Airguns are useful for both work and play. They help shooters get in valuable trigger time without having to go to a firearm range or way out into the wild just to practice. Whether you like to shoot long guns for precision or cowboy action pistols, there’s an airgun that can help you get more proficient at what you love. Today, we’ll take a look at how air pistols can be a great option for handgun training. Before we get started, we want to strongly recommend that you get professional instruction for anything involving a firearm, especially when looking at handguns for self-defense. Training is great and very important, provided you are training correctly and safely. Don’t skip getting help from someone who has more experience. Your life may depend on it. Now, let’s get started.
There’s an Option for Every Discipline
There are many ways handguns are used. Some folks are serious 10-meter precision shooters, and others just want something for self-defense. Regardless of your motivation, you need to know your handgun and have the muscle memory to do what needs to be done without thinking about the mechanics.
With an unlimited budget and all the time on the range, you could effectively develop the needed skills with your preferred firearm. But what if budget, time, and location are limiting factors? Well, that’s when airguns come into focus. With a little setup, you could be training right in your basement, backyard, or even your living room.
Precision Shooting
Let’s say you like to shoot for maximum accuracy. The typical competitive range starts around 10 meters, which is only about 31 feet. Even if you don’t have 30 feet, you can still work on grip, trigger control, and sight picture. To make things challenging, just make the 10-ring smaller. The old adage of “aim small miss small” is actually really good advice.
There are many great precision airguns. For example, the Beeman P17 is a single-stroke pneumatic pellet pistol that has great adjustable sights and an awesome trigger. It’s no wonder why it’s a favorite amongst target shooters. Other options, like the Air Arms Alfa, can deliver Olympic-class accuracy in the hands of the right shooter. The skills you learn here can directly translate to firearms.
Personal Defense
For those looking to acquire a handgun for self-defense, please consider how you plan to gain proficiency. So many people think that just owning a gun is enough. That is certainly not the case, just as owning a car does not make you a good driver. You need to have time behind the wheel. When it comes to being good with a handgun, you need time behind the trigger.
The Glock 17 Gen 4 BB Pistol is a one-to-one replica of the actual firearm. It has a similar weight, feel, safety, and loading system. There’s even a “blowback” slide to simulate recoil and the movement you’d experience with the actual firearm. Additionally, many duty holsters are compatible. So, if you are looking to train how to draw, acquire your target, and deliver multiple rounds with combat accuracy, then you can do so without having to use your firearm down at the range. You will still want to schedule time to gain experience with how your “real” gun will feel doing the same drills, but you’ll be way ahead of the game if you’ve put in time with your replica.
Glock is not the only option for one-to-one handgun replicas. There’s also Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Beretta, and many more. If you have a mainstream sidearm and you want to work on technique and proficiency, then there’s probably an airgun that will either be an identical match or will get you pretty darn close.
General Familiarity and Safety Training
We’ve looked at two specific cases so far. One focuses on target shooting, and the other focuses on personal defense and advanced gun handling. But what if you need just to develop general experience and safety awareness? It’s in this use case where airguns are strongest. BB or Pellet pistols and revolvers offer realism without the drawbacks.
Over the years, we’ve observed some key objections against learning about or even handling guns of any kind. The first is the recoil, and the second is the noise. Now, both of those will have to be addressed if they transition from airguns to firearms, but by then, they will have gotten over much of their initial concerns. At least, that’s what we’ve seen over the years. Shooting is a very fun sport, and once they’ve had the “fun” experience, they want to keep it going.
Starting new shooters out with airguns provides a much lower point of entry not only financially but also experientially, but the biggest benefit comes down to safety. God forbid something were to happen on the range with your BB gun. People can still get severely and permanently injured, but consider what the case would be with a 9mm or .45 cal firearm. There’s really no comparison. Airguns are a safer, more affordable option for handgun training all around.
What About You?
Are you considering a handgun purchase? Have you considered what your training path will be? If you need help finding a good match in an air pistol, then don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a ring. We are always eager and ready to help.
