can't help but wonder, did this scenario help you shit faster and more completely? or did it make you constipated right away and into the next few days? asking for science.
I refuse to refer to "practice like we play" style training, as LARP-ing, because this is the image that pops into my head when someone says larping: ua-cam.com/video/j_ekugPKqFw/v-deo.html Airsoft is fun, and when taken seriously a lot of the muscle memory, and lessons gleaned from it are applicable to real combat - which makes it training.
@@xokelis0015 In all fairness, I screamed Lightning Bolt once entering a room during MOUT training since cadre kept going on about throwing off ooda loops... it was that or making entry like Rip Taylor throwing confetti everywhere.
First MSW I went to: I dry-heaved the second night after patrolling with cadre with NODs for ~7 hours straight without stopping to hydrate and eat as much as I should've. The mixture of lack of energy intake + headache from mono tube PVS-14 really got me, even tho we only rucked maybe 2 miles and patrolled/fought through another 5 or 6. For us civvies, it's a real eye-opener that you can't really get anywhere else. Be fit, drink water or die, bring a light and tight kit, don't wear too much cold-weather on the move, have a good cold/wet sleeping setup, etc. I was tired as hell by day 3, but I sure did enjoy the hell outta it thanks to the MSW cadre teaching me many things!
This was a super wet event, and we ended up walking a long way (30+ miles). I expected maybe 8 miles because that’s what we did at the prior Stavropol game, but this event absolutely killed me. I do not know if I could have made a 4th day if there was one, I was simply so burned out at the end of day 3.
@@falguy Yeah we had ZERO rain in the Centerville one I went to. I was luuuucky. We walked just over 25 miles I think. One morning we did a 9 mile recon. Was super fun and only got a little chilly if you were static at night, and a little damp in the mornings with dew. Not as cold/wet as this recent one.
Well Drewski, when your diet consists of cheetos and mountain dew thats what happens fella. Buddy played a few milsim games and thought he was a delta operator 😂😂😂
Thank you so much for bringing positivity to this sport. Airsofters are usually in a very awkward spot where we get hate from gun guys for not shooting real guns but also get hate from anti gun people for liking things that resemble guns.
I've always thought of airsoft as a rich and expanded version of paintballing. Can see why people like airsoft events but money/equipment dictates the result/experience too much for me
Don’t forget every smarmy dweeb under the sun reminding you you can get trained for free if you just enlist ( no shit ). Luckily usually there are the 15 active duty/ recently retired people in your local air soft group telling you to ignore their dumb ass. It’s a really fun but expensive pastime that should blend seamlessly with firearms enthusiasm. It gets people out networking in the community making friends and getting asses off of couches. But there’s always going to be shit-birds trying to cut you down.
@@Jake_Hamlin I always thought paintball was way more expensive. You can get any camo from a army shop cheap and get a decent gun for not too much. Then BBs are cheap that's it once you have everything. Paintballs though are always more for less.
I think it's more of a relevant thing for countries like Germany where I live, we can't train with real firearms because they are you know, not allowed... It's definitely not great firearms training but it's definitely a great opportunity to learn cover, camouflage, communication, team strategies, properly wearing your stuff for a long time and stuff like that. Even for aiming it's not great regarding leading and bullet drop but it's not bad for practicing hand placement, keeping a weapon steady etc. So obviously if you have a more realistic option, do that, otherwise it's not bad.
@@sonh788 Oh yeah, i know, I'll do my hunting license next year so I can buy whatever i want... For most people tho it's not really an option to buy any real gun. [Oops it's already next year so we'll i meant fall of this year]
I really appreciate all of these guntubers that branch into airsoft because it really helps grow the community and shine light onto a once very small hobby
I played airsoft as a teenager and into my early twenties. Then I drifted away after I joined the military and real shooting and tactics became a part of my job. On a whim I re-visited my local airsoft field recently and quickly realized that while airsoft is primarily a game, there are some training points to be gleaned. I learned that the way I was trained to use cover and shoot around corners was highly effective, I often felt that I had a big advantage just based on how I worked my cover compared to the average airsofter. You get to feel the fatigue that comes from shouldering even a lightweight rifle for long periods of time, and carrying the weight of your gear when shooting and moving. Plus you get a lot of reps at using positional shooting and working angles in a practical environment. Now I kinda want to get some of my teammates to try it to see if any of our team tactics also apply.
Part of that also depends on how your group plays. The CTF stuff isn't, but some of the more hardcore groups also force you to get used to using realistic tactics.
Before airsoft there was paintball and the balls could seriously hurt. So on top of the usual training benefit and the physical exertion exposure.. the human brain responds differently to exposure to pain stimulus vs when it doesn't feel that threat. The old paintball group used to do night-beach landings from zodiac, attack fortified positions, defensive training. While the arms involved were of a larger differential to actual arms the psychological effects were, I feel, more effective. If the individual BB's could leave you with a 2-3" welt and even drop you from multiple painful impacts you'd get that psychological effect force into the equation where you REALLY don't want to be hit. But yeah, there was a 48h paintball match back in the day in an industrial plant, something like 100 players. It was.. shoot, 25 years ago?
@@meatybtz Are you saying airsoft doesnt hurt..? Cause I cant tell you how many times Ive seen people bleeding at the end of the day, or even BBs embedded in skin, to the point where you cant see it, getting plucked out.
Speaking as someone who jumped right into "real steel" as a teenager and skipped over airsoft entirely, I am in full support of the airsoft community and their hobby. Any hobby that allows people to train, learn, practice and deepen their understanding and appreciation of firearms and tactics in a fun and safe way is cool in my book.
@@jakefoley9539 oh I do but that doesn’t mean that I wanna get into it. I’m gonna quote a comment from me that explains it a bit better. Airsoft isn’t a step to realsteel… ,,IMPORTANT INFORMATION(not really adressed to gt): Airsoft is for Fun! What many Guntubers, like Trex Arms have to understand is that Airsoft is just a game. Yeah u can use some parts for training, but that doesn’t mean that Airsofters wanna get into the Real Steel world. Airsoft is Not a tool for you to help the real steel industry grow and to spread ur political/and,or ideological views. Airsoft is a unpolitical zone so that we all can get along and have fun together, like it should be. Also don’t compare Airsoft with paintball, we don’t like that 😂”
That is why many many even agencies practice with airsoft. Even fbi. Our government are just adapting airsoft into the military training and for police. Airsoft is the only way to actually shoot other person without causing any injuries, but you still get that slight fear of getting shot at.
“For those people who didn’t have night vision, it’s not fair since night vision is super expensive. But if you don’t have it you are gonna die to those who do have it” *Tarkov players:* “hey I know this one!”
"We own the night" Isn't that exactly why American special forces have been so dominant past couple decades? Though ofc near-peers also have NVGs now, so that's weakened some
Yes but our optics have evolved, as you see here, NVGs are 20th century tech. We are now rolling with combo NVGs/Thermal overlays… so imagine taking Thumbs two devices and merging them into one. So we see good detail up close and IR up close and white hot or black hot at distance. It’s still massively unfair. P.S. don’t tell the bad guys
When I lived in Germany we couldn't have real firearms. So I paintballed, shot competitive airgun matches, and started collecting airsoft guns. It let me start learning about firearms, basic marksmanship, and it felt like I was part of the firearms community. In 2008 I moved to the US, bought my first firearm when I turned 18 (Ruger 10/22), continued on to become a full time range safety officer, NRA firearms instructor, and finally chief RSO. Now I make UA-cam fishing videos...😂 Anyways, I collect and shoot firearms till this day, and am glad I started with airsoft because it was the only "in" to the community I had at the time. Great video as usual.
The fact that you just entertained the notion in the first place and attended is awesome man. Considering your pedigree and experience in the community, it was pretty cool seeing and hearing your thoughts while shooting BBs with friends in a "TACTIC-COOL" environment. Love your channel man, great stuff!
Not sure what it is but the more tacticool they look usually the worse of a player they actually are. I remember me and my buddy absolutely wrecked these guys who had just come back from Iraq and they were beyond salty about it. They did well till me and my friend found them then they lost a 2 vs 10 fight against us and a couple of them just started raging out. What really put the salt in the wound was they were the ones who insisted on doing a mil/leo vs civs game. Just to lose to some drunken 16 year olds who were up all night smoking and drinking lol. I think thats why most airsoft fields stick with killhouse/paintball style set ups vs just open woodland like we played. Light guerilla tactics are just undefeatable in those environments, the guys who want to LARP really have no chance beyond LARPing their own deaths. Especially when the swampland and tropical thickets they find horrible and disgusting is the type of terrain we grew up playing on as children. Makes it not fun with the tacticool guys. I dont think they ever actually saw us during the fight either, they had all this heavy gear on in swampland and it was just like WTF are you doing? Maybe thats why the US got wrecked so bad in nam but it seems like we dont train well to fight in swampland. You can only really move down game trails without being ambush bait but they would be so loud on game trails you could hear them and just light up the thicket they were in. They also couldnt move fast and low enough to move through those thickets so there were only a couple they could use. My buddy who whooped them with me did go on to become a marine scout sniper or something like that though. Forget the actual term it was a while ago.
When I was in the military and for a few years thereafter I scoffed at airsoft. As I grew in my tactical journey I started to realize it's pretty much the only way to get realistic SUT training with guys as a civilian at an approachable price point. The problem is so much of it hinges on the honor and integrity of both sides, and the more pressure put on winning the game, the faster that honor goes out the window.
You're exactly right but easy solution, if other players don't have honor or integrity, it doesn't ruin the fact that you still got good training out of the experience. And it gives you a reason to shoot the opponent more until they start calling their hits. That makes it more fun. Just imagine the guys that cheat as threats in a real-life situations wearing body armor that brushed off your gunshot. Think of it like that, and you'll enjoy it more even with cheaters.
You won't have any rights left if you don't contact the senators trying to negotiate our rights away. They have the votes for Red Flags, so go watch Guns and Gadgets for the list of traitors to contact. The left is loud, and we must be louder!
Served as a Combat Engineer and me and my buddies would do this on our own time, either airsoft or paintball. We'd use it indoors to practice breaching drills as well as advancing maneuvers. You get hit, you do push-ups. I can say it definitely improved my skillset.
Live fire on a range allows you to be familiar with the firearm. Airsoft events like these allows you to refine some useful aspects other than manipulating the firearm. Combine them both to get optimal results
Nowadays you can actually get gas powered airsoft replicas that are manipulated in a very similar way to actual firearms and some of the internals are even designed very similarly
@@Steam0985 true, but live range can also help you adapt to the true recoil force of your firearm. Airsoft guns, even those gas blowback guns, unfortunately lack in that aspect
I absolutely am all for airsoft for training and having fun doing it. My boss got me and a few other employees started and we have a nice little group of 5 and play on the boss’s back 30 which has both woods and flat open (kinda hilly terrain) yard. I just have to say that even though it’s not like real training for us who haven’t served (btw-thank you for your service and sacrifice), it has brought my situational awareness and general awareness up quite a few notches since we mostly do free-for-all battles and sometimes teams for assaulting the dilapidated barn. We just started using smoke bombs and grenades(green gas powered hold around 160 bbs spread in a 360* pattern when it lands).
I'm not quite in the same vein as you, but back when I was in college I took a Military Science course that was taught by a staff sergeant in the National Guard for a couple of semesters. He organized a game every couple of weeks and encouraged us to give it a try in our free time. Definitely one of the best decisions I've made as it's helped with both my social anxiety and losing weight.
One of the best ways I learned to lose weight is to eat 1/3 less at each meal. Another good piece of advice I got is, There is only one way to lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn.
@@DChrls it greatly helps to chew your food even more than normal, as that overall gives time to your stomach to send the signal to the brain that is already satiated.
I definitely see the advantage when it comes to CQB training. Paper targets don't shoot back and try to outmaneuver you. You get to fight real people and see how they fight you. I'd legitimately support room clearing and cqb airsoft games for soldiers.
The problem with training in a non-controlled environment is that you get people who will gamify it. Toy gun fights don't play out quite the same. Don't get me wrong, sim rounds perform similar roles, but it's going to play airsoft is going for fun
@@joeb6750 I feel war is a game and everyone in the US military, especially the Special Forces gamify it. The only difference is Special Forces take winning and losing very seriously. They are kinda like the pro gamers.
@@mage9825 well yes but in airsoft people have high rates of fire and basically infinite ammo, you probably need to get a group together for realistic training
It's really nice and helpful for the airsoft community that professionals like you share their positive POV. Unlike many Airsoft UA-camrs that only make videos about cheaters and drama that just push people away from this amazing hobby. It is ok to have fun, thank you Mr thumb
Yeah, Airsoft UA-cam community is adapting to its 13yo audience, sadly. In my country, it's banned under 18 and the community is much less drama driven. It's very nice indeed to see this kind of content.
@@Manuswitchcraft ua-cam.com/video/v0dAf0p28No/v-deo.html If you want to watch non drama, cool milsim airsoft vid, this is one of the best channel I know. Eng subs available on most vids:)
My National guard RSP unit has actually used Airsoft for a 2 week long JRTC like event. It was a 2 week long campaign which included urban fighting, trench warfare, changing position nightly which includes making a new fighting position nightly. Was truly my favorite experience I have ever been threw so far.
ofc bro , here in spain and europe we cant have real guns so we have all kjind of abandoned buildings and event creators , and i try to carry mi kit on as much as i can ( is not a full load 40kg kit ) . at least I dont use real plates on my plate carrier (there are training ones etc) . my loadout is a glock 17 and a small variant of an m4 . we have loads of fun we sweat a lot too .
TREX brought a kid from Japan that has done nothing but dry fire with airsoft and his fundamentals translated over. Watch the video it’s insane how comfortable he got with a real gun.
@@somefuckstolemynick Well that may be true, but it had nothing to do with him being asian. Anybody from any country that plays airsoft that much would catch on quickly. Lets not act like shooting guns is some sort of rocket science. Its muscle memory and knowing what goes where, reload, how to handle recoil, clean barrel, etc. Very easy stuff in comparison to most professions...
@@chrisbreezy-ryanbarbosa4320 I think he probably mentioned that he's Asian because it spoke to how he likely didn't have access to firearms like we're blessed with while growing up in America 🤷♂️
Another really valuable part of airsoft and MSW is learning how to lead and follow. Learning how to work with and lead others, especially those with varying levels of skill, is just as important as shooting drills and other individual soldiering tasks.
I used to do airsoft with a small group of friends before I joined the army, and it definitely helped with my ability to camouflage and be sneaky in the woods.
