In today’s article, we decided to give you answers to some questions people are often asking – can airsoft guns be used for training, and can airsoft translate to real firearm skills?
To give you a short and simple answer, yes, you can use airsoft guns for training and airsoft can translate to real firearm skills. Some people will say no because airsoft guns are just toys that are not loud like real guns, don’t have strong recoil, and don’t produce a blinding muzzle flash like real firearms. Also, while using a real firearm in real-life situations is much more dangerous and actually a matter of life and death, airsoft is pretty safe. That all may be true but still using airsoft guns can teach you a lot about handling, holstering, clearing malfunctions as well as aiming the gun. Even some military and law enforcement units are using airsoft guns for training drills.
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Can Airsoft Guns Be Used For Training?
So you want to be a better shooter or learn a thing or two about tactics? Training with real steel guns can become pretty expensive as ammo is not cheap and you can’t just take your gun into your backyard for target practice. So you must join shooting range and there are probably more airsoft fields than gun ranges around you. And in many countries around the world, it is even illegal to own a real steel gun.
As we said, airsoft guns can be used for firearms training, and in fact, some military and law enforcement units are using airsoft guns for training drills. While airsoft guns are not exactly the same as real firearms, they are sufficient for training. They are often less expensive, a lot easier to maintain, and much safer than using real guns (of course, you must wear proper protective gear).
Training with airsoft guns can help you to be a better shooter but note that not any airsoft gun would be sufficient. If you get some cheap, plastic replica don’t expect satisfying results. You must purchase a high-quality airsoft gun that replicates the functions of real steel weapons (weight, sights, and feel of a real firearm). There are a lot of airsoft guns that are incredibly realistic and if it weren’t for the orange tip on the barrel, you probably couldn’t tell the difference between airsoft replica and a real steel gun. Of course, some things will be much different, like the projectile speed or the maximum range of the weapons, but we can say that for the most part airsoft training guns function quite similar to real firearms. Probably the best would be if you get gas-powered airsoft guns as they are more realistic than AEGs or spring-powered guns. Even better get GBB (Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun) which will give you a pretty realistic recoil.
You can use airsoft guns for dry fire training and get accustomed to holding a gun. Also by training with airsoft guns you can improve your accuracy. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using airsoft guns for training.
Pros Of Using Airsoft Guns For Training
Cost-Effectiveness
You will spend less money on airsoft replica than on a real firearm. Also, airsoft pellets are a lot cheaper than ammunition for real steel guns, which is great because you could spend a fortune on real ammo if you’re training regularly. And you don’t need to join a gun range to practice shooting, you can do it in your backyard or garage.
Learn Tactics
Law enforcement units must learn tactics for various situations. The only way to do so is by simulating such situations. With airsoft, it is much safer, cheaper, and simpler to simulate these situations and learn trainees some of the tactics.
Realistic Replicas
Like we said there are many high-quality airsoft guns that look and feel almost like the real thing. They are incredibly realistic replicating weight, sights, and feel of a real firearm. Don’t expect the same noise level, the projectile speed, or the maximum range of the real steel guns. While airsoft replicas have much lower muzzle velocity (airsoft gun projectile speed) than real firearms you could still purchase powerful airsoft guns with high FPS (Feet Per Second; a measure used to describe airsoft gun projectile speed or muzzle velocity). You can also add many real-life tactical attachments to airsoft guns, like tracer units, red dot sights, or suppressors.
GBB (Gas Blowback Airsoft Gun) are pretty good at simulating firing a real handgun. It’s not the same as the real thing, but some of them will give you a pretty realistic recoil.
You can check our article What’s The Highest FPS Airsoft Gun And Does FPS Even Matter? and find airsoft guns with high FPS for you.
You Can Train Almost Anywhere
Real firearms can’t be used anywhere and you need to join shooting range to practice. With airsoft guns, you can train almost anywhere. Now, don’t get us wrong. You can’t take your airsoft gun in a public park and shoot as it is really hard to differentiate it from real steel guns, especially if you removed an orange tip. In some countries, airsoft is even illegal or banned. But you can train and shoot in your backyard or garage, something you can’t do with real guns.
Safety
Airsoft guns should be treated as real guns at all times. Most of the manufacturers will tell you the same thing. But still, they are much safer than using a real gun. You can even practice force-on-force scenarios and fire freely at your friends or colleagues – even if you hit them they’ll feel a sting, but you won’t kill somebody with it. I’m not saying you can’t injure someone with airsoft pellets, but it’s not a bullet.
Cons Of Using Airsoft Guns For Training
While airsoft guns can be used for training, they are not identical to real steel guns. Even on airsoft replicas with pretty realistic recoil, it’s still not the same kickback feeling you get when firing a real firearm. Also, the noise level and trigger pull on airsoft guns aren’t the same and they don’t require the same level of maintenance like real guns.
And the last thing – when using a real gun you will be more alert and on edge, because you can shoot and seriously injure or even kill somebody.
Can Airsoft Translate To Real Firearm Skills?
Some will say no, for all the reasons we mentioned before, but I think that most of us agree that it can. While real firearms have strong recoil and are loud as hell, this doesn’t mean you can’t practice with airsoft guns. You can learn a lot about gun safety, responsibility, gun handling, holstering, aiming, and shooting by using gas-powered airsoft guns. With airsoft guns, you can also learn about clearing malfunctions like jams and misfeeds. You can even practice force on force training which will be much more valuable as paper targets you’re shooting at the gun ranges won’t shoot back at you. You can even learn a thing or two about tactics, communications, and teamwork.
Actually guys from T.REX ARMS invited talented and incredibly fast young Japanese airsoft player @Liku_Tactical to the United States to test this. Liku lives in Japan and was dry-firing with airsoft guns for three years and never shot from a real gun in his life.
As you can see from the video, the answer is yes, airsoft can translate to real firearm skills. Even he never fired from a real gun, Liku picked up things very quickly, and like the guys from T.REX ARMS said, he did better than any of them expected and is a better shooter than most people out there.
There are also a couple of videos on YouTube with reactions from professionals, like for example OriginalHuman, a former royal marines commando. You can find them below and listen to what experts are saying.
Royal Marine Reacts To Can Airsoft Translate to Real Firearm Skill? – T.Rex ARMS
Reaction from US Marine Corps veteran
Summary
Like we said, airsoft guns can be used for training drills and airsoft can translate to real firearm skills. We’re not saying that airsoft gun is the same as a real firearm. Airsoft guns do not have the same noise level, the recoil or trigger feel like real firearms. Also, just because you’re using airsoft guns for training, it doesn’t mean you’ll be proficient with a firearm. At some time you’ll have to pick a real gun. But like we saw, training with airsoft guns can be pretty beneficial as you can learn a lot about gun safety, handling, holstering, clearing malfunctions as well as aiming the gun.
