5 Things

5 Things you can do for your business during the LockDown

Mar 31, 2020

Even though everyone is staying indoors and only allowed out for one hour a day or to get essentials it does not mean that our business’ have to be put on hold. There is lots of stuff that we can do to make the most of this downtime and maybe even secure the limited sales that will be available - Here are our top 5 things that you can do for your business during this UK COVID-19 lockdown 1. Market Market Market Although the UK is in a state of lockdown life still keeps ticking along and so do the people in it. Hunters will be hunters, golfers will be golfers and Airsofters are still going to be thinking about airsoft regardless if they can play or not. When the boredom sets in and they have rearranged their loadout for the 15th time they are going to start looking online for new kit and accessories. If they are going to spend money then best that they spend it with you and not somewhere else. Make sure you are in the spotlight and can be seen on socials and online.Marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are lots of things that you can do for little or no outlay - you could jump on Facebook and help a new player with a tech question, you could film a youtube video or review a product, you could launch a podcast and interview airsoft celebs, you could even live broadcast or just write a few posts. Apart from the time investment all of the above are pretty much free. Some shops have got very creative and launched Facebook live quiz’ or online socials - The sky is the limit, so think big! 2. Polish your website Websites are our online storefront and as such, they need to look as good as our physical storefronts. This lul in proceedings is a good time to get online and polish up our websites. Are all the images of high quality and from multiple angles? Can the customer really appreciate how good these products are and how to use them? Are the descriptions strong enough to support the product? Could you add a video to the listing to show how the product works or explain a special feature? These all help to reinforce our virtual storefronts for when customers are ready to spend. This might seem like a thankless task during a period of downtime, however, think of it more of a time investment so that when everything is back online your business is in a strong virtual position. If you are not very good at writing copy why not speak to some of your top customers - This might be a good opportunity for them to get involved and help as I’m sure they are just sitting at home and twiddling their thumbs! 3 Get into a Routine This is important for your physical and mental health and also to remain productive when working from home. You cant be asking “why am I not getting any orders” if you are sitting on your sofa in your pants, watching real housewives of new york at three in the afternoon. If you are working from home then the keyword there is Working. Everyone has their own little tricks to stay productive - a buddy of mine who has children decided to work from a dedicated room in the house and explain to his kids that between set times Dad was “out of bounds”. I’m sure this was a hard concept to get across but it worked very well. Other people find that keeping to their normal routine is the best way - getting up on time - getting dressed in work clothes and being at your desk on time. However you make it work, Make sure you Work 4 Think outside the box What else could you do in your business? Is there something else that you could be doing to overcome the current restrictions. In the 1960’s when Dominos opened its doors, it was planned to be a classic pizza shop where people would phone in, place an order and then come and collect. They noticed that they were not getting the footfall and had to make changes or risk going out of business. They decided to offer local delivery in a few of their stores and their turnover almost doubled within a month - thus the chain we all know and love was born and I’m sure you can agree it has gone from strength to strength. Think about this example - is there something that you could do in your business to adapt to what is going on? Do you have a skill you could apply? Perhaps you have an embroidery machine and you could personalise pouches before they are sent out to customers - have a think! - Think outside the box! 5 Do your bit This one is not really about benefiting your business financially but more about karma and doing good. What is going on in your local community? Is there something that you could help out with? For example, Does the local care home need someone to run errands or collect supplies for the facility and you could use your company van to help? I’m sure when things are back to normal your good deeds will be recognised by the local community. Tough times like these are when we all need to come together to help one another - If you pay it forward it will come back!

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AW-UK: 5 Airsoft things to do whilst in Lock Down

