Plastic training rounds

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BoogieMan

New member
I was given a couple boxes of plastic cases and bullets that are made to take a primer only. I'm sure many of you have seen or maybe used them in the past.
Are they accurate enough to use for training? What distance will they fly straight? I am planning on using them in a 5" 686. I figured I would build a little box to catch them and use a cardboard target. Fired indoor when outdoors are not favorable.
 
I have used the polymer X-ring bullets in .38spl cases with primers. They are accurate enough out to about 10 yards. I hung a moving blanket and pin paper plates to that and they work fine for some thing. They group larger than normal bullets by maybe 50% at 10 yards.
 
I used the Speer plastic bullets back in the 60's and 70's. They worked OK at indoor target distances, across the basement.

The revolver rounds were all plastic, the .45acp's used the bullet alone, and a standard case. Its been awhile, but Im thinking the flash hole was reamed out too, like you do with the X-Ring's.

Ive used the X-Rings as well, in .44, and had about the same experience with them as Mark did.

Prior to the Speer plastic bullets showing up, we used to use canning wax "bullets" in the same capacity. A primed case pressed into a layer of wax on a baking sheet, was all that was needed. They worked OK too, but tended to be a bit messy.

Keep in mind, any of the primer fired rounds, are not quiet, and indoors, are quite loud.


One thing I will advise against with the plastic bullets (rubber or wax too, for that matter), is using them in a force on force capacity. DONT! They HURT (and leave nasty bruises)! Trust me. :)

We were using BB guns back then in that capacity, and the idea that using your real gun was appealing, as it still is today. The first "hit" cured us of that. :D

Airsoft is a much better alternative, and also a great indoor training aide shooting wise. The gas and electric guns Ive had and use are capable of of good accuracy at basement distances, and outdoors at longer ranges than you might think.

I used to routinely put 5-6 out of 10 into the 1" to 1-1/2" holes in my burn barrel across the yard at 25-30 yards using my red dot equipped airsoft MP5. I could easily hit 18" trees in the wood line at 50 yards with it as well.

The handguns work well at the longer distances too.

Personally, with the airsoft guns available to us now, Id go that route over the plastic bullets for all around non range practice.
 
Ditto on the airsoft.
The more realistic blowback versions are way better.
While I still have some of those plastic practice rounds, these days they're mostly a curiosity.
Airguns are cleaner, quieter and plenty accurate.
And with the price of primers, airguns are a lot less expensive to use, too.
In addition to being easier to find components.
 
Primers are kind of nasty.
I used to shoot that plastic ammo all the time, back when that's about all there was that was suitable for home indoor practice.
And there's nothing wrong with me.....wrong with me.....shudder, twitch.
But then no one thought there was anything bad with lead - in paint or gasoline - or with asbestos insulation, either. :eek:
Maybe we've just become a nation of wimps and worriers.
Anyone up for a bb gun fight?
 
I'm in NJ so to buy a bb or pellet gun I have to get a permit the same as I did for my 686. So that tends to be out.
But, I'm curious about the air soft that are accurate. Anyone or brand in particular that tends to be as accurate or close to as actual gun? I would be willing to drop $100 or so on one. I find that shooting hand guns is almost as good for stress as yoga. That means I can tell my wife it's for therapy. Lol
 
Check with the road test videos at pyramydair.com
There's plenty of very realistic airguns, airsoft, bb-guns and pellet versions, that make excellent fun and practice for home use.
I'm up to nine of them, now.
They are habit forming.
The pellet guns, with rifled barrels are the most accurate.
Although the smooth barreled airsofts and bbguns can be surprisingly good, too.
All come in realistic blow back versions with honest to beans recoil.
Very neat.
 
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KJ Works are decent guns. Mine (SIG P229 copies) seemed to hold up well and were accurate. The only problem I had, were the "O" rings in the mags tend to start to leak after use, and needed to be replaced on occasion. Not a big deal, but can be annoying.

Ive been looking to get a couple of Glock copies, just havent got around to it yet.
 
Boogie, We used ammo as you described with special modified pistols during FATS interactive firearms training. The plastic 9mm cartridge used the primer to create sufficient recoil in the pistol to cycle the slide. At the same time a laser would mark where you hit on the screen. I have a few of the cartridges somewhere around here.
 
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