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dEFCONAirsoft Visit UN Company
Our roving reporter Jimbo from the
dEFCON team stops off at UN Company whilst on his world tour. Here is his
report and some of the pictures he managed to snap whilst there. Thanks go
to UN Company for being so welcoming.
(all pictures are clickable for a
larger version)
  As
luck would have it, my hotel and UN Company’s shop were both on Hong Kong
Island. At different ends, but no crossing of the water! Having said
that the Underground system MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) in Hong Kong is first
rate and efficient. A medium walk, about 10 minutes or a mile depending on
which way you want to look at it, and I was aboard the afore mentioned MRT and
winging my way from Sheung Wan to Wan Chai. Armed with directions from
their web site and my trusty map, I came up out of the MRT Station on the right
street! There about 6 exits for each station, each going to a different
location! This can get very confusing! Turning Left, I could see the
begining of Wan Chai Road ahead of me. A few shops later and I had the
numbering system figured out, and about 5 minutes after that I saw the small
entrance to their shop! Armed with my Camera, in I went. First thought
struck me – Does any one here speak English? Ah well, one way to find out.
 I
introduced myself, and dropped the obligatory name of our trusty web site –
dEFCON – “huh?” was about all I got from the first try. Several repeats
later and I think I got some sort of recognition, turns out their English wasn’t
too bad, just as well because my Chinese was non existent. I didn’t think
to pick up a phrase book because I hadn’t planned on being in Hong Kong that
long, besides, most phrase books don’t come with a section on Airsoft. A
stuttering conversation later and I had permission to take some pics.
These boys were busy... One of the
pictures shows a delivery of new kit they had taken that morning before I
arrived. And while I was there, there were a constant stream of people
coming into the shop, mostly locals, who were taking up the time of the guys
there. After a long period of taking pics and drooling over the kit, a
young ex-pat asked about a CA Scar C.Q.C, and one of the guys took it out of the
box for him to assess. The young chap wasn’t going to be buying there and
then, so yours truly managed to get his hands on it too! Good solid
weight, not too heavy, and came up to the shoulder like it was made to fit!
I think it was the Hard Carry Case it came with, and the solid feel of it that
had me seriously considering buying one of these to replace my G36!
However, thinking about how I would have to explain to each Country’s Customs
Teams as I made my way from Hong Kong to Japan, onto New Zealand and finally
back to the UK, kinda put me off buying it there and then!
I didn’t get to see the work shop which was
in a little room behind the counter. They all seemed a little bemused by
this... Going around the shop peering into the display cabinets and taking
all sorts of snap shots! I didn’t like to ask them, as it had been a bit
of a struggle getting across who I was and what I was doing there. There were
tantalizing glimpses of all sorts of weaponry sitting on the bench and shelving
in there, and there was at least one of the chaps sitting in there working on
something.
 When
the mad rush had died down, I collared the same bloke that had showed me the CA
Scar. Time to put their product range to the test! Long Bottom Rail
for a G36 – check. Green Daylight Laser – check. Fold-down Sights –
check. Combat light – check. Pistol Combat Light – check.
Remote touch pads for the laser and lights, well the laser came in a kit with
mount and remote switch, and so did the rifle Combat Light. That just left
the Pistol Combat light remote switch – check. Red Dot sight – Aimpoint
copy – check. The only thing they bombed out on was a flat top rail/carry
handle for the G36. Either that, or he just didn’t understand my
explanation. Never mind, plenty of goodies to play with as it was! I
then had to repeat the list as the young man had put all the bits back after
getting them out to show me. Hehehe... He didn’t realise I was
actually going to buy them! It truly makes you want to cry when you see
just how much we pay for our kit. Now I know that there’s import tax, and
tax for this and tax for that, but I have taken a shot of the price list of the
guns, just to make every one sick! There seems to be a common equation –
Take the price of something , convert it to dollars, then just swap the dollar
sign for the pound sign, and Voila! UK Price! (try it on some of the bits on UN
Company’s website, and see if I’m not wrong!) Anyway, more to come on the bits
when I get back to the UK and fit them on the gun! After having got them
through customs in Japan, New Zealand and the UK!
 There
then ensued a short-ish discussion on pricing in the UK, and the state of the
game – re:- VCR Bill. Keeping my words short and miming some of the things
managed to get across what I was trying to say, same went for their side of the
conversation too. There was a sticky moment when the peeps behind the
counter had a few troubles with the Card Reader, but after a second and third
start, I put in my PIN and was the proud owner of some trick bits for my
weaponry back home! As it was getting on for early evening time, a couple more
pics inside and out, and I made my way back to the Hotel on foot. Took me
the best part of ¾ an hour to do it, but I did get to see some of Hong Kong
along the way!
I had tried to get the names of the people
serving in the shop, but they seemed a tad reluctant to give them. Shame
really, because the write up is peppered with guys and blokes and peeps.
That just leaves me with thanking the staff for their friendly and open
reception, and proving their thorough knowledge of the kit that goes along with
our beloved game or Airsoft.
Thanks guys, it was well worth
stopping off with you and taking a look around the shop.
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