Guest Post: Realistic Handgun Training with Airsoft

If you are considering whether to buy a handgun and acquire training in its use, a big consideration could be the amount of time and money you would have to devote to practice. One frequent suggestion is to “dry-fire” your pistol at home but that practice has resulted in some bad habits that have gotten police officers killed in gun fights. I have found a solution to all three concerns, time, cost, and habits but it requires a modest up-front expenditure.

I bought a GL9 (Glock 19) airsoft pistol from Red Wolf AirSoft for daily drawing/aiming/firing practice at home instead of dry-firing or taking my real 9mm Glock 19 to the range every day. I recently received a propane adapter and light silicone lubricant I bought from airsplat.com so I can save money over the “Green Gas” that’s recommended by airsoft. You just fill a chamber in the pistol magazine from a canister of camp stove propane.

I had never fired a gas-powered airsoft before and wondered if its plastic BB’s would have enough force to penetrate a paper target. I was dubious about simple propane canister pressure having much power as a propellant without being combusted. I also wondered if the BB’s would fragment, making ammo recycling impossible. How silly my concerns were!

The plastic BB’s easily penetrated two hanging sheets of paper and dented the wood behind them, one even bouncing back through both paper sheets. The BB’s remained intact. I figure the pistol could easily blind someone and might well penetrate skin. In a pinch it could probably deter an assailant if hits were rapidly scored on the face. (I don’t recommend anyone ever putting themselves in the position to find out. Carry a real sidearm!)

Next step is to build an indoor target range from a cardboard box. The opening will face me and a photocopied paper target will be hung in the opening with soft terry rags hung behind to catch the BB’s so I can re-use them. If I shoot daily, I can increase my speed and accuracy for real defensive shooting without expending costly and hard-to-find ammo. The “toy” pistol has realistic weight, slide action, and close-range accuracy but negligible kick and muzzle lift, so less frequent real ammo sessions are still needed to practice sight re-alignment on the target.

I figure it is worth the initial cost to gain long-term savings and avoid the hazardous habits associated with dry-firing practice: No slide cocking between shots, no live ammo ejected onto the ground, uninterrupted trigger squeezes. Plus, there is accuracy feedback from target hits, no daily lead exposure, and an enormous amount of time will be saved — five minutes versus maybe an hour for the range. Most importantly, the airsoft capability will support my intention to practice daily whereas having to go to the range every day would be a major deterrent.

By the way, something you should do soon, even before buying a handgun, is apply for a concealed carry permit. In my state it costs $20 for them to conduct a two week background check. Assuming you are not a felon, have no restraining orders against you, are of age, and have no history of actual mental illness, pistol permits are granted almost automatically here but your state may require passing a training course or other requirements.

When I applied for mine I followed an adviser’s suggestion on what to fill in for “Reason for request.”

I wrote “for all lawful purposes.”

There is a proposal in my state to increase permit fees by 500% for out-of-state applicants that many gun-rights advocates view as a prelude to more restrictive measures for in-state applicants. I am more concerned with sudden crisis conditions sparking extreme clampdown measures. Either way applying at once would be a good move. You don’t want to be caught in a crisis with no recourse.