Can Airsoft translate to real firearm skill?

[Diemaco]

 

Very interesting video from T-Rex Arms. Well worth a watch. Try comparing the videos on the two Instagram channels as well. 

 

 

Liku's Instagram, where you can see him with airsof. https://instagram.com/liku_tactical?igshid=lk81ui5c25lt

 

T-Rex arms Instagram: https://instagram.com/trexarms?igshid=xdwwbwtj5wkt

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

Liku certainly has some skills

Have seen him on Instagram and been amazed, obviously a bit of a difference between us & real steel , but undoubtedly skills will develop that can transition between the two disciplines 

[Delta 1]

As ex military and contractor I was very skeptic about airsofters often referring to them as Walt’s ! 

 

But having seen the training value I am sold. The weapons aren’t the same but it allows for real world tactics to be employed. 

 

Airsoft can be a very good training tool with the right guys and mindset 

[Druid799]

Any thing that involves getting the upper hand over another person can positively affect real world use of a firearm . Weather it’s shooting each other with Airsoft guns (can improve your trigger response time/observation skills/draw times) or even just how to distract someone for a moment so you can get your shot off first .

[Delta 1]

I’ve found it an excellent training tool and using it to keep my skill set sharp while I take a break from being deployed 

[ImTriggerHappy]

32 minutes ago, Delta 1 said:

I’ve found it an excellent training tool and using it to keep my skill set sharp while I take a break from being deployed 

 

Deployed where and by what company?

[Tackle]

[emilianoksa]

With blowback pistols for example, it familiarises people who have never shot a real semi auto with the way they work.

 

A person who had only ever shot an airsoft semi auto would know how to operate the real steel version.

 

The noise and recoil of the RS might come as something of a surprise though.😁

[Tackle]

5 minutes ago, emilianoksa said:

 

 

The noise and recoil of the RS might come as something of a surprise though.😁

yep, definitely easier to keep an airsoft pistol on target than a 9mm browning, feckers would try to jump out of yer hands lol, & don't get me started on the accuracy, or lack of it to be precise 😞

[Cipher-032]

I admire the kids skill. And it goes to show by repeating what Lucas does, and just watching and learning can do.

I enjoy watching Lucas and Ive learned a fair bit from him. Mag placement, types of pouches,  blah blah blah. 

The thing to take away from all of this is, if your serious and want to improve. Make you have that slight edge over the other guy. You can learn a lot.

Ill admit ive sat here when im bored, grabed my MWS beside me and just looked at the wall, or what ever just just took aim and hit the trigger at random spots. Even just doing some thing simple and basic like that can make a difference in game.

If you wanna keep airsoft casual sure. Its a game, take it as seriously as you'd like.

On the flip side of this yes. I do 100% believe that using airsoft guns. Mainly Gas blow backs will help you learn an awful lot when it comes to real steal stuff. 

[ImTriggerHappy]

While I am sure that you can maybe get some slight feeling of weapon familiarity through airsoft I am not sure the two are really comparable.

 

You don't need to pay attention to how you hold an airsoft gun in the same way as you do a real gun. Airsoft guns allow you to be much looser.

[Rogerborg]

Well, maybe, but you still look like a Joey if you C-clamp your AEG.

 

[Callum Hornsby]

23 minutes ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

You don't need to pay attention to how you hold an airsoft gun in the same way as you do a real gun. Airsoft guns allow you to be much looser.

I guess if you already shoot real steal then you’d hold your airsoft weapons correctly allowing you to do drills and stuff in your house and not have to be at the range all the time.

[ImTriggerHappy]

 

 

1 minute ago, Callum Hornsby said:

I guess if you already shoot real steal then you’d hold your airsoft weapons correctly allowing you to do drills and stuff in your house and not have to be at the range all the time.

 

The point is you don't need to hold airsoft guns the same as real guns. There is no recoil and first shot accuracy is less important. 

 

Real world and airsoft are miles apart.

 

Who does drills for airsoft ?

[Cipher-032]

34 minutes ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

 

 

 

The point is you don't need to hold airsoft guns the same as real guns. There is no recoil and first shot accuracy is less important. 

 

Real world and airsoft are miles apart.

 

Who does drills for airsoft ?

Wouldnt surprise me if a lot of people in the states do who do competitive shooting.

Yes the recoil is not the same as real steal. But you can still learn certain habits that will improve your real steal shooting in the safety of your own home, with no risk of injury to any one.

The perfect way its displayed is literately the lad in the video. Yeah it might be sad to spend hours and hours doing this with airsoft guns. But look how quick he learned to deal with the recoil of a real steal gun. And how safe he treated them, and efficient he was clearing malfunctions.

As I said in my previous post. Airsoft doesnt need to be super serious if you dont want it to be. But for his hobby, he enjoys it and gets gain from it.