Mar 31, 2020

Photo Credit (Manchester Gazzette - Army Training for NBC event) So its happen… The UK is in a state of lockdown, all the airsoft sites are closed, shops are just offering mail order and there could be no airsofting for the next few weeks. What on earth are us airsofters meant to do with this downtime? Here are five things that we will all be doing and we think you should too! 1. Maintain your Kit Normally, we are so busy playing that this is something that we never really have the time to do. With the current downtime - This is the perfect opportunity! Take out your normal kit that you would run on a skirmish day and get geared up. Make sure that everything works for you. Can you move freely? Is there something that is just out of reach? Is there something on your kit that maybe you don’t really need. This is a good time to make those changes to any molle pouches (as we all know how time-consuming it is to weave them on!). Maybe the opposite and there is something that is not on your kit that would be really handy (like a multi-tool or a small took kit?) - Now would be a great time to jump online and search for that perfect pouch as a lot of stores are still trading and offering some great deals. Next, as you start to pack it away give each bit of kit a close inspection. Look out for areas of damage or wear that might need repair or replace. If you are handy with a needle and thread this would be a good time to patch up some of those pouches or look for replacements online. 2. Stay in touch with your team and plan the “come back” game This step is good practice anyway (even outside of airsoft). Stay in touch with your teammates and make sure they are ok in these strange times. There are lots of apps that offer great connectivity and will enable you to speak too (and even see) your buddies and chat. This can be a good time to discuss goals for the team for next year, team merch, uniforms, discuss your load outs and so much more. This is also a great time to plan that “come back” game. All this lockdown stuff will not last forever and when it’s all over airsoft sites are going to be packed to bursting with airsofters that have been inside for wayyyyy too long! - plan something for a few months time. Think about where you would all like to go or maybe plan a small come back tour of a few sites over a long weekend. This is also a good time to keep your head in the game - There are plenty of FPS (First Person Shooters) that might be able to scratch that Airsoft itch (even if temporarily) and many of them have the ability to play with your teammates. Get online, build a fire team and get some!! 3 Clean and Maintain your Weapon systems This is another job that we have been meaning to do for ages but between packing for a game the night before and then coming home exhausted, never really got round to. Now is the time! Get out all your weapons your regularly use and check them over, are they running ok? Is there a funny noise coming from somewhere? Does all that six-month-old dried mud really still need to be on there? Those of us with gas rifles or pistols will know the importance of maintenance (doesn’t mean we actually do it like everyone else!). Get those GBB’s out, strip them down and get cleaning - you will thank me for it later when we all get back to it. 4 Improve your fitness I know! I know! I can hear you all sighing from behind your screens from here, but this is important. Looking after your fitness in the current situation is more important than ever. This doesn’t have to be a 4 hour home gym session or a 10k run (if you can do that in your 1 hours outside time then you are a better person than me!) but taking some of this time to work on your fitness will pay real dividends in the future. If you are not really into fitness or working out then just start simple - maybe some push-ups and some sit-ups and maybe add in picking up something with weight (a rucksack with stuff inside for example). Anything that gets the blood pumping and a bit of a sweat on. This will help maintain some of your fitness you might have built up from playing every week. If you keep active during these times even just once a day that will stop it being such a shock to your system when we get back out there. 5 Visit the “Backyard Range” If you are lucky enough to have a back garden this can be a great opportunity to get in some basic training under your belt. This could be anything from setting up a few cans at the back of your garden and shooting against the clock or it could even be dry fire training to develop your transition between primary and secondary. Any training is good training!If you don’t have a back garden or don’t have access to somewhere to train this could also be a great time to practice your room clearance or sweeping the house... Your other half will thank you for it! Disclaimer: Using your airsoft RIF on your own property is fine, however you should under no circumstances take your airsoft RIF’s out into a public place or have them out on display to members of the public

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5 Things to consider when getting into airsoft

