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Day 1 At The IWA 2013 & Outdoor Classics

Dom

Finally, the 40th IWA show took off this morning. Yesterday boxes and crates were laying around everywhere so it was hard to believe that this morning there was no sign of chaos.

First I went to the KWA booth where the prototype of the Sphinx caught my eye, so I asked the staff to break it down. The replica was built like the real steel Sphinx: slide, top frame and the lower frame where the first two is made out of metal and the lower frame will be polymer. The trigger group and slide stop is inside the top frame which leaves only the mag release button for the lower frame. The Sphinx has less number of parts than any other KWA handgun replica. This is actually something to wait for. No hard release date yet on this one.

Next up was the Mega Arms GTR 3H. This one contains a new charging handle function (you can release the bolt with it) but keeping compatibility with other LM4 parts and also a gas piston imitation too. The front hand guard might be different by the time of the release. Also note the tapered inner side of the magwell which means quicker mag changes. A GBB version of the Masada was also on display. It includes a quick barrel change feature just like the real steel version so changing roles will be easier between games, now we just have to wait for different handguard and barrel lengths to be released.

At ICS, first I got introduced to the new powder grenade and to the re-designed grenade launcher. The grenade is more like an oversized shotgun shell with a powder-filled slug inside. The shell is rifled on the inside which stabilizes the projectile and it could go as far as 100 meters. The launcher had to be re-designed, improving magazine-barrel alignment and ICS also put a bigger handguard to the front end.

If you're the fan of customized, modified replicas, then you will love this G33 which includes an M4 magwell, an MX5 stock and a Masada looking front end. Some say it's plain ugly but I kinda like it if you ask me. The mustache does not come with the gun :). The AR stock adaptor from ICS is also interesting stuff and it is good to see that mods are not existing only for M4s.

Last year, ICS had their M1 tightly locked in a display mainly because it was a pre production plastic model, but this year they had a fully functioning replica. It comes with a 49 round magazine and MOSFET. The next pictures are all prototypes that's why you see imperfections on the surface and these are the new ICS rails, front sight, handguard, stock, gas block and magazine.

Before I went to the SRC booth I tried what my SF light can do. At LEDWave, visitors had a chance to try how many lumens their flashlights produce. So I asked the staff to test my P2X fury and surprisingly it did nearly 600 lumens on moderately used batteries. Later when the SF representative came by to check his backup, I found out that SF underrates some of their lights. Never been happier. :)

SRC focused most of their energy on OEM work so their new products are new accessories like a zombie beating foregrip and an interesting adjustable stock for M4. An MP41 was also displayed with a nice wooden stock.

At Gunfire I looked at some interesting guns like a 400 fps out of the box, plastic body M4 from Dragon, the APS C Rifle, the new Beryl (where the furniture comes straight from the real steel manufacturer) and a 1000 FPS (!!!) sniper rifle. The sniper has an external power source, FPS adjustable. I think I need to report this to the airsoft police. :) Gunfire had their new gloves on display in various colors and design. This is where I spotted the KWA KRISS Vector  with the strange flash hider. We published those pictures earlier. I hope Gunfire will cut us all a good deal on these things.

At Redwolf Airsoft, I met a long lost individual: Vladimir from Airsoft Systems. He gave me all the updates, and told me that the release of the ASAR is near so if anybody wants to buy my collection of 10 various AEGs then let me know. It's about time to sell the old guys :). The ASAR will come with the rail, handguard, stock and grip pictured. Also, the magazine is ready but don't worry, any AEG mag will work in the ASAR so it won't need special magazines.

A little bit more about the mysterious AS sniper is revealed. It uses an M14 AEG magazine. The gas tank is located under the barrel and this setup reminds me of a PCP airgun. The gun right now is set to shoot with around 200 m/s but that will be lowered. The muzzle serves an actual function and it was designed to stabilize the BB leaving the barrel.

Next, RedWolf showed me the working model of an MG34. The MG34 is a limited edition replica and only a few hundred was produced. I think I was the only one who was interested how the gearbox looks like so here it is. The magazine is connected to the body via a BB feeder tube. And the sound activated motorized high capacity magazine will help you spray the area if you are strong enough to carry it all day. It's made of steel and wood, weighs accordingly.

At Helikon-Tex I was able to look at the new Level 7 Jacket and it does look convincing. We just need to wait for the reviews to find out how warm it is in reality. We also need to wait a little for the Pencott series of BDUs. Their Parka will go through design change so PenCott Badlands and Greenzone will be coming in July with a 50-50 ripstop. ATACS will come in both colors also in late July with a 60-35 ripstop. This one is on hold because ATACS' LE will join the pack. No decision yet whether the new patterns will be introduced to the Helikon-Tex ECWCS line.

Crosman had their Taiwan made Nylon Fiber bodied Game Face M4 rifles on stand in several versions. Expect lot of different colors if there's market demand. They already have the DE version with the US Marines logo. These receivers aren't your average Sportline plastic bodies, they look and feel surprisingly sturdy. I hope I can do a quick review one of these soon.

All photos taken during Day 1 are available in Higher Res at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

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