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Episode-1860- Fun, Training and Family Time With Airsoft Guns

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The KWA LM4-PTR is a "Professional Training Rifle" Designed for Military and Police Training with Airsoft.

The KWA LM4-PTR is a “Professional Training Rifle” Designed for Military and Police Training with Airsoft.

Today we delve into the misunderstood world of airsoft.  I think airsoft has an unfair and undeserved stigma among many of the “tactically minded” due to the majority of enthusiasts being gamers.  While I have no interest in the game aspects of airsoft I feel even this community is misunderstood and many unfair assumptions are made about them.

Today though I will focus on what I call “Airsoft for Practical Training”.  By that I mean real world training that benefits the average civilian that either carries a gun for defense or keeps a gun in their home for the same purpose or both.

While I love things like IDPA and IPSC shooting and I have great respect for the many tactical training schools like my good friends Frank Sharpe Jr. and James Yeager run, or even the big time schools like Front Sight provide, I don’t find what they teach particularly valuable to the average guy with a job, two kids, wife and a dog to protect from a group of thugs or an armed intruder in the middle of the night.

Join me today to discuss…

  • The reason people dislike airsoft
    • It is just a toy
    • Gamers that think they are heroes
    • It isn’t realistic (rate of fire, machine guns, etc.)
  • Why people should love airsoft if they are gun owners
    • Cheap practice
    • Practice every day
    • Realistic practice (in ways you never thought of)
  • The basics of airsoft guns
    • Springers
    • AEG (automatic electric guns)
    • Gas (blow back and non blow back)
      • CO2 and “Green Gas”
    • Pellets, yes they matter
      • Just forget .12 they are flatly junk and ruin guns
      • .20 is the most common and the “industry standard”
      • Generally, .25-.36 can be more accurate in many guns
      • The heavier they are the more they cost
    • Guns I own and what I like about them
    • Getting started
      • Springers are cheap and do work for draw and shoot practice
      • I would avoid AEGs for practical training
      • I would avoid CO2 due to long term economics
      • Almost all “green gas” guns are blow back gun
      • Get an adapter and run propane
      • Use your carry holster if you carry
      • Don’t get bogged down in deep tech specs
      • If your gun doesn’t have a “clone” get something close
      • Search google for “model name airsoft gas blow back”
      • Why it is hard to find some specific GBB Clones
    • Some training ideas
      • Every morning/evening quick shoot
      • Practicing after dark with a light
      • Play “knock out” with your kids
      • Draw and shoot, make safe, return to holster, repeat
      • Variations on draw and shoot
    • Target ideas
      • Professional airsoft steel
      • Sheet metal cut outs
      • Heavy steel – (nice because it works for lead pellets too)
      • Heavy plastic jugs
      • Cheap pots and pans (Walmart, Dollar Store, Goodwill)
    • Spreading gun rights and gun ownership with airsoft

Resources for today’s show…

Some Good Places to Buy Airsoft Guns

Some Good Low Cost Guns and Accessories on Amazon – Like I said on the air I had lousy luck with the few people offering GBB guns on Amazon, use the stores above for that.  But here are some things you can get on Amazon.

Sponsors of the Day

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Comments

Episode-1860- Fun, Training and Family Time With Airsoft Guns — 25 Comments

  1. As a player, this description didn’t piss me off… which is rare haha. Great job Jack! Fantastic training possibilities and an opportunity to work with some people in your area. I wouldn’t exercise if it weren’t for airsoft.
    I found .28s are the most consistent in my Systema M4 and TM Glock.
    http://www.justairsoftammo.com has free shipping on all orders

    • That means I guess even without playing I took enough time to learn and get it right? Good resource I will add it to the links above.

  2. Best training class I’ve attended was an airsoft FoF scenario based class with Karl Rehn. It’s been over a decade and a quick look shows it doesn’t look like he offers it now. krtraining.com

    Done properly it can be a great training tool and shows why the Tueller drill is BS outside of a 2D range… when everyone moves the drill is usesles. Sorry Jack, had to say it. I know assaulting the deceased equine is verboten.

  3. We played a lot in high school and college, but the enthusiasm I had for the sport also allowed me to work with local PD and stage some interesting FoF/hostage scenario training with them alongside the criminal justice classes. Definitely a misunderstood and underutilized resource.

  4. Do you have to fill the mag with gas and B.B.’s evertime or with the gas last for a few cycles of B.B.’s?

    • It is a happy accident as I will play the right song today and I now love that other one. Ironically I knew the right one just forgot about it.

      You seem to have a propensity for “the wrong link” LOL

      The reason I deleted your last comment is I wasn’t sure it was you because it went a video of a guy telling me how to pray in tongues.