[Druid799]

Think a lot of the arguments against are coming at the question from the wrong direction , you shouldn’t think as a civi asking “could it help the professionals train ?” BUT should think as a professional would of “can it help us train ?” if you do handle real guns for what ever reason on a daily basis then I’d still say yes they can be a real training aid (admittedly not as offered earlier about running drills in the house😉) due to the fact there totally at ease with them being just a tool for a job nothing more nothing less , would mean you could run training near anywhere you wanted and not be limited to only using sites that are covered for the use of simunitions . We’ve all come across the used silver cases scattered on Airsoft sites after the police have been training there ? All very well they can shoot semi live rounds at each other there but basically all the sites we play at are great if your training for a ‘MAD MAX’ apocalypse but real world scenario’s ? Not really much use , but with Airsoft guns you can have a lot less restrictions on where you can or can’t train as you’ve not got the sound of gunfire ringing through air , so basically as long as your out of site of joe public you can run training ops .

No recoil and potential weight differences ? Don’t think that’ll have any bering on the benefits , in the army and police you run most weapons training with unloaded guns and empty magazines .

Last thing I’d say as well is if you watch any of the YouTube videos of real soldiers/police playing Airsoft you see they use the same techniques they’d use on a daily basis so if they can do there drills AND be able to shoot the ‘bad guys’ then yes it’s definitely a benefit . 

[ImTriggerHappy]

But having played with guys who do handle real weapons they all to a man say none of that helps with airsoft. 

[E21A]

3 minutes ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

But having played with guys who do handle real weapons they all to a man say none of that helps with airsoft. 

 

That’s not the point though, it’s can it be useful for real steel shooters to train with airsoft. The answer is yes. That’s what the video is about. 

 

There is no harm in using real steel drills in airsoft, even if it’s only to speed up mag reloads or transition to and from sidearm 

[Delta 1]

3 hours ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

 

Deployed where and by what company?

Afghanistan 

[jcheeseright]

Travis Haley certainly seems to think it can be of use; 

 

 

If you're unaware of who Travis Haley is, look him up, he's about as credible as it's possible to be when it comes to doing cool shit in dangerous places. 

 

His point of view however is that Airsoft guns can be used for safe, cheap training of muscle memory in your garage.  Airsoft skirmishing isn't going to improve your chances in a real firefight, if anything it may make you more prone to taking risks because in your Airsoft games there have been no consequences for making shit choices.  Likewise, real room clearing techniques etc really don't stand up all that well in a skirmish game, because there is no punishment for getting shot. 

[ImTriggerHappy]

1 hour ago, E21A said:

 

That’s not the point though, it’s can it be useful for real steel shooters to train with airsoft. The answer is yes. That’s what the video is about. 

 

There is no harm in using real steel drills in airsoft, even if it’s only to speed up mag reloads or transition to and from sidearm 

 Possibly on building muscle memory you have a fair point. Still struggling with the who gives a toss as this is England so who is ever really going to need those skills.  

 

Probably just me being a bit a salty after having to deal with the delusional wannabes after all these years 😁

 

Funny thing is the guys I know would grab an aeg and a high cap over gas blowback and low caps everytime.

[E21A]

2 minutes ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

 Possibly on building muscle memory you have a fair point. Still struggling with the who gives a toss as this is England so who is ever really going to need those skills.  

 

Probably just me being a bit a salty after having to deal with the delusional wannabes after all these years 😁

 

Funny thing is the guys I know would grab an aeg and a high cap over gas blowback and low caps everytime.

 

Yea, it’s more for speed advantage in airsoft. CQB in particular perhaps switching between main/side would be useful. 

 

Agreed delusional wannabes are an issue, there’s a balance to be found which most would miss! 

 

All comes down to how you enjoy our enjoy playing the game at the end of the day. 

[ImTriggerHappy]

14 minutes ago, E21A said:

 

Yea, it’s more for speed advantage in airsoft. CQB in particular perhaps switching between main/side would be useful. 

 

Agreed delusional wannabes are an issue, there’s a balance to be found which most would miss! 

 

All comes down to how you enjoy our enjoy playing the game at the end of the day. 

 Cqb is my favourite game and not to sound big headed but I more than held my own and never once drilled or practiced in my house or anywhere. Just went played and laughed as surely that is what it is about?

[E21A]

9 minutes ago, ImTriggerHappy said:

 Cqb is my favourite game I not to sound big headed but I more than held my own and never once drilled or practiced in my house or anywhere. Just went played and laughed as surely that is what it is about?

 

Oh I don’t believe it’s necessary at all. Doesn’t mean it won’t or can’t help. Also doesn’t mean people won’t enjoying doing it. We’re all running around playing with toy guns at the end of the day 😂

[Adolf Hamster]

I suspect any potential training value to airsoft is going to be less about marksmanship or weapon manipulation and more things like teamwork, squad tactics, and especially cqb as a way to polish skills that are already present rather than develop them from scratch.

 

For example how easy it is to lose situational awareness when things start kicking off, or concealement training for example would be a valid and transferable skill.

 

One danger, and it was raised in the last thread we had on this topic, is using airsoft to train weapon manipulation can lead to bad practice, like for example never using the safety (because nobody's gonna die (yes i admit to this, hell one of my guns doesnt even have a safety)) or expecting to be able to make rapid follow up when there's no recoil (another one i'll admit to)

 

There's also the issue that some tactics in airsoft exist purely as a result of the safe environment, ive seen (and occasionally partaken in) charges that would be straight up suicide in a real fight but a 2 minute walk to respawn is a hell of an easier punishment than eternity in a box.

 

For sure i dont think 10 years experience pewing is any replacement for actual training, but i suppose its possibly better than nothing.