While thinking of your own safety and that of your home, a home security system or a real gun comes to your mind. But these can be expensive at times. What if there is a cheaper option that can still keep the burglars away? Would you consider it? Airsoft guns, although they may not be as powerful as the real gun, they can provide some degree of protection.
An airsoft gun is a perfect alternative for a real handgun. As long as your attacker thinks the airsoft gun is a real one, you stand a very high chance of scaring him off.
Reasons Why You need Airsoft Guns for Self Defense
While many weapons will work perfectly for self-defense, you may choose an airsoft gun. Instead of using a real gun, taser gun, knife, pepper spray, or baseball bat for self-defense, use an airsoft gun. This is the best choice because of the following reasons:
- Airsoft gun looks like a real gun. This feature makes the BB gun capable of scaring away any intruders or criminals. When an attacker sees the airsoft gun, he immediately thinks it is a real gun and will flee away for fear of his life. However, you may encounter some hardcore criminals who do not fear guns. This may render your airsoft gun useless for self-defense.
- Airsoft guns are non-lethal. On very rare occasions have airsoft guns killed attackers. They are indeed capable of injuring someone, but they are certainly not the cause of an intruder’s death. Most deaths can be attributed to how long the attacker had to wait for an ambulance after being injured or how long it took to get to the hospital.
- The price of airsoft guns is much less than that of real guns. As much as airsoft guns may not offer protection level like that of a real gun, you may be able to save yourself in some situations. Instead of spending a fortune in the real gun purchase and licensing, you can buy an airsoft gun at a lower price.
Air Pistols for Self Defense
When picking the best air pistol that you can use for protecting yourself, there are some important features you should look out for. Some of these are:
Type and use: there are many types of airsoft guns categorized by their mechanism of propulsion. For a starter gun, spring airsoft is the best pick. There are two types of these: a hand cocking spring and bolt rifles, both requiring manual power. Another type is a gas (CO2) airsoft, which lasts for about 3-5 mags and needs a gear. The other types are automatic electric guns, a mini, and an electric blowback.
Power: sadly, airsoft guns are not as powerful as real rifles. The maximum power you can get for a BB is 480 feet per second with a common CO2 pistol. Pump pistols and break-barrels are capable of shooting up to 700 feet per second.
Blowback action: this is actually what gives airsoft guns a realistic shooting experience. CO2 guns with a blowback action mimic real gun recoil. Blowback action means the slide moves back automatically, which cause the gun to cock for the next shoot, just like what a real gun does. Most blowback pistols are accurate since the barrel is fixed to the frame compared to a locked breech gun.
Ammunition: Majority of airsoft guns shoot BBs or pellets. The most common are steel BBs since they are cheap. Pellets, on the other hand, are powerful and more accurate. Airguns that use pellets for ammunition have always had the upper hand when it comes to performance.
Cost: the cost of air pistols varies depending on the type, number of accessories, and type of power upgrade. But the cost is obviously less than that of a handgun. If you are facing budgetary constraints, get an airgun pistol that uses steel BBs to start with.
How to Use an Airsoft Gun?
Because it is hard to know when the assailant will come, you need to prepare. It is great if you understand how an airsoft gun works so that you can defend yourself. Here is how you would use an air gun:
Step 1: ensure the gun is powered, whether with a battery or gas. The gas or battery should be in the gun or clip.
Step 2: load BB’s or pellets into the clip and insert the clip into the grip. In the case of a spring pistol, you need to rack it.
Step 3: Ensure the safety mechanism is set to fire. This can either be semi-automatic or fully automatic, depending on which model of airgun you have. You can set to safety on a round button on the grip right below the slide. But you can check the instruction manual for such guidance if you are unsure how to do it.
Step 4: This is what you are likely to do when faced by an assailant.
- Stand with your less active foot to the front. The most active foot remains at the back but facing sideways.
- Let your upper body lean backwards. This is essential to reduce the recoil.
- Raise the gun with both of your arms fully extended and aim at the attacker.
- To incapacitate the attacker, go for the face.
REMEMBER! You only take out the airgun if the attacker has overpowered you, you fear your life or face a risk of great injury. This is simply because a real gun may be pulled to your face.
Final Words
In self-defense training, you will be told never to pull out a gun unless you intend to use it. Self-defense scenarios come with instances where you may be required to use excessive force. If an airsoft gun is the only defense weapon you have, do not use it as a threat.
You stand a chance of a criminal pulling out a real gun on you to make the whole self-defense attempt an epic fail. To a small extent, you are allowed to use an airsoft gun in conjunction with another self-defense weapon to protect yourself. But the best would be to acquire a real gun.