Back before I flounced out of airsoft, I was talking to Mike (AKA Perr_Mike) about his L119A1 CTW.
This was for two reasons:
- Mike had done an iterative ‘Trigger’s Broom’ on his CTW, replacing a few OEM parts with Etiny and Systema ones. I thought that would make an interesting story.
- The main reason – Mike’s blasters have always embodied the baddest UKSF impressions around and they are always way ahead of the curve.
I don’t know how he does the latter and I don’t ask (because he’d have to kill me) 🙂
Over to Mike…
Rich asked me back in early 2014 to put something together for his blog, but I never got around to completing it and how things have changed!
Since I was a kid I’ve been interested in UKSF, stemming from watching black clad troopers storming the Embassy at the age of 4 (why I was up for the 10 oclock news I don’t know). My Action Men (UK equivalent of GI Joe) all seemed to follow the same path after that (including a black clad trooper!)
When in 2001 I was introduced to Airsoft, I immediately wanted to do an SAS loadout but settled at the time for buying the obligatory TM M4A1 and MP5’s. A few years later, some SAS lads were picked up undercover near Basra with a boot full of goodies which were pictured in the press. In the distance, I spied a carbine length Diemaco/C8/L119.
I had to have the Airsoft equivalent…
It became an obsession after that. My poor old plastic TM M4A1 was my first incarnation of a 10” C8. I managed to source the correct length barrel and sorted the battery issue, after fitting an old school stock, by putting the battery in a ready mag.
Everything was sourced from Hong Kong and the old UKASC Forum. Ten years ago, parts were a lot more limited so this was quite an achievement. Many more C8-inspired builds followed, mainly CA CQBR’s with trimmed barrels and my own suppressors or barrel extensions fitted.
I had long resisted buying a TW, mainly because of the stigma the players used to carry (PTWs never miss don’t you know! 🙂 ) despite loving the platform.
Then, a cheap Celcius CTW MX2 came up. After some research (not helped by some dodgy reviews, some of which were posted by the UK Celcius importer pretending to be a happy customer!) I took a punt.
It started out as a bit rough around the edges but with a few choice parts (Etiny electronics, outer barrel turned down to 10”, a Systema hop/ inner barrel and a PTW cylinder) it is still going with only one motor replacement needed in many years of use.
It did really fail me at last year’s Stirling Airsoft Copehill game. I threw it back in its box in disgust, grabbed my MP7 and didn’t look at it for a couple of months. In between the game and looking at the CTW again, I bought myself a used PTW.
You can imagine my annoyance when I checked the CTW over to see it was only the bolt catch pin missing…a £700 pin!
CTW Spec
Celcius CTW MX2
Tac modded hop
Etiny electronics
System cylinder
DTW motor
ACM X300U*
LA5* and dual switch
Correct UKSF KAC rail
Angry gun SF supp* (when fitted)
Magpul AFG
AR15 Stock*
C8 butt pad
ACOG*
Wing mount
Shield RDS
Guarder grip**As always, this means replica
On to the PTW, which is another BB chucker that came to me in a bit of a state.
It had a sound lower but a dog of an upper. I rebuilt it after Paradigm Rifleworks reduced my outer barrel length to 10”.
I picked up another RS UKSF KAC rail and replaced some of the furniture, which had seen better days.
I also fitted an RS stock tube (modded by the above mentioned Paradigm), a Magpul STR stock (with an ACS stock as an alternative) and a copy of the latest SF issue ACOG “ECOS” with RMR sight and offset BUIS (although this is currently being swapped out for a T1 with magnifier).
PTW Spec
Systema 08 PTW (apparently Tac modded)
Correct UKSF KAC rail
Custom flashhider* (one off)
ACOG with RMR*
X300
LA5 with dual switch*
Magpul STR
Magpul AFGI’ve put an RWA hop in this, to give on-the-fly adjustments a go. I’ve heard mixed results from these but so far, it has been fairly solid for me.
So whats next?
The PTW is getting a lighter aluminium barrel. I’m not as young as I was when this obsession started, so the lighter the better.
Also it will get a paint job very soon!
An L119A2 upper for the PTW is a must. I’ve been trying to sort something for a while but have yet to find a suitable rail…but watch this space!
Massive thanks to Mike for putting this article together for the blog. It arrived pretty much good to go, which is always a massive help. Mind you, it was proofed by Mike’s other half – so a massive thanks to R, too 🙂
The Reptile House 