Hey folks, I haven’t been on here in a while but I’d like to see what others are doing to train when ammunition costs so much!
I personally have been doing a ton of dry fire and getting to the range when I have the cash to spare for 9mm. Anyone out there using air guns to get that little bit of extra practice when ammo is hard to come by?
I was speaking with my son yesterday about this specific issue. He just ordered an air pistol that replicates his S&W pistol. He said it is weighted so it has the same weight as the original. I don’t know how the trigger will react and cannot imagine that it would give similar recoil but it would be a great tool for indoor dry fire with no BBs as well as live fire at a safe target without the noise or significant cost of putting together a full fledged range.
Fits squarely in the “better than nothing” category, and that ain’t dumb.
I was shooting sporting clays with a group of combat vets Thursday, and the conversation quickly turned to air gun training due to ammo costs. Some of these guys are serious dudes from the SOF community whose careers were ended by their 3rd Purple Heart award and stuff like that. They are ALL using air guns. Good airsoft pistols and more “useful” air rifles ( .22 cal and up pump up pellet rifles and such). These are combat shooters who understand the neurological training during “down time” is critical to keeping an edge. It doesn’t have to be “the same.” It needs to be SIMILAR in psycho-motor coordination terms.
I fully agree with @MikeBKY and @Ken38 .
Dry firing is great but sometimes I’ve missed the feel of bum and recoil. It’s not the same… but at least something.
Airsoft gun without BB’s (with loaded CO2) is a great tool for practicing follow up shots without racking the slide every time. I prefer it more than SIRT.
My youngest was an airsoft guy and has a fairly healthy selection of spring and gas guns fortunately one of each in the 1911 format. I use the spring gun to train with holster draws and the gas gun for double taps and Mozambeque drills in the garage which is about 16’ long since it was shortened to include a laundry room/pantry. I use heavy duty sticky velcro to attach plastic coffee cans to the garage door, fill them full of wadded up news paper and put freezer paper over the mouth held on with a rubber band. Quick down and dirty pellet trap that you can set up in any configuration you have velcro for.
PLEASE wear eye protection when doing this!!! I caught one on the tip of my left ear that bounced out of the can and thought I had damn near died. I’ve also been hit in the knuckles, neck and face, the experience is less than pleasant.
@Ken38 you SOF buddies are very correct on “similar” as opposed to “exact”. When I was shooting Highpower, awful hand was my (and everyone else’s) weak link. I have an RWS Dana 45 spring gun with a teak block bolted to the bottom of it to approximate an M1 A magazine. Camp Perry 1994 I set up an air rifle range in the barracks and for two hours shot awful hand with the spring gun and then went and competed. Not only did I break 90 for the second time in my life I shot a 97-6X, 96-5X and a 96-7X , 98-5X back to back, the X ring is 2" at 200 yards. The stock was wrong, the LOP was off, the sights were wrong the trigger was atrocious but those two hours of trigger control, breathing, timing netted me best in class gold medals in 4 matches.
Cheers,
Craig6
Hey dad
I wasn’t paying attention to who posted! I was starting prep for a USCCA Legal Seminar in the Louisville area sometime in April.
For all those who know me, @Gunner502 is, in fact, my son!
@MikeBKY … You made it… 
Don’t tell me you didn’t recognize your son’s posts… 
So now everyone knows that @MikeBKY is the best USCCA’s attorney and @Gunner502 is the best son of the best USCCA’s attorney… 
Ok, I’ve tried to make it complicated… 
Isn’t the way the attorneys speak at the court?
It is not just motor terms. Many people startle from the shot sound and could use desensitization, i.e., their gun needs to be loud or they need to be exposed to shot sounds on the range. Practicing alone with Airsoft does the opposite.
Sig sells a 365 .177 BB caliber CO2 pistol that is just a tiny bit smaller than the real 9mm 365 version. Just a tiny bit of wobble in the holsters. Really tiny. For $80, having something to train with in the basement is pretty nice. I also think I have better odds of removing a BB from my leg than a Hornady FTX round. I like it.
Aren’t these words against everything we’ve been taught as responsible gun owners? 
Best instructor son of the best USCCA attorney
We have to contact @moderators to give you your new TITLE:
But practice with an airsoft should help identify issues associated with live fire like anticipating recoil.
If all you ever did was practice with air guns I would agree could be bad but can be really good if part of an overall training regime.
Very few ranges will let you draw from conceal carry and actually fire. It is also very hard on a gun range to have targets in front and on the sides of you. You can set these up with air soft to raise your overall training.
I would also say doing paintball from time to time can help. It gives you a perspective of shooting from cover and changing cover.
Not saying I have pulled a BB. Mistakes happen. That’s why it’s called training. We’ve all heard the draw practice horror stories.
Well I’m not 100% sure I’ve earned it in this community just yet. I got NRA certs in 3 courses, but I’ve yet to earn USCCA instructor certs
And gives you a taste of that adrenaline that comes with shooting on the 2-way range
Absolutely works. I use a CO2 powered airsoft gun for practice and it’s a perfect facsimile and allows the honing of mechanical skills.