Nov 27, 2019

5 Things to consider when getting into airsoft Getting into any hobby can be a big enough minefield as it is let alone a hobby that is fragmented as airsoft - with Milsim, speedsoft, sci-softers and chairsofters to name a few of the divisions under the plastic slinging umbrella it's hard to know what is really needed when you are getting started. Here we are going to take a look at our top 5 things to consider when getting into the hobby. Do I need to go straight out and buy a rifle/pistol? The short answer to this is NO - Almost all sites in the UK have guns for hire (no not mercenaries!) for new players or customers who do not have their own equipment to use. Nine times out of ten these will be the good old fashion G36c (an assault-style rifle more commonly seen at airports or in the hands of police in TV dramas). The site staff will be able to host you at their games with some face and eye protection (normally a full face mesh mask) a rifle and a high-cap (high capacity) magazine - This will normally hold around 300 bbs and should be enough for the whole game (unless you are a trigger happy Rambo type but that is for another blog post!). We would advise going to a few sites and hiring equipment to get a feel of the game. This will give you a chance to understand a bit more about the game and also if you really want to get involved. There is nothing worse than spending a whole bunch of money on equipment for a new hobby, going to take part and then finding out that this really isnt for you. Once you have played a few times and got a feel for the sport you then might like to invest some money into your own equipment. How much should I expect to spend when buying a rifle? A sensible budget for someone getting into the hobby would be around the £250 mark - with a rifle being in the £150 area and giving you some change left over to get some batteries, a charger and maybe an extra magazine or two - Some shops offer some great bundle deals so you might be able to get a deal depending on where you shop. Be aware that if you do not have a defence (UKARA or similar) then the rifle or pistol will need to be two-toned. If you are not happy with running around with a blue, green or red gun then you might want to go and get the correct defence before parting with your hard earned money. Most sites and reputable airsoft shops will be able to help you obtain the right defence. Eye Eye? One of the most important and commonly overlooked thing in airsoft is Eye Protection - If we simplify the hobby down we are shooting solid plastic ball bearings at each other and if one of those connected with your soft, squishy eye…. Well, I don't need to go on. Make sure you are getting the best eye protection that you can afford - at the end of the day you only have two eyes and that is all you are getting… there are no returns and no replacements. We always find it odd when people will spend £500 on a rifle and then scrimp and spend £9.99 on eye protection - surely this should be more the other way around. Ask your local airsoft shop or site what they recommend, they should have good knowledge of the hobby and should be able to guide you to eye and face protection that works for you. There are lots of great options out there from full face paintball style masks (made by Valken or Dye) to more low profile shooting/ballistic glasses (made by Bolle, Pyramex). Plate carriers, chest rigs, dye elbow and knee pads? Some players will head out to their local surplus or airsoft store and will kit themselves out from head to toe in ballistic armour, enough mag pouches to carry 300 magazines of 10 different calibres and multiple camouflages from various conflicts across the globe - is this necessary? No, not at all! Don't get us wrong its cool as hell to get kitted up in all the gear and head out to an imaginary plastic war with your brothers in arms but its not a must to take part. One of the first things you will notice when you get onto the site and you look across the player scape is the wide range of different types and choices of equipment. You can have a German WW2 soldier chatting with a Scifi space ninja and an Afghan special operator (complete with thick operator beard). There is no wrong or right here - where what you like and what works for you. Emersion and roleplay is a big part in airsoft so embrace it… or not, it's your choice! Accessories! The world of airsoft is littered with accessories - If you want a grip or grenade launcher to be at any position of the clock on the front, back or even side of your rifle… I'm sure there is an accessory for that! This is the bit that is completely down to you (the user) an again like the above point there is no wrong or right way of doing things. Of course, there are practical reasons for some accessories - If you are going to be playing inside a building or in a dark site then you might want to consider things like tactical lights and lasers.

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5 Things that will affect the range and accuracy of your AEG

Nov 27, 2019

5 Things that will affect the range and accuracy of your AEG We are all looking for it. That golden bullet to make our airsoft rifles hit other players in the next postcode - I'm sorry to say that this post does not contain that magic element. There is actually a lot that goes into making your airsoft rifle have good range and accuracy. In this post, we hope to guide you with some “food for thought” on what you could improve/upgrade to get your rifle from not being able to hit a barn door at 10m to an accurate laser beam of plastic death! Disclaimer: Please note that airsoft RIFs are complex and do require a high level of skill and knowledge to be able to repair and upgrade. If you are not confident then please do not attempt to make any modification to your RIF and seek the advice of a trained technician. 1. Hop Rubber and Nub: How old is your hop rubber (sometimes called a bucking)? Is it in good condition or does it have small rips and cuts in it? When was the last time you replaced it? This is (in my opinion) one of the most overlooked and also one of the most important parts of the accuracy and range combo. For those who are wondering what the hop rubber actually does - The hop rubber is responsible for applying pressure onto the bb as it passes through the barrel and giving the BB backspin. This then gives them BB additional range using the Magnus effect (whereby the top side of the projectile has reduced air pressure affecting it meaning it falls less over a given distance). 2. How clean is your barrel? Sounds crazy I know but running about in abandoned buildings and crawling around in the wood can get a lot of dirt down your barrel. As the BB’s that we use are very smooth and polished it's good practice to make sure that the surface they are contacting with (the inside of your barrel) is equally as smooth and well polished to reduce any friction or drag. Simply take the unjamming rod (normally supplied with your gun) and some small slices of a microfiber cloth and give your barrel a clean - be sure not to use any petroleum based lubricants or cleaners as these can eat away at rubber seals and will not do the seals on your gearbox or your hop rubber any good. 3. High-Quality Ammunition: Another very important point that is very often overlooked is the quality of ammunition that you are using with your airsoft replica - Make sure that you are buying the best quality ammo you can afford. There are some brands on the market (not naming any names) that are notorious for producing poor substandard ammo and techs around the UK are reporting that most of the issues that arrive on their tables could have been avoided if the users would have been using high-quality ammo - When you think about it if you are going to spend £200 to £300 on your RIF don't cut corners with ammo to try and save a few pounds as in the long run you may end up with an expensive repair bill. 4. The weight of your Ammunition: Connected to point 3 but I felt that this deserves its own point is the weight of ammo that you are using. The UK industry standard (for chronoing and checking power) is a 0.20g bb, However, after speaking with players on sight it seems like after chrono checks have been done the 0.20g bbs go back in the kit bag and a host of other weights come out. The most popular weight from the players we spoke to was 0.25g bb and this was a cross section of players who play CQB/Urban as well as players who play more woodland games. The extra weight will help the BB stay on target and reduce the effect of cross-type winds. Snipers, on the other hand, have really stepped it up when it comes to the weight of ammo with most snipers using between 0.38g and 0.50g bbs. 5. Speak to a Tech: If the thought of messing with you RIF is just too scary the best bet is to speak to a technician. There are plenty in the UK who are very skilled and have a lot of experience with a broad range of RIFs. Make sure you check out their past work and their reviews on to get a feel of if they are the right tech for what you want to be done to your RIF as a lot of guys will specialise (for example DMR builds or Gas blowback etc)

