Having used my VSR-10 SMLE conversion at sub 350fps level at Op Ariel I've had a few thoughts.
For me I think the positives about using the SMLE at the lower velocity outweighed the negatives.
Because it was so low powered it had no minimum engagement distance this meant I didn't have to carry a pistol backup, which was more accurate, plus I had no worries about really hurting anyone with it. I was able to use it as a rifle was used in WWII and not as sniper rifles are used in modern airsoft. This really helped with the suspension of disbelief for me.
So that's the advantage and it was a pretty major one for me. So the disadvantage was that I was outranged by the K98s on the other side... but was I? I never felt I was... I was getting accurate shots with the gun at long range running it with a tightbore barrel and a decent hop and using quality .25g bbs.
Was it a problem going up against SMGs... well yes to a degree it was, but it was less of an issue at Ariel because there were so many rifles there! The odd SMG didn't really matter. In fact the SMG guys were running out of ammo at an alarming rate at which point my rifle was becoming far far more important because it was low powered and didn't have any restrictions on its use.
So what I see as the way ahead for WWII airsoft IMHO 
is lots of sub 350fps low powered rifles on each side with just a few SMGs running at the same power. No backup pistols would be needed so accurate loadouts would be possible and the whole thing would be a whole lot safer to boot!
Or are people just too obsessed with high fps for their bolt actions to do this?
I know I for one will be downgrading my No4 from 480fps to 350fps very soon!
Discuss...
Might join you on this
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
I agree in part, in that it would be nice to see more bolties, particularly as "infantry" weapons. But it's almost impossible to get a Tanaka K98 down to 350fps for the Germans. Also, those of us who like to play a proper sniper role need that power to be making shots at 70m plus to remain unseen. Bring the effective range of a sniper down to that of everyone else and they get spotted, simple as.
Also, it was a windless day at Ariel. As soon as you start trying to use a lower powered rifle in any kind of wind, you are going to hit f**k all, because the ammo you use is so light. Where the higher power comes into its' own is its ability to use heavier ammo for increased long range accuracy and its' ability to ride out wind gusts.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Interesting points there... What I'm proposing would be a purely voluntary thing which is more or less how it was proposed to me for Ariel.
At the end of the day in WWII the standard infantry man was armed with a bolt action rifle, not an SMG or a sniper rifle. There's still roles for SMG users and snipers with more powerful rifles, but the large majority of players should be standard infantry with bolt actions, not SMGs or snipers. These guys really shouldn't have backup pistols and shouldn't have to switch weapons when getting up close.
As for players getting low powered K98s. As far as I am aware it is perfectly possible to downgrade the tanaka rifles with a restrictor? Don't the ones sold in Japan have to be lower powered anyway and I'm sure I heard that chef could supply restrictors of various powers?
Now yes, we're very much in a position that the manufacturers seem to want to sell us AEGs all the time. Probably because it's easy. But you yourself are pushing them to make some bolt actions. If that is successful then this "dream" of mine may come true. It certainly came true for me at the weekend and that was up against people using SMGs and powerful bolt actions...
Right then, weather. Yes wind can and does affect performance of guns. But then it does for the high powered ones as well. Even my No4 running right on the edge of the 500fps limit has problems. To get past that you'd have to go above that limit and I seriously hope people haven't been doing that! I don't see it as a major problem... The positives of going low power outweigh this disadvantage completely for me.
More bolt action rifles at the same price of a Chinasoft AEG would be great . A springer K98 and No4 for around £150 would be a huge step forward to moving the genre on . I'd add a Garand at a similar level would also be good .
Lower FPS would help as well . The traditional airsoft view of higher FPS in exchange for less ROF is not applicable if the majority of both sides are using bolt actions . Engagement ranges would drop a bit , but that's not neccessarily a bad thing .
Don't get me wrong Yith, I think, in principle, it's a good idea. You just need everyone else to do it as well. I'm all in favour of seeing more bolt actions because that then leads to the ability to fire and manouvure and to suppress at range. The removal of the MED would be good as well, because you know a snap shot at 10m isn't going to leave an exit wound!
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
i agree with yith and guy, on 2 occasions i had to run away from a german to be able to shoot him with the enfield because i was too close and if i had to start looking for, then undoing the pistol holster, taking out the pistol then engaging him, i would have been long dead. both my pistol mags decieded to pack up at the weekend, so they were leaking. that left me with just the rifle and an engagement range, i feel i missed out having to try and stay at a safe distance.
I'm going to downgrade my Enfield anyway. Simply because VSR10's are a pain in the arse to run at high power, you spend a fortune on tougher parts and they still bloody break! I'll just have to build another one as a No4T for when I get to do some sniping.
I still think the hard part is getting the Tanakas down to that level though. The vast majority at events are the "export" version, fitted with BGS hop sets, which are fully capable of 700fps+ on a hot day with green gas! Getting them down to 350 or less will not be easy, even with restrictors.
Edit - Btw, the rifles that my contact is planning on are going to be while yet, prototypes, tooling and production take a bloody long time.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
I like this idea of sub 350 bolt actions, my old mp001/no.4 shot at about 370 on .2s but on .25s it chronoed at about 355. If it was a choice of downgrading slightly or carrying a sidearm I`d go for the former.