  7. For you Glock guy’s out there (there is a small chance this is outdated info) :

    The powers that be at Glock have no intention of ever licensing any airsoft Glocks and have actually filed major lawsuits against companies that have imported them. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiVqMzXlezOAhXCRiYKHReEA8MQFggxMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefirearmblog.com%2Fblog%2F2014%2F04%2F23%2Fglocks-war-replicas%2F&usg=AFQjCNGOmDohMmOQA3BxTaVyPMJ5d2gLwA&bvm=bv.131286987,d.eWE

    They have even made it to where US Customs is supposed to not let them into the country. What this means is that there is a chance that your gun could be seized leaving you SOL. From what I understand the chances are fairly low on imports into the West coast and minimal on the East.

    KWA/KSC makes the ADP which is a great gun that is supposed to work with the Glock holsters but the grip angle has a little less rake to it.

    For everyone else a good item of the day to go with this show: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1930847769/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

  8. Can anyone explain to me, does the Butane recoil airsoft guns actually burn the butane to create an explosion and fire?
    Or is the butane simply used to create compression? , if so why not just use compressed air instead of butane?

      • As for why not use compressed air, first propane is available compressed. Second it has to do with density, the more dense the gas, the more pressure it can create. This is why CO2 guns shoot harder than Green Gas and Propane.

        You will note that there is no such thing as a compressed air cartridge like for a pellet gun, only CO2 cartridges.

      • It has to do with the gas being stored in a liquid state. The decompression from liquid to gas has a reliable psi at a givin temperature. CO2 comes out at around 700psi or something, it’s why you need a regulator on your CO2 tank to dial it down for equipment like beer kegs.

        Newer guns use HPA tanks at 3000psi, which are like mini scuba tanks to have sufficient volume to make it through a game with enough air.

  9. Great show Jack. I bought a Sig Sauer airsoft pistol way back in Feb. of this year. When I recently came across Chris Sajnog’s website..I thought that’s another supplement to the training.

  10. Jack, was going to purchase one of the Glock types but reading the comment above about imports plus the $40 charge for shipping made me wonder. Did the one you ordered ever show up?

  11. Eye opener of a show, thanks! So, let’s say I’m ordering my first GBB pistol: Besides what was discussed in the show, are there any other tidbits or accessories that I will have wished I ordered when my gun comes in? I figure the gun, extra mags, the adapter, oil, quality pellets, use existing holster, etc. How about speed loaders, spare parts, etc? Do they take batteries?
    Glad they have the xdms now. Got this one in my cart: http://www.evike.com/products/41099/

    • Only thing you may want is a speed loader but different mags load different ways. So the typical speed loader may or may not be helpful. Best to see how your mag loads then see if it makes sense to use a speed loader.

    • Something I am going to get spares for everything for I just though of are the valves for the magazines. I am talking about the place where the gas goes in. They are like a 6 dollar part but every maker seems to use a different one.

      Very easy to replace with a flat screw driver. But something you will never find in a home improvement store.

      My LM4 had a leaky one out of the box on the extra mag, Evike send me a replacement free.

  12. A couple of quick points.
    You can purchase 30round magazines nicknamed “real-cap” for better training simulations.
    On safety.
    Most Airsoft rifles have a two ball gap between the top of the mag and the breech. Most times the two balls will fall out when the Mag is removed, however sometimes only one. Your cocking / charging handle is for show and doesn’t clear and make safe. As Jack said Always treat as loaded.
    On maximizing accuracy.
    The Hopup system in the rifle needs to be dialed in for the weight and ball. The balls will fly differently when you go back and forth between weights. Also the quality of ball matters. Low grade balls have lower quality controlls and will be less constantant
    On preventative maintence
    Dont use gun oil or WD40. Use spray silicone. Gun oil degrades orings and WD40 will expand your orings causing excessive wear.
    Lastly, dont reuse balls. When the balls hit a target they deform slightly. When fired for a second time the ball will delay and the slight back pressure will jar your gears causing problems over time.

  13. I had no clue that they were this realistic or accurate. The couple I bought my son were nothing like this…I gotta buy the G19…and the G18c is awesome…

  14. Any updates on Army Panda shipping G19 Jack? You mentioned above that, in 12 days, you hadn’t received anything. Do you still recommend them to order from? Someone above said they added a good bit of shipping to the order.

    • It took like a month but yes they shipped it and the guy was spot on in every detail. You will have to wait but for some patterns it is worth the wait, because the alternative is you don’t get one at all.

  15. I’m getting ready to bite the bullet for some Christmas gifts and excited to get this. You mentioned (31:42) that there was an adapter to recharge the 1gal tank with a 20lb tank.. Do you have a link for that? Youtube and other searches have resulted in some Bubba that has rigged some spare parts together to make it happen. Any suggestions that dont come with a “don’t try this at home” warning? Maybe my google fu isn’t up to par recently.

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