In Japan, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) use airsoft versions of type-89 rifles for training. Mainly the electric models are used because they weigh the same (without ammo) as the real gun. The reduction of accidents during training is an advantage, and it is a particularly useful training method under conditions where live ammunition is expensive or just not available. However, because JSDF lack experience in actual combat, and because their gun shooting training does not simulate "actual combat", I think it is still not exactly the same as training with real guns IMO. I respect them and the United States Forces Japan so much for protecting my country BTW.
I think it would be fun to take people like you to the range and share real steel with ya. I played airsoft when I was a young adult and then graduated to the real deal later on in life. It's so much fun slinging real rounds.
that's why you have our military there to help fill in the gaps of combat experience from lessons we learned, how ever I do advise don't play with the wild-life.
Only thing about airsoft people typically go for the AEG’s or battery internal instead of gas or propane it gives it more of a realistic feel most GBB are good training tools some say other wise but its all about having fun
Traded mine in, the bolt carrier group is shcokingly similar and even my real buffer/buffer springs were interchangeable, apart from the strength of the spring. The mag weight was almost identical too.
@@davesiu680 You are generally very right, but it depends a little on how cold. For example above freezing you can use red gas rather than green gas. The heavier higher pressure gas compensates for the drop in effectiveness that you get with cold weather. Below freezing you can sometimes use black gas which is even heavier, but if you regularly need to buy red and black gas then it's gonna eat funds faster than if you could use green or blue 90% of the time. CO2s are more or less immune to cold, but those get quite expensive to shoot frequently as the capsules are high-powered but very low volume. Otherwise yeah AEGs are still super valid even if you miss out on the simulated recoil of a GBB, and a lot of people still use springers for their shotguns and snipers, which are as 'primitive' as it gets.
There are some good take aways from air soft. Rough part for me is not being able to reach out with BBs. First time I played on a field years after my service, I was dragging ass. Realized after the second iteration I was wearing a vest with real plates and no one else was, big difference! Great points as always GT.
for those whose wondering the intro song is called grotto - audiomachine the video is remarkable and all really love how serious and effort putting into this
I think the comment about "Everything is great except the airsoft itself" is fair. You can still learn how to cover your squad's back, learn what is and what isn't good CONCEALMENT (not cover) and find out if your kit actually works or not
concealment is big facts. A buddy of mine found out the hard way that Army UCP, in fact, does not blend in with anything. So much so that its an absolute liability
I play paintball and I have the same opinion. Cover is an issue. But communication is also test in this environment. I prefer paintball only because the mark left on your gear is easy for everyone to see and know who got wasted.
This is an amazing analysis of training. Well done. I love after action reviews because they put everyone one the spot and no one was exempt. Keep it up Garand Thumb.
I’ve never gotten the chance to go to any of the big professional events like this, but I have gone out in woods with anywhere from 3 to 20 of the boys and done airsoft that way a ton. Bigger stuff like unit cohesion or night vision or map reading, we obviously didn’t learn much of, but you definitely start to learn how to move and communicate quietly when it’s just you and like one other guy getting hunted down by like 8 of your buddies, and you start to understand at least the bare basics of something like SLLS trying to find people through a few acres of forest. And even though my “gear” consisted of cargo pants, a dark green sweatshirt, and some mag pouches, you start to figure out how to set your self up so at least stuff won’t fall off when you sprint. So basically everything during airsoft that isn’t the actual shooting is pretty applicable.
@@ottovonbearsmark8876 lol that kind of goes without saying yeah? Literally all legit events are technically professional. Lol you called it a "professional event" and made it sound like only professionals were allowed to participate.
@@cosmicbilly that was my point, I have never been to a ‘legit’ event. I have only ever gone into the woods with my buddies behind one of our houses. I was intentionally referring to all legit events as professional.
I've been training with airsoft at home since the pandemic kicked off and ammo started becoming harder to get a hold of and more expensive. Conserves ammo for when I really need it, and when I do make it to the range for live drills, I SEE the difference that training has made. With airsoft I can train EVERY DAY, but even more importantly, I can train in ways I normally just wouldn't be able to. I don't have access to a shoot house, but by setting up multiple target traps in my house, I can practice room clearing, dynamic room entry and transitioning across multiple targets when entering a room WHILE moving and shooting, AND I can see my hits, and work to improve. I can't emphasize enough what a huge difference and game changer an airsoft rifle was for me, and how much it helped me significantly improve my close range shooting techique.
@@OneNationUnderGod.45 I still practice emergency reloads with an actual rifle, because airsoft is terrible for practicing reloads, but when it comes to things like praciticing your foot work while shooting, tranistioning targets, room entry and clearing, all of that fun stuff, airsoft is hard to beat, and I can do it every day with next to zero cost.
@@TheBrigandBob the only problem of practicing at home is those fucking plastic shrapnel so fast they can fuck up furniture. I left targets in my garage only, so that I won't worry
Did the pandemic keep military personnel like yourself from training or deployment so that you had to train in your home? I would have thought that units who need to drill at things like CQB would have remained on deployment and thereby afford personnel the ability to continue training on the job, as it were.
Airsoft battles with your boys around the neighborhood. Jumping into people's backyards, hiding in trees. Airsoft was good to me in my youth and it's the reason I'm so invested in firearms. Stellar video man.
I am a veteran, and I absolutely love your content! I have been saying airsoft is good training for years, it lets you learn your kit and get used to where everything is at. Thank you so much for making the content.
I used to train with several LEO types and we used airsoft for the force on force stuff. All of it was CQB, house and room clearing. That worked well. And several of them would go to larger events. All of them were urban based (usually disused industrial plants) rather than the rural setting you were in. But it was valuable training. You did just have to be cognizant of the training scars, like the one you mentioned and another I always thought about was that it could confuse your subconscious on the difference between cover and concealment.
@@amalekited they play in teams and coordination watching every area and clear rooms the way they should be cleared. If not cqb than they will definitely also use good tactics in forest areas. Its easy stuff you just gotta get a squad with you to join in on it and not complain.
Something I learned while playing against Milspec mojo at a local airsoft event that he hosted, was that there is genuinely functional ways to counter night vision . Granted we knew they were coming at us so it wasn't like we were just sitting around like those people at the base in this video but in a direct force on force application we learned that if you can flood the area that your fighting in with white light and have good use of strobes and white lights you can blind the shit out of the people with night vision and see the reflection on the lenses and just suppress the shit out of theme while you push them with strobes on.
@@samuelsnyder4601 it's almost like he should've accepted the risk of expensive equipment getting damaged in an environment filled with things that could damage it. He could've had that issue with any bright light or BB hitting the wrong spot.
@@UtubeH8tr Normal people don't use thermals in airsoft, so your point is moot. Not just the expense of the device itself, it's not particularly useful outside of specific situations (like the night ambush GT mentioned), and airsoft guns are notorious for cracking glass if a BB gets a direct hit on the lens. Nice meme bro.
Also, as a larper who had to run his own R&D on NODs and night movement, I learned not to carry the cellphone of death. The thing has like a dozen functions which use a IR strobe than can be seen even through NIR fabric. It happened to me in the last night event and I became a targeting beacon without even noticing until someone told me.
@@HerroYuy246 i had no idea, thanks. Would a Faraday bag stop that? I'd never carry a cellphone into that kinda situation unless I had it in a good Faraday bag, but now Im wondering about IR
Gotta be honest, as someone who's not military (atleat not for another year) I've learned a lot about general skill and practice through airsoft. Whether it's pistol/rifle transition, reloads, gear layout, squad operations and even LRRP (of moms garage) Ive found it to be great. It has its downsides, but it's also fun
I think if you want to get close to realistic training with airsoft, stick with GBB's (Gas Blowback) and maybe EBB's (Electric Blowback) and limit your magazines to realistic values. In that case when you run dry, you can practice your reloads on the field and get a feel to reload under stress/pressure when under fire. I know it's no substitute for the real thing, but as far as not getting killed in a real firefight while having some semblance of realism on the field imho that is the way to go. As someone who has played airsoft since I was 15, the one thing that bothered me is when everyone treated their electric automatic airsoft guns like pocket LMG's going full auto. Until I can afford a decent quality GBB I have dropped airsoft for the time being. The other thing is that I don't like giving my money to China for any sort of hobbies if I can avoid it.
Try to get your hands on a TM MWS, if second hand it's kinda affordable, magazine excluded ( those are quite a pain in the ass to find for cheap, except if you buy those of guys who think theirs are broken but simply need to change the joint )
You don't need to spend a grand for a half decent GBB rifle. WE or KWA are decent platforms to begin with in the $300 range, what gets expensive are the spare mags.
As the "bleeding edge" of the civilian gun world keeps moving towards things like thermal, drones, NVG's, comms, SIGINT, and the light fighter mentality as a whole, I think airsoft events like these will become amazing proving and testing grounds for all of the COTS equipment that people are currently experimenting with. Speaking of which, seeing some direction finding and SIGINT equipment be used in an event like this would be pretty sweet 😏
Artillery, aircraft and vehicles aren't a thing in airsoft, most of these technologies' potential is wasted by the lack of any sort of long ranged weapons. Drones spotting infantry and calling artillery is basically the most effective strategy in the Ukrainian war.
Canada is Canada when it comes to firearms so that should bring things into context about availability and opportunities to shoot etc. When I was younger I could only shoot guns with my dad and that was *only* at the range (in terms of his license). I took up airsoft because with how similar the controls are, and manipulation etc, I used airsoft as a dry fire training kinda thing. When I would go back to the range, I noticed my comfort levels and things like manipulating charging handles, reloads etc were a lot smoother. Fast forward in life, I own firearms and I shoot when I can. When I’m not at the range, I use my airsoft guns for dry practice runs. When I play airsoft, I can manipulate the gun around corners and I’ve learned proper foot placement techniques, clearing rooms, and when I reload I take the time to actually hit the bolt catch or charge the charging handle to make it a little more realistic etc (all while keeping in mind things like a wooden wall is concealment, not cover). Joining the CAF soon after I was considered one of the best shooters in my reserve unit (not saying much but you know). Airsoft is definitely a subset of the entire gun / tactical community and should be seen as such.
@@Azurexstar as far as I know c-21 has been stopped for now "Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), was introduced in the House of Commons on February 16, 2021. There was debate, but second reading was not completed and it died when the 43rd Parliament was dissolved on August 15, 2021." But the new bill put forward by Trudeau on banning handguns is also called "bill c-21" so you never know,I haven't seen anything airsoft related in the new c-21
Training scars are the problem with all simulated events, even military controlled events. The actual fear of being killed just isn't there and the actual mental and physical fatigue and cortisol/adrenaline roller coaster isn't there either. However, when training and committing to form drills and movement/land nav tactics/comms than it can be good for the muscle memory required for actual combat and self defense. EDIT: being retired US Navy, wet and cold was the best way to operate, because we knew the enemy was way worse off than us and gave us a huge advantage!
Airsoft is excellent training for CQB, when done right the adrenaline is through the roof so it is a perfect way of getting used to adrenaline rush when you're in a real situation.
@@scalereality4840 Nothing gets anywhere close to actual combat. Lets not kid ourselves. Its the same difference between boxing drills, sparing, and actual fighting. Drills and sparing are both essential to fighting. However only actual fighting brings experience in fighting. Civ Div has a great comment on this. Training is meant to keep you alive, but you are only battle ready once you have fought in battles. (this has been a rule for literally humanities entire existance)
I've trained with simunition before and it hurts quite a bit more than airsoft. I had one round embedded in my hand from an AR at 5 feet. I agree, it can produce training scars, but this also has a good training point, just because I am hit and it hurts, I'm not out of the fight. When we trained, if you were a good guy, you pressed on even if shot in the scenario. Also, you learn to stop sticking your head out and use more effective cover and movement.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d gotten used to my airsoft M4 until I was practicing with my AR and how unaccustomed I’d gotten to recoil. There’s no simulating a real weapon. Additionally, I think one of the other most dangerous things airsoft teaches, or rather fails to teach, is the difference between cover and concealment. If you’re behind a thick bush, chances are you’re safe from the BBs, whereas in real life you’re probably gonna die. Most fields use plywood to create cover, whereas with a real rifle you’re going to get shot through that easily. Best application of airsoft is learning how to work with teams, learning small unit tactics, hand signals, etc. If shit ever hit the fan the first people I’m going to is my airsoft team because I can trust them and we can already work as a team. There is a step that has to be taken to train for real steel but practicing certain things can make that step smaller.
@NorseBishop Depends which game we are talking about. But most games, like Squad and Hell Let Loose, teach you that buildings can stop artillery and tank fire.
While I agree on the weapons simulation part I think you're wrong about concealment. A good airsoft rifle, especially snipers can still rip you through bushes and leaves easily. At my field things like rpg's can kill people behind cover and clear whole rooms because It's just plain fun. Also I think the best thing I've learned from airsoft is the extreme advantage of being properly camouflaged. Ghillies are cool but I've seen dude's, well more like I didn't see them wearing plain old multicam BDU's and a boonie with some locally gathered fauna tucked into it. And even the military uses dry-wall style kill houses for lots of simulations. You have to use your imagination! Haven't you ever seen spongebob? Maybe we should tell all the recruits to take those blank firing attachments off their M4's and use live ammo when they're training against each other because a real bullet would go through you that easily, unlike a blank LOL. Better yet just let them use blanks without the attachment and I'm sure they'll still find a way to injure somebody. If you know what a BFA is and ever used one before, you're certifiably based.
I would liken airsoft to real steel training to go carting and driving a real car. Just because one is smaller scale or not as effective doesn't mean you won't get anything from it. It may not transfer 1 to 1. I used to do airsoft a lot back in the day, I would go to the indoor fields because it trains you how to move rooms, corner, check over your shoulder, and the biggest thing I think is target acquisition. Since you're almost always getting new teammates every time you go, in different outfits, learning how to identify someone NOT on your team is crucial. Those split second decisions to shoot or not I think is a valuable skill. Sure, it's a WAY muted down because even if it was a teammate you didn't kill them, but at least it trains that skill. I'd love to have find a team to group up with and go. I miss airsoft. It's basically playing Call of Duty or Battlefield in real life, and if you go hard like I do it's a great way in staying fit. Oh yeah, while not a main point and it can create good or bad habits depending on how you look at it. Having a real analog to pain is a great way to learn how to hide behind concealment or cover, if your butts sticking out, or elbow, head peaking over, or something. Getting a better and more precise picture of how your body is positioned.
