Can Airsoft Training Improve Real Firearm Skills? My Self-Experiment (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of my experiment to determine whether airsoft training translates to real firearm shooting. If you haven’t read the first part yet, you can check it out here.

Can Airsoft Training Improve Real Firearm Skills? My Self-Experiment (Part 1)

Myself shooting a Ruger KGP 161.

With excitement, I received my next firearm: the Glock 17. However, when I first held it, I was a bit surprised. While it was a Glock 17, it was an older model with an all-metal construction. My airsoft Glock 17 has an aluminum slide but a plastic grip, so this was my first time handling one with a fully metal frame. It felt somewhat slippery and lacked the friction I was used to, making me constantly adjust my grip.

The real Glock 17 was also heavier than my airsoft replica, and after inserting a 15-round magazine, the weight difference became even more noticeable.

Additionally, the overall operation of the firearm felt heavier and required more force. The slide stop was much stiffer than my airsoft gun, and the trigger pull was significantly heavier.

A photo of the Glock 17. But I'm not sure exactly which generation of the Glock 17 I shot. Photo source

Taking a deep breath, I began firing the Glock 17.

The recoil was completely different! My arms moved much more than expected. I tried my best to keep the slide flat and realign the sights as quickly as possible.

I quickly realized that airsoft recoil is absolutely nothing like real firearm recoil. (Yes, I have already shot a real handgun before, but I once again felt the difference from airsoft.)

In airsoft, the recoil feels like a small burst of compressed gas, whereas a real gun feels like a tiny explosion happening in your hands. Because of this, I focused on maintaining a strong grip and keeping my body tense (although it didn’t work as well as I had hoped).

Since my airsoft gun is modeled after the Glock 17, I assumed I would achieve my highest accuracy with this firearm. However, my results were not as good as I expected.

Here is my Glock 17 shooting result : 

The shot group was overall shifted to the right and had a large vertical spread. Could this be due to recoil?

 

Initially, I seemed to hit the center, but as I tried to apply more force to compensate for the heavier trigger pull, my shots drifted to the right. The unexpected trigger weight made me use more force than usual, which caused unintentional-compensatory hand movements, leading to this result.

Additionally, since the recoil was much stronger than a .22mm caliber gun, I had to realign my sights over a greater distance after each shot, and I guess this reduced my accuracy.

The instructor, upon seeing my target, advised me to pay attention to my finger placement. I kept this advice in mind for my next handgun.

Still, considering that I once completely missed the target paper with some shots, this was an impressive improvement! Although my shot grouping was wider than I’d like, I at least identified my mistakes and knew what to improve, making this a valuable learning experience.

Next, I fired the CZ 75 SP01 Shadow. 

A photo of the CZ 75 SP01 Shadow. It was an amazing gun! If I get the chance in the future, I would definitely love to own one. Photo source

I had never seen this handgun before, but I focused on maintaining the fundamental shooting principles I had learned. Following the instructor’s advice, I paid close attention to my trigger finger placement and controlled my breathing before shooting.

Like the Glock, it had a solid, heavy feel, and I had to concentrate on managing the recoil.

And the result? It was the most satisfying one!

I’m still unsure whether I shot well or if the firearm simply performed better, but this was my best accuracy and grouping during the session.

I aimed at the right side of the target’s head and fired 15 rounds. While a few shots missed the target, I managed to form a somewhat consistent grouping, placing most of my shots in my intended area.

CZ 75 SP01 Shadow shooting results. This is the best shot grouping so far!

Of course, I wasn’t shooting rapidly, and controlling the recoil was still harder than I expected. However, compared to my disastrous first pistol shooting experience, this was a major improvement!

With my 9mm handgun tests complete, I moved on to two firearms with even stronger recoil.

• CZ P-10 F
• Ruger KGP 161

These two guns had noticeably heavier recoil. While not as powerful as a rifle, they lacked stabilizing features like a stock or foregrip, making it harder to leverage control. As a result, I had to realign my sights from a farther distance after each shot, which likely reduced my accuracy and grouping.

The shooting results with the CZ P-10 F are disappointing; the groupings are so wide

This photo below shows my shooting results from Ruger KGP 161 which had the strongest recoil. The smaller holes are from the Ruger KMKII, while the larger ones are from Ruger KGP 161.

As you can see, my shot grouping is quite spread out. I’m not sure if it was due to loss of focus or difficulty in managing the recoil, but either way, the results weren’t ideal.

I fired a total of 6 shots. The large dots on the target came from the Ruger KGP 161.

I was disappointed! It might sound stupid, but I had imagined myself controlling recoil smoothly like professional firearm YouTubers, but it was much harder than I expected.

Still, you don’t master shooting overnight. At least I confirmed that airsoft training does improve accuracy, and I’m grateful that I now have more insights to work on!

My Conclusion

Airsoft training does help with real firearm shooting—especially for gas blowback rifles (GBBRs) with a high degree of realism.

Key benefits of airsoft training

Familiarity with firearm handling: Training with an airsoft gun builds comfort with firearm operation, reducing hesitation during real shooting.

Fundamental shooting mechanics: Although airsoft guns have lighter triggers and less weight, they still teach essential skills like avoiding trigger flinch and maintaining proper sight alignment, which positively impact accuracy.

Safe practice for dynamic shooting drills: While I couldn’t test this in my live-fire session, airsoft allows for practicing holster draws, rapid sight acquisition, magazine changes, and shooting while moving—all in a safe environment. (Plus, it enables training for shooting with both eyes open!)

Special Forces soldiers of the Republic of Korea Army undergoing pistol shooting training. Photo source

Limitations of airsoft training:

Recoil management: As expected, airsoft doesn’t simulate real firearm recoil. The extra difficulty in managing real recoil led to sight misalignment and reduced accuracy. I also realized that my grip and leverage were lacking, making recoil control harder.

Firearm safety awareness: I have military experience, so I naturally follow strict firearm safety rules even when handling airsoft guns. However, someone without military or law enforcement experience might develop a lower sense of caution when training only with airsoft. This reinforces the importance of treating airsoft guns like real firearms and deeply internalizing safety protocols.

Alright, so this is the result of my first experiment. It may seem trivial and insignificant to some, but I'm glad that I've at least made some progress!

And...

My Next Goals:

Achieve better accuracy and tighter shot groupings.

Improve recoil control.

I don’t know when I’ll get another opportunity to shoot live firearms (since it’s quite expensive in Germany), but until then, I’ll keep researching and training diligently.

Thanks for reading this series!