I've recently gotten around to getting an airsoft pistol -- this gas blowback (GBB) Glock 19 replica -- and I wanted to share my very positive experience with it for those who haven't tried it or perhaps haven't heard about it.
http://www.airsplat.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={92AFE333-138D-43CEVERESTD-A8D2-04CA8729C775}&ic=GP%2DKSC%2DG19%2DMET&eq=&Tp=
This G19 is fed using hefty "real"-sized magazines that have a chamber for gas ("green gas" or, as it turns out, propane) and a double-stack channel for 0.2g 6mm BBs.
With this adapter, the gun can be run off regular Coleman propane bottles -- i.e. dirt cheap:
http://www.airsplat.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={92AFE333-138D-43CEVERESTD-A8D2-04CA8729C775}&ic=GG%2DAI%2DPROP%2DADAP&eq=&Tp=
I love these sticky Crossman targets -- the BBs stick to the "dartboard" and roll down into a collection tray:
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/accessory.pl?accessory_id=435
Impressions...
The pistol is dimensionally identical to a G19. It will fit the appropriate holsters, and thus is great for practicing CCW draw and fire, IDPA/IPSC drills, etc. Although there are flyers (probably due to BB imperfections), the gun is surprisingly accurate. The slide even stays open on empty.
The magazines load very quickly with both BBs and gas -- there is a "speedloader" which is essentially a tube that makes it easy to feed BBs from a spouted bottle. BBs fired at the soft target are reusable. I've cycled them a bunch of the times and there is no degradation in accuracy. If you hit a BB stuck to the target one or both may shatter, so eye prot is still a good idea.
I would recommend getting a couple extra mags with the gun, for IDPA/IPSC drills, force-on-force if there's a club or friends into this in the area, etc.
The gas blowback type of airsort gun uses some of the gas to cycle the slide in the expected fashion, helping produce a little bit of recoil. It's great -- feels like firing a semiauto .22 target pistol. It's pretty quiet all things considered.
Training Results
I am a so-so pistol shot. I think the biggest benefit I'd experienced in the past has been from dry-firing practice, learning to manage the trigger without disturbing the sights. With dry-firing, quickly raising the gun on target is another thing that can be practiced, and that too helped a lot.
With this airsoft thing, I'm seeing rapid improvement (in handling the replica; no time for the range lately) and I feel this is just the beginning. My point shooting is improving a lot, as it is no big deal to fire a thousand shots -- it's virtually free once the initial modest investment is made. I shoot the target while moving in the garage (and get terribly sloppy right away, but that's something to work on).
My overall plan is to keep improving speed and accuracy for target acquisition and double-tap or Bill Drill; holster draw and shoot; improve shooting on the move a la IPSC and practice weak hand shooting. I fired about 1500 shots in the space of a few free moments over a few days since getting this gear.
As to why the G19 replica.. I'm a longtime Glock owner and plan to add more to the "arsenal". Reinforcing the point shooting geometry with the same grip-to-barrel angle is ideal for then using the real thing.
In sum, I think the gas blowback airsoft is a great tool for practicing just about everything except recoil control. I hope to eventually find the time for some force-on-force recreation/training, but of course the family might have other designs on my time.
(I should also add that the trigger reset on this gun is similar to a Glock's, and trigger feel is overall reasonably similar. One excellent quality of the setup is the speed of reloading -- BBs just scoot out the loader spout into the "speed loader" and down into the mag. Takes a few seconds to load the 20 or so BBs, and you're back in business).
http://www.airsplat.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={92AFE333-138D-43CEVERESTD-A8D2-04CA8729C775}&ic=GP%2DKSC%2DG19%2DMET&eq=&Tp=
This G19 is fed using hefty "real"-sized magazines that have a chamber for gas ("green gas" or, as it turns out, propane) and a double-stack channel for 0.2g 6mm BBs.
With this adapter, the gun can be run off regular Coleman propane bottles -- i.e. dirt cheap:
http://www.airsplat.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={92AFE333-138D-43CEVERESTD-A8D2-04CA8729C775}&ic=GG%2DAI%2DPROP%2DADAP&eq=&Tp=
I love these sticky Crossman targets -- the BBs stick to the "dartboard" and roll down into a collection tray:
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/accessory.pl?accessory_id=435
Impressions...
The pistol is dimensionally identical to a G19. It will fit the appropriate holsters, and thus is great for practicing CCW draw and fire, IDPA/IPSC drills, etc. Although there are flyers (probably due to BB imperfections), the gun is surprisingly accurate. The slide even stays open on empty.
The magazines load very quickly with both BBs and gas -- there is a "speedloader" which is essentially a tube that makes it easy to feed BBs from a spouted bottle. BBs fired at the soft target are reusable. I've cycled them a bunch of the times and there is no degradation in accuracy. If you hit a BB stuck to the target one or both may shatter, so eye prot is still a good idea.
I would recommend getting a couple extra mags with the gun, for IDPA/IPSC drills, force-on-force if there's a club or friends into this in the area, etc.
The gas blowback type of airsort gun uses some of the gas to cycle the slide in the expected fashion, helping produce a little bit of recoil. It's great -- feels like firing a semiauto .22 target pistol. It's pretty quiet all things considered.
Training Results
I am a so-so pistol shot. I think the biggest benefit I'd experienced in the past has been from dry-firing practice, learning to manage the trigger without disturbing the sights. With dry-firing, quickly raising the gun on target is another thing that can be practiced, and that too helped a lot.
With this airsoft thing, I'm seeing rapid improvement (in handling the replica; no time for the range lately) and I feel this is just the beginning. My point shooting is improving a lot, as it is no big deal to fire a thousand shots -- it's virtually free once the initial modest investment is made. I shoot the target while moving in the garage (and get terribly sloppy right away, but that's something to work on).
My overall plan is to keep improving speed and accuracy for target acquisition and double-tap or Bill Drill; holster draw and shoot; improve shooting on the move a la IPSC and practice weak hand shooting. I fired about 1500 shots in the space of a few free moments over a few days since getting this gear.
As to why the G19 replica.. I'm a longtime Glock owner and plan to add more to the "arsenal". Reinforcing the point shooting geometry with the same grip-to-barrel angle is ideal for then using the real thing.
In sum, I think the gas blowback airsoft is a great tool for practicing just about everything except recoil control. I hope to eventually find the time for some force-on-force recreation/training, but of course the family might have other designs on my time.
(I should also add that the trigger reset on this gun is similar to a Glock's, and trigger feel is overall reasonably similar. One excellent quality of the setup is the speed of reloading -- BBs just scoot out the loader spout into the "speed loader" and down into the mag. Takes a few seconds to load the 20 or so BBs, and you're back in business).
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