Real gun or red gun

[CMichael]

Is it better to practice tactics like drawing with your real ccw gun or a red (mock) gun?

Thank you,

[ScottRiqui]

I would use your actual CCW weapon, after clearing it and moving all live ammo into another room.

I believe that the training aids are designed to mimic the real thing as far as size, shape and overall weight are concerned, but I don't know if the weight distribution is the same. Also, the grips won't feel the same, the sights may not mimic those on your CCW weapon, etcetera.

[CMichael]

Very true.

However, the weight won't be the same anyway, because I won't have a magazine with bullets when practicing drawing at home.

[ScottRiqui]

Well, a magazine full of "snap caps" or something similar will make up a little of the weight difference, but only about a third.

If you have any friends that reload, you could also ask them to make up some dummy rounds (case and bullet, but no powder or primer).

[Deaf Smith]

I use my laser gun! Yes laser gun. Glock 26 airsoft reconfigured to fire a laser beam.



I 'shoot' it almost every night. Hip shooting, sighted fire, point. I turn the lights down low and use lamp shades, curtians, pictures on walls, even some electric appliances as targets.

I NEVER use a real gun in the house for practice with the exception of a Glock 17 that I put a dummy barrel (cannot put any kind of round in it) and practice speed and tac reloading.


Deaf

[ClydeFrog]

I've seen a few well made training aids; ASP, Blue-Ring guns, Blackhawk etc.
The ASP line that mimics the exact size/wt of a loaded pistol has a lot of merit but is only available in a Glock 17 a full size 1911A1 .45acp a M9 9mm & a SIG P226R.
The fake or rubber guns can help with high speed or "dynamic" drills that could occur in a real, violent use of force event.
I'm not a student of the bang & break school of tactical training. Hard use or bad elements(rain, snow, dust, sand, mud, etc) might occur but fake guns are safer & better for simple drills like weapon retention, weak hand draws, speed draws/quick draws, re-holstering, weapon transition(rifle to pistol, shotgun to pistol, etc).

[booker_t]

I'm a fan of these training barrel inserts:
http://www.setcan.com/bladetech.html

[FreakGasolineFight]

If you have any friends that reload, you could also ask them to make up some dummy rounds (case and bullet, but no powder or primer).

This is such a patently bad idea ... that words fail me. I can't even think why someone would do that. Unless you're just itchin' to accidentally kill the neighbor with a live round that you were sure was one of the identical dummy rounds ...

[iron maiden]

A-Zoom makes some well built aluminum dummy rounds that are almost identical to live rounds. Those would be a safer option for having "ammo" in your magazine.

[ScottRiqui]

This is such a patently bad idea ... that words fail me. I can't even think why someone would do that. Unless you're just itchin' to accidentally kill the neighbor with a live round that you were sure was one of the identical dummy rounds ...

I was just suggesting a way to get the weight closer to correct. Of course the OP is going to have to be responsible for his own safety procedural controls. If he's not comfortable checking for the missing primers when he loads the dummies, he could blacken the cases with a marker, or drill holes through the cases since he'd just be using them for weight & balance purposes anyway.

[booker_t]

Typically inert rounds with real bullets have drilled out casings, so you can very easily identify them. Pretty standard practice.

[FreakGasolineFight]

Typically inert rounds with real bullets have drilled out casings, so you can very easily identify them. Pretty standard practice.

Ah, right. I wasn't familiar with that practice.

Learn something new every day, I guess!

[Deputy Dog]

I prefer to use ST Action Pro Dummy rounds with the real weapon I carry.
The ST Action Pro's have a plastic orange tip that go all the way to the primer. It is in a nickel casing, and they are great for immediate action drills and dry-firing. Have been using them for about four years now, and still have 40 of the original 50 that I bought four years ago. I use them to teach my classes as well.

DD

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Don't point an unloaded gun at a TV you aren't willing to destroy.

Drying firing with a real gun is a useful enterprise. Extreme caution is needed. Snap caps are the way to go. I have them for most of my handguns. They are a touch pricey but worth not getting a new TV or the wrath of SWMBO.

[Deaf Smith]

If you are determined to use your gun in the house to practice may I suggest...


http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=810432

Blade-Tech Training Barrel Glock 19, 23 Kydex Yellow

Yes it's a yellow barrel, made of plastic, that replaces the real barrel.

And Dillon sells 'blue' weighted plastic fake magazines you can use in the gun to.

Deaf

[Double Naught Spy]

I have the Blade-Tech version. All in all, not too bad, but you can't clear malfunctions.

[SigP6Carry]

I've generally used my airsoft guns to practice drawing... but I quickly found that my cleared real-steel was a better choice to practice. After using my real-steel for a while I found that I almost threw airsoft guns into the wall everytime. Which gives me the opinion that you should use your cleared CCW weapon to practice. A-zoom snaps are great. They don't add the "weight" that real ammo does, but using a real gun with snaps in it will give you a better feeling for your weapon than any blue, red or airsoft gun can give you.

I don't know who makes that Airsoft G26, Deaf Smith, is that a KWA/KSC?

[booker_t]

Deaf, why did you post the exact same thing I did?

[Deputy Dog]

Real guns and dummy rounds are the only way to practice weapon malfunctions for the Train as you fight mantality. If you have 100% focus on the "Absolutes of Firearms Safety" for which if you are in possession of any firearm you should be, you will know that you need to clear the chamber & feed source, remove all live ammo from the room, check & double check the chamber visually, check and double check the magazines, check and double check every dummy round going into the magazines. Once the final check of everything is complete, then you can proceed to load the magazines into the gun while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction and practice the different malfunctions till you are proficient at clearing them without any hesitation.

DD

[James K]

I use handloaded dummy rounds for function testing but do not advise using them for training. One problem has been suggested, mistaking a live round for a dummy and harming someone. There is also the opposite, being killed because you put loaded a dummy round in your carry gun instead of a live round.

If you do use dummies for function testing, make sure to color each case, drill a hole through the case or otherwise make it unlikely to confuse the dummies with live rounds.

Jim

[Deaf Smith]

Well booker, I just didn't see the blade tech thing....

My inert barrel is red in color and I got it from Brownells. But the plastic Yellow one will do.

DNS, Yea I know you can't do some malfunction drills, but you also can't shoot your TV...

Deaf

[Don P]

All in all, not too bad, but you can't clear malfunctions.

Maybe a little IDPA shooting would help.

[Double Naught Spy]

DNS, Yea I know you can't do some malfunction drills, but you also can't shoot your TV...

Deaf

Sir, your logical is solid. I still like practicing with snap caps none-the-less.

Why did Blade Tech stop selling their product in the other calibers. I bought two for 1911s (as I don't do Glocks) and now I don't see them listed. Must not have sold well?

[Deaf Smith]

Why did Blade Tech stop selling their product in the other calibers.

DNS,

I agree. While I'm a Glock man, plenty of people use 1911s, HK, Sigs, etc... and I'm sure they would love to be able to practice without worry about etiher breakage or ADs.

I have snap caps for my .38s. When practicing speed reloads with either speed loaders or speed strips, they sure do help.

Deaf