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5 Essential Things you should have in your Airsoft Kit Bag

Nov 27, 2019

There is always so much stuff to take to an airsoft game - even if you are going to a Sunday Skirmish you need to remember to take guns, slings, magazines, BB’s, gas, sidearm, magazines for the sidearm, back up gun - The list goes on! We have put together a list of the 5 Essential Things you should have in your Airsoft Kit Bag to keep you in the fight. Nextorch Ul10 Compact Multi-purpose Clip Light This is a must have for playing in the evening or at night but we would also recommend to take this with you for day games as well. You never know when you might need a torch, Especially if you decided to do some last minute maintenance to your rifle and that pesky pin has just fallen out under the table or down that rabbit hole in a woodland game. We chose the Nextorch Ul10 Compact Multi-purpose Clip Light as its small, compact and lightweight. It takes 2x AAA batteries (very easy to get from any shop and most airsoft site shops as well) and features three light modes - High mode emitting 65 lumens of white light in a beam of up to 18m - bright enough for navigating through buildings or map reading. Low mode give you a 7 lumen light source for up to 40 hours on one set of batteries and the final mode SOS signals in morse code (lets hope you never need this mode!). The Nextorch also features a detachable clip system that allows you to attached it to the peak of your cap, the strap of your rucksack or even your MOLLE webbing - this frees up your hands and enables you to concentrate on the task rather than holding a flashlight! GHK Silicone Oil Dropper 30ml It's something that some players neglect - Like it or not your Gas Blowback Pistols and Rifles need lubrication and regular maintenance. We have chosen the GHK Silicone Oil Dropper as its compact enough to drop into any side pocket on your rucksack but has enough lubricant (30ml) so you wont need to keep replacing it every week. The special formula produced by GHK is designed to work remain viscous at low temperatures as well as high pressures. This lubricant also helps prevent corrosion by repelling moisture and is resistant to freezing. The bottle features a snap shut lid to makes sure that there are no spillages inside your kit bag (there is nothing worse than an oil leak!) and is cleverly built into the bottle top to prevent it getting lost. PPS Steel Valve Key Tool Connected to the GHK lubricant above is our next item - The PPS Steel Valve Key. This key is a must have for any player using a gas blowback pistol or rifle. This three headed tool features keys for inlet/fill, exhaust and CO2 valves. The key can be used to tighten or remove valves from gas magazines - This will then enable you to lubricate the seals with the GHK lubricant and put a stop to any leaks. Magazine Shape 155rd Speed Bb Speed Loader Nothing is worse than having to load your six, 120 round mid caps by hand - 720 rounds or mind numbing boredom! The Magazine Shape 155rd Speed Bb Speed Loader allows you fill your magazines quickly and easily. The compact size of the loader means that you can not only carry this in your kit bag but you can also put this inside a mag pouch or a utility pouch and carry it with you on the field. To fill the BB loader simply open the small trapped door at the top, fill with your chosen weight of ammo and then use the plunger to push the BB’s into your AEG or gas blowback pistol or rifle magazine - there are also a number of attachments that can be fitted to help you fill specific types of magazine. The loader comes with a pistol adaptor, however you can also get other type like the GHK Adaptor Mag Adaptor Simple Voltage Display 1-6s Lipo Voltage Meter If you are using an AEG you may have decided to make the move from NiMH to Lipo Batteries - If you have then you will know that you need to take care of your lipo batteries and unlike their NiMH brethren they can not be run to empty. The Simple Voltage Display is just slightly bigger than a two pound coin and will fit easily into your kit bag - The Voltage display will enable you to monitor the voltage of not only your lipo battery as a whole but also each cell of the lipo pack. Simply plug the checker into the balance lead of your lipo and the clear (3 digit) display will give you a clear readout of the voltages as well as an audible bleep.