The truth is people REALLY don't think to just shoot through light cover most of the time, and military and law enforcement are typically trained deliberately to avoid doing it. Engaging targets you can't see or identify is frowned on, to put it mildly. But. Doesn't mean there aren't assholes like us out there who will shoot someone through whatever. Just means it isn't as common as one would assume or expect.
I came out of the Army and i was in a bad way mentally. I started Viking re-enactment and not long after that i discovered Airsoft Guns and that there were events where you were allowed to shoot people. I started going to skirmishes before discovering what we call Milsims. This is where i discovered how unfit i had become. I was a realistic and realised the limitations of Airsoft but i enjoyed being in the field again and made some good friends. The take aways, Weapons safety, fire and manouvere, field craft, patrolling skills. Building defence and attack. Ambush drills and as you say if your gear isn't up to scratch it will let you know. I live in the UK where as a rule we aren't allowed firearms but we are allowed on Military training bases that have small villages designed for CQB where we can practice breaching buildings and other cool stuff. Of course we have whiners who complain about being shot but i satisfy myself knowing in the real world they would be dead. One of the first things i learnt was Army training about room breaching is all well and good but no one was shooting back at us {no use of simunitions when i was in} as soon as i played airsoft i learnt that the guy {or girl} cowering in the corner of the room we were assaulting could still fire back and could take out the first few blokes through the door. Covid stopped all of that and my fitness has now fallen to the level of couch potato.
@@miklawson211try a job where you earn commission and you have complete control over how much you earn with a bit of work, they pay better than salary jobs and earning for a milsim game is a good motivator to get that spare change👌
I’ve always been into airsoft, especially when I was younger. What was difficult was playing with budget setups while dudes with lasers would dominate. Now that I’m older, I want to get into airsoft again for training. Ive used airsoft for (government) training before. It’s a useful tool, especially to learn how to move when you’re being shot at. You build great muscle memory.
That night raid was brutal. I was one of the guys you took out next to the fire. To their credit, Cadre doesn’t usually allow fires, but at that point we had lost about 50% of our company due to poor decisions to send them marching through tall, wet grass right at dusk. For those of us that stuck it out, many were approaching hypothermia, due to poor clothing and footwear choices. Anyway, we loved that you guys were there, and it was really cool of you to let my guys take pictures with you after the game.
Also check out Novritsch, one of the biggest. And Europe have some huge games with 1000-2000 people participating. Berget is a yearly Swedish event that brings over 1000 people yearly, spanning over 60hours. Germany and the UK has huge events aswell, can't remember what those are called though..
This video is great because especially from around the mid of it you are very dense in your points and explanations and it makes it worth listening... other videos are not always like this. The topic is fun as simulation is a blast.
Airsoft is good for training fundamentals. Comms, Movement, Unit tactics, Camouflage, Gear familiarity, Gear torture testing, etc. Certain games one might play (probably with a more personal group of individuals) like "Manhunt" can be good for training alot of those same aspects, but can also help to train things like evasion. I did alot of this sort of thing when I was a young teen, probably to the detriment of our neighborhoods. But it taught me alot of stuff that flannel daddy says all the time (such as my white af skin glowing like a christmas tree at night when trying to camouflage myself), long before I ever knew his channel existed. It really just depends on what you focus on getting out of these exercises.
What ever you use as training, you only get out of it what you put in it. With airsoft you can build off of it . The benefits.. 1. Exercise 2. Testing load out ( what/doesn't work ) 3. Muscle memory On top of all that, it's fun ! As a father it is a perfect tool for my son and I to spend time doing something we like , building trust and communication skills . I used to make fun of airsoft but a guy at work and my son got me into it and at 43 yrs old....I get giddy when it's time to go play guns. The last thing I love about airsoft, I'm a hot rodder and I can not , not mess with things. I have aeg's that are cost equal to real weapons yet they can run 50+ rps at 400+ fps. Brushless motors , trigger controls, MOSFETs , drum mags. Then you can modify to your little hearts content. I have a classic army that I put in a bore up kit , upgrade compression parts, uprated spring, uprated bushings and bearings, MOSFET with braking and precock , war head motor , billet hop up , maple bucking set , polished inner barrel. On the outside I got all the Gucci hang down handles , 2000 round motor fed drum mag , running aimpoint optics , got the " loudancer " on it .....mmmm she's a sexy beast.
@@Spider-Too-Too heck yes brutha. It gets your mind working in a different way. I'm not saying it will prep you for d day but if you get comfortable with thinking under pressure and having a killers thought set then it's just an advantage 😎
@@Spider-Too-Too except The cover is completely misleading because they can see the pellets coming at them and duck before reaches. Basically playing a dodgeball game... Gives you a false sense of security when in real life you would be shot dead if you poked your head up like that
I like this because I originally got into airsoft as a young kid and that taught me how to tinker and now that I'm an adult I'm a hot rodder working on a Plymouth. Haha I love that you relate to that.
I was a paintball/airsoft guy from like 11. still play airsoft and have been around guns my entire life. I am now 30 and still have both. Never had night vision haven’t been to an event that it was needed. Hopefully soon we will take a trip to one. There are some really good take aways from airsoft. There are also some bad take aways from it. I know it will mess you up shooting skeets. Takes me about a box to get back right with a shotgun and about a half a game to un do it. Also lct makes some good stuff and bayofang is a pain in the ass some times. This was a good video to talk about those short comings. Really appreciated the kinda cross over video thanks.
I remember training in 1992 at C.A.C. in Petawawa, Canada. Night vision was still in it's first or second introduction phase and less easy to come by in large. However, during a recce excursion, I had my first glimpse of our enemy bivowak (through N.V.) and smoking was a lot more popular in those days. I could see little domes of light illuminate above and around every trench and shellscrape that had an active smoker in the process of taking a puff (even if visually blocked by cover). We literally drew up our detailed attack plans based on the locations of the smokers. (NOTE: At the time, I had personally switched to chewing tobacco for sun-down operations. ) It was wild. We were even able to determine the enemy's 'stand-to' status, by determining when shift changes were or weren't taking place, which allowed us to manipulate said status and eventually catch them off guard by not presenting a problem until we essentially became a real problem. It was glorious. Memories are Garand ;P
In civil life: 🚬ing stinks, reduces your fitness and your life span, and is easy way to waste a huge amount of 💵💵💵 In war: 🚬ers significantly reduces chances of survival, and everyone around them, because you can smell and 👁👁 them easily.
@@ロース-z7m exactly. Which is why I mentioned that I stuck to chewing tobacco for night ops. The enemy forces thought they were being clever, smoking (against orders) at the bottoms of their trenches where the ambient light was undetectable by eyes, only detectable by our night vision. we only had the one N.V. unit, and were lucky to even have that since the reserves got all of the reg force handmedowns! (this was 1992 remember). The enemy force did not have night vision at all. Unfortunately we could not build a detailed plan by nose alone, but you are right, you can smell that shit a mile away in the right wind and you can see the cherry from a cigarette from a km away on a clear, dark night when the loser takes a puff (you might even see his friends if he's standing in a group). in 1992 cigarettes were already cheap and even less expensive when purchased from military commissary. I can't remember what we called the field stores that would come out on occasion with smokes and crap, but I called it the "Dart Cart".
At the base level, airsoft is great for overall fitness and you can make it intense or laid back to your personal liking. I like wearing weighted plates for the added workout and the occasional reaction when someone hears the loud thump when I drop it.
I go to the gym 3-4 times a week to lift. My first airsoft event with friends I thought I was going to be fit enough. Boy was I wrong and now I play airsoft for endurance training twice a week and its lot of fun.
You guys should use a gbbr… bolt locks on empty. Has the kick of a .22 and the mag capacity is 1:1 with real steel. Its honestly the most realistic approach to airsoft. And is great for training.
He isn't saying about the recoil control he is wanting more emersion in the game, use of AEG airsoft guns takes away alot of that emersion, feeling the toy recoil in your shoulder and hands nothing like an gddr airsoft gun.
I ran a GBBR at MSW last year. It was a mistake. They are so unreliable, especially when you add in environmental factors like dust, that any realism benefit they have is countered by an unrealistic level of malfunctions. GBBRs are great for CQB and training, but not for a 40 hour game.
You know, I love seeing some conversations like this pop up between Airsofters and sport shooters all around. It’s a great topic to discuss. I personally love Airsoft and have been playing for 2 and a half years now. Thank you for this community and great vid.
So glad you came out to defend the homeland with us. Airsoft training has helped noticeably you just have to realize the differences and keep them seperate. Great video 🇺🇸
Got my first legit airsoft gun this week. Like you said, lapping could be fun, and the rules are the rules. Lots of the basics are going to crossover very well. Ammo conservation, moving, communicating, etc. Very much looking forward to getting g started.
The "Push to Think" comment was hilarious! I have never been in the military but am I volunteer firefighter and it is the same thing for new guys with us! And I agree from my own experience with airsoft; some of the biggest takeaways are fitness, communication, and teamwork. It's the same thing when we firefighters train on concrete block burn buildings. They don't burn like real structures, they aren't filled with furniture and such like real structures, but they let you practice those fundamentals in a less-stressful and more fun environment and get adjusted to your gear and teammates.
11:00 Absolutely! So many guys have or buy gear but never practice or larp with it. I know you hit on it in your carrier load out videos, but it is so true not only for practicing with setup, but because of the weight. Even you vets out there, have you practiced in full load out lately? Do it. Even the weight of plates alone can make your legs feel shaky after a short time of wearing it. Throw a ruck and weapons load out on top of it and we're all sucking wind on a short hike. Moral of the story: larp... Larp some more. We aren't in as good of shape as we like to think.
@ "larping" isn't specific to airsoft, and in fact has nothing to do with airsoft in this context. It refers to wearing full kit and plates around the house doing chores, or practicing drawing down a firearm in your carrier load out, etc. "larp" has gotten a bad wrap on the broad spectrum, but in inner circles of vets and tactical gear forums it's used loudly and proudly.
To be frank, I think the next gen of training (and fun) is going to transition back to a laser/receiver system. (note this can be a frequency not visible under amplification/thermal) No "safe" projectile is going to be as practical at even modest ranges. Airsoft and paintball are GREAT for cqb, and I treasure the time I spent lobbing projectiles at my buddies.. but we need to be able to train easily outdoors as well.
16 of my local airsoft buddy are getting to laser milsim. it's quite funny seeing some recently joined airsoft players play the laser milsim game with airsoft tactics and got destroyed. you can't dodge a laser, baby
Agree, we have it Russia, called firetag. Real weapons shooting blanks coupled with laser hit detection system. Works great even on distances of hundreds of meters. After trying it once there's just no way back to airsoft.
However, problem with laser tag is the lack of any projectiles flying around. Nothing to make you dodge or anything. No suppression feeling as when BBS are flying over your head. You either get hit, or don't even know you are being shot at.
@@OttovonSchweinichen in my experience you don't feel BBs hitting you at all in full gear. Plus if you are "killed" your weapon don't shot laser any more, even though you still use your blanks. Is much more fair than average airsoft game. And suppression works pretty well, you clearly hear ak47 firing at your direction.
As a Dutch Airsoft fanatic. There’s some other things I personally took away. Things like gun discipline and the bare bare basics of how (in my case) to operate an m4 or a pistol. I have never held a real gun or shot one, nor do I think I ever will due to the way rules are here. Airsoft being the closest I can get to doing something similar I must say I love and enjoy a lot. I would’ve enjoyed you going into why airsoft guns don’t operate like the real ones a little more, not so much the recoil etc cause that’s obvious. But more so the way the mag release works, difference in trigger etc. There’s gas blowback airsoft guns that as far as I can tell come real close to real steel. My personal airsoft gun also is compatible with a lot of real steel parts. I enjoyed the video a lot as someone who is solely bound to being able to do airsoft. I think it’s cool for a very military minded person to give it a shot and be this positive about it! Keep up the awesome vids!
My airsoft catalog of platforms are GBBs and a few springs I have an -Beretta M92FS -.357 colt python 2.5 inch -Chrome colt .45 long slide -Hudson H9 -.45 USP - M4 A1 - AkS 74u -UMP.45 -micro uzi -Dragunov (spring ) -M3 shotgun (Spring) -M500 shotgun (spring) -M1887 lever action shotgun - Mp5 A3/A4 (AEG) - pistol style Grenade launcher
I often shoot whith real guns but don't have the time and the right to realy training but maybe i can say some difference like a airsoft don't malfuction like a real gun do and clear the guns can be very difficult and dangerous if you don't know how to do it or have a very bad malfunction . I can also says the sound of the guns and the fear it procure the first time you heard a full auto m4 in front of you in close quarter . (Risk to become deaf) And also when i fire a apc9 in full whith a suppresor i have little smoke in my eyes when firing because the guns eject at the top and it's not very fun . For me when i try airsoft the problem is cover and bush that stop bb and a very lack of range and velocity (no way i can shoot a targat over 150 meters . And real combat have a lot of range often more than 400 meters depends of the situation.
As a Brit, I really appreciate how objective this video is. Being in a country that is anti-firearms means that airsoft, and videos like this, are the closest I'll ever get to any kind of experience. With the way things are going over here, even semi-realistic training is becoming more and more important. Cheers.
One of my favorite things about MSW was the WARNORDs and CONOPs the owners were putting up. It's like you said, it felt like the beginning of an Army training event but nobody was sad.
Hey, thx a lot for this video, I live in Romania, where owning a real gun isn't really a realistic option, however ever I've started playing airsoft a few years back and feel like I've learned a lot of things, and with videos like this I always know what I am missing and where I need to improve . Again, thank you.
Planning on doing airsoft with some friends in the gun club. We’re running through what we’d wear now. As a history nut I’m going WW1 British SAS, my buddy pointed out that I will stand out, i told him that’s the point
Afaik SAS became a thing during WW2. You could do a WW2 SAS kit and that would be cool. It's just that these events usually use current time gear. I've went to a few of these events in Sweden, which also has one of the biggest if not the biggest airsoft "milsim" event, Berget Event. It's a 3 day event where you have people from all around the world coming to join. I saw some Israeli guys wearing WW2 para trooper kits kind of, while most of us ran Crye Precision clothes and carriers. It's a bit weird, but so is also going to the forest with 1500 people from all around the world go play war for 72 hours. But hey, it's a lot of fun.
To a gun familiarity level and team training it is an excellent training event. Some of my squad and I regularly go play and take part in large events. It has helped build cohesion and understanding.
