Contemplating the new Valken Battle Machine Airsoft TRG v2.0 provides yet more proof that I was born in the wrong, uh, decade. As a kid I played with cap guns. Cap guns! I would have given my left testicle to have an Airsoft AR (which would have avoided many future problems as well).
Back then — before the Kennedy and King assassinations, just after the invention of electricity — a kid could walk down the street with a rifle without a second glance. Seriously. Any kid slinging a TRG v2.0 and strolling down a suburban or, God forbid, city street would be lucky to end the day with the same number of holes he or she woke up with that morning.
If you think American gun culture is under threat, you’re right. But the existence of ultra-realistic Airsoft guns — automatic fire Airsoft guns no less — indicates that all is far from lost. They should be banned, for the children! [/sarc] But they’re not. God bless America.
Gay
Thanks for the well reasoned, insightful commentary.
You forgot concise.
The swimmer formerly known as Bruce has showed up, Right Miss Jenner?
Tangent:
Who thinks that airsoft guns are protected by the 2nd amendment?
I think not, but a mildly convincing argument could be made that they are “arms.” Although I’d put them firmly in the toy category.
No, since they cannot realistically be used for defense of home and/or country.
HOWEVER, if you frequent both camps (as I do) you will find that, at least in this country, both are heavily invested in the preservation of the 2nd amendment, because once the real guns go the toys follow. Several of the more extreme anti gun laws in CA and the northeast have directly impacted airsoft in those areas.
They can have some use in very early training (four rules, stance, sight use) and laws on realistic “toys” that would include blue guns would quickly follow.
Id like to see more realistic looking paintball guns. Plus they can practical against drones, and other future bots that are sure to acost your privacy.
the woods ball scene has pushed very realistic paint ball front and center. Depending on locations, most woods ball setups have 30rd magazines, and usually look like AR or AK pattern rifles, including the ability to mount a optic.
I used to think airsoft was stupid. Now I see it as a gateway to get younger people interested in guns and also desensitize people to seeing guns. Anything to introduce newbies to shooting/gun culture is good with me….and it pisses off the antis.
It’s also very good training for the money. I’m serious.
Great training! If you can hold your own with the same pistol you carry (M&P in my case) in a room/arena full of people with rifles your doing something right. I used to think airsoft was a kids game, until the ultra real firearms became the norm. I started with a cheap plastic AR, now I have similar arms that I have at home. Aluminum receiver AR rifles and M&P pistol, even bought an mp5 to become familiar with that platform, and am seriously thinking about adding a tavor if I enjoy shooting the real thing enough at TFF.
I lived in deep blue anti-gun northern urban areas until I was 22. Airsoft was the only thing I could realistically get until I freed myself.
I got into airsoft about 11 years ago.
Now I have an online gun parts/accessory store.
A lot of Airsofters grow up to be shooters. We must side with them as they side with us.
On the note of the airsoft guns, it’s very good training at a low price. I go out to CQB airsoft games every now and then, taking along my plate carrier, battle belt, airsoft M4 and my airsoft Glock. The Glock slide reciprocates with each shot, locks back on last round and everything works the same. It’s very good training and it draws blood. It amazes me that when I am in a close encounter airsoft firefight (5-10yd), that I can not line up my sights for the life of me. I can, but not like I would at the range. The whole thing about having the same amount of light come through the sides of the front sight, slow trigger press, etc. goes out the window. Something I would have never learned just shooting at a range.
That’s about the same as my experience. If you take the correct things away from playing, it can be valuable training. I learned very quickly playing the being a GQ was untenable. All that gear looks cool but once you start trying to move around with it, run with it, crawl with it, climb with it, and even just manipulate you gun quickly with it you see what is actually useful and what is just a cool looking PIA.
Airsoft and video games are the starting point for many future shooters. While they may foster younger people and immature attitudes, we should guide and correct those making the jump to “real steel”, not deride them.
I have an airsoft AR and a airsoft xdm that I use for winter 3gun practice in the garage with knockdown plates. The ar is electric and the xdm is green gas blowback. I actually use an air compressor to feed the xdm via a compressed air hose.
Never played actual airsoft and don’t have much interest to.
