Airsoft Surgeon European Championships Preview Issue | Page 5

FEATURE
AIRSOFT PRACTICAL SHOOTING

AIPSC is rapidly becoming one of the most popular disciplines in UK Practical Shooting.
Jim Sephton tells us how rapidly it has grown at The Grange.

AIRSOFT PRACTICAL PISTOL SHOOTING was something we were
introduced to by Victor of Popular Airsoft, back in October 2011
during the lead up to the Airsoft Arms Fair - and we fell in love
with the sport. The AIPSC club at The Grange opened its doors
in November 2011 and we’ve never looked back.
Although airsoft pistols are used for the sport, that’s where
all similarity to airsoft skirmishing ends. That having been said,
the skills you gain from practical pistol can make you a true
terror to face in a CQB skirmish environment, as many of the
shooters at Gunman Airsoft Midlands can attest.
IPSC rules state that any gun should be treated as loaded live
firearm at all times (yes, even unloaded airsoft pistols) and all of
the DQ (Disqualification) offences in the sport are based around
this principle. Good gun discipline and safe handling techniques
are at the heart of the sport, making it a great learning and
training environment for airsofters, target shooters, Airsoft
Practical Pistol shooters and Real Steel Practical Pistol shooters alike
The sport offers some of the most adrenaline-fueled
shooting you are ever likely to encounter in a sporting
environment in the UK. Combine that with a universally friendly
attitude from participants, practice taking place inside warm, dry
buildings and some exceptionally pretty guns and it’s no wonder
the sport is growing so rapidly in the UK.

Airsoft practical pistols or “race pistols” as they are known,
range from the utilitarian to works of art, with price tags
ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds. The reason for
the price tags is the materials the guns are made from.
Most standard airsoft pistols are zinc alloy or ABS, race
pistols are aircraft grade aluminium and stainless steel. The
biggest problem faced by airsoft pistol shooters is the cold,
as shot after shot goes down range the internal temperature
of the gun crashes. If it gets too cold the slide locks and the
magazines gas out, therefore the capacity to deal with the cold
has to be at the heart of any good race pistol design. This leads
to materials being chosen that won’t contract with the cold,
ensuring that the gun keeps firing.

www.airsoft-action.co.uk

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