The broken AUG

At home I have my Classic Army Steyr AUG A1. For some time it's broken. I borrowed it to a friend of mine couple months ago, and he broke it. He fixed it by himself and then I borrowed it to another guy (I own 4 AEGs, so it's difficult for me to refuse if someone asks me for such favor), soon at the first game the gun stopped shooting. So it became obvious that I need to send it to some professional to get it fixed.

Three weeks ago I asked my favorite ASG shop if they can fix my replica. I got an answer that their main service guy had to be operated not so long ago and they can't take more replicas for repairs. They informed me that I can send it after november 25th. But yesterday, when I asked if this offer is still open, I got an answer that they have to postpone my case to next year, because of the same reason. What other options do I have? None... They told me that I can get 10% discount on parts to be used during the repairs. When they're going to repair it, I'm going to ask them to fit the precise barrel I got from them (510 mm precise barrel for M14 replica, it won't fit there, so I am going to ask them to replace it with a proper one) and power spring. I want to have a couple fps more, but want to use 8,4 V batteries. So slightly stronger spring and the precise barrel will be enough. I remind you that the replica already has bore-up, helical gear set and spring guide with bearing.

I have to wait till next year and then I'll send them the replica. I simply have no choice, I want to get it operational again...

Cyma AK-47 (CM028) review

This is the review of my Cyma AK-47S replika. I wrote it because I believe there is still some place on the internet for articles about cheap airsoft replicas. Cyma replicas are certainly the cheap ones. I'd say, they're on the second shelf, while the first shelf are Tokyo Marui, Classic Army and similar priced replicas.

I read a review written over a year ago, followed by long thread of replies on one of airsoft discussion forums. The thread author wrote:

I found the CYMA AK on airsplat some time ago, and believe me, I was as skeptical as you. (...) A less informed friend of mine who is getting into airsoft (...) bought one. I expected him to receive it and immediately be sorry with his purchase--surprisingly, it wasn't the case. Upon arriving for our game that day, he showed me the AK. I was shocked upon picking it up to discover how heavy it was--it felt like a real steel AK from the weight. Also, I was surprised to notice the gun was almost all metal--in fact, ALL metal except for the grip, handle and stock, which were shockingly decent feeling plastic. Then I figured, what the heck. It looks good but will shoot like crap. Not so! I was VERY surprised when I was hiding behind a tree about 40 feet away from my friend (...) when suddenly a barrage from his AK ripped through the branches and demolished me.

I won't agree that Cyma CM028 is able to break tree branches. Nevertheless, I agree that most of serious airsoft players year ago wouldn't consider purchasing Cyma's replicas. The manufacturer's name was known as a definition of poor quality.

But the replica I own is supposed to be cheaper copy of Tokyo Marui replica! It has metal gearbox, plastic body and metal hi-capacity magazine! With the replica you get the hi-cap mag, stick type 1,100 mAh battery (I got S version with folding stock) and a battery charger! This means, that you need only the replica, BBs and eye protection to have airsoft fun! Standard Tokyo Marui replica comes with low-cap magazine, with no battery or charger. The player had to buy battery and charge it somehow. This makes this Cyma replica a good bargain!

What about muzzle velocity? There are two generations of Cyma AK-47 replicas on market. Mine is from first generation, an exact copy o Tokyo Marui replica. It is supposed to have something around 290 fps on 0.2g BB. I use 0.23g BB, and had 266 fps on chronometer. The replicas from second generation are said to have 360-380 fps muzzle velocity. They still cost in Poland somewhere around $150. :D

The guy quoted at the beginning of my article is wrong. The replica has plastic body, and plastic (wood imitation) grips. They imitate wood really good, I must say...

The hopup is easily adjusted. The sight can be adjusted as well. One can adjust it to aim higher - in the real-steel version this was used for shooting long range. In airsoft I use this feature if I adjust the hopup for long range.

Here are two video reviews I found on YouTube. :)





This article will start "my replica reviews" series. :)

Added on December 3rd, 2007: I believe it is worth mentioning here that I broke my replica's stock.

The game in Kamion, nov. 11th

I had no time to write here about the last game I attended. Since last saturday I am ill and have to stay in bed. Of course I use the computer every now and then, but that's not enough time to write a new blog post.

