What is your favorite field style?

Mags: High Caps vs. Mid Caps

There have been numerous debates throughout the airsoft community on which is better, high-capacity mags (meaning mags that hold around 250-400 BBs) or mid-capacity mags (hold around 80-120 BBs) and I think it is time to state my opinion and share some pros and cons that I have accumulated over the years I have been airsofting.

Photo courtesy of AirsoftPanda.com

High-Cap Mags: I am going to start this thing off with high-cap mags. The vast majority of AEGs will come with high-cap mags and for this reason some will classify them as being the “default magazines” for airsoft. It can be argued however that this is not the case and that just because most AEGs come with these mags does not mean one should buy 10 high-caps in order to complete a full loadout. Before I get too far into the details, let’s take a look at the pros and cons for high-caps:

• Pros:
  • Can hold more rounds per mag
  • 5 high-caps will hold more BBs than 5 mid-caps
  • Don’t have to reload as much (this is not a pro in my opinion because I love reloading and the realism that goes with it, but the common census is that this is a pro, so I will add it to the list)
• Cons:
  • BBs inside the mag tend to rattle
  • Mags have feeding issues
  • Can lead to strategies of posting in a corner and constantly firing while winding the mag (con because this is a very nooby move and will often cause the shooter loss of respect within the airsoft community)
  • Expensive

Mid-Cap Mags: These mags do not hold nearly as many rounds as high-cap mags and do not require the shooter to constantly wind the mag before firing. A lot of mil-sim (military simulation) operations will require everyone on the field to be using mid-caps or standard-caps (which hold 20-30 rounds depending on what the real steel variant holds). The reason for this is it creates more realistic scenarios and forces the shooter to conserve ammo, leading to better timing of shots and provides a more realistic experience. Now for the pros and cons before I dive deeper into this:

• Pros:
  • Provides a more realistic experience
  • Mags feed very well down to the last few shots
  • Trains the shooter to take only the best shots
  • BBs in mags don’t rattle
  • Low cost
• Cons:
  • Have to use speed loader to load BBs (can take a while when you have a lot of mid-caps, I myself have 16 for my G&G MP5)
  • Can’t hold as many rounds (Not a con in my opinion, but I know it is to some)

The Verdict: Aside from the fact that they don’t break the bank as much, I would recommend mid-caps over high-caps for various reasons. Such as the pros I listed for mid-caps, it trains you to take the best shots and you quickly learn not to take potshots on some guy way off in the distance or visible through a tiny hole. This in turn not only will make you a better player but will also help keep you and your squad hidden, seeing as there isn’t constant firing being rained down and sound emitting from your vicinity, and you will find that you can better get a drop on the adversary. Mid-caps also offer the far more realistic experience which is really what airsoft is all about, trying to make the game as realistic as possible.

When speaking in terms of how the two are viewed in the airsoft community as a whole, a player who use mid-caps can often times earn more respect than those using high-caps. This especially applies in close quarters scenarios where some people insist on sitting in a corner with their high-caps dumping  hundreds of rounds on the other guy until you either 1) land a lucky hit or 2) a squad member flanks around to take the guy out. Seems like a legit strategy? Maybe. But what are you going to do when everyone ridicules you for using “nooby” tactics. Sure you got the guy out, but now you aren’t as much of a respected member in the airsoft community.

The ultimate decision from choosing high-caps or mid-caps really does wind down to YOU, the shooter. Unless required by certain games no one (including myself) can force you to choose which one to use. However, I hope you have taken my advice to heart when making your decision and that you make the choice that feels right to you.

~Nick Gourlie

More Videos Soon to Come

I realize that it has been a while since I have made a review for you guys, I’ve been too busy with school and even on my breaks I end up working most of the time so I could never really squeeze in time to work on any reviews. But quite frankly I think this should change.

Sometime during May me and Nate are going to begin filming more reviews which I will releasegradually throughout the next few months. Expect to see reviews on replicas such as: G&G MP5, KS P90, JG G3, VFC SCAR, CA M15A4 PMC, and more as well as reviews for gear such as plate carriers, goggles, and optics.

Until then, feel free to subscribe to this site from the right hand column of this page to receive alerts of when I post new content. All the post I publish will all be airsoft related and not only consist of reviews, but also my advice and opinions on all things related to airsoft.

~Nick Gourlie

TSD Tactical Shotgun

Okay fair enough, this video isn’t so much of a review as it is just me messing around. Simply put, this shotgun costs around $30 and is an absolute piece of trash. Just a gun to plink around with at best. And what better way to make a video of a cheap gun then to make a video essentially mocking it in the style of a super cheesy 80s or 90s commercial?

KWA KP8C

Looking for a great and reliable gas blowback that won’t break the bank? Then the KWA KP8C (or any KWA gas pistol for that matter) is perfect! The KP8C, or Compact USP if we are going off the real steel version, features a full metal body including the slide. Now a metal slide can be either an advantage or a disadvantage depending on how you look at it. On one hand, a full metal slide offers more recoil and doesn’t have as much tendency to break as a plastic slide. At the same time however, a plastic slide does not require as much gas consumption to kick back so you will get more shots per mag with a plastic slide than with a metal slide. The choice between metal or not-metal ultimately lies within the preference of the shooter of what they want.

As far as performance goes, this will shoot similar with all other KWA handguns with FPS in the low 300s and accurate out to about 30 – 40 feet. The gun also features a hop up system which requires a special tool to adjust. Just like all other pistols, it can be powered by either propane or Green Gas, again depending on what the shooter prefers.

A huge downfall to some people in this handgun, as well as other KWA weapons, is the lack of trademarks on the exterior of the weapon. Some people could care less whether the gun has trademarks or not and if you find that you  prefer them KWA might not be the best choice, but honestly no one should let that be the deciding factor when buying a gas blowback unless someone is buying it purely for looks.

Overall this is a great pistol. It offers reliability, durability, and comes at a very fair mid-ranged price. This is perfect for anyone looking for a compact pistol to use for the occasional close quarters action.

~Nick Gourlie

KJW M700

In depth review soon to come.

UTG MK96

In depth review soon to come.