In the training environment there are a host of "force on force" tools that can be used for dynamic training: Simunitions, paintball and airsoft to name a few. Just like "Simunitions", Airsoft is a brand name that has grown to encompass any weapon that uses compressed air to shoot a 6mm plastic BB at velocities safe to use for training. However, far from being toys some kids use to play Capture The Flag with, those training tools need to function reliably, be accurate, and have high visibility when they impact / break. Enter the Classic Army weapons (in this case their M4) and specifically engineered 6mm BBs called TAR for Tactical Airsoft Rifle round.
The first thing I noticed about the Classic Army M4 (hereinafter referred to as the CAM4) was the weight. Many toy air guns are built of lightweight plastic and some of the most cost-effective ones are predominantly clear. I LIKE that for toys. There is no way any officer out there can confuse my ten-year-old's toy air gun for a real gun. You simply can't paint something CLEAR. The CAM4 feels like a real M4. Classic Army's main goal was to provide a training weapon that felt and operated like a real M4 so that the training would be as close to "operational" reality as possible.
What else is the same? Hmmm...
- The magazine release and changes
- The selector switch and operation
- The telescoping butt stock
- The removable carry handle
- The handguards
- The "pistol" grip
Well, everything! With the exception of the tip of the barrel being painted orange to designate it as a training weapon (and when I used it in a training environment I taped the magazines and butt-stock with orange tape as well) the weapon looks and feels like an M4. "Recoil" is felt although it is not as great as with a real M4.
Now, as is common for many training weapons, the true downside of the CAM4 is potentially the ammo you put into it. It's electrically operated with the battery housed inside the foregrips (you just remove a grip to remove the battery; recharge it and reinstall it) using electricity to work the action which compresses a jet of air used to fire a 6mm plastic BB. The assortment of 6mm "airsoft" BBs on the market is staggering and the prices vary widely. The BBs can be purchased at your local WalMart or at Bass Pro Great Outdoor Store - and many stores in between. You can get BBs that are biodegradable but they cost about double what normal BBs do.
The problem with the large majority of those BBs is that they are mass produced with little concern about spherical shape, visible color or ultimate accuracy. Sure, you can get BBs in many colors: green, yellow, orange and more. Yes, they can be seen in daylight. But what about low light? What about in fast action? What about in training environments attempting to simulate the dynamics of high-risk conflict? Not so much.
Enter the Tactical Airsoft Rifle (TAR) round specifically designed to operate in high quality weapons, such as the CAM4, and engineered to resolve or prevent certain issues that arise with that other stuff. The TAR round was designed to break on impact with soft targets but NOT in the barrel. That kinda matters. It's neon colored so it's easier to see in low-light conditions and if any black-light type lights are on they positively glow. Probably the biggest design feature that matters is how well they are engineered to be ROUND. When those BBs come flying out of any barrel, if they aren't perfectly round (or as close to it as can be achieved) they will curve. How badly they are out of round can be seen by how much they curve. Unfortunately, in your training environment isn't where you want to learn that you're shooting ovals instead of circles.
The TAR rounds are quality controlled to insure a nice round 6mm iridescent BB. They (the Tactical Airsoft RIFLE) rounds like traveling and impacting at greater than 300 feet per second, so you need a high quality "airsoft" weapon to shoot them from (like the CAM4). Those "cheapy" toy air guns just ain't gettin' it. There is also a Tactical Airsoft Pistol round built with all of the same concerns and features as the TAR, but with the lower velocities of the pistols in mind.
The Classic Army rifles as well as the TAR rounds can be found on the Dive South Tactical Solutions website. Classic Army makes a wide variety of rifles and each (that I've been able to find) is engineered to operate like the real deal. If you're that focused on the integrity of your training then you'll also appreciate the value of putting a higher quality BB into those airguns. In fact, the TAR rounds are right on the main page of Dive South Tactical.
Check them out. I think you'll like them!
Stay Safe!