Been doing it nearly 17 years and it's become an addiction/lifestyle. Sure. There are limitations on the guns themselves, but general handling and manual of arms are close (for gas blowbacks which I run exclusively since coming to Taiwan, at least) but nonetheless it's a great way to work out kit arrangements, where things rub or chafe, what's too heavy or where to place it, which gear will make you miserable and stay cold or wet, what weapons layouts work or don't for you (vertical foregrips for everything, my arms are too long and I get wrist strain on something like a standard MP5), plus you can't really hike all day and/or night in something resembling full gear in a great outdoors situation without causing yourself or others problems. Comms and small unit tactics or CQB work really well with it, and there's a growing number of people using it for handgun training here because non permissive environment reasons. If it's all you've got, it ain't bad 🤙 Also trapesing around hilly jungles in 40*C and 99% humidity with multilingual comms requirements and spiders the size of dinner plates is nothing but fun... Cover! 他們從來在哪裡啊？ Wut?
Wow, this is absolutely stunning to see just how powerful thermals and nightvision are. That shot of AD walking slowly in front of you is bone chilling if you replace the BB guns with real ones.
I’m sure I commented this when this came out, but: Gas Blowback rifles are an excellent stand-in for more realistic weapon manipulation. The high end gas rifles (Marui, GHK, VFC, and if you’re willing to spend more on your airsoft gun than your real rifle, Vipertech) are exceptionally realistic, in terms of recoil, weight, and controls.
Even before watching this, I'm surprised the military doesn't use airsoft for force on force training. Sim rounds were a thing but expensive, they were tough to clean up, and required a lot of space to use. Airsoft can be used almost anywhere with a few posted signs. If they can make eco-friendly BBs it would be beneficial for a few thousand dollars per unit.
Because for actual combat bb wars are very lacking in the necessary aspects of combat training for mil requirements. It's great to do on your own to learn tactics and the mental side, by that I mean how your gear works, dealing with weather, all the logistics stuff. The fights are just the icing on top.
I got into airsoft because of your channel . It’s awesome to see you went out and tried it . I actually run a gas blow back mk18 again thanks to you haha. But if your looking for an even more realistic airsoft rifle that is try a gas blow back rifle next . The mags hold only 30-40 bbs also weapon manipulation is exactly the same and the moving parts are the same . Has a bcg that cycles into the buffer tube with a buffer and everything . I actually use a real steel carbine buffer in my gas blowback airsoft mk18 . Awesome video!!
At 1:36 right now and for what Ive seen, I have to say your video editor is a god. One of the best colorgrading and sharpest videos Ive seen on youtube.
Also I think airsoft teaches you how to use camoflage to blend in or just simple concealment with your surroundings. I think airsoft training along side real firearms training and combining the 2 aspects such as recoil, and whats cover and whats concealment can get you a lot more prepared. typical civilians wont be running NODS or Therms, still good to have the training though. so having a skill in situational awareness and using camoflage and team coordination will definitely give you a strong advantage over typical adversaries, even the comms like you said are great points I haven't even considered, plus the process of getting your body prepared for that kind of strain and endurance airsoft can simulate that pretty damn well. especially if you carry gear/kit that has Identical or damn close weight as your actual gear/kit including the weapons so that you can build the strength to carry them and manipulate them for long periods, it makes it easier for when you have to use your actual gear/kit if the situation arises, maybe you need to bug out or go off grid. knowing how you will perform in different weather conditions, or just being uncomfortable and your fitness level for the activity. Airsoft can test that pretty well, because the last thing you want is to be dragged down by your own gear or fitness level and your ability to suffer and keep going especially if your life or others depend on it! So real firearms training for building efficiency and accuracy, some tactics, and drills. Airsoft for training in on the move, tactics, developing endurance and team coordination plus learning how your kit will work in a real life situation... examples.. comms, pouches, kit standardization... also its alot of fun A wise man once said, If you aren't fit, you're gonna die!
We used blue tip simunitions in our M4's and M9's back in the day (2007-2010) and I don't see why airsoft wouldn't be of at least some value. I will say that airsoft doesn't have much of a pain penalty where as simunitions do, which I believe helps behavior be more realistic. But like Mike pointed out, there is a lot more to military operations than just being able to manipulate a weapon and that's where I think stuff like this shines.
The pain isn't too much different from like a 400fps rifle to simunitions. You can always just wear slightly less ppe to make up the difference. I've done a lot of both
Depends entirely on the airsoft gun. I’ve gotten shot by guns that leave scars for years and I’ve been shot by some that I don’t even feel. It varies wildly. Biggest bad habit airsoft teaches you is engagement distances.
I’ve been actively involved with Airsoft since 1998. I helped create my Airsoft community here in Indiana. Long before I was old enough to own real firearms I could play Airsoft. I’ve made some amazing memories and even better friends with Airsoft Indiana over the years. I’m happy to see all the positivity and good attention Airsoft has gotten the last few years.
Where at in Indiana are you? You don't happen to use the MALC property in Edinburgh, do you? I've taken firearms trainings there. Actually have one this weekend.
Airsoft and paintball is something I always loved to do. I've never went to the really big events but me and some friends would go out into the woods and it was just a free for all. The biggest take away for me was how to handle yourself and the gun under pressure/stress. To me that's one of the biggest perks of all of it because weather it's a self defense scenario or just getting buck fever when you're hunting. Knowing how to handle yourself when the adrenaline hits is important. All in all airsoft is awesome and I love seeing former military and law enforcement get out there more and more.
Everytime I hear or see things about airsoft as dryfire/training tool I just remember Liku, the guy is a text book of firearm knowledge learned from video/ trained from airsoft, given the fact that Japan doesn't allow civs to have their own firearm.
@@denmanfite3156 I don't know the channel you are talking about, Liku has his own channel and social(Liku_Tactical), only channel I know him appear on is Trex arms.
The best things I learned from larping BB war is literally everything EXCEPT the actual shooting. Teamwork, tactics, coordination, movement, situational awareness, communication, and how to hump it in the woods for a couple days without getting dangerously sick or shot in your sleep. Pretty neat stuff to know! You learn real quick what TO pack and what NOT to pack. It completely boils away any misconceptions of what is necessary for (insert context here) I used to be a multiglam fetishizing tacticool scrublord and after a few events I realized the most critical kit other than your weapon and reliable mags (and maybe comms or nods if you can afford them) is just basic camping stuff. I always wondered if ANY of the MSW things I do could be applicable to real world situations and then I listened to some interviews of volunteers in Ukraine and their checklist of things to bring basically mirrored what I bring to milsim. So that's nifty. but unless you're a sniper or support gunner, airsoft just completely breaks down beyond 200-400 feet. I've been at MSWs and casually side-stepped clouds of bbs coming my way that lost energy halfway across the road. That said clearing a building with 70 people involved is a deliciously chaotic experience I highly recommend.
It can but the big difference to keep in mind is the stuff you hide behind in a airsoft obstacle field will not stop actual bullets. It can get you used to the adrenaline rush, teamwork with other shooters, reloading cornering muscle memory, etc. I think its great, a way to kind of get the thrill of being in a gunfight without actually killing nobody...
If you’ve ever been BB’d to death while taking a shit in the woods, go ahead and hit that subscribe button
That’s a good one
Steaming pile gives away your position.
I cant' sub, but I repect your pain
can't help but wonder, did this scenario help you shit faster and more completely? or did it make you constipated right away and into the next few days? asking for science.
Never been BB'd to death, but seeing as you have I'll just say... man that sucks xD
"It is okay to have fun"
Everyone needs to remember this.
The first rule of gun safety
Apparently not anymore in Chinada...banned.
Unless there's speedsofters. They ruin the fun.
@@dave3392 Every time I've seen a video of a speed softer, they are either really chill or ultra-dickheads, there is seemingly no in between...
No, I must make fun of people for using airsoft guns because they can shoot people and have fun….
Remember kids: All training is larping but not all larping is training
I... I love this. I'm using it, consider it borrowed.
I refuse to refer to "practice like we play" style training, as LARP-ing, because this is the image that pops into my head when someone says larping:
ua-cam.com/video/j_ekugPKqFw/v-deo.html
Airsoft is fun, and when taken seriously a lot of the muscle memory, and lessons gleaned from it are applicable to real combat - which makes it training.
@@xokelis0015 LIGHTING BOLT
get both, larp like you train train like you larp ;)
@@xokelis0015 In all fairness, I screamed Lightning Bolt once entering a room during MOUT training since cadre kept going on about throwing off ooda loops... it was that or making entry like Rip Taylor throwing confetti everywhere.
"You can be asleep and you can be assaulted"
- Garand Thumb 2022
He can assault me whenever he want. No homo tho
"Not sure if advice or confession" 🤔
Outside of milsims, this is true in real life also
@@mrkeogh he said it brought up ptsd when blue Jean executed surrendering people in their sleep
no, uncle stop!!🙃
"Half a league, half a league, half a league onward. Into the valley of Larp rode the brave Guntubers."
Sheesh
oblique Ukraine reference
Where's the LNN coverage?
Bruh I recently used this poem in literature during my gcses exams last week xd
@Ben exactlyyyy, the easiest one
First MSW I went to:
I dry-heaved the second night after patrolling with cadre with NODs for ~7 hours straight without stopping to hydrate and eat as much as I should've. The mixture of lack of energy intake + headache from mono tube PVS-14 really got me, even tho we only rucked maybe 2 miles and patrolled/fought through another 5 or 6. For us civvies, it's a real eye-opener that you can't really get anywhere else. Be fit, drink water or die, bring a light and tight kit, don't wear too much cold-weather on the move, have a good cold/wet sleeping setup, etc.
I was tired as hell by day 3, but I sure did enjoy the hell outta it thanks to the MSW cadre teaching me many things!
This was a super wet event, and we ended up walking a long way (30+ miles). I expected maybe 8 miles because that’s what we did at the prior Stavropol game, but this event absolutely killed me. I do not know if I could have made a 4th day if there was one, I was simply so burned out at the end of day 3.
@@falguy Yeah we had ZERO rain in the Centerville one I went to. I was luuuucky. We walked just over 25 miles I think. One morning we did a 9 mile recon. Was super fun and only got a little chilly if you were static at night, and a little damp in the mornings with dew. Not as cold/wet as this recent one.
Well Drewski, when your diet consists of cheetos and mountain dew thats what happens fella. Buddy played a few milsim games and thought he was a delta operator 😂😂😂
well i didnt expect much from you..
Sounds like Milsim and a real-life battlefield according to vets I interviewed. (Oh, and can you please do more airsoft videos?)
Thank you so much for bringing positivity to this sport. Airsofters are usually in a very awkward spot where we get hate from gun guys for not shooting real guns but also get hate from anti gun people for liking things that resemble guns.
I've always thought of airsoft as a rich and expanded version of paintballing.
Can see why people like airsoft events but money/equipment dictates the result/experience too much for me
Boomers and fudds hate on air soft because they don’t like to run and they hate your post 1960 weapon style
Don’t forget every smarmy dweeb under the sun reminding you you can get trained for free if you just enlist ( no shit ). Luckily usually there are the 15 active duty/ recently retired people in your local air soft group telling you to ignore their dumb ass.
It’s a really fun but expensive pastime that should blend seamlessly with firearms enthusiasm. It gets people out networking in the community making friends and getting asses off of couches. But there’s always going to be shit-birds trying to cut you down.
@@Jake_Hamlin I always thought paintball was way more expensive. You can get any camo from a army shop cheap and get a decent gun for not too much. Then BBs are cheap that's it once you have everything. Paintballs though are always more for less.
It’s literally just grownups playing toy soldier. It’s fun, but that’s all it really is.
I think it's more of a relevant thing for countries like Germany where I live, we can't train with real firearms because they are you know, not allowed...
It's definitely not great firearms training but it's definitely a great opportunity to learn cover, camouflage, communication, team strategies, properly wearing your stuff for a long time and stuff like that.
Even for aiming it's not great regarding leading and bullet drop but it's not bad for practicing hand placement, keeping a weapon steady etc.
So obviously if you have a more realistic option, do that, otherwise it's not bad.
That is a really good way to look at it!!
same here in the Netherlands, Airsoft even is under the gunlaws here
I agree with you completely. Last few months, I have been looking for a few short arms shooting in Berlin but the result is almost zero!
They are allowed . The laws make it hard for the poor but many rich Germans have it a "sporting " gun
@@sonh788 Oh yeah, i know, I'll do my hunting license next year so I can buy whatever i want... For most people tho it's not really an option to buy any real gun. [Oops it's already next year so we'll i meant fall of this year]
I really appreciate all of these guntubers that branch into airsoft because it really helps grow the community and shine light onto a once very small hobby
*c:*
LOL a few years ago pre 2020 it was unheard of
@@AwkwardYet *l m a o*
Mil SIM is definitely a bit different. Airsoft is definitely fun
Airsoft is cringe and the community is cancer
I played airsoft as a teenager and into my early twenties. Then I drifted away after I joined the military and real shooting and tactics became a part of my job. On a whim I re-visited my local airsoft field recently and quickly realized that while airsoft is primarily a game, there are some training points to be gleaned. I learned that the way I was trained to use cover and shoot around corners was highly effective, I often felt that I had a big advantage just based on how I worked my cover compared to the average airsofter. You get to feel the fatigue that comes from shouldering even a lightweight rifle for long periods of time, and carrying the weight of your gear when shooting and moving. Plus you get a lot of reps at using positional shooting and working angles in a practical environment. Now I kinda want to get some of my teammates to try it to see if any of our team tactics also apply.
Part of that also depends on how your group plays. The CTF stuff isn't, but some of the more hardcore groups also force you to get used to using realistic tactics.
Hey, maybe you could try to be like a sarge to your teammates y'know? "I NEED COVER OVER HERE!" Or just give out useful tips.
They do
Before airsoft there was paintball and the balls could seriously hurt. So on top of the usual training benefit and the physical exertion exposure.. the human brain responds differently to exposure to pain stimulus vs when it doesn't feel that threat. The old paintball group used to do night-beach landings from zodiac, attack fortified positions, defensive training. While the arms involved were of a larger differential to actual arms the psychological effects were, I feel, more effective. If the individual BB's could leave you with a 2-3" welt and even drop you from multiple painful impacts you'd get that psychological effect force into the equation where you REALLY don't want to be hit. But yeah, there was a 48h paintball match back in the day in an industrial plant, something like 100 players. It was.. shoot, 25 years ago?
@@meatybtz Are you saying airsoft doesnt hurt..? Cause I cant tell you how many times Ive seen people bleeding at the end of the day, or even BBs embedded in skin, to the point where you cant see it, getting plucked out.