You are missing out on some cheap training. It’s a great way to practice real world tactics, moving shooting, cover (unfortunately all concealment is cover to a bb)
Never got into Airsoft. Missed that window at my age, I guess. Played Laser Tag once. All I remember was the cramps I got in my quads from crouching behind concealment. One thing Airsoft teaches that firearms training can’t…without killing people or getting killed…is tactics in the field. Maybe. IDK. You might fight differently if real bullets are flying. Nothing can replace actual combat. But what is the percentage of the population that has been in a fire fight? I haven’t. Airsoft might be a good way to come close. Skills may be learned that could come in handy one day. They should remake Red Dawn again where COD, Paint Ball, and Air Soft punks save the day…with the help of some actual combat veterans.
Age is not an excuse. ALL ages are welcome. Go for it! Airsoft is an excellent way to learn trigger discipline and quick good guy/ bad guy identification in a chaotic situation. And getting shot will reshape your bad habits/bad technique very quickly. No, it’s not real steel, but it is invaluable training and highly entertaining.
$179 with a year warranty that’s good for an AEG, they usually have at most a 60 day warranty at that price point. I have been into real firearms since I was a young kid, this airsoft bug that bit me a year or so ago has turned into a great way to practice marksmanship and train for real world self defense. Plus it is fun, and moderately physical.
Pfff when I was a kid, Airsoft Guns looked like military weapons, not this tarted up competition crap!
I’m kidding, mostly. But I know that 10 years ago all the airsoft guns were MP5s and M4s. Now they’re ultra fancy. Shows the way the real gun market trickles into the airsoft market.
Well after cap guns, and before air soft, late 70’s I purchased a BB machine gun. Full load of 500 flat side BB’s with a freon can for propellant. Stepping into the backyard every lizard dove for cover. One late evening cloaked in a dark Karate blouse, jeans and Ho Chi sandals, I flanked a few local pot heads chilling on a guard rail overlooking a canal, when from the bank, arced plunging fire into the water from 30 yards. Thinking I was throwing rocks and not knowing it was me, they anounced the ass whooping was headed my way. That’s when I layed a burst on the guardrail walking the rounds towards them. Both jumped and took off not knowing the freon jammed the armament. Otherwise I would got busted up.
That chuckle today would land me in jail, community service, an essay on bad guns, and listening to a Hillary anti gun speech.
I had an airsoft Tec-9 when I was a kid. The boys next door had a Red Ryder, and I was jealous of it.
If you have a kid at home and they have an airsoft rifle, do some training with them, walk in with just face protection like a home invasion without the kicking in the door, and see if a the average meth head would enjoy a 6mm of pain shower that your kids give you. I don’t play but best friend does, he’s got some nice marks and that was with protective gear. I will say his assortment of toys is impressive, M249, AR’s, Sig pistol, etc… He and his son play at a huge facility. And he has real firearms, I see the training benefit.
It’s better than nothing if the kid does not have access to the real thing.
Airsoft is banned downunder (no joke) because they are considered “Replica Firearms” which are prohibited.
Glad to see some airsoft stuff make it into the 2A conversation. As others have said, it’s a ton of fun, very cheap training (with limitations, but it’s 10% of the cost of a real class), not to mention it’s great exercise. I’ve been playing for about a year and a half, and I love it. I got a 1911 because I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford a $2k gun that it’s modeled after. And I got a 10 inch barrel AR because I’ll probably never pay up for an SBR. You can experience a lot of cool things for much less money.
A lesson I learned working with firearms and defense material companies:
Be committed to producing an extremely high quality, functional, durable, American made product and put it on the market=go broke.
Make pretty much anything halfway decent for Airsoft and distribute overseas=roll around in piles of money.
My son has gotten into it for awhile…there are certainly lots of benefits….
1. gateway drug
2. they learn how to fix them….good practical knowledge on fixing anything is an invaluable life skill…..my son has 3d printed parts for his, rebuilt his buddies gear boxes, fabricated a a custom cf fore-end, learned how to fix electronics and many other things.
3. Exercise….gets them off the couch and running.
4. all the normal gun safety rules
plus its just good clean fun to run around the woods trying to shoot your kids (with airsoft).
My son has built a cool gun that runs off the 3000 psi paintball tanks (on his back) that will fire at 40 rds per SECOND. will definitely get you running!