Airsoft...

[mjb99]

I find myself with less time than I would like for shooting for real at the local range, and so I am looking into alternatives. I already dry fire a fair amount, but I am wondering about using airsoft for realistic practice. I know many police departments, etc., use them for force on force training.

Can anyone recommend some good, solid airsoft pistols that work in a realistic way, and will hold up over time? I am particularly interested in revolvers...or autos that mimic 3rd gen dao's.

Thanks in advance!

Matt

 

[USAF385]

I haven't had much experience with airsoft, but from the time I have spent with them they don't compare enough to the real thing.

 

[Smith357]

The biggest issue with airsoft training is the lack of recoil. They are fine for first shot training. I used one to get used to drawing while seated in the car without having to worry about blowing a hole in the dashboard. The lack of recoil makes making follow up shots a worthless training exercise. For that reason I recommend you get what is called a Springer, where you have to manually cock it for every shot. The gas guns require a lot of care and extra junk, run out of gas and you are done training until you can get to the airsoft store. I found for around $20-30 most springers are realistically styled and operate with all the proper levers and buttons. Stay clear of the $10 ones from flea markets and gunshow junk dealers.

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwo...Marui_Tokyo_Marui_Spring_PC356_High_Grade.htm

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwo...tridge_Sereis_SW_M36_3_inch_HW_Black_8mm_.htm

If you really want a Gas Blow Back gun that is a dead ringer for the real thing then a Tokyo Marui or Tanaka Works are pretty good but you can end up spending almost as much as you would for a real gun.

RedWolf Airsoft - Airsoft Gun (Softair Gun) Retail and Wholesale From Asia

 

[cshoff]

If you don't mind spending the bucks, you might check out the SIRT training pistol. It, at least, provides you with some realistic feedback regarding your trigger control and your POI.

Next Level Training

 

[venomballistics]

handy things ...
as Smith357 said, they lack recoil which is a mixed bag of rats till you put it into perspective.
constant live fire with real steel is a recipe for a chronic flinch.
eventually its going to happen and when it does, you'll find it a hard critter to kill.
Airsoft is a godsend though many would call it a tool of the devil.
you can work on gun handing as well as marksmanship.
since they dont put the smack on you, you get to see exactly the variety of flinch youve developed. you might limp wrist, raise, or even push the gun in your flinch cycle .. you get to see and feel this with airsoft and make a conscious effort to break these habits.
you might even find a few nuances absent recoil that can help you tighten your groups as well. much of it is transferable to a firearm.

so the idea is to go back and forth between the two so that the skills remain valid under recoil.

 

[nebmike]

I have to say that I am solidly on the side of seeing (good) airsoft guns as a valuable addition to self-defense training.

I own several airsoft guns which replicate real steel (Glock, 1911, AR-15, etc.). The handguns are all gas blowback -- so other than not having the muzzle blast and heavy recoil, they function exactly like the real thing. Being nearly identical in size/dimention, I can use my real steel holsters and pouches, which is nice.

You can practice reloads, malfunction drills, draws, sight alignment/sight picture, trigger control, muzzle awareness, etc., etc., from the comfort of your own home with little risk of doing more than cracking a picture frame with a stray airsoft pellet (I wont tell you how I know that).

I've found them to be particularly useful in helping to train for various scenarios within the house. I can take small or medium sized shipping boxes and fill them with anything soft (crumpled newspaper, packing peanuts, a pillow) and place them at various locations throughout the house and actually shoot into them safely. That setup effectively captures the pellets so you dont go dinging your walls or breaking glass anywhere (unless you miss, that is).

I know a lot of people knock the value of airsoft guns -- but if you get a high quality one (prolly $150+ for a handgun, or $200-500 for a long gun), they are extremely realistic and most will function exactly like the real thing. I think where people get disappointed is when they buy the cheap guns which dont operate like the real ones.

Good luck!

 

[mjb99]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I will tale a look at the brands suggested. Does anyone have experience with airsoft revolvers?

Matt