Speaking as someone who jumped right into "real steel" as a teenager and skipped over airsoft entirely, I am in full support of the airsoft community and their hobby.
Any hobby that allows people to train, learn, practice and deepen their understanding and appreciation of firearms and tactics in a fun and safe way is cool in my book.
Dude u gotta understand Airsoft is just a game and just cause we do airsoft doesn’t mean we want to get into real steel
@@floriangramsch9036 You're the first airsofter I've met who doesn't have an interest in real firearms. There's exceptions to everything.
@@jakefoley9539 oh I do but that doesn’t mean that I wanna get into it. I’m gonna quote a comment from me that explains it a bit better. Airsoft isn’t a step to realsteel…
,,IMPORTANT INFORMATION(not really adressed to gt): Airsoft is for Fun! What many Guntubers, like Trex Arms have to understand is that Airsoft is just a game. Yeah u can use some parts for training, but that doesn’t mean that Airsofters wanna get into the Real Steel world. Airsoft is Not a tool for you to help the real steel industry grow and to spread ur political/and,or ideological views. Airsoft is a unpolitical zone so that we all can get along and have fun together, like it should be.
Also don’t compare Airsoft with paintball, we don’t like that 😂”
That is why many many even agencies practice with airsoft. Even fbi. Our government are just adapting airsoft into the military training and for police. Airsoft is the only way to actually shoot other person without causing any injuries, but you still get that slight fear of getting shot at.
Especially the GBBs, airsoft milsims with AEGs is just, dumb
Garand Thumb: using internal compass thermals
Timmy: HES HACKING!
NO he's 🤑PAYING!🤑
“For those people who didn’t have night vision, it’s not fair since night vision is super expensive. But if you don’t have it you are gonna die to those who do have it”
*Tarkov players:* “hey I know this one!”
Brandon is like "Which button turns on NODs?"
I will add though,everybody gangsta till their lenses get shot out.
Then that expensive kit gets even more expensive 👍
It's actually not as expensive as you think.
"We own the night"
Isn't that exactly why American special forces have been so dominant past couple decades? Though ofc near-peers also have NVGs now, so that's weakened some
Yes but our optics have evolved, as you see here, NVGs are 20th century tech. We are now rolling with combo NVGs/Thermal overlays… so imagine taking Thumbs two devices and merging them into one. So we see good detail up close and IR up close and white hot or black hot at distance. It’s still massively unfair. P.S. don’t tell the bad guys
Need more thermal airsoft gameplay
need more money too. feel free to donate to me :3
That was pretty sick to see
Yes
if aleks says it it must happen
Needs a mag warmer to make bbs more visible in thermal😊
When I lived in Germany we couldn't have real firearms. So I paintballed, shot competitive airgun matches, and started collecting airsoft guns. It let me start learning about firearms, basic marksmanship, and it felt like I was part of the firearms community. In 2008 I moved to the US, bought my first firearm when I turned 18 (Ruger 10/22), continued on to become a full time range safety officer, NRA firearms instructor, and finally chief RSO. Now I make UA-cam fishing videos...😂 Anyways, I collect and shoot firearms till this day, and am glad I started with airsoft because it was the only "in" to the community I had at the time. Great video as usual.
I would like to move to Germany one day, whats it like. And in your opinion is it worth it coming from the United States?
@@ashtonsalazar271 no, you give up all your rights and enjoy a nice 19% tax on everything
@@yodaddamilkman8422 That's straightup bullshit, germany is a great country to live in.
@@aerthax4936 not compared to the USA, I’m living here as well. It’s a pretty country and the roads are nice. That’s about it.
@@yodaddamilkman8422 Was genau stört dich denn so an Deutschland?
The fact that you just entertained the notion in the first place and attended is awesome man. Considering your pedigree and experience in the community, it was pretty cool seeing and hearing your thoughts while shooting BBs with friends in a "TACTIC-COOL" environment. Love your channel man, great stuff!
Not sure what it is but the more tacticool they look usually the worse of a player they actually are. I remember me and my buddy absolutely wrecked these guys who had just come back from Iraq and they were beyond salty about it. They did well till me and my friend found them then they lost a 2 vs 10 fight against us and a couple of them just started raging out. What really put the salt in the wound was they were the ones who insisted on doing a mil/leo vs civs game. Just to lose to some drunken 16 year olds who were up all night smoking and drinking lol. I think thats why most airsoft fields stick with killhouse/paintball style set ups vs just open woodland like we played. Light guerilla tactics are just undefeatable in those environments, the guys who want to LARP really have no chance beyond LARPing their own deaths. Especially when the swampland and tropical thickets they find horrible and disgusting is the type of terrain we grew up playing on as children.
Makes it not fun with the tacticool guys. I dont think they ever actually saw us during the fight either, they had all this heavy gear on in swampland and it was just like WTF are you doing? Maybe thats why the US got wrecked so bad in nam but it seems like we dont train well to fight in swampland. You can only really move down game trails without being ambush bait but they would be so loud on game trails you could hear them and just light up the thicket they were in. They also couldnt move fast and low enough to move through those thickets so there were only a couple they could use. My buddy who whooped them with me did go on to become a marine scout sniper or something like that though. Forget the actual term it was a while ago.
When I was in the military and for a few years thereafter I scoffed at airsoft. As I grew in my tactical journey I started to realize it's pretty much the only way to get realistic SUT training with guys as a civilian at an approachable price point. The problem is so much of it hinges on the honor and integrity of both sides, and the more pressure put on winning the game, the faster that honor goes out the window.
You're exactly right but easy solution, if other players don't have honor or integrity, it doesn't ruin the fact that you still got good training out of the experience. And it gives you a reason to shoot the opponent more until they start calling their hits. That makes it more fun. Just imagine the guys that cheat as threats in a real-life situations wearing body armor that brushed off your gunshot. Think of it like that, and you'll enjoy it more even with cheaters.
I play airsoft as a hobby and it depends how you play it because i run and gun but if you play properly for practice it can be good
That’s why paintball is better.
its funny how many people there are like you.
You won't have any rights left if you don't contact the senators trying to negotiate our rights away. They have the votes for Red Flags, so go watch Guns and Gadgets for the list of traitors to contact. The left is loud, and we must be louder!
Served as a Combat Engineer and me and my buddies would do this on our own time, either airsoft or paintball. We'd use it indoors to practice breaching drills as well as advancing maneuvers. You get hit, you do push-ups. I can say it definitely improved my skillset.
1st en bn 72nd MAC 06-11
@@okgroomer1966 2nd brigade 1st armor division STB C-co
push ups or breaching?
most POG thing ive seen today
@@jazz322alllwaysswingLmao
Live fire on a range allows you to be familiar with the firearm. Airsoft events like these allows you to refine some useful aspects other than manipulating the firearm. Combine them both to get optimal results
both are needed. If you only have one you will do nothing against someone who has both
Nowadays you can actually get gas powered airsoft replicas that are manipulated in a very similar way to actual firearms and some of the internals are even designed very similarly
@@Steam0985 true, but live range can also help you adapt to the true recoil force of your firearm. Airsoft guns, even those gas blowback guns, unfortunately lack in that aspect
I absolutely am all for airsoft for training and having fun doing it. My boss got me and a few other employees started and we have a nice little group of 5 and play on the boss’s back 30 which has both woods and flat open (kinda hilly terrain) yard. I just have to say that even though it’s not like real training for us who haven’t served (btw-thank you for your service and sacrifice), it has brought my situational awareness and general awareness up quite a few notches since we mostly do free-for-all battles and sometimes teams for assaulting the dilapidated barn. We just started using smoke bombs and grenades(green gas powered hold around 160 bbs spread in a 360* pattern when it lands).
What kind of business has bosses like that lol
@@RandomPerson-ob1hk Probably a small one, or maybe someone who works in defense
I’m a CNC machinist
Where can I apply bro😂😂😂 send me that link
I'm not quite in the same vein as you, but back when I was in college I took a Military Science course that was taught by a staff sergeant in the National Guard for a couple of semesters. He organized a game every couple of weeks and encouraged us to give it a try in our free time. Definitely one of the best decisions I've made as it's helped with both my social anxiety and losing weight.
One of the best ways I learned to lose weight is to eat 1/3 less at each meal.
Another good piece of advice I got is, There is only one way to lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn.
@@DChrls it greatly helps to chew your food even more than normal, as that overall gives time to your stomach to send the signal to the brain that is already satiated.
LOL it didn't help in any other areas but those two....
good job guardian, treat yourself with some crayons.
just remeber to eat less crayons
I definitely see the advantage when it comes to CQB training. Paper targets don't shoot back and try to outmaneuver you. You get to fight real people and see how they fight you. I'd legitimately support room clearing and cqb airsoft games for soldiers.
The problem with training in a non-controlled environment is that you get people who will gamify it. Toy gun fights don't play out quite the same. Don't get me wrong, sim rounds perform similar roles, but it's going to play airsoft is going for fun
@@joeb6750 I feel war is a game and everyone in the US military, especially the Special Forces gamify it. The only difference is Special Forces take winning and losing very seriously. They are kinda like the pro gamers.
@@mage9825 well yes but in airsoft people have high rates of fire and basically infinite ammo, you probably need to get a group together for realistic training
@@OctaneGroup true, but it's not impossible to get a group together for that.
@@OctaneGroup true, need real caps.
It's really nice and helpful for the airsoft community that professionals like you share their positive POV. Unlike many Airsoft UA-camrs that only make videos about cheaters and drama that just push people away from this amazing hobby. It is ok to have fun, thank you Mr thumb
Yeah, Airsoft UA-cam community is adapting to its 13yo audience, sadly.
In my country, it's banned under 18 and the community is much less drama driven.
It's very nice indeed to see this kind of content.
@@docthorr True, I live in Spain and although Airsoft isn't banned actually for under 18, the vast majority of fields don't allow minors to play.
@@Manuswitchcraft ua-cam.com/video/v0dAf0p28No/v-deo.html
If you want to watch non drama, cool milsim airsoft vid, this is one of the best channel I know.
Eng subs available on most vids:)
its important to support the channels that dont push for the drama then, and just the ones that show gameplay
@@mgproryh definitly
My National guard RSP unit has actually used Airsoft for a 2 week long JRTC like event. It was a 2 week long campaign which included urban fighting, trench warfare, changing position nightly which includes making a new fighting position nightly. Was truly my favorite experience I have ever been threw so far.
That sounds amazing. super jealous
ofc bro , here in spain and europe we cant have real guns so we have all kjind of abandoned buildings and event creators , and i try to carry mi kit on as much as i can ( is not a full load 40kg kit ) . at least I dont use real plates on my plate carrier (there are training ones etc) . my loadout is a glock 17 and a small variant of an m4 . we have loads of fun we sweat a lot too .
TREX brought a kid from Japan that has done nothing but dry fire with airsoft and his fundamentals translated over. Watch the video it’s insane how comfortable he got with a real gun.
Agree, that kid was insanely good.
_Roses are red,_
_Violets are blue,_
_There’s always an Asian,_
_Better than you._
I remember a video like that from back in the day! the kid was a competition and speed shooter, and did amazing with the real thing right off the bat!
@@somefuckstolemynick Well that may be true, but it had nothing to do with him being asian. Anybody from any country that plays airsoft that much would catch on quickly. Lets not act like shooting guns is some sort of rocket science. Its muscle memory and knowing what goes where, reload, how to handle recoil, clean barrel, etc. Very easy stuff in comparison to most professions...
@@chrisbreezy-ryanbarbosa4320 whoosh
@@chrisbreezy-ryanbarbosa4320 I think he probably mentioned that he's Asian because it spoke to how he likely didn't have access to firearms like we're blessed with while growing up in America 🤷♂️
Another really valuable part of airsoft and MSW is learning how to lead and follow. Learning how to work with and lead others, especially those with varying levels of skill, is just as important as shooting drills and other individual soldiering tasks.
that's not something Airsoft invented.. Basic leadership and combat tactics can be done without a pile of plastic
@@usonlyus7148 do you want people to learn or do you want them to hate you? 🤔
@@theempressbunny The point is yes While Airsoft motivates people to practice Strategies doesn't meant that it is the only source to rely on.
Without adrenaline drills this means nothing
@@usonlyus7148 no one said it is
6:59 excellent trigger discipline even in death.
Booger hook off the pew pew switch
When is your next event?
Funniest part of the video
😂😂😂😂😂
a true gamer
I used to do airsoft with a small group of friends before I joined the army, and it definitely helped with my ability to camouflage and be sneaky in the woods.
That intro was legitimately a fucking masterpiece!
Props to those responsible. Would definitely like more of that stuff.
But how is that song called tho?
@@Eric-ed1zl The Grotto from Audiomachine
cant find it on spotify
In Japan, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) use airsoft versions of type-89 rifles for training. Mainly the electric models are used because they weigh the same (without ammo) as the real gun. The reduction of accidents during training is an advantage, and it is a particularly useful training method under conditions where live ammunition is expensive or just not available. However, because JSDF lack experience in actual combat, and because their gun shooting training does not simulate "actual combat", I think it is still not exactly the same as training with real guns IMO. I respect them and the United States Forces Japan so much for protecting my country BTW.
I think it would be fun to take people like you to the range and share real steel with ya. I played airsoft when I was a young adult and then graduated to the real deal later on in life. It's so much fun slinging real rounds.
Respect to JSDF for protecting my precious anime
A lot of European countries that fought in places like Afghanistan against terrorists use airsoft in cqb training.
that's why you have our military there to help fill in the gaps of combat experience from lessons we learned, how ever I do advise don't play with the wild-life.
Airsoft is great when you have people with similar skill sets and not just mowing down rentals with badass aegs
*Yes Sirrrrr*
This is where gas blowback rifles with standard capacity mags come in
F rentals
@@granola661 airsoft has a bad reputation because it's a cringe community
@@boxelderinitiative3897 yeah
Only thing about airsoft people typically go for the AEG’s or battery internal instead of gas or propane it gives it more of a realistic feel most GBB are good training tools some say other wise but its all about having fun
If you live in colder climate counties GBB does not perform well. Moreover it also costs more to operate compare to a AEG
Traded mine in, the bolt carrier group is shcokingly similar and even my real buffer/buffer springs were interchangeable, apart from the strength of the spring. The mag weight was almost identical too.
I've got better things to do than play airsoft bro. Do you.
