Airsoft as a training tool?

L

LOLERCOASTER

New member
I frequently airsoft casualy, and have heard about it being used by some police departments as a training tool. Is this true?
 
I've asked quite a few cops that very question,,,

I haven't found one cop or agency that uses airsoft as a serious training aid.

What I have found is a few people who use them in retention drills or close quarters combat training,,,
Not because of the airsoft pistols having any special virtue on their own,,,
They are simply cheaper than most rubber or aluminum pieces.

Now having said that there is an Airsoft pistol by my TV chair,,,
And a pellet trap across the room that I shoot into,,,
But again I'm not sure it's training per se,,,
It's just fun to shoot the little thing.

Aarond

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Paint pistols are more often used than airsoft in training as hits are clearly visible.

An officer I know just last month was shot three times in training. Paint pistols though.
 
Glenn is right

Airsoft guns can be safely used for field stripping and cleaning practice. Magazine changes. Drawing and holstering. Room clearing. Several of KWA's GBBs are PTP or Police Training Pistols and with the exception of a couple parts are completely made out of quality aluminum.
 
The NATO anti-terrorism training course at Souda Bay used Simunitions for room clearing training, several years back. Not sure if they still do.
 
I just started using the KWA PTP pistols for beginners handgun safety course instruction and demonstrations, and to run through competition course of fires. Seems to be working well and my Soldiers like using them. The KWA PTP is very realistic with the same size, functioning, weight, trigger pull and recoil of an M9. I buy them used for around $100 on ebay. http://kwausa.com/products/ptp/. I also attached a cheap laser sight to use for instruction: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/342160/ncstar-red-laser-sight-with-weaver-style-mount-black

It's great when giving a course when firearm ranges aren't available, like at night.
 
As someone in Law Enforcement, I can definitively tell you that they are used pretty effectively as a training tool.
 
Yes, they are used by LEO in training. Our department has about a dozen of the KWA Glocks, some AR's too.
Building searches, running scenarios, just plain fun.
Also, a group visit to the field will show you how others will react under stress - it is the best tool to figure who you want as your backup I've found.
 
Error on my part, the KWA PTP has realistic recoil, about as realistic as you can get short of the real thing.

I've been looking at the KWA LM4 PTR too, but is kinda expensive at $379+$50 for extra mags.
 
I used one (a clone of a popular tupperwear pistol) in a SI class last year along with complete face mask, neck wrap and long sleeve shirt. Fits my standard pistol holster and the spare mags fit my mag holders. The only difference is the Air-Soft mags hold 26-28 BB's plus the gas to power them. I learned a lot about armed encounters as you start with a Duel between you and the Perp. Then on to more solutions on how to avoid getting shot, but done in the Air Soft Environment. A very neat way to train just short of real bullets or Simunitions and lots cheaper.
 
@ Steviewonder1

KWA came back out a couple of models based on the 4th generation. 17 and 18C. KWA calls this line ATP. The appearance was changed slightly but all accessories that fit real Glocks will fit the ATP line.

With airsoft guns you can also safely practice shooting right in your living room.
 
Having a gas blow back airsoft gun allows me to train a lot more than I could without it. Is it a perfect simulation for and can it completely replace actual range time? No, but it's pretty dang close.
 
Now having said that there is an Airsoft pistol by my TV chair,,,
And a pellet trap across the room that I shoot into,,,
But again I'm not sure it's training per se,,,
It's just fun to shoot the little thing.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing but at my computer desk. I can get a lot of trigger time when studying. And the crappy air soft trigger makes me appreciated my S&W that much more when I go to the range haha.
 
Simunitions are used a lot for training at the higher levels,
Click to expand...
While this may be true in some instances, in my experience simunitions are used at places with larger training budgets and airsoft is used at places with smaller training budgets.

When the agency I work at was deciding if it should use simunitions or airsoft, the deciding factor was cost. We can train twice, maybe even three times, as much with airsoft than with simunitions. In a strapped economy, the cheaper but relatively equally effective (for our purposes) option is king.
 
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