There is a lot of debate on the topic of using airsoft for firearms training. Most of the critics are simply professional fault-finders who focus on a few shortcomings that they’ve seen with recreational airsoft and think that it applies to all airsoft training.

Other critics are people who are fortunate enough to have a job or the financial resources to allow them to shoot tens of thousands of rounds of live ammo per year, but these critics are normally won over quite quickly when they realize that airsoft is an enhanced version of dry fire rather than a substitute for live fire. In fact, I’ve been in my local airsoft supply store when a state law enforcement agency was picking up a case of spare Glock airsoft mags to go along with their case of Glock airsoft trainers.

So, I’m going to address this head on and tell you the top 6 problems people have with using airsoft for training and why they don’t apply to you. Then I’m going to show you airsoft training in a whole new light and introduce you to some GREAT at-home training that you can start doing with airsoft.

I’ve got to start off with a safety warning. Treat airsoft trainers like real guns loaded with live ammo. The main reason to do this is to develop and maintain good firearms discipline. The second reason is that airsoft bullets have enough kinetic energy to break skin, go through your cheek into your mouth, and completely destroy an eye. This means always wearing safety eyewear when shooting and not pointing them at anything you don’t want to destroy.