@@davesiu680 You are generally very right, but it depends a little on how cold. For example above freezing you can use red gas rather than green gas. The heavier higher pressure gas compensates for the drop in effectiveness that you get with cold weather. Below freezing you can sometimes use black gas which is even heavier, but if you regularly need to buy red and black gas then it's gonna eat funds faster than if you could use green or blue 90% of the time. CO2s are more or less immune to cold, but those get quite expensive to shoot frequently as the capsules are high-powered but very low volume.
Otherwise yeah AEGs are still super valid even if you miss out on the simulated recoil of a GBB, and a lot of people still use springers for their shotguns and snipers, which are as 'primitive' as it gets.
@@hunnerat-touaregi4439bro did NOT WATCH THE VIDEO LMAO
There are some good take aways from air soft. Rough part for me is not being able to reach out with BBs.
First time I played on a field years after my service, I was dragging ass. Realized after the second iteration I was wearing a vest with real plates and no one else was, big difference! Great points as always GT.
Have you ever heard of an R-hop? You might want to check it out. PITA to install but really extends the range of airsoft guns if done right.
Work on fitness, don't replace gear.
@@dessertsniper Just get a Maple Leaf MR-Hop. Same performance, more consistent, less hassle.
@@gt7984 Mr. Hop combined with a >3J rifle and you'll hit targets reliably up to 280ft, and targets at 300-330ft about 40% of the time.
@@denmanfite3156 bro he was literally hauling real kevlar vests on an airsoft event wdymean
for those whose wondering the intro song is called grotto - audiomachine
the video is remarkable and all
really love how serious and effort putting into this
KING
Thank you man
@@mcbatur the tune was abslote fire and underrated too
Thank you so much man!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH
I think the comment about "Everything is great except the airsoft itself" is fair. You can still learn how to cover your squad's back, learn what is and what isn't good CONCEALMENT (not cover) and find out if your kit actually works or not
Big facts
concealment is big facts. A buddy of mine found out the hard way that Army UCP, in fact, does not blend in with anything. So much so that its an absolute liability
Also reloading and manipulating equipment under pressure with adrenaline pumping.
@@GarandThumb What's the song you used at the start?
I play paintball and I have the same opinion. Cover is an issue. But communication is also test in this environment. I prefer paintball only because the mark left on your gear is easy for everyone to see and know who got wasted.
This is an amazing analysis of training. Well done. I love after action reviews because they put everyone one the spot and no one was exempt. Keep it up Garand Thumb.
I’ve never gotten the chance to go to any of the big professional events like this, but I have gone out in woods with anywhere from 3 to 20 of the boys and done airsoft that way a ton. Bigger stuff like unit cohesion or night vision or map reading, we obviously didn’t learn much of, but you definitely start to learn how to move and communicate quietly when it’s just you and like one other guy getting hunted down by like 8 of your buddies, and you start to understand at least the bare basics of something like SLLS trying to find people through a few acres of forest. And even though my “gear” consisted of cargo pants, a dark green sweatshirt, and some mag pouches, you start to figure out how to set your self up so at least stuff won’t fall off when you sprint. So basically everything during airsoft that isn’t the actual shooting is pretty applicable.
Milsim west isnt a professional event.
Literally anyone could join.
@@cosmicbilly literally is not needed here and he knows that
@@cosmicbilly I didn’t mean everyone participating is a professional, I mean the people who organize it are professional.
@@ottovonbearsmark8876 lol that kind of goes without saying yeah? Literally all legit events are technically professional.
Lol you called it a "professional event" and made it sound like only professionals were allowed to participate.
@@cosmicbilly that was my point, I have never been to a ‘legit’ event. I have only ever gone into the woods with my buddies behind one of our houses. I was intentionally referring to all legit events as professional.
I've been training with airsoft at home since the pandemic kicked off and ammo started becoming harder to get a hold of and more expensive. Conserves ammo for when I really need it, and when I do make it to the range for live drills, I SEE the difference that training has made. With airsoft I can train EVERY DAY, but even more importantly, I can train in ways I normally just wouldn't be able to. I don't have access to a shoot house, but by setting up multiple target traps in my house, I can practice room clearing, dynamic room entry and transitioning across multiple targets when entering a room WHILE moving and shooting, AND I can see my hits, and work to improve. I can't emphasize enough what a huge difference and game changer an airsoft rifle was for me, and how much it helped me significantly improve my close range shooting techique.
You just gave me a great idea, thank you.
@@OneNationUnderGod.45 I still practice emergency reloads with an actual rifle, because airsoft is terrible for practicing reloads, but when it comes to things like praciticing your foot work while shooting, tranistioning targets, room entry and clearing, all of that fun stuff, airsoft is hard to beat, and I can do it every day with next to zero cost.
@@TheBrigandBob the only problem of practicing at home is those fucking plastic shrapnel so fast they can fuck up furniture. I left targets in my garage only, so that I won't worry
@@TheBrigandBob Any recommendations for airsoft rifles?
Did the pandemic keep military personnel like yourself from training or deployment so that you had to train in your home? I would have thought that units who need to drill at things like CQB would have remained on deployment and thereby afford personnel the ability to continue training on the job, as it were.
Airsoft battles with your boys around the neighborhood. Jumping into people's backyards, hiding in trees. Airsoft was good to me in my youth and it's the reason I'm so invested in firearms. Stellar video man.
Big natural toes
I am a veteran, and I absolutely love your content! I have been saying airsoft is good training for years, it lets you learn your kit and get used to where everything is at. Thank you so much for making the content.
I used to train with several LEO types and we used airsoft for the force on force stuff. All of it was CQB, house and room clearing. That worked well. And several of them would go to larger events. All of them were urban based (usually disused industrial plants) rather than the rural setting you were in. But it was valuable training. You did just have to be cognizant of the training scars, like the one you mentioned and another I always thought about was that it could confuse your subconscious on the difference between cover and concealment.
Ive played with a couple seals at my local field and they smoked my whole squad
@@jonathanwilson1605 what do they do differently than the average squad?
@@amalekited they enlisted in the navy seals program beforehand
@@amalekited they play in teams and coordination watching every area and clear rooms the way they should be cleared. If not cqb than they will definitely also use good tactics in forest areas. Its easy stuff you just gotta get a squad with you to join in on it and not complain.
@@amalekited watch green mountain rangers, half of them or more were previous military or pmc
Something I learned while playing against Milspec mojo at a local airsoft event that he hosted, was that there is genuinely functional ways to counter night vision . Granted we knew they were coming at us so it wasn't like we were just sitting around like those people at the base in this video but in a direct force on force application we learned that if you can flood the area that your fighting in with white light and have good use of strobes and white lights you can blind the shit out of the people with night vision and see the reflection on the lenses and just suppress the shit out of theme while you push them with strobes on.
@Daniel Cook burn it down lol
@Daniel Cook Napalm for the win, always.
I love fighting those with photosensitive epilepsy, if I strobe a light they start dancing it is so chill.
Yea, I also remember some guy getting pissed at his NVGs getting fried by someones 1000 lumen flashlight at Op34
@@samuelsnyder4601 it's almost like he should've accepted the risk of expensive equipment getting damaged in an environment filled with things that could damage it. He could've had that issue with any bright light or BB hitting the wrong spot.
What I think my take away from this video will be: airsoft is cringe
My actual take away: thermals are OP af
Give it a try sometime. It's good fun, great exercise and fairly cheap to do.
>thermals
>cheap
lol
@@UtubeH8tr Normal people don't use thermals in airsoft, so your point is moot. Not just the expense of the device itself, it's not particularly useful outside of specific situations (like the night ambush GT mentioned), and airsoft guns are notorious for cracking glass if a BB gets a direct hit on the lens. Nice meme bro.
@@Malikyte13 Can you break that down in detail for me?
Hahaha i know exactly what you mean
That intro kicked ass, the production behind Garand Thumb is just amazing
Also, as a larper who had to run his own R&D on NODs and night movement, I learned not to carry the cellphone of death. The thing has like a dozen functions which use a IR strobe than can be seen even through NIR fabric. It happened to me in the last night event and I became a targeting beacon without even noticing until someone told me.
I’ve sniped at airsoft milsims for years at night. Cellphones have ‘killed’ many people in my scope
Wait, literal cellphones are IR hot???
@@NinjaofApathy face ID
@@HerroYuy246 yep, Face ID is a freaking beacon man it’s hilarious
@@HerroYuy246 i had no idea, thanks. Would a Faraday bag stop that? I'd never carry a cellphone into that kinda situation unless I had it in a good Faraday bag, but now Im wondering about IR
Gotta be honest, as someone who's not military (atleat not for another year) I've learned a lot about general skill and practice through airsoft. Whether it's pistol/rifle transition, reloads, gear layout, squad operations and even LRRP (of moms garage) Ive found it to be great. It has its downsides, but it's also fun
It gets no realer than simunition after airsoft. Honestly it might just be the best low cost training tool out there
@@AwkwardYet besides nerf...
@@doorcharge0 It's nerf or nothing
@@doorcharge0 dont knock the NERF-STER MAN
lol what am i saying
what i learn the most is communication with my teammates.
I think if you want to get close to realistic training with airsoft, stick with GBB's (Gas Blowback) and maybe EBB's (Electric Blowback) and limit your magazines to realistic values. In that case when you run dry, you can practice your reloads on the field and get a feel to reload under stress/pressure when under fire. I know it's no substitute for the real thing, but as far as not getting killed in a real firefight while having some semblance of realism on the field imho that is the way to go.
As someone who has played airsoft since I was 15, the one thing that bothered me is when everyone treated their electric automatic airsoft guns like pocket LMG's going full auto. Until I can afford a decent quality GBB I have dropped airsoft for the time being. The other thing is that I don't like giving my money to China for any sort of hobbies if I can avoid it.
Check out the Dynamic Action System rifles by GBLS... if you have the money.
@UCiP71kuxrw9VPiKdKI3hl_w Hello racist. Taiwanese may be Chinese, but Japanese aren't.
Try to get your hands on a TM MWS, if second hand it's kinda affordable, magazine excluded ( those are quite a pain in the ass to find for cheap, except if you buy those of guys who think theirs are broken but simply need to change the joint )
Buy from Taiwan, a ton of great airsoft companies there, and you won’t be giving money to china
You don't need to spend a grand for a half decent GBB rifle. WE or KWA are decent platforms to begin with in the $300 range, what gets expensive are the spare mags.
thank you garand thumb for your service. sorry you have to deal with the ptsd from combat youve been in. but prayers go out for peace in your mind.
As the "bleeding edge" of the civilian gun world keeps moving towards things like thermal, drones, NVG's, comms, SIGINT, and the light fighter mentality as a whole, I think airsoft events like these will become amazing proving and testing grounds for all of the COTS equipment that people are currently experimenting with.
Speaking of which, seeing some direction finding and SIGINT equipment be used in an event like this would be pretty sweet 😏
I'm thinking about finding a good ham radio handheld and learning the math behind sigint. Looking for some good knowledge sources.
@@NinjaofApathy the math isn't really important. But with SDRs you can easily build a DF
And people need to lose the boefangs
Artillery, aircraft and vehicles aren't a thing in airsoft, most of these technologies' potential is wasted by the lack of any sort of long ranged weapons. Drones spotting infantry and calling artillery is basically the most effective strategy in the Ukrainian war.
@@TheNapalmFTW I'll look that up. Any resources you can point me towards?
Canada is Canada when it comes to firearms so that should bring things into context about availability and opportunities to shoot etc. When I was younger I could only shoot guns with my dad and that was *only* at the range (in terms of his license). I took up airsoft because with how similar the controls are, and manipulation etc, I used airsoft as a dry fire training kinda thing. When I would go back to the range, I noticed my comfort levels and things like manipulating charging handles, reloads etc were a lot smoother. Fast forward in life, I own firearms and I shoot when I can. When I’m not at the range, I use my airsoft guns for dry practice runs. When I play airsoft, I can manipulate the gun around corners and I’ve learned proper foot placement techniques, clearing rooms, and when I reload I take the time to actually hit the bolt catch or charge the charging handle to make it a little more realistic etc (all while keeping in mind things like a wooden wall is concealment, not cover). Joining the CAF soon after I was considered one of the best shooters in my reserve unit (not saying much but you know). Airsoft is definitely a subset of the entire gun / tactical community and should be seen as such.
Yeah it just sucks that Bill C-21 is gonna try to kill airsoft, BB, paintball, replicas, etc. :(
@@Azurexstar oh yeah I forgot about that. I think because I didn’t want to think about it haha
Just shoot your restricted and prohibs in the woods. Who need ranges?
That was you not saying much?
@@Azurexstar as far as I know c-21 has been stopped for now "Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), was introduced in the House of Commons on February 16, 2021. There was debate, but second reading was not completed and it died when the 43rd Parliament was dissolved on August 15, 2021." But the new bill put forward by Trudeau on banning handguns is also called "bill c-21" so you never know,I haven't seen anything airsoft related in the new c-21
Great to see the gear application pieces so in depth. Paintball has always been my fancy but events like this have peaked the interest.
Someone once told me "Nightvision turns what would have been a gunfight into a mass shooting" and that stuck with me.
till you get strobed
yeah, i remember that video where someone with thermal kill like 20 people.
And guns turn a fistfight into a shooting
@@7784000 No they don't
@@7784000 people turn fights into shooting, take accountability for a gun isn’t a living object; stop being naive n slow
Training scars are the problem with all simulated events, even military controlled events. The actual fear of being killed just isn't there and the actual mental and physical fatigue and cortisol/adrenaline roller coaster isn't there either. However, when training and committing to form drills and movement/land nav tactics/comms than it can be good for the muscle memory required for actual combat and self defense. EDIT: being retired US Navy, wet and cold was the best way to operate, because we knew the enemy was way worse off than us and gave us a huge advantage!
Airsoft is excellent training for CQB, when done right the adrenaline is through the roof so it is a perfect way of getting used to adrenaline rush when you're in a real situation.
@@scalereality4840 Nothing gets anywhere close to actual combat. Lets not kid ourselves. Its the same difference between boxing drills, sparing, and actual fighting.
Drills and sparing are both essential to fighting. However only actual fighting brings experience in fighting. Civ Div has a great comment on this. Training is meant to keep you alive, but you are only battle ready once you have fought in battles. (this has been a rule for literally humanities entire existance)
I've trained with simunition before and it hurts quite a bit more than airsoft. I had one round embedded in my hand from an AR at 5 feet. I agree, it can produce training scars, but this also has a good training point, just because I am hit and it hurts, I'm not out of the fight. When we trained, if you were a good guy, you pressed on even if shot in the scenario. Also, you learn to stop sticking your head out and use more effective cover and movement.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d gotten used to my airsoft M4 until I was practicing with my AR and how unaccustomed I’d gotten to recoil. There’s no simulating a real weapon. Additionally, I think one of the other most dangerous things airsoft teaches, or rather fails to teach, is the difference between cover and concealment. If you’re behind a thick bush, chances are you’re safe from the BBs, whereas in real life you’re probably gonna die. Most fields use plywood to create cover, whereas with a real rifle you’re going to get shot through that easily.
