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Thread: Airsoft Pistols or Blue Guns for RDS Training?

  1. #1

    Airsoft Pistols or Blue Guns for RDS Training?

    I want to get into pistol RDS eventually, but the time isn't right for me to invest in optics, proprietary milling of carry guns, and more rapidly depleting my precious ammo reserves.

    Does it make sense to build a cheap inert training analog to develop certain skills in the meantime? I'm interested in the ability to practice things like dot acquisition on presentations, right and left handed, from awkward positions, in varying light, and while moving. I also like that inert training guns can safely be left sitting out 24/7. They can be picked up off a coffee table frequently throughout the day and used without having to worry about strict logistical safety protocol that real guns demand. I could probably put a lot of work in over 6 months or a year.

    However, I worry that I may also deeply ingrain some bad habits without knowing better or having livefire feedback. That would be very counterproductive.

    Sig makes an Airsoft RDS designed to go on a blowback p320 for $50. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022784595 I'm sure it sucks bad, but perhaps it could work in this application? I've already got a Ring's blue training gun at home with extra holsters that would accommodate a RDS.

    Has anyone ever tried anything similar? Better ideas?
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  2. #2
    We had a RMR mounted on a Balor Mount on a UTM Glock Slide last weekend for a force on force class, If you have a spare glock sitting around you could just pick up one of the inert replacement barrels (like this - https://cpwsa.com/glock-specific-par...ng-barrel.html ) and mount up a dot on a adaptor...

    Otherwise I get a bunch of value out of both blue guns and airsoft pistols but I don't have any equipped out with dots, but I imagine that they could work the same. I do have some UTM barrels that I use in my Langdon Berettas, including one with a dot at times, that allows me to practice both live and with the occasional UTM rounds the step in and first rolling trigger press better than a lot of other things other than live fire....
    "So strong is this propensity of mankind, to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions, and excite their most violent conflicts." - James Madison, Federalist No 10

  3. #3
    Site Supporter EricM's Avatar
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    frozentundra, what is your primary pistol platform? Since a lot of the work will be refining your index, having an exact match of the grip would be ideal.

    I'm just starting the red dot pistol journey myself, but it seems one area something like a blue gun could fall a little short is learning to break the shot without waiting for the dot to settle. But being aware of that you can probably train around it, such as by drawing to a target and then immediately transitioning to another target after seeing what you need to see and "firing" the first shot.

  4. #4
    Chasing the Horizon RJ's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
    Following with great interest.

    I’m just starting on dots. Bought a G34 MOS, currently waiting on a mount plate. Meanwhile I’ve got my 507c on the MOS plate dry. I find that the trickiest part is changing my sight picture to find the dot using constant target focus. I watched an Aaron Cowan video where he suggests thinking of placing the rear slide cover plate opposite your nose as an index. This helped a lot, since unlike iron sights that you have a constant visual reference on the present, you only see the dot at the last second.

    I have a blue gun for my currently dot-less G48. I use it for holster manipulations. I treat it “like a gun” tho so as not to instill any bad habits, like you said.

    Good thread.

  5. #5
    Member
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    Apr 2013
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    I've found the various Chinese Airsoft copies of RMRs useful in the blue gun application. There are many things to dislike about Chinese copy optics, but I find the that they're actually useful in this regard.
    Per the PF Code of Conduct, I have a commercial interest in the StreakTM product as sold by Ammo, Inc.

  6. #6
    It took a bit of ingenuity, but I managed to mount a spare RMR on an all-metal VP9 full-blowback green gas pistol, and find it works pretty well for tracking the streak. It’s a little weird using an optic worth three times the cost of the platform, but like I said, it’s a spare.

    I like the blue gun for certain things, but the lack of a moveable trigger is a big downside.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by EricM View Post
    frozentundra, what is your primary pistol platform? Since a lot of the work will be refining your index, having an exact match of the grip would be ideal.

    I'm just starting the red dot pistol journey myself, but it seems one area something like a blue gun could fall a little short is learning to break the shot without waiting for the dot to settle. But being aware of that you can probably train around it, such as by drawing to a target and then immediately transitioning to another target after seeing what you need to see and "firing" the first shot.
    I am currently shooting 9mm S&W M&Ps (2.0 compact, 1.0 compact, and Shield). I've moved here from 9mm Glocks. Strangely, I don't find it any more difficult to switch between G19 and M&P compacts than I do between M&P compacts and the Shield with regard to indexing the sights. This surprised me. Granted this is with irons and not dots. I have intert training guns for both M&P and G19 form factor.

    Thanks for the input, these types of suggestions are exactly what I was hoping for. I wouldn't have considered the issue quite this way with no experience shooting dots.

  8. #8
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    I made this for training a couple years ago.
    So that people wouldn’t freak out if they saw it.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by JCN View Post
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    I made this for training a couple years ago.
    So that people wouldn’t freak out if they saw it.
    Awesome!

  10. #10
    I test drove a Tokyo Marui G26 and cheap RDS for two weeks to test the AIWB concept.
    So yes, airsoft does work.

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