Opinion on Airsoft

it has the same advantages and disadvantages as rimfire training except both are exacerbated

My oldest has a 1911 and we have alot of fun with it, thumb safety works and everything.

Cheaper and safer than Simunitions, more realistic than paintball.

Don't have anything to say about the air guns, guess their ok if you want to play with air guns; but don't see the practical application to firearms training or practice. You can dry fire a real gun or load with dummy rounds if you want to practice drawing a weapon or whatever. No airgun is going to do you any good toward gaining competence in your regular weapon. Shooting and more shooting is the only thing in that regard. Remember watching one of the old gun slinger / trick shooter who can do things with a handgun that doesn't seem possible. He was ask to give some advice to a new shooter about how to master some of the things he saw this guy do. The answer: go home and shoot a 100,000 rounds or so and then come back and ask me again.

Airsoft [Crossman] makes a handgun holster for these guns that you can buy at most Walmarts. Look in the airgun cabinet. Made out of black nylon material so they're soft but well shaped. They are unbelievably well made, look good, and will fit most full size semi autos. My Glock 40 fits like it was custom made. Also fits my Tarus Judge [Public Defender]. It is easily of the quality of the holsters I've seen at gun stores for $40 or $50. Ticket on this one is $8 or less.

The "gas" guns work just like your real gun. The guns are realistic enough that you really cant tell the difference when in your hand, and they cycle just like your real gun when shot. True, you dont have the blast and recoil, but you do have enough of a recoil impulse, that you still have to track the sights as you would with a real gun. The guns are also close enouhgh in scale to be used in your carry guns holsters.

As far as "playing" with them, they allow you to actually shoot each other in realistic drills. Dry fire is great, but this has more realism that just about anything else. Give it a try and see how you do.


Here are one of my P229's, as well as one of my "airsoft" P229's. A little paint, and most would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I've had some great training experiences involving airsoft.

We went out with the National Guard once to an airsoft tournament and essentially used our squad tactics and patrolling SOPs throughout it. Basic firearms safety was covered and used, too.

As for actual shooting? Naw, not really, they're not that useful, but airsoft is a useful tool in weapons handling and tactics.

Airsoft CAN be a very valuable aid for simulating real lethal force encounters.

As others mentioned, Simunitions is a "better" alternative, but it is costly and carries much higher risks. That system is also not commonly available to the average person.

Airsoft -- if employed as a stand-in for your real carry sidearm in "force-on-force" training sessions handled studiously and seriously -- can bring realistic defensive training into reach for a lot more people.

What they help you learn isn't necessarily shooting mechanics (though some good ones can do that, too) but rather the more complicated details of how a lethal encounter develops, how you should, will, and can or cannot present a weapon into a hostile situation, how well you will employ it (with what level of diminished control/success), the timing of recognition, response, draw, presentation, movement ... and rather a lot else.

That's what airsoft guns CAN do, if used correctly.

If used in a juvenile manner like nerf guns or water pistols, they are obviously much more negligible value.

Here's a recent thread that explores the idea a bit more.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=594064

Our family has been using air soft pistols for years. We use it for snap shooting. I sometimes get carried away and shoot my wife in the a$$ while she is doing dishes. She takes it off of me and I don't see it for a while.
On Sundays we used to set up targets on the fence and practice shooting with both eyes open. It had definately helped with our shooting when we go to the range. We have found that the .25 grams pellets are the most accurate.

I actually learned how to shoot handguns with a Daisy Semiautomatic BB gun, I was self taught. Airsoft did help but they were cheap ones.

I sometimes get carried away and shoot my wife in the a$$ while she is doing dishes. She takes it off of me and I don't see it for a while.

Click to expand...

I have a nerf double barrel for that. And it's very yellow and green. So she cant hide it.

I find airsoft to be adequate for training, and where else to you get the chance to safely get shot back at? No doubt about it, working as a team carrying exercises sharpens your off range skills, yet limiting it to CQB. If you're training for defensive purposes, or just in the woods with some buddies heres a realistic co2 powered 1911 and its a sizzler for $55 at 500 feet per second. My brother got me in the hat @ 30 feet first shot, so I'd say its accurate too.

http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_45_500&products_id=31807

As far as shooting each other be careful as some actually sting pretty good. My son has a spring powered shotgun looking one and I had no clue how much zip it had. I shot him in the chest thinking it was very weak. I felt pretty terrible when I saw the welt it left him.

quick note.....he's a teenager not a 2 year old

I played in high school and its a lot of fun. There isn't anything bad about it, and its great fun. You can do everything you can with a regular gun, minus the bang. I had an M4, M16, Remmington 700, Glock 26, and 1911 airsoft guns back then and it was fun to get some friends together after school and go have some fun out in the woods.

Went to a range today that also had a 2,000 square ft indoor airsoft facility with large shipping containers and all. They said a lot of LEO's used it for team training. He even let me try one of the automatic rifles they rent, and walked me around the place. I can see airsoft as good training for keeping cover and being shot at, and maybe the shock affectand adrenaline of turning a corner and seeing an enemy. Plus it looks fun as hell!

I have a friend in Florida who uses airsoft guns to stay in practice when he can't get out to the range.
I used to scoff at these things, now, not so much.

Like real guns, spending more and buying quality goes a long way towards improving your overall experience.

I'll take Manny Bragg's word for it when he suggests they're a good training tool.

This one worked like a charm for running short range drills and dry fire practice






http://www.mannyusa.com/