There was 25 people at the game, some 8 of them young, less than 15 or 14 y.o. But since it was only couple of them for each team, it wasn't very disturbing.

The game took place at a place with two deserted buildings, grass and some other plants and stuff. Nothing very interesting, but it was small enough for fast game rounds.

I used, as usual lately, the AK 47s. My girlfriend played with MP5K PDW.

Here's a photo of me, proud with 4 kills in one round.



That's the new sight on PDW, in my girlfriend's hands.



One thing more: a movie made that day. Nothing very interesting, but photos and videos are always better than my poor english language. ;) The guy who posted it on YouTube doesn't allow it to be embedded, so you have to watch it on your own. ;)

Comments are always welcome. ;)

Nadarzyn (Guantanamo) Video

I wrote some time ago about a large airsoft game in Nadarzyn, called Guantanamo 2007.

Here's a short movie made that day.

The stuff came today

Most of the stuff I ordered on sunday (I got it at a local post office two hours ago) satisfies me. But I am not glad with the AK-47 mount base...

If you look at this mount, can you guess it's to be mounted with the longest rail facing bottom? The description says that it fits the gas tube, but this is not true! The gas tube is made in a way that it can't be mounted there. The mount base fits the barrel, but this is not the thing I intended to get. I am very disapointed... :(

The rest of the stuff is OK.

At last I played airsoft today

If you read this airsoft blog for some time, you probably know, that I was grumbling for last few days. I wanted to play airsoft games badly, but didn't have any games around to attend.

The worst was last evening. I didn't know if there was going to be any game with my friends from SHAMO today. I also found out that there was very large airsoft game in Nadarzyn. Over 300 people fought along with a good scenario. Players had to enlist to the game some time earlier, so I couldn't play with them. I felt very sad, to cheer up a bit I went to one of the cheapest online airsoft retailers. It's the cheapest one, because they're closing their store and are selling their stuff for lower price they paid to get it.

I will purchase:
- red dot sight,
- two RIS mount bases for this sight, one for AK-47 (to be mounted on gas tube) and the other for MP5K,
- proped mount rings for the sight,
- 6.04 mm precise barrel for AK-47,
- F330 power spring (theoretically can give 330 fps, I'll keep it for later use, if I plan to tune any of my replicas),
- laser dot sight,
- mid caps for AK-47 and MP5.

Nothing very sophisticated, total cost $245.

The todays game took place. I am not very pleased since at the beginning it was only 5 of us, with 3 AEGs, one pump-action shotgun and one pump-pistol. After one hour two other guys came (seemed like they were father and son, the latter aged 16-18) and we had a bit more fun.

Better this than nothing, so I stopped complaining and tried to get as much fun as possible. Here are some photos.

That's me, having fun. :)



That's Squarek.



That's Squarek. He had an opportunity to shoot my back, but instead came from behind and scored "silent kill". :)



That's Squarek, looking for enemy. At that moment he was using his pump-pistol. The other guy had M14 AEG with red dot sight.



He fires...



He scores!



Squarek and his victim.



In todays game appeared: me, Ania, Squarek, two MP5Ks (mine and Squareks, he sold his on internet auction but plans to post it tomorrow), AK-47 and some other stuff. :)

I got my AUG back. This leaves only one of my replicas in my parents' apartment - the mG36. AUG is broken, so I sent an email to my favorite airsoft reseller (not the one I bought the stuff from, they're more expensive and didn't have all the stuff I need) to ask if they can (are willing to) fix it. :)

Old Shamo movie

This is an old Shamo movie, made couple years ago. If I got my database right, it was shot on september 14th, 2004. It was shot by Ziutek and later cut into pieces and put together by Mamut.

At that time I still had my first AEG replica - the MP5 SD3 and wore my BDU in urban camo. This way I am easily recognized in the video.

