Anyone who is at all interested in airsoft-livestreams cannot possibly have missed the new series of product-release “Launch Parties” that VegaForceCompany (VFC) have been putting online recently, and the very latest is again pretty darn exciting as it’s for their new AVS74U GBBR, and this Monday we can bring you an exclusive report from the event!
Midway through October our man in Taiwan Stewbacca got a message from Ray at VFC asking about his availability to join a secret product release meeting similar to the announced launches before.
Having missed the previous L403A1 release due to “work work” commitments he of course jumped at the chance to get involved as this would be held on one of his days off.
“Are ya free on Tuesday?” ‘Yeah… ahm free Toosday’…
Stewbacca told us;
Arriving just before two in the afternoon at the upper floor of the VFC Pentagon Service Centre in Xinzhuang west of central Taipei, we were greeted with the usual nice buffet lunch and the dominating announcement banner featuring VFC’s Spokeswoman Sally Zhou sporting the AVS74U (AKS74U) GBBR with Judge Hsia adorning the background.
Many of the usual crowd were already on site; Clarence and Katherine of CLPD, Andrew and Jess of the 4UAD squad, Vic of YNS Tactical, Kenrin of QRF Mag, and numerous more locally-focused media and retailer representatives. I settled in to munching on some of the fine dining options and briefly catching up with some of the above mentioned and of course our friends at VFC themselves before Sally announced the opening of ceremonies.
Top man Vega made a brief introduction speech alluding to the earlier release of the AKS74U prior to the imminent QRF Mag MOA 2025 show as VFC already have plenty of other things to look forward to and wanted to spread out the hype a little (and no doubt everybody’s usual wallet damage!… as I jokingly call them; Vortex For Cash).
A brief intro video playing on the featuring of the AKSU in the James Bond film Goldeneye was shown before Ryan from the design and engineering department took the stage with Sally and Judge to showcase the new features and differences of the AVS74U over the earlier full size 74M model released prior. The same base system is in use internally, with a lot of parts interchangeability as well as magazines of course; however the new release versions have a lovely subtle almost iridescent plum lustre to them, but nonetheless fit and function just as nicely as the prior examples.
Of course the front end of the gas piston and long-recoil-operation-replicating bolt carrier group is shortened to account for the cut down barrel and handguards; the stock redded-wood versions look particularly classic and have a nice lustre and comfortable grip to them, with an accurately slender Bakelite styled pistol grip. The internal mechanism while largely the same in construction to the full size AV74M is tuned to give a higher rate of fire, close to the 800 rounds per minute of the real ‘Krinkov’ given its shorter format and lower moving mass of the action. Additionally it was announced that the first batch of guns would be supplied with a very nicely replicated canvas deployment bag for paratrooper use.
The gun was displayed from various angles on stage and partially dismantled to showcase the new features or changes and demonstrate the realistic articulated recoil spring guide and takedown procedure, before the tactical versions were also introduced, with a Picatinny railed top cover, quad Pic rail and MLOK/top Pic rail combination front stubby handguards, as well as AR style telescopic and side-folding stock as well as a slender MCX style stanchion side folding stock and more tactical style muzzle devices available to replace the standard conical offering. These certainly looked nicely put together and handled nicely with a proper holographic sights atop one of them the looked the business from the outside and when using it; personally the classic base model with no frills and wooden furniture sings to me more, and perhaps top kid Bill would agree as well…
No sooner had a few initial questions been answered and the bulk of the initial presentation been concluded there was a queue forming at the firing range portion of VFC’s recently refitted Pentagon centre floorplan. Ten metal IPSC targets were arranged in two rows one above the other to give everyone ample practise with aiming using the simple and clear iron sights and rapid target transitions; everyone was blatting through partial magazines one after another as well as being treated to a prototype of the elongated RPK magazine (which holds 60 BBs rather than the real capacity of 40, and can apparently dump two full loads of BBs on one loading of green gas), and of course I had to give it a try myself along with the standard versions, drilling the A-zones gleefully and with relative ease with rapid single shots, double taps and short strings of full auto moving around the target array.
With many of the local media and retail personalities having gotten hands-on with the platform there were apparently resounding positive thoughts and sounds of enjoyment as the staff repeatedly reloaded the test magazines to try and keep up with the demand! Numerous variants were available for photography but only the basic classic style was shot live as such, and many of us were noseying around the insides and taking pictures of them and the different setups on show.
Finally the usual sneak peek release was another pistol; I’d joked with Sam that he was wearing a holster but it was empty this time… they had in fact hidden the prototype MP443 GBB pistol in Sally’s chest rig, and it was produced on stage for her and Ryan to talk through, followed by some hands on action with the rest of us. I found it quite weighty and very comfortable in the hand, and apparently we will be able to get hands on a live-firing finalised prototype at MOA 2025 on the Range Days.
So, it seems there’s lots to look forward to from our friends at VFC… and we don’t even know about all of it as yet, we’ll see what Bill and myself can lift the iron curtain on during MOA at the end of November in a few short weeks-time.
Many thanks to VFC’s Pentagon Service Centre and wider general staff as always for their invitation, excellent hospitality and presentation. I look forward to what else they have to share with us soon, until then fellow shooters…