Best application of airsoft is learning how to work with teams, learning small unit tactics, hand signals, etc. If shit ever hit the fan the first people I’m going to is my airsoft team because I can trust them and we can already work as a team. There is a step that has to be taken to train for real steel but practicing certain things can make that step smaller.
@NorseBishop Depends which game we are talking about. But most games, like Squad and Hell Let Loose, teach you that buildings can stop artillery and tank fire.
@NorseBishop For all the hate Siege gets, it gets this right :)
While I agree on the weapons simulation part I think you're wrong about concealment. A good airsoft rifle, especially snipers can still rip you through bushes and leaves easily. At my field things like rpg's can kill people behind cover and clear whole rooms because It's just plain fun. Also I think the best thing I've learned from airsoft is the extreme advantage of being properly camouflaged. Ghillies are cool but I've seen dude's, well more like I didn't see them wearing plain old multicam BDU's and a boonie with some locally gathered fauna tucked into it. And even the military uses dry-wall style kill houses for lots of simulations. You have to use your imagination! Haven't you ever seen spongebob? Maybe we should tell all the recruits to take those blank firing attachments off their M4's and use live ammo when they're training against each other because a real bullet would go through you that easily, unlike a blank LOL. Better yet just let them use blanks without the attachment and I'm sure they'll still find a way to injure somebody.
If you know what a BFA is and ever used one before, you're certifiably based.
I would liken airsoft to real steel training to go carting and driving a real car. Just because one is smaller scale or not as effective doesn't mean you won't get anything from it. It may not transfer 1 to 1.
I used to do airsoft a lot back in the day, I would go to the indoor fields because it trains you how to move rooms, corner, check over your shoulder, and the biggest thing I think is target acquisition. Since you're almost always getting new teammates every time you go, in different outfits, learning how to identify someone NOT on your team is crucial. Those split second decisions to shoot or not I think is a valuable skill. Sure, it's a WAY muted down because even if it was a teammate you didn't kill them, but at least it trains that skill.
I'd love to have find a team to group up with and go. I miss airsoft. It's basically playing Call of Duty or Battlefield in real life, and if you go hard like I do it's a great way in staying fit. Oh yeah, while not a main point and it can create good or bad habits depending on how you look at it. Having a real analog to pain is a great way to learn how to hide behind concealment or cover, if your butts sticking out, or elbow, head peaking over, or something. Getting a better and more precise picture of how your body is positioned.
The truth is people REALLY don't think to just shoot through light cover most of the time, and military and law enforcement are typically trained deliberately to avoid doing it. Engaging targets you can't see or identify is frowned on, to put it mildly. But. Doesn't mean there aren't assholes like us out there who will shoot someone through whatever. Just means it isn't as common as one would assume or expect.
I came out of the Army and i was in a bad way mentally. I started Viking re-enactment and not long after that i discovered Airsoft Guns and that there were events where you were allowed to shoot people. I started going to skirmishes before discovering what we call Milsims. This is where i discovered how unfit i had become. I was a realistic and realised the limitations of Airsoft but i enjoyed being in the field again and made some good friends. The take aways, Weapons safety, fire and manouvere, field craft, patrolling skills. Building defence and attack. Ambush drills and as you say if your gear isn't up to scratch it will let you know. I live in the UK where as a rule we aren't allowed firearms but we are allowed on Military training bases that have small villages designed for CQB where we can practice breaching buildings and other cool stuff. Of course we have whiners who complain about being shot but i satisfy myself knowing in the real world they would be dead. One of the first things i learnt was Army training about room breaching is all well and good but no one was shooting back at us {no use of simunitions when i was in} as soon as i played airsoft i learnt that the guy {or girl} cowering in the corner of the room we were assaulting could still fire back and could take out the first few blokes through the door. Covid stopped all of that and my fitness has now fallen to the level of couch potato.
Have you gotten back into it?
@@groggysword33 Not yet and the increase in the cost of living hasn't helped me find spare cash. Shame really, i had some good laughs
@@miklawson211try a job where you earn commission and you have complete control over how much you earn with a bit of work, they pay better than salary jobs and earning for a milsim game is a good motivator to get that spare change👌
I’ve always been into airsoft, especially when I was younger. What was difficult was playing with budget setups while dudes with lasers would dominate. Now that I’m older, I want to get into airsoft again for training. Ive used airsoft for (government) training before. It’s a useful tool, especially to learn how to move when you’re being shot at. You build great muscle memory.
That night raid was brutal. I was one of the guys you took out next to the fire. To their credit, Cadre doesn’t usually allow fires, but at that point we had lost about 50% of our company due to poor decisions to send them marching through tall, wet grass right at dusk. For those of us that stuck it out, many were approaching hypothermia, due to poor clothing and footwear choices. Anyway, we loved that you guys were there, and it was really cool of you to let my guys take pictures with you after the game.
Thanks for sticking it out, we had a blast ruining your BBQ!
@@falguy honestly, that raid was so epic that we had a blast getting massacred.
Would love to see a uncut version of all the footage from the event to learn more about this incredible experience.
If you want to see more MSW footage check out JetDesertFox, SwampSniper, OperatorDrewski, and Airsoft Alfonse
Also check out Novritsch, one of the biggest.
And Europe have some huge games with 1000-2000 people participating.
Berget is a yearly Swedish event that brings over 1000 people yearly, spanning over 60hours.
Germany and the UK has huge events aswell, can't remember what those are called though..
@@Dinstyvmorsa8539 germany has dark emergency, the last one was like one month ago
This video is great because especially from around the mid of it you are very dense in your points and explanations and it makes it worth listening... other videos are not always like this.
The topic is fun as simulation is a blast.
Airsoft is good for training fundamentals. Comms, Movement, Unit tactics, Camouflage, Gear familiarity, Gear torture testing, etc. Certain games one might play (probably with a more personal group of individuals) like "Manhunt" can be good for training alot of those same aspects, but can also help to train things like evasion. I did alot of this sort of thing when I was a young teen, probably to the detriment of our neighborhoods. But it taught me alot of stuff that flannel daddy says all the time (such as my white af skin glowing like a christmas tree at night when trying to camouflage myself), long before I ever knew his channel existed. It really just depends on what you focus on getting out of these exercises.
What ever you use as training, you only get out of it what you put in it.
With airsoft you can build off of it . The benefits..
1. Exercise
2. Testing load out ( what/doesn't work )
3. Muscle memory
On top of all that, it's fun !
As a father it is a perfect tool for my son and I to spend time doing something we like , building trust and communication skills . I used to make fun of airsoft but a guy at work and my son got me into it and at 43 yrs old....I get giddy when it's time to go play guns.
The last thing I love about airsoft, I'm a hot rodder and I can not , not mess with things.
I have aeg's that are cost equal to real weapons yet they can run 50+ rps at 400+ fps. Brushless motors , trigger controls, MOSFETs , drum mags. Then you can modify to your little hearts content. I have a classic army that I put in a bore up kit , upgrade compression parts, uprated spring, uprated bushings and bearings, MOSFET with braking and precock , war head motor , billet hop up , maple bucking set , polished inner barrel. On the outside I got all the Gucci hang down handles , 2000 round motor fed drum mag , running aimpoint optics , got the " loudancer " on it .....mmmm she's a sexy beast.
it's a total new experience when your target can move and use cover.......and most importanly, can shoot back
@@Spider-Too-Too heck yes brutha. It gets your mind working in a different way. I'm not saying it will prep you for d day but if you get comfortable with thinking under pressure and having a killers thought set then it's just an advantage 😎
@@Spider-Too-Too except The cover is completely misleading because they can see the pellets coming at them and duck before reaches. Basically playing a dodgeball game... Gives you a false sense of security when in real life you would be shot dead if you poked your head up like that
Loudancer :D
I like this because I originally got into airsoft as a young kid and that taught me how to tinker and now that I'm an adult I'm a hot rodder working on a Plymouth. Haha I love that you relate to that.
Of all the GT intro’s. This one is top 5 for sure. Mike and Micah make a fantastic team.
I was a paintball/airsoft guy from like 11. still play airsoft and have been around guns my entire life. I am now 30 and still have both. Never had night vision haven’t been to an event that it was needed. Hopefully soon we will take a trip to one. There are some really good take aways from airsoft. There are also some bad take aways from it. I know it will mess you up shooting skeets. Takes me about a box to get back right with a shotgun and about a half a game to un do it. Also lct makes some good stuff and bayofang is a pain in the ass some times. This was a good video to talk about those short comings. Really appreciated the kinda cross over video thanks.
I remember training in 1992 at C.A.C. in Petawawa, Canada. Night vision was still in it's first or second introduction phase and less easy to come by in large. However, during a recce excursion, I had my first glimpse of our enemy bivowak (through N.V.) and smoking was a lot more popular in those days. I could see little domes of light illuminate above and around every trench and shellscrape that had an active smoker in the process of taking a puff (even if visually blocked by cover). We literally drew up our detailed attack plans based on the locations of the smokers.
(NOTE: At the time, I had personally switched to chewing tobacco for sun-down operations. )
It was wild. We were even able to determine the enemy's 'stand-to' status, by determining when shift changes were or weren't taking place, which allowed us to manipulate said status and eventually catch them off guard by not presenting a problem until we essentially became a real problem. It was glorious. Memories are Garand ;P
Gen 3 I would imagine the NVGs tech was I believed produced late or mid 70s
@@mathiaspierce9204 probably exactly what we used in the reserves, lol. would've matched our radios. haha
In civil life: 🚬ing stinks, reduces your fitness and your life span, and is easy way to waste a huge amount of 💵💵💵
In war: 🚬ers significantly reduces chances of survival, and everyone around them, because you can smell and 👁👁 them easily.
@@ロース-z7m exactly. Which is why I mentioned that I stuck to chewing tobacco for night ops. The enemy forces thought they were being clever, smoking (against orders) at the bottoms of their trenches where the ambient light was undetectable by eyes, only detectable by our night vision. we only had the one N.V. unit, and were lucky to even have that since the reserves got all of the reg force handmedowns! (this was 1992 remember). The enemy force did not have night vision at all. Unfortunately we could not build a detailed plan by nose alone, but you are right, you can smell that shit a mile away in the right wind and you can see the cherry from a cigarette from a km away on a clear, dark night when the loser takes a puff (you might even see his friends if he's standing in a group). in 1992 cigarettes were already cheap and even less expensive when purchased from military commissary. I can't remember what we called the field stores that would come out on occasion with smokes and crap, but I called it the "Dart Cart".
At the base level, airsoft is great for overall fitness and you can make it intense or laid back to your personal liking. I like wearing weighted plates for the added workout and the occasional reaction when someone hears the loud thump when I drop it.
Airsoft player from Hong Kong here!!! Huge thanks to GT for introducing our community to the wider Firearms community! :D
I thank you guys for making tons of realistic airsoft guns! S&T Airsoft is absolutely necessary for WWII themed events
I go to the gym 3-4 times a week to lift. My first airsoft event with friends I thought I was going to be fit enough. Boy was I wrong and now I play airsoft for endurance training twice a week and its lot of fun.
You guys should use a gbbr… bolt locks on empty. Has the kick of a .22 and the mag capacity is 1:1 with real steel. Its honestly the most realistic approach to airsoft. And is great for training.
GBBR are cool, but if you want to work on recoil, shoot a real rifle more. That is the only thing that will help you learn to control recoil
He isn't saying about the recoil control he is wanting more emersion in the game, use of AEG airsoft guns takes away alot of that emersion, feeling the toy recoil in your shoulder and hands nothing like an gddr airsoft gun.
Most gbbrs kick a bit more than a .22 tbh
I ran a GBBR at MSW last year. It was a mistake. They are so unreliable, especially when you add in environmental factors like dust, that any realism benefit they have is countered by an unrealistic level of malfunctions. GBBRs are great for CQB and training, but not for a 40 hour game.
Yes, but GBBRs are not a good idea for beginners, I think Mike qualifies as one. Also, he said it was cold, again, not a good idea then. Maybe on CO2.
You know, I love seeing some conversations like this pop up between Airsofters and sport shooters all around. It’s a great topic to discuss. I personally love Airsoft and have been playing for 2 and a half years now. Thank you for this community and great vid.
So glad you came out to defend the homeland with us. Airsoft training has helped noticeably you just have to realize the differences and keep them seperate. Great video 🇺🇸
Know the differences but actually mix everything you learn where it makes sense to.
Can I get an F in the chat for the nato medic water?
@@falguy did some rusfor guy slash all of their water? Happened at the second milsim west I went to during a night raid on nato’s main camp lol
@@Cthulhuwarlord nah, we stole it all from their PB lmao.
Got my first legit airsoft gun this week. Like you said, lapping could be fun, and the rules are the rules. Lots of the basics are going to crossover very well. Ammo conservation, moving, communicating, etc. Very much looking forward to getting g started.
The "Push to Think" comment was hilarious! I have never been in the military but am I volunteer firefighter and it is the same thing for new guys with us! And I agree from my own experience with airsoft; some of the biggest takeaways are fitness, communication, and teamwork. It's the same thing when we firefighters train on concrete block burn buildings. They don't burn like real structures, they aren't filled with furniture and such like real structures, but they let you practice those fundamentals in a less-stressful and more fun environment and get adjusted to your gear and teammates.
11:00 Absolutely! So many guys have or buy gear but never practice or larp with it. I know you hit on it in your carrier load out videos, but it is so true not only for practicing with setup, but because of the weight. Even you vets out there, have you practiced in full load out lately? Do it. Even the weight of plates alone can make your legs feel shaky after a short time of wearing it. Throw a ruck and weapons load out on top of it and we're all sucking wind on a short hike.
Moral of the story: larp... Larp some more. We aren't in as good of shape as we like to think.
Larp? Like cosplay? LMFAO!
@ "larping" isn't specific to airsoft, and in fact has nothing to do with airsoft in this context. It refers to wearing full kit and plates around the house doing chores, or practicing drawing down a firearm in your carrier load out, etc.
"larp" has gotten a bad wrap on the broad spectrum, but in inner circles of vets and tactical gear forums it's used loudly and proudly.