Part of the reason I haven`t put together another load of kit and getting out and about again is I`m waiting for a useable spring China bolt action K98 or LE. 
Rich,
regarding the Tanaka rifles that have the BGS hop units - the original bolt nozzles are replaced to longer versions which helps with cuttng down gas leak between the nozzle and the rubber hop unit. They cannot take restrictors due to their shape and not being theaded, well not the ones that would be supplied by Tanaka.
I have reduced the fps of my rifle by not using green gas - unfortunately there's not much more I can do. There was a frontend bolt replacement made by Tanaka for the pre-restricted rifles, which included the restricter nozzle and inserts - tey we not expensive, but I don't thing they are available any more.
During yesterdays game I stayed behind the enagement distance of my team who used smg's etc. I can't say that I am a sniper, just a german with a bolt action rifle with iron sights.
When I was tasked with taking back the railway, I was moving forward with my P08 in hand, incase of engagement below the MED.
It's a shame about the Tanakas. These problems can't be insurmountable though, even if a different rifle has to be used...
It is, I agree, possible to almost do the riflemen's role with a high power bolt action... everything up to getting close. Then you have to get your pistol out to shoot. 
It was an absolute revelation to me to be able to use the SMLE all day yesterday, at both long and short ranges without ever having to get a pistol out or say "bang" 
It really did add to the feel of being there...
All I need to add to it was the 18 inches of steel on the end of the rifle... lol!
The Tanaka is a beautiful weapon , but at £500 new will always be out of reach for many . I know the frustrations of under MED, having watched Lardy have to put it down and draw a pistol over the weekend .
Cheap tunable springers is what is needed .
Don't get me wrong Yith, I think, in principle, it's a good idea. You just need everyone else to do it as well.
Sorry I meant to reply to this comment before...
I disagree. I don't think you do need everyone to do it. Those with MED trade off the advantage of long range to the advantage off not having to switch weapons when they get close.
I didn't feel at all disadvantaged yesterday. Perhaps, yes the nature of the site and weather helped there, but still I did it with I assume the majority of the people on the other side having high powered bolt actions and SMGs...
Where one leads others will follow... hopefully! There's already a couple on here talking about taking this route as well!
This an interesting discussion seeing as i've just ordered a Springfield M1903A4 sniper rifle from MGW. As soon as i receive it im looking at upgrading to get more accuracy, and power. Its got JG Bar 10 internals
I intend to use this as a sniper rifle only As i will have a scope attached to it. I was looking to get as close to 450-500fps as i can. I've not used a bolt action before so it will be a whole new ball game for me.
If you guys dont think i need to go that powerfull then, i'll consider an alternative.
Only you can decide to be honest. I prefer the low power having tried the high power stuff... It is fun, but I prefer the more immersive feeling of not having a side arm.
I also hate scopes. Can't stand 'em. I've used them, but they drive me mad. When I got my first rifle I ran it without one for a while and had tons of fun. As soon as I put a scope on it the fun factor waned. I've realised recently that the same thing applies to the power as well for me.
Matt, you don't play in the same games as me, and you don't have the same limitations in the impression. Brits hardly ever got side arms, which I believe isn't true of the yanks. A whole squad of guys with bolt actions running with a bren for backup and a Cpl with a Sten is what I'd really like to see and we're working well to do it in PBI.
Running it as a sniper is a totally different thing.
The ideal for me is to have the flexibility to alter the fps to anything between 300 and 500... I can do this with both my rifles as I have a good stock of springs and both have good upgraded internals to handle them.
The main point that has put me off actively acquiring a No4 has been the high FPS, because I don't want to have my perception of 25/30 meters standing the chance of hurting someone.
If there was the chance/ability to downgrade to 350 I would be a happy, and No4 owning, man.
Ahh right, didnt know you brits were rarely issued with side arms. Yeah i have a 1911 as backup. So would be good for engagment ranges.
If this discussion doesn't apply to bolt action sniper rifles then i'll step away.
The main point that has put me off actively acquiring a No4 has been the high FPS, because I don't want to have my perception of 25/30 meters standing the chance of hurting someone.
If there was the chance/ability to downgrade to 350 I would be a happy, and No4 owning, man.
Just do it. You can get VSR and APS2 springs to suit pretty much any fps you want.
If you make your own it's not a problem, if you get an S&S (or other) one just ask for 350fps! Simple.
Oh and the trigger mech will be a damn sight more reliable with the weaker spring in it...
In fact guns where the sears won't engage with a high powered spring due to wear may actually work with a weaker one!
Ahh right, didnt know you brits were rarely issued with side arms. Yeah i have a 1911 as backup. So would be good for engagment ranges.
If this discussion doesn't apply to bolt action sniper rifles then i'll step away.
No... the British rifles should be used more like the M1 garand is in the US army. A No4T or whatever is a totally different matter altogether, and should be pretty rare... expecially in the early stages of the war.
Ahh right, didnt know you brits were rarely issued with side arms. Yeah i have a 1911 as backup. So would be good for engagment ranges.
If this discussion doesn't apply to bolt action sniper rifles then i'll step away.
Germans didn't get many either , although private soldiers acquired 'captured pistols' if they could . Unless it was in your soldbuch yuou ran the risk of having it taken off you once out of the line .