Low cost indoor practice pistols

lcb97269 · Apr 2, 2013

I went to Threat Dynamics for the first time with a friend in late January because the IPSC range at TCGC was closed for resurfacing. It was more fun than I ever had at the club. Got to shoot at bad guys, got to use someone else's gun that worked like a real Glock 17 including recoil, didn't need any ammo or have to pick up brass or clean guns afterward, and the cost was less than doing the same on the range at the usual steel and paper targets. Unfortunately, the tazer belts were in out being worked on so we didn't get the full effect of knowing when we were shot (happened once so I guess it wasn't that big a deal).

Anyway, I liked it so much I wanted a way to do it at home. Unfortunately, I can't afford $50k for such a cool setup.

But I have been looking for something I could afford and think I found it. Today I discovered some air soft pistols that have the feel and weight of real guns and also work exactly the same as real guns in that the slides come back providing simulated recoil, shoots plastic bbs fairly accurately, and only cost about a penny per shot (the bbs can be reused).

I have owned cheap soft air guns before and they were nothing like this.

I ordered an Elite Force 1911 Tac CO2 blow back pistol that is the same size and weight as my Kimber 45 (which I love to shoot). I know it isn't going to feel like the real thing with recoil, but it will be great for working on my draw and speed from holster to hitting the target, without costing a couple thousand $ in ammo practicing. The cost was only $119 for the gun, $30 for an extra 14 rnd mag, and $28 for 25 CO2 cartridges and 5000 .20 cal bb's or about the cost of 450 rnds of pre-gouge priced ball ammo. Shipping is free.

I am looking forward to it's arrival in the next few days and I will report back on the quality, function, accuracy in the garage (close enough for real life practice), and any issues. To me it was worth giving it a try as drawing and firing smooth and fast is my weakest link and hope this will be an inexpensive way of working on both. And there was no out of stock icon in the checkout section so I won't have to wait for months to get it.

Btw, they come in dozens of popular configurations including pistols, revolvers. rifles and burst and full auto fire modes. If the 1911 works well, my next will be a Glock. Several manufacturers make them so prices vary up and down.

Has anyone else tried one of these?

PiratePast40 · Apr 2, 2013

I'm contemplating doing the same thing myself so that I can practice at home. Lots of good info on the Brian Enos forum here: Airsoft - Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

You can get scale USPSA targets, stars, and poppers as well to make your practice more effective.

Jarhead0093 · Apr 7, 2013

I did the same thing. Got a full size Glock and I practice in my garage. You can get full size or smaller IPSC targets to simulate distance. I made some target stands and attached netting to the back of the target, that way there is no cleaning up BBs.

lcb97269 · Apr 26, 2013

Update: I have not had a lot of time to practice with it but after 3 mags of 17 shots each, function is flawless and accuracy is pretty good. I only have about 15 feet to work with in my garage but never intended for it to be a long range shooter. With the distance I have it will easily do 2" groups on a head sized target where I am aiming.

Bigd6943 · Apr 27, 2013

What's the website you ordered it from??

lcb97269 · Apr 27, 2013

Elite Force 1911 Tac Blowback CO2 Airsoft Pistol, Black/Tan, Full Metal

2Wheels4Ever · Apr 28, 2013

If anyone wants Airsoft advise let me know. I worked as a tech at a local airsoft place and have been in the sport for going on 6 years. I would really recommend green gas guns over CO2 as you can find replacement parts and use propane as a cheap gas source. KJW is a great starting company and most of their guns are in the $100 range. Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Airsoft Guns | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Gas Airsoft Pistols | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - KJW |

I have had airsoft pistols go into the $600 range and have steel slides.

SinisterSouthpaw · May 12, 2013

I know two fellow club members who also compete in the various natches our club sponsors, most notably, for this topic, the bull's eye matches --auto division. They both got this idea a few years back -that airsoft or pellet guns in the garage would help them with their match shooting and both spent more money on air guns than I would have done. Both constantly scored better than me what ever the match. In all honesty, this was not really hard to do.

I live close to the club and can go to practice there with my REAL gun about as often as I wish. At some time after these guys began their new practice at home regimen, I began creeping up on them in the standings, or to be more accurate, they sank below me.

Now, there certainly could be a lot of other factors involved, but it seems odd to me that after I kidded them about their toy guns, and they came back to the range to practice like they used to, I went back to my old also ran status--me and my big mouth..................

lcb97269 · May 18, 2013

I didn't buy the gun to replace shooting with real guns. I bought it for low cost practice for shooting from the draw. It is like dry firing (which is recommended by all of the experts to develop proper technique) with the difference being something comes out of the barrel so you can see if your shooting correctly, and in the case of autos, it cocks the gun for you each time you fire.

Now if I could afford a setup like they have at Threat Dynamics where the target shoots back and lets you know when you have been hit by shocking the crap out of you.........

Practice perfect practice.

Dan1477 · May 18, 2013

Green gas, green gas, green gas. Way better than CO2. The guy above me speaks the truth. Just make sure you aren't shooting gas guns at temps below 50 degrees fahrenheit, it hurts the gun. I have plenty of shooting friends recommend airsoft for a training tool.

Hey OP, I am a fairly experienced shooter, but I am new to the self defense aspect. Would you recommend threat dynamics? If you could tell me a bit more about it, and what they offer, that would be awesome.

lcb97269 · May 19, 2013

TD is an absolute blast. Real scenarios, almost real guns, see where you hit, and when wearing shock straps, know when you are hit - ouch. For about $50 you shoot for an hour or so, without loading ammo, picking up brass or cleaning the gun after. I shot so much during the Hogan's Alley routine that my wrist hurt for about an hour afterward.

If shooting the 300 degree range, have at least one partner unless you want to get shot in the back or have eyes in the back of your head and are fast enough to use them.

Well worth the money and plan to do it again, and again. The operator is also knowledgeable about mistakes being made - ex combat vet.