Few words about what you can see in the movie. It was shot in the Halinka.
The second scene (running) starts at one end of the Columns place. After that you see a group of people running, this was taken from inside the two story "office" building inside. You can see how vast is the building, stock replicas couldn't hit those people. One of the following scenes show the "office" as seen from above (the red brick building with no glass in windows with yellow metal pylons next to its wall), from the room that was placed highest in the building.
You can see me climbing on the pylon to get to the first floor. To be honest that was the first time I climbed, I was too afraid that if I got shot I'd be scared and do something stupid like letting go and falling down. Later, after the movie was made, I tried it once or twice. But I wasn't the bravest one -- one of the girls that played with us for some time climbed once to the second floor. :)

And that's about it. The rest of the movie is very dark, because the camera was cheap and there was not much light at the time we made the movie. :)



Comments welcome! :)

Best airsoft places, #2

Since there's no airsoft game in Żyrardów tomorrow, I'll feed my airsoft hunger with photo-memories.

Today the second place in the contest for the best airsoft place in Poland - the Miami.

This place has nothing to do with Miami and, to be honest, I have no idea why somebody named it this way. It is a place used some time ago for railroad stuff, located in Warsaw.

Here's a photo from Google Maps.



The most important building is the one with the weird shape. It's an old roundhouse. For a better description let's assume it has it's beginning and end. The beginning would be at the left hand side of the building on the satellite photo.

Here's the roundhouse as seen from south.



Here's the inside of the roundhouse. Photo taken while standing at the beginnin of the building. As you can see it is divided in half by a large wall.



Most of the games we played there were very simple. We fought in the roundhouse, one team started at it's end, the other at the beginning. The beginning had couple of rooms on the first floor that would give this team large advantage. In most cases they just started to defend that place, so we changed starting places after each round.

On the following photo you can see the wall. The people are from opposite teams. You can imagine the fun we had. A small note: we have a rule that one cannot put his arm behind any obstacle (wall, door, whatever) and shoot if - he can fire only if he puts his arm, replica and head to see what's inside. :)



The same wall seen from the other end. It was often that two or more people stood at it's end and sprayed BB's to hit or simply scare the other team. Unfortunatelly I don't have a proper photo...



The following photo shows the roundhouse's beginning. The camera was located somewhere near the wall. You can see why the people defending that floor had such an advantage -- they had a perfect place to hide. It looks like it's an end of one of rounds, the defenders get their butts kicked. ;)



Oh, that's me. Marked with red cloth to show that I got killed.



The camper-defender. Note that we don't condemn camping - we set the game rules that campers don't have their advantage. Even if the round rules are that the attacking team must get into one room in a building in a specific time and there's a camper inside that room, it's not difficult to hit him. Three or four people rush inside at the same time - he wouldn't kill them all, would he? ;)



This is the campsite from within.



No explanation necessary...



They made it, the last defender got shot.



Enough photos from the roundhouse.

The Miami had couple other interesting places. For example - an old pool for water in case of fire.





There was one quite large building. Two stories high (ground floor and a basement), one long corridor and many rooms on each floor.





Unfortunatelly, the place got demolished. I am very sad, because it was VERY playable, something like the Q2DM1 map in Quake ][...

Photos were made by me, Mamut, Squarek and probably someone else...

Long time, no game

The last time I attended airsoft game was may this year. I moved from Warsaw to Żyrardów, a town 40 km (25 miles) away. Most of my friends that I play airsoft with live in Warsaw. For some time I had no car to drive (my Volkswagen T3 isn't in working condition, I broke it's engine shortly after moving to Żyrardów), and was too lazy to go to Warsaw by train. So I only attended one game, that took place on weekday, after work. I took my MP5K with me to work, so didn't get tired after the game.

Tommorow I am going to a local airsoft game in Żyrardów. I am looking forward to this game, because I lack airsoft action. ;) I plan to take there my MP5K and AK47, because those are the only replicas I moved here. I borrowed the AUG to a friend of mine and the mG36 is still in Warsaw.

I had to discharge four 600mAh batteries. Two sticks and two smalls. The only proper tools to discharge them I found here were two computer fans. Using old computer power supply and small sockets I made a wiring that allows two batteries to be connected parallel to the replica / charger / discharger. If all my sticks get discharged I'll use this wiring to coonect those two smalls to the AK47. ;) The photo below shows the wiring and the discharger I made yesterday.

From Airsoft from ...

Edited @ 21:30 - There's no game tomorrow, those locals aren't eager enough.