Shellback Tactical has been working with various airsoft companies in order to highlight the money saving aspect and training value of airsoft. They plan on highlighting these airsoft companies that they believe offer a quality product that can stretch your training dollars. This effort will serve as a way to introduce professionals who may know quite a bit about about “real steel” but may not know where to begin when it comes to airsoft. The first such company that they have mentioned is Elite Force, an airsoft weapon manufacturer.
From the Shellback Tactical Facebook Page:
“Shellback Tactical products are tried and proven as professional grade gear among , real steel, Military and LE. These are our core markets. When it comes to training, we also know that going to the range to get a good training session in regularly on your rifle or handgun, can cost a small fortune for some. With that said we believe that there are benefits to also cross training with Milsim/ Airsoft weapons. You can train with a similar airsoft weapon to what you use and get a good session in for sight alignment, shot placement, movement, etc. for a very low cost.”
I have never really tried airsoft but I have to admit that it becomes more and more intriguing to me as ammo prices climb and availability dwindles. I am currently set up to train with rimfire which is very affordable but the ammo is extremely difficult to find. It is interesting to see companies known for catering to professionals, like Shellback Tactical, working with airsoft companies. It is not hard to imagine that this sort of thing may become more common as the challenges against range training continue to mount.
Shellback Tactical also referenced this video by Travis Haley in regard to some best practices for airsoft training:
Some of the Gas Blow Back Rifles will give you recoil similar to that of a .22lr. They also are only 30 rnds, have working charging and bolt catch, and are true to weight. Check out the KWA LM4 PTR if you are interested, start up costs might be pricy though.
There are MANY manufacturers of Gas Blow-back Pistols (GBB) and Gas Blow-back Rifles (GBBR). No ONE company has such a complete portfolio as KWA.
The Start-up costs can be quite high, as Nick stated, but the over-all cost will be lower once you factor in ammunition.