After all these years of airsoft jokes, Papa Garand finally makes it cool
00:00-01:00 feels like a very dramatic military trailer from a movie lol!
Whats that song name
@@TaktieseTier the grotto- audio machine
To be frank, I think the next gen of training (and fun) is going to transition back to a laser/receiver system. (note this can be a frequency not visible under amplification/thermal) No "safe" projectile is going to be as practical at even modest ranges. Airsoft and paintball are GREAT for cqb, and I treasure the time I spent lobbing projectiles at my buddies.. but we need to be able to train easily outdoors as well.
16 of my local airsoft buddy are getting to laser milsim. it's quite funny seeing some recently joined airsoft players play the laser milsim game with airsoft tactics and got destroyed. you can't dodge a laser, baby
and im building a laser gun for my gf because it doesn't hurt getting hit by laser haha
Agree, we have it Russia, called firetag. Real weapons shooting blanks coupled with laser hit detection system. Works great even on distances of hundreds of meters. After trying it once there's just no way back to airsoft.
However, problem with laser tag is the lack of any projectiles flying around. Nothing to make you dodge or anything. No suppression feeling as when BBS are flying over your head. You either get hit, or don't even know you are being shot at.
@@OttovonSchweinichen in my experience you don't feel BBs hitting you at all in full gear. Plus if you are "killed" your weapon don't shot laser any more, even though you still use your blanks. Is much more fair than average airsoft game. And suppression works pretty well, you clearly hear ak47 firing at your direction.
As a Dutch Airsoft fanatic. There’s some other things I personally took away.
Things like gun discipline and the bare bare basics of how (in my case) to operate an m4 or a pistol.
I have never held a real gun or shot one, nor do I think I ever will due to the way rules are here.
Airsoft being the closest I can get to doing something similar I must say I love and enjoy a lot.
I would’ve enjoyed you going into why airsoft guns don’t operate like the real ones a little more, not so much the recoil etc cause that’s obvious. But more so the way the mag release works, difference in trigger etc.
There’s gas blowback airsoft guns that as far as I can tell come real close to real steel.
My personal airsoft gun also is compatible with a lot of real steel parts.
I enjoyed the video a lot as someone who is solely bound to being able to do airsoft. I think it’s cool for a very military minded person to give it a shot and be this positive about it!
Keep up the awesome vids!
You gotta come to America just once my friend! I think you might enjoy it
My airsoft catalog of platforms are GBBs and a few springs
I have an
-Beretta M92FS
-.357 colt python 2.5 inch
-Chrome colt .45 long slide
-Hudson H9
-.45 USP
- M4 A1
- AkS 74u
-UMP.45
-micro uzi
-Dragunov (spring )
-M3 shotgun (Spring)
-M500 shotgun (spring)
-M1887 lever action shotgun
- Mp5 A3/A4 (AEG)
- pistol style Grenade launcher
im a dutch american. just got back from the range with my short barreled ak47 with a silencer and drum mag. you have to get over here bro, its dope.
I often shoot whith real guns but don't have the time and the right to realy training but maybe i can say some difference like a airsoft don't malfuction like a real gun do and clear the guns can be very difficult and dangerous if you don't know how to do it or have a very bad malfunction .
I can also says the sound of the guns and the fear it procure the first time you heard a full auto m4 in front of you in close quarter . (Risk to become deaf)
And also when i fire a apc9 in full whith a suppresor i have little smoke in my eyes when firing because the guns eject at the top and it's not very fun .
For me when i try airsoft the problem is cover and bush that stop bb and a very lack of range and velocity (no way i can shoot a targat over 150 meters . And real combat have a lot of range often more than 400 meters depends of the situation.
As a fellow dutchie, look into the dutch gun laws, they are less tight than expected, worth it in my opinion
7:44 "everyone wanted to be there and no one was sad, unlike NTC" I laughed so hard I think I pulled a hammy.
I still think JRTC is worse than NTC, and I will die on this hill.
@@VX300 I tend to agree, f*ck that humidity. I was wet 24/7
Yikes, better go see the medic for your prescription of "drink water"
Change your socks
As a Brit, I really appreciate how objective this video is. Being in a country that is anti-firearms means that airsoft, and videos like this, are the closest I'll ever get to any kind of experience. With the way things are going over here, even semi-realistic training is becoming more and more important. Cheers.
One of my favorite things about MSW was the WARNORDs and CONOPs the owners were putting up. It's like you said, it felt like the beginning of an Army training event but nobody was sad.
Intro music, sound design, and editing was fantastic. Great production value and hitting it out the park from the start.
Name of the song?
@@dnsn022 The Grotto by Audiomachine
@@arphos8328 was looking for this! Thanks!
Hey, thx a lot for this video, I live in Romania, where owning a real gun isn't really a realistic option, however ever I've started playing airsoft a few years back and feel like I've learned a lot of things, and with videos like this I always know what I am missing and where I need to improve .
Again, thank you.
Planning on doing airsoft with some friends in the gun club. We’re running through what we’d wear now. As a history nut I’m going WW1 British SAS, my buddy pointed out that I will stand out, i told him that’s the point
There is no such thing as “WW1 British SAS” because the SAS didn’t exist during WW1.
tf is "WW1 british SAS"? man that started existing in 1941 AFTER the WW1
"history nut" lol
Afaik SAS became a thing during WW2. You could do a WW2 SAS kit and that would be cool. It's just that these events usually use current time gear. I've went to a few of these events in Sweden, which also has one of the biggest if not the biggest airsoft "milsim" event, Berget Event. It's a 3 day event where you have people from all around the world coming to join. I saw some Israeli guys wearing WW2 para trooper kits kind of, while most of us ran Crye Precision clothes and carriers. It's a bit weird, but so is also going to the forest with 1500 people from all around the world go play war for 72 hours. But hey, it's a lot of fun.
@@TannerHinzeFitness was a solid trolling
To a gun familiarity level and team training it is an excellent training event. Some of my squad and I regularly go play and take part in large events. It has helped build cohesion and understanding.
Been doing it nearly 17 years and it's become an addiction/lifestyle.
Sure. There are limitations on the guns themselves, but general handling and manual of arms are close (for gas blowbacks which I run exclusively since coming to Taiwan, at least) but nonetheless it's a great way to work out kit arrangements, where things rub or chafe, what's too heavy or where to place it, which gear will make you miserable and stay cold or wet, what weapons layouts work or don't for you (vertical foregrips for everything, my arms are too long and I get wrist strain on something like a standard MP5), plus you can't really hike all day and/or night in something resembling full gear in a great outdoors situation without causing yourself or others problems.
Comms and small unit tactics or CQB work really well with it, and there's a growing number of people using it for handgun training here because non permissive environment reasons.
If it's all you've got, it ain't bad 🤙
Also trapesing around hilly jungles in 40*C and 99% humidity with multilingual comms requirements and spiders the size of dinner plates is nothing but fun...
Cover!
他們從來在哪裡啊？
Wut?
If China invades are you going to pick up a real rifle and get after it.
Wow, this is absolutely stunning to see just how powerful thermals and nightvision are. That shot of AD walking slowly in front of you is bone chilling if you replace the BB guns with real ones.
I’m sure I commented this when this came out, but: Gas Blowback rifles are an excellent stand-in for more realistic weapon manipulation. The high end gas rifles (Marui, GHK, VFC, and if you’re willing to spend more on your airsoft gun than your real rifle, Vipertech) are exceptionally realistic, in terms of recoil, weight, and controls.
That intro was hands down better than 90% of movie trailers.
Do you know the name of the song in the intro?
@@TheRealRocky777 I unfortunately do not but it is pretty dope though
@@TheRealRocky777 i got you. "The Grotto" Audiomachine
@@dobrzan5810thanks dude
cant find the song on spotify
Even before watching this, I'm surprised the military doesn't use airsoft for force on force training. Sim rounds were a thing but expensive, they were tough to clean up, and required a lot of space to use. Airsoft can be used almost anywhere with a few posted signs. If they can make eco-friendly BBs it would be beneficial for a few thousand dollars per unit.
All outdoor BB warz use biobbs
Biodegradable bbs are already on the market. Most outdoor fields require them.
It's all about speed and range, although sim rounds won't simulate real cover, neither.
Because for actual combat bb wars are very lacking in the necessary aspects of combat training for mil requirements. It's great to do on your own to learn tactics and the mental side, by that I mean how your gear works, dealing with weather, all the logistics stuff. The fights are just the icing on top.
@@Arrowtomahknee In our country they're the only kind allowed even
I got into airsoft because of your channel . It’s awesome to see you went out and tried it . I actually run a gas blow back mk18 again thanks to you haha. But if your looking for an even more realistic airsoft rifle that is try a gas blow back rifle next . The mags hold only 30-40 bbs also weapon manipulation is exactly the same and the moving parts are the same . Has a bcg that cycles into the buffer tube with a buffer and everything . I actually use a real steel carbine buffer in my gas blowback airsoft mk18 . Awesome video!!
At 1:36 right now and for what Ive seen, I have to say your video editor is a god.
One of the best colorgrading and sharpest videos Ive seen on youtube.
Also I think airsoft teaches you how to use camoflage to blend in or just simple concealment with your surroundings. I think airsoft training along side real firearms training and combining the 2 aspects such as recoil, and whats cover and whats concealment can get you a lot more prepared. typical civilians wont be running NODS or Therms, still good to have the training though. so having a skill in situational awareness and using camoflage and team coordination will definitely give you a strong advantage over typical adversaries, even the comms like you said are great points I haven't even considered, plus the process of getting your body prepared for that kind of strain and endurance airsoft can simulate that pretty damn well. especially if you carry gear/kit that has Identical or damn close weight as your actual gear/kit including the weapons so that you can build the strength to carry them and manipulate them for long periods, it makes it easier for when you have to use your actual gear/kit if the situation arises, maybe you need to bug out or go off grid. knowing how you will perform in different weather conditions, or just being uncomfortable and your fitness level for the activity. Airsoft can test that pretty well, because the last thing you want is to be dragged down by your own gear or fitness level and your ability to suffer and keep going especially if your life or others depend on it! So real firearms training for building efficiency and accuracy, some tactics, and drills. Airsoft for training in on the move, tactics, developing endurance and team coordination plus learning how your kit will work in a real life situation... examples.. comms, pouches, kit standardization... also its alot of fun
A wise man once said, If you aren't fit, you're gonna die!
Facts
We used blue tip simunitions in our M4's and M9's back in the day (2007-2010) and I don't see why airsoft wouldn't be of at least some value. I will say that airsoft doesn't have much of a pain penalty where as simunitions do, which I believe helps behavior be more realistic.
But like Mike pointed out, there is a lot more to military operations than just being able to manipulate a weapon and that's where I think stuff like this shines.
The pain isn't too much different from like a 400fps rifle to simunitions. You can always just wear slightly less ppe to make up the difference. I've done a lot of both
Depends entirely on the airsoft gun. I’ve gotten shot by guns that leave scars for years and I’ve been shot by some that I don’t even feel. It varies wildly. Biggest bad habit airsoft teaches you is engagement distances.
The pain is not that different
we still do sim training. by far the most eye opening and reward training
I’ve been actively involved with Airsoft since 1998. I helped create my Airsoft community here in Indiana. Long before I was old enough to own real firearms I could play Airsoft. I’ve made some amazing memories and even better friends with Airsoft Indiana over the years. I’m happy to see all the positivity and good attention Airsoft has gotten the last few years.
Where at in Indiana are you? You don't happen to use the MALC property in Edinburgh, do you? I've taken firearms trainings there. Actually have one this weekend.
I'm in Indiana and looking to get into airsoft, any links you can share?
@@jamesmaier1223 I'm literally right by there lol, I'd love to get in some time. Is that the big place off 31? I always thought it was paintball
@@imjustaguy8232 MALC (a firearms training company) actually owns the whole property and just rents it out to the paintball folks.
@@jamesmaier1223 that's awesome I pass by there all the time on the way to work
Im not even a gun guy and i love these. Great job building this into something fucking cool. Give the editor a raise.
Full circle - I started watching you in 2016 because of your chest rig videos in order to get ready for a MSW event.
Airsoft and paintball is something I always loved to do. I've never went to the really big events but me and some friends would go out into the woods and it was just a free for all. The biggest take away for me was how to handle yourself and the gun under pressure/stress. To me that's one of the biggest perks of all of it because weather it's a self defense scenario or just getting buck fever when you're hunting. Knowing how to handle yourself when the adrenaline hits is important. All in all airsoft is awesome and I love seeing former military and law enforcement get out there more and more.
Everytime I hear or see things about airsoft as dryfire/training tool I just remember Liku, the guy is a text book of firearm knowledge learned from video/ trained from airsoft, given the fact that Japan doesn't allow civs to have their own firearm.
They’re opening up a bit with that, I seen some gun competitions in Japan. Looked dope.
@@CKonUA-cam You got a link?
Isn't that the fella who was on skinnypants channel? Give them credit, fam.
@@denmanfite3156 I don't know the channel you are talking about, Liku has his own channel and social(Liku_Tactical), only channel I know him appear on is Trex arms.
Actually they so but there's just alot of hoops to jump through and they don't allow anything semi auto.
The best things I learned from larping BB war is literally everything EXCEPT the actual shooting. Teamwork, tactics, coordination, movement, situational awareness, communication, and how to hump it in the woods for a couple days without getting dangerously sick or shot in your sleep. Pretty neat stuff to know!
You learn real quick what TO pack and what NOT to pack. It completely boils away any misconceptions of what is necessary for (insert context here)
I used to be a multiglam fetishizing tacticool scrublord and after a few events I realized the most critical kit other than your weapon and reliable mags (and maybe comms or nods if you can afford them) is just basic camping stuff.
I always wondered if ANY of the MSW things I do could be applicable to real world situations and then I listened to some interviews of volunteers in Ukraine and their checklist of things to bring basically mirrored what I bring to milsim. So that's nifty.
but unless you're a sniper or support gunner, airsoft just completely breaks down beyond 200-400 feet. I've been at MSWs and casually side-stepped clouds of bbs coming my way that lost energy halfway across the road. That said clearing a building with 70 people involved is a deliciously chaotic experience I highly recommend.
Yeah I'm not going airsofting.
Nerd
It can but the big difference to keep in mind is the stuff you hide behind in a airsoft obstacle field will not stop actual bullets. It can get you used to the adrenaline rush, teamwork with other shooters, reloading cornering muscle memory, etc. I think its great, a way to kind of get the thrill of being in a gunfight without actually killing nobody...