Subjective airsoft summary of 2023
Airsoft Events
Every time I check the calendar for the coming year, I am very disappointed that the summer months are so short. Why? Because it's the time of the biggest airsoft events. And this year was no different. Large rallies, LARPs and manoeuvres had their next editions. Regardless of what form we prefer; we should have no problem finding our favourite one. Often, even within one event, we have the opportunity to choose a side of the conflict or a team more focused on role-playing or more focused on more military manoeuvres.
Among the events in 2023, there are, of course, foreign events such as Dark Emergency and Border War. However, the ones from Poland are closest to me. The well-known and popular MARSH and Misja Afghanistan had their editions. There was also another edition of the Gunfire B.L.A.S.G. described on the blog. The organizers are not stopping. I saw that tickets for the next edition of MARSH are already on sale. Even though the event is only during the summer holidays, admission tickets are already very popular.
Airsoft events are not only about shooting. And so, it was this year. In addition to typical competitions, we also had the opportunity to see airsoft at various fairs. The Gunfire team was a guest at the very popular event Pyrkon. This event is an institution in itself. However, I am personally very happy that our hobby also appears during less military gatherings. However, if you are looking for an event typically focused on integrating the airsoft community, look no further. BBCon was held in 2023. It's hard for me to clearly define what this event is. The organizers call it an airsoft convention. It was definitely a great opportunity to see different sides of this hobby with your own eyes, spend time in a family atmosphere and meet friends.
Airsoft as a sport
2023 is another 12 months of developing the more sporty aspect of airsoft. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about it is probably speedsoft. This year there was no shortage of events focused on this field of airsoft. Of course, those organized in Poland are closest to me. Here, of course, Airsoft Team Poland comes to the fore. As part of the activities of this organization, we had several events. First of all, ATPTournament, which is the final of the competition for professional speedsoft teams. But ATP also includes events from the Speedchill series, i.e. competitions for amateur teams, and the CQB Tournament in the Bank Heist formula.
If you are interested in speedsoft, I also encourage you to follow SpeedSoft Polska profiles. They are behind PLS, the Polish Speedsoft League. This, in turn, is a series of cyclical competitions that remind me a bit of football leagues. Competitions are held periodically and teams gain points for classification. Similar leagues are also being opened in other countries, so it's worth checking what it's like in your country. Speedsoft is becoming more mature every year. The list of competitions is growing and new teams are appearing. It's good to see the development of this field of airsoft.
However, sporty airsoft is not only about airsoft. The field of, say, target shooting is constantly developing. The Co2 Collective team did not disappoint and prepared two flagship events for players. Madball and Palace are dynamic shooting competitions using airsoft replicas. I personally participated in the latter and had a great time. It is worth checking if there are similar competitions in your area. And if not, keep an eye on the organizers. The next edition of Madball is planned for summer 2024.
We also cannot forget about Gunfire AAIPSC, already described on the blog. This year there were many competitions in this form. For me, the most important thing was, of course, my debut at the competition in Leszno. However, on an international scale, competitions were also held in other countries. Among others, in Great Britain and the Netherlands. AAIPSC has organizations in various countries. Dynamic shooting with airsoft guns is becoming more and more popular with airsoft players.
Airsoft equipment launches
Of course, it is difficult to point out all the hardware premieres that we had the opportunity to see in 2023. Everyone, of course, has their own preferences and pays attention to different things. Therefore, this part will be even more subjective than the rest of the article.
For me, the premieres of GATE turned out to be very interesting. One of them is HPA Pulsar engines. The latest of them is, of course, Pulsar D, a two-valve version. The company from Krakow has also released a new version of my favourite MOSFET system, ASTER. And although HPA is not very close to me, I am happy with this second product. The new ASTER has a built-in Bluetooth system, which means that we no longer need an additional adapter to connect the system to the application on the phone. This is a very big convenience.
The next hardware premiere I would like to talk about is something that appeared on the market relatively recently, but in my opinion, it is very important. This is a new line of airsoft sights from Theta Optics. Basically, a whole new line. Theta Rugged are red dot sights with a better construction than typical airsoft sights. They are still relatively cheaply priced, but offer much better durability. You can of course find their detailed description on the Gunfire blog in one of the previous articles.
While the above-mentioned collimators are a relatively new proposition for customers of airsoft stores, the last new piece of equipment in 2023 has been available for sale for some time now. I'm talking about X Flex replicas. These are pistol calibre rifle replicas from the Specna Arms brand. You could say that this is a slimmed down version of their X series. The polymer receiver, despite its lower weight, is still solid enough. Especially for CQB games. Why did I mention market internship? Because I have already had the opportunity to see X Flex airsoft guns at real shooting events.
Author: Boreq
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