, usually the officer, covers the flanks of the point man
• The third man covers the left and right of the team
• The fourth man covers targets of opportunity
• The fifth and rear man covers the rear of the team.

It’s vital that the read man in a unit covers the rear to alert the team of threats emerging behind them.

Stick to your fields of fire as you move as a team. When clearing a room do not engage targets of opportunity unless those are your fields of fire. If you turn to engage an opportunity target you may hit your own team first.

Shooting

Contacts in CQB happen fast. Kills from airsoft guns will be determined by the number of bb’s fired and the players instinct. Most shooting will be responsive and reaction time is an important factor.

Always keep your gun in front of you ready to react quickly and make that kill shot. As you move always point your weapon where you’re looking – it’s faster to move your head and gun to the target and shoot than look at a target, swing your gun to it, aim and shoot.

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Reloading

If you’re reloading you’re unarmed and vulnerable. Reloading times for airsoft guns can be significantly – magazines will be kept and not dropped and re-filling from a bottle can take some time.

If you need to reload, signal to your team, find some cover and drop to a knee. Have your sidearm ready in case of a contact, reload your magazines quickly and return to your team.

Conclusion

It’s easy to read tactics but much harder to implement them. All of the above guidelines require teamwork and training to execute correctly. Every member of a team must know their role and stick to it to be successful. There’s no substitute for practice and drills – train your team well and you will be successful.