Dryfire or airsoft?

[Z32MadMan]

What are you opinions on dryfiring and airsoft? I'm looking to get people's opinions on which is more effective. I'm shooting production with a P226. I think that airsoft could reall help with transisiton, shooting on the move, ect. But I like to dryfire because I am learning that specific trigger. Does airsoft training cause any problems/bad habits?

[Limitless13]

As many people on the forum would say. Both are great options. I use airsoft for a lot of different training techniques including transitions, movement, sight acquisition, and yes even reloading. I know a lot of people are worried about breaking off the mag feed tabs, but I have yet to even put a scratch in them.

With that said, I also do a lot of dryfire. I do the vast majority of reload and draw training with my real gun. I look at airsoft as another useful middle ground to live fire. For instance, I break my training down into two "Stages," Major and Minor.

My at home minor training is dryfire, my at home major training is airsoft.

My minor range training is .22, my major range training is live fire with standard loads.

As far as bad habits, I don't believe that I have developed any, HOWEVER, I keep up with my live fire training.

My .02.

LL13

Edited February 12, 2009 by Limitless13

[Rocket35]

I would say that both are great forms of training. You will get more feedback and realism with Airsoft. But dryfiring is very effective. I will continue to perform both types in my training.

[reneet]

Slight thread drift:

I have played with airsoft before but never purchased one. Never saw a reason not to just use my TSS Long Slide. I was browsing 5.11 products the other day and came across this "training barrel". Can't vouch for how well it works but for in house dry fire or instruction, looks like it might not be a bad thing.

Edited to show photo of barrel installed... and list of models available.

* Glock 17 22 31

* Glock 19 23 32

* Glock 26 27

* Glock 20 21

* 1911 Government

* 1911 Commander

* 1911 Officer

* Sig 228/229

* Sig 226

* S&W M&P 9/40

* Springfield XD 40 Cal

* S&W M&P 9/40

Edited February 12, 2009 by reneet

[Rob D]

+2

Do both.

I do a lot more dry fire, but I like using my airsoft to set up mini courses in my garage. Practicing with airsoft also really helped me see my sights lift. The slide rocks so much slower on an airsoft gun that it's really easy to see the sights come back and forth on every shot. After practicing with my airsoft a lot, I started noticing the same effect on my competition gun.

I would rather practice reloads with my actual gun than with my airsoft. The magazine are the exact weight I use in competition, and there's really no benefit (that I've found) to doing them with the airsoft gun.

[Anubis]

I know a lot of people are worried about breaking off the mag feed tabs, but I have yet to even put a scratch in them.

I was doing reload practice with my airsoft and one of my mags bounced off the pillows I had for them to drop on

and it broke the plastic on the bottom into a lot of tiny pieces

[Rocket35]

For reloads, I use a cardboard box with a blanket in the bottom and have broke one since.

[Filishooter]

I'm just starting to use airsoft. I'm finding it can be good, but you have to be careful. Unfortunately I don't get as much livefire practice as I would like and the airsoft is a convenient way to put rounds downrange. I found when I ONLY dryfire (no airsoft) between weekend matches I somehow "remember" what the timing of what my real gun is even if I don't fire a live round through it. Because the Airsoft has a little recoil (no much but it does have some) I found when shooting it alot I was timing myself to the airsoft gun without knowing it and it took me a few shots to get timed to my real gun during the match. Solution was to do some livefire timing drills with my real gun before a match if I shoot the airsoft alot the week before. It doesn't take many rounds or take very long, a magazine full of Bill Drills usually does the trick for me.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Filishooter

[Duane Thomas]

That's like asking, "Which is more important, breathing or having your heart beat?" Do both.

[STI2011]

+2

Do both.

Yes, do both. For all of the reasons everyone else said.

The part I like most about airsoft practice is this:

When you are doing transitions or one shot draw practice dryfire, you have to be completely honest with yourself about whether or not you got an acceptable sight picture or not and you may end up getting sloppy if you get bored or lose focus. With airsoft, not only do I not get bored (It's fun!) but, you know whether you had an acceptable sight picture or not because the little hole in the target tells the truth.

[Rocket35]

Exactly!

[Micah]

That's like asking, "Which is more important, breathing or having your heart beat?" Do both.

I could not agree more. NEVER not dryfire.