Hmmm

[gun toting monkeyboy]

See, the thing is with airsoft, I am able to practice, and try out different combinations of equipment in almost-real situations in the field. If I want to see how a piece of armor feels when you wear it all day, I go play airsoft. If I want to see how a light works for clearing a room, under stressful conditions, I go play airsoft. If I want to see if my radios work in the field, while I am running and ducking and trying not to get shot, I go play airsoft. If I want to test a sling, and see if I can climb over things, run, and generally move around, I... well, you get the picture. I mostly use it as a way to test out if my real toys will work with the different doo-dads slapped on them. And I am building muscle memory for things like triggering lights and reloading. I also get a chance to practice working as a team with lots of other people at other skill levels. How often to you get to clear a room with guys that have done it for real in Iraq and Afghanistan? Yes, it is all pretend. But you still learn a lot.

Besides, it is a hoot. There is nothing more fun than shooting some active-duty marine in the @$$ when he tries to do something stupid at a field. And trust me, when you zap one of them in front of their friends, they never get to live it down. "You got shot by the fat old guy..." It is even better when you sneak up and get them with a rubber knife. Think of the best game of soldiers you ever played as a kid. Now think about what it would be like if you were able to do it as an adult. Yeah. Its like that.


-Mb

[Artema]

During convoy training I used to use MILES gear. We tried paintball one time and switched over to airsoft. Far cheaper than MILES gear (Army laser tag).

[leok20]

We did miles. But preferred SIMS rounds. 9mm paint rounds. Hurt like a son of a ......

Play with airsoft train with airsoft do what everyone you want just be safe.


"I said good day!"

[Vertigofirearms]

How else are you going to replicate full auto? M249? SPAS-12? M203?

[five.five-six]

How else are you going to replicate full auto? M249? SPAS-12? M203?

Be chummy with Leland Yee.....Oh wait, that won't work

[L4D]

cuz shooting projectiles is fun......

[gun toting monkeyboy]

We did miles. But preferred SIMS rounds. 9mm paint rounds. Hurt like a son of a ......

Play with airsoft train with airsoft do what everyone you want just be safe.


"I said good day!"

The problem I have with that, aside from the cost of SIMS rounds, is that people can be A-holes. You get guys who won't follow minimum safe distances or who ignore FPS rules as it is with airsoft. I wouldn't trust most of the people who show up at most fields to be safe enough to use SIMS weapons. Getting shot point blank with an airsoft hurts enough as it is. Getting shot close-contact with a SIMS round could be significantly worse.

-Mb

[omgwtfbbq]

The problem I have with that, aside from the cost of SIMS rounds, is that people can be A-holes. You get guys who won't follow minimum safe distances or who ignore FPS rules as it is with airsoft. I wouldn't trust most of the people who show up at most fields to be safe enough to use SIMS weapons. Getting shot point blank with an airsoft hurts enough as it is. Getting shot close-contact with a SIMS round could be significantly worse.

-Mb

During a game of airsoft a few years ago I shot through a bush at another player, one of the BBs struck him in the teeth, chipping one of them in half.

Why the guy had his mouth open, I have no idea.

Moral of the story is that Airsoft is plenty painful as it is, but not painful enough so that you can't train often, even daily if you want to with them.

[Artema]

When we used airsoft in convoy training often a BDU top would absorb the shots and the person wouldn't even know they were hit. Obviously not a part that was touching skin, but while it was hanging away (they aren't always form fitting uniforms).

[mosin of nagareth]

Got ambushed in my kitchen tonight by a woman wielding an airsoft AK on full auto. I kinda liked it.

[FlyNShoot]

Airsoft is better than dry practice (pretending to shoot your gun) or SIRT/laser options (pretending to shoot by switching on a laser).

My airsoft Glock 19 (KSC brand) is exactly the same size, similar weight, and has the same controls and manual of arms as my real Glocks. Mag and ammo are different setup. It shoots, slide cycles, there is sound and motion feedback, passable trigger and reset, and slide lock back when you shoot the last pellet.

With multiple mags you can practice various reloads against your par times including work from holsters. Only thing you can't replicate well is malfunction drills, but you can do that perfectly well with an empty real gun. So I am very happy with airsoft as part of my training and practice tools. And 5,000 rounds are like $10.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Airsoft is better than dry practice (pretending to shoot your gun) or SIRT/laser options (pretending to shoot by switching on a laser).

My airsoft Glock 19 (KSC brand) is exactly the same size, similar weight, and has the same controls and manual of arms as my real Glocks. Mag and ammo are different setup. It shoots, slide cycles, there is sound and motion feedback, passable trigger and reset, and slide lock back when you shoot the last pellet.

With multiple mags you can practice various reloads against your par times including work from holsters. Only thing you can't replicate well is malfunction drills, but you can do that perfectly well with an empty real gun. So I am very happy with airsoft as part of my training and practice tools. And 5,000 rounds are like $10.

Yeah, pretty much this. I have a couple of KWA Glocks that let me practice point shooting and clearing rooms. Same with the AR clones. The major draw for me was that I could build replicas of my real toys AND get people to volunteer to let me shoot at them. Of course, I had to volunteer to let them shoot back at me, but if you are sneaky and patient, you can get them a lot more than they get you.

-Mb