Confederate
Member
I was thinking about getting a training gun, but they're going at $45+ most places. This seems to be a lot of money for just a lump of plastic. Is there a place to get them cheaper? Does anyone sell them used?
Training Guns: Why So Expensive?
- Thread starter Confederate
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GregGry
Member
buy an air soft gun
There expensive because they are pretty durable, made to be thrown down, dropped, etc. without breaking. They are also made from pretty accurate molds of the guns they represent. The ones I have used perform their intended use well. I've never seen them used.
Philip Marlowe
Member
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+1 to GRIZ - various agencies will issue the blue training guns in place of the real thing to break-in holsters and get cadets used to the idea.
Agree with airsoft or maybe find a training center (mixed martial arts) which might sell them cheaper used - just a thought?
Agree with airsoft or maybe find a training center (mixed martial arts) which might sell them cheaper used - just a thought?
TeamPrecisionIT
Member
To teach unholstering/reholstering drills, general handling, flashlight techniques, retention techniques, um do I need to go on?
They have a purpose, and keep in mind quality airsoft replicas are usually over $100 for just the gun, not including the cost of green gas and bb's.
Damian
They have a purpose, and keep in mind quality airsoft replicas are usually over $100 for just the gun, not including the cost of green gas and bb's.
Damian
TeamPrecisionIT
Member
Well unless you have the real thing loaded up completely (meaning one in the tube too) then the weight is going to be different whereas the blueguns are designed to simulate that without the added dangers of having live ammo involved. Meaning they match the weight of a loaded firearm.
The real fruition of these is when you are teaching team tactics stuff like room clearing and such. Can you do it with a real gun unloaded, yes, of course. But the weight will be different (this is especially important with transitioning drills) and you will always have the rookie who puts a loaded mag in there and makes a SERIOUS error by not clearing the weapon. In order to avoid that many military and LEOs have been using blue guns.
Damian
The real fruition of these is when you are teaching team tactics stuff like room clearing and such. Can you do it with a real gun unloaded, yes, of course. But the weight will be different (this is especially important with transitioning drills) and you will always have the rookie who puts a loaded mag in there and makes a SERIOUS error by not clearing the weapon. In order to avoid that many military and LEOs have been using blue guns.
Damian
Kind of Blued
Member
I remember reading something about when Crimson Trace got started. They had to spend a RIDICULOUS amount for an exact plastic replica of the first gun that they made laser grips for. I think this also may have been a sort of "tax" imposed by the manufacturer so that Comp-Tac could legally say that the grips were designed for a "Colt 1911" instead of saying "1911-style pistol".
So a lot of the price may be going toward paying off that high overhead from the "legit" sample/mold.
So a lot of the price may be going toward paying off that high overhead from the "legit" sample/mold.
Invisible Swordsman
Member
Here's a couple of slightly less expensive sources:
LETargets,.com (around $35.00)
http://www.letargets.com/estylez_ps.aspx?searchmode=category&searchcatcontext=~6~6.3
LA Police Gear
http://www.lapolicegear.com/bldegun.html
LETargets,.com (around $35.00)
http://www.letargets.com/estylez_ps.aspx?searchmode=category&searchcatcontext=~6~6.3
LA Police Gear
http://www.lapolicegear.com/bldegun.html
I can understand that, but wouldnt it be more benificial to do all those things with the real deal in order to simulate wieght, balance, fatigue, ETC..need I go on?
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Many of the training guns are weighted with metal inside to simulate this.
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Many of the training guns are weighted with metal inside to simulate this.
Thomas Garrett
Member
We use the "blue" training pistoi in the Defensive Tactics course. the "Ive got your pistol, wrestling match".
They cost so much because of the up-front costs to create the Tool to mold them. This has to be amortized into the cost of each trainer.
Unless people are buying thousands and thousands at a time, it costs a lot of time & money to make them in small batches.
Unless people are buying thousands and thousands at a time, it costs a lot of time & money to make them in small batches.
I'm fairly sure they might only make them 1000 or so at a time, then switch to a different model. When they only make small batches, expenses are spread out less in the short run.
Realistically, I do not forsee any single customer buying more than 100 of any specific model at a time, and once they have enough on hand, they are probably good for stock for months or years. Even if they get an agency purchase, they are probably good for a long time.
I would imagine that retail sellers of them make a large profit, but also risk long holding times before they sell.
I used one once for a training class, and it was nice. Not only did it save us from the safety issues, but it cost us nothing since they were borrowed from another agency. We didn't have the budget for them at all, and it was helpful we got to use them for free.
Some of the people had never held a real gun before, and it was realistic enough for our purposes.
In an academy situation, $40 is far less expensive than $500 for a real gun, especially since there will be dropouts who never graduate. Why have a bunch of inexperienced people with guns when you can just give them an inert item instead?
Realistically, I do not forsee any single customer buying more than 100 of any specific model at a time, and once they have enough on hand, they are probably good for stock for months or years. Even if they get an agency purchase, they are probably good for a long time.
I would imagine that retail sellers of them make a large profit, but also risk long holding times before they sell.
I used one once for a training class, and it was nice. Not only did it save us from the safety issues, but it cost us nothing since they were borrowed from another agency. We didn't have the budget for them at all, and it was helpful we got to use them for free.
Some of the people had never held a real gun before, and it was realistic enough for our purposes.
In an academy situation, $40 is far less expensive than $500 for a real gun, especially since there will be dropouts who never graduate. Why have a bunch of inexperienced people with guns when you can just give them an inert item instead?
I will agree with the other posts about why it is so expensive, but I would like to mention that I find it to be very worthwhile. I bought a bright orange glock 17 and my wife and daughter know that it is totally safe. I can leave it around, practice a draw, walk around the house looking at potential angles for self defense (hopefully I will never need to use this knowledge). It is worth its asking price.
Also LA Police Gear seems to have them on sale as I type... (Sig, Glock, Beretta and J-Frame) for 23.99
-Mitch
Also LA Police Gear seems to have them on sale as I type... (Sig, Glock, Beretta and J-Frame) for 23.99
-Mitch
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