Role of airsoft in home training?

[bingley]

For whatever reason, we don't make it to the range a whole lot. So we dry-fire at home. Aim, click, rack the slide, aim, click, rack the slide, etc. We can practice the mechanics, but we can't confirm the accuracy of our movement by checking the target. Can we use airsoft guns for home training? You will actually be able to shoot at a target. How realistically does airsoft guns mimic real guns? Will we pick up bad habits?

I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of this, but I wonder what the pros and cons are. So I ask those with more experience to chime in. Thanks!

 

[Ruffnek]

Well airsoft guns mimic the feel(shape-wise) somewhat accurately but they fail horribly at mimicking the sound,recoil,and weight.They would be great for tactical training,i.e: pieing corners,stacking up,and maneuvers,but they could fail you on muscle memory and other things like managing recoil or recovering from the deafening report(earplugs would be at the very back corner of my mind in a home defense situation).

 

[bingley]

What about the trigger? Does it feel like a real gun trigger?

 

[Dragon]

Airsoft replicas can be very accurate in weight, it just depends on what you buy and how much you're willing to pay. Recoil management and report are major cons but as a training tool they are only part of the puzzle. Let's say you don't have access to a range that will allow you to do reloads, move and shoot, or engage multiple targets rapidly, airsoft can be of GREAT benefit. Personally right now, I only have access to public ranges where I'm forced to shoot from the bench. This does me only so much good with a pistol, so I use airsoft regularly.

IMO Pistols are the best representation, bang for the buck, that airsoft has to offer. Gas blow back pistols mimic the weight and realism very well and as the name states, the slide blows back in the same way that real steel does. It gives a sense of recoil but the impulse is totally different. I would suggest trying it out and using it as a supplement to regular training and not a staple. As the saying goes "Fight how you train, train how you fight" but we can't all be that hardcore all the time. I'm sure people will chime in and tell you to stop making excuses, but don't let that deter you, some people just refuse to see the value in alternative methods of training, ie Airsoft, SIRT, MILES.

 

[bingley]

What would you recommend for an airsoft gun that best approximates a 1911? Would the airsoft gun fit into a holster and the magazines fit into regular single-stack magazine pouches?

 

[Ruffnek]

Dragon brings up an excellent point that I failed to think of earlier in the blowback gas-operating airsoft pistols.Some of those can accurately represent a single action trigger pull.

If you want to practice or smooth out your double action trigger pull,a cheap spring airsoft pistol is a wise investment because they are long and heavy on trigger pull and,if you can maintain aim with something that light,a full weight gun would seem like it was glued on target.

As for holster fit with the gun and magazine,many of them are spot on with size,even the Wal-Mart airsoft pistols are close to,if not right at,actual dimensions.It is a cheap training method worth exploring and even if they don't fit the desired purpose,they make domestic disagreements(read: arguments) a heck of a lot more fun.

 

[Evermoore]

Any of the KWA 1911's are great replicas. They make imo some of the best airsoft guns off the shelf out there. Cost wise your looking $150-160ish.

 

[AlwaysVigilant]

Airsoft training with a close, quality, replica is an excellent way to get some practice in. It is always funny to me that folks will say negative things about the recoil differences and the noise etc, but have no problems advocating dry fire work...

How many thousands of draw strokes, trigger presses, sight alignment, off hand cants, etc. can you do with an empty pistol? Now imagine feedback on a target, or targets....even moving ones...like training partners! That is a huge advantage, and worth every penny.

 

[armedindy]

this thread is very helpful for me..i have been contemplating buying an airsoft...but wasnt sure....also....Dicks only had 1911 type pistols...are there "glock like" guns out there?

 

[AlwaysVigilant]

this thread is very helpful for me..i have been contemplating buying an airsoft...but wasnt sure....also....Dicks only had 1911 type pistols...are there "glock like" guns out there?

There are many Glock clones. My personal choice is KSC/KWA...my g19 copy is indistinguishable from the real deal until about 6 inches away, less the orange tip. Fits all my holsters too. Saucy on price, but again, way cheaper and more versatile than the live fire practice we wish we could get every day.

 

[bingley]

Is there a 1911 or Glock airsoft with a realistic trigger? I hear they are all very light on the trigger. I'm not so concerned with the heft.

 

[Evermoore]

I think my KWA 1911 was adjustable.. I don't think you will be able to get a 100% accurate replica though.

 

[blamecharles]

I have been remodeling my house for 8 months now and can tell you that you will be picking up those damn airsoft pellets everywhere. I swear my house and yard grow the damned things.

 

[tdoom15]

Get a SIRT pistol, it is an awesome training aid and i can say without a doubt it has improved my skill level.

 

[N8RV]

I just recently bought a KSC Glock 17 for some F-on-F training, and have been wondering if there's a way to incorporate it into training. With a full mag, it's about the same weight as my real G17. The pistol and the mags fit perfectly into my Kydex holsters, and in defensive ranges (<15'), it's pretty darned accurate. The blow-back action, while far less recoil than a 9mm, is realistic enough to cause me to focus on follow-through, and the trigger feels pretty much like a stock Glock.

I plan to set up multiple targets and practice target acquisition. I'm not sure that I'll swap out the sights quite yet to match my G17's, but if it turns out to be a viable training tool, it might be worth the investment.

The only problem is that, with weather turning cold now, I'll have to figure out how to do the drills indoors.

 

[econnell]

I just recently bought a KSC Glock 17 for some F-on-F training, and have been wondering if there's a way to incorporate it into training. With a full mag, it's about the same weight as my real G17. The pistol and the mags fit perfectly into my Kydex holsters, and in defensive ranges (<15'), it's pretty darned accurate. The blow-back action, while far less recoil than a 9mm, is realistic enough to cause me to focus on follow-through, and the trigger feels pretty much like a stock Glock.

I plan to set up multiple targets and practice target acquisition. I'm not sure that I'll swap out the sights quite yet to match my G17's, but if it turns out to be a viable training tool, it might be worth the investment.

The only problem is that, with weather turning cold now, I'll have to figure out how to do the drills indoors.

Depending on how much space you have, basement or garage, (long hallway when wife and kids are gone only) I’ve always used a draped carpet (from goodwill) behind my targets to catch bbs, pellets, air soft, arrows, foam and bag targets work good also for stand alone, or get a few cans of expanding foam and fill up the box of your choice and let it dry, use caution if in garage shooting towards the door..those lil damn things leave an annoying ding.

 

[drillsgt]

Depending on how much space you have, basement or garage, (long hallway when wife and kids are gone only) I’ve always used a draped carpet (from goodwill) behind my targets to catch bbs, pellets, air soft, arrows, foam and bag targets work good also for stand alone, or get a few cans of expanding foam and fill up the box of your choice and let it dry, use caution if in garage shooting towards the door..those lil damn things leave an annoying ding.

Back when you could afford lumber I would make target frames out of something like 1 X 4's sized to a silhouette target with a thick double cardboard backing and use those, contained all the airsoft BB's pretty well.