• All Dry Technical Training designed for “walk-through” practice; Practicing Transitioning from one hand to the other as well as weapon systems malfunction transitioning; Dry Movement Training: General Weapons Handling & Weapons Retention Drilling.
• A must have for EVERY operator that handles a handgun as part of their mission or duties. Increases the safety factor on all training evolutions by decreasing the opportunity for anyone to introduce a live weapon into the training scenario. Easily identifiable as a training weapon with a 1:1 look, feel and size of the actual weapon and fits the appropriate duty or concealable holster.

Force-on-Force Weapons (Paintball & Airsoft)

• We use two distinct force-on-force training concepts: Drilling; and Scenarios, understanding the training goals helps us decide which weapon system to use for that particular training evolution.
• Drills are typically designed to replicate or specifically target a smaller portion of the overall fight but by nature are not scenarios. Drills focus on repetitions and are considered “high volume”; meaning more rounds are generally fired during “Force-on-Force Drills.”
• Scenarios replicate actual situations an officer may face: burglary requiring a building search; vehicle stops; etc. Scenarios are generally more time consuming, difficult to set up and orchestrate; limit the number of encounters; and require a large amount of control to insure safety.

The PROS & CONS for each of the below training systems should be taken into account.

Paintball Weapon Systems

PROS

• Good for any Force-on-Force training evolution but ideal for “drilling.”
• Very cost effective, approximately three cents per round and will work for both inside and outside.
• They are very well suited for outdoor work; the heavier weight of the projectile increases the practical range for training. Usually very accurate weapons.

CONS

• Can be messy requiring extensive clean up if used inside. (an alternative is the foam “Reball” that contains no oil based paint)
• Weapons are generally not an accurate representation of weapons currently in use by law enforcement and the military. This is why we suggest and carry only the Tippmann A5 which is not only a very dependable paintball rifle but similar in feel to M4 & Ar-15 Variants if equipped properly
• If hoppers are used training can become a “game” of paintball which is discouraged. Hoppers also limit visibility & observation while being utilized in the low ready or high ready positions. The Tippmann A5 comes with a 25 round hopper that requires the user to be aware of ammunition utilized during drills & scenarios much like real world missions and scenarios require. Additionally the hopper is positioned on the side of the weapon and is very unobtrusive and does not limit visibility.
• Since the paintballs are water soluble they can not be used in inclement weather.
• The mask can make it difficult to get a proper “cheek weld” on most carbine style weapons. Mandatory safety gear is considered to be an approved mask and groin protection. Chest protection is mandatory for females. Optional safety gear includes neck protection.

Simunitions

PROS

• Has been the leader for a long time in LE and military “force-on-force” training.
• Designed to use your existing weapons system with a conversion kit so the advantage of using your weapon, same sights, same trigger, personal issue equipment. set up for your weapon, etc, exists.
• Excellent for specific scenario based training that should not require a large number, “low volume” of rounds to be fired.
• Since you have the weapon system the cost of the conversion kit can be very appealing HOWEVER;

CONS

• It should be understood that the user is introducing a live weapon capable of firing live rounds (if not converted properly) into a training environment. Safety parameters must be established AND followed to insure only converted weapons are present.
• Simunitions does sell dedicated training weapons that have a blue frame but many times the cost of the training weapon is higher than the cost of the real system it is designed to replicate.
• If the weapons are not properly maintained there is a very high malfunction rate, but because they function like the real thing the clearance procedure can be followed as it should be. The cost for the training ammunition is very high, approximately $.50 per round.
• Simunitions mandates, at a minimum, their approved mask/helmet, neck protection and groin protection, must be used during training with their system; this can add considerable cost for your program when you need to have the ability to properly outfit each person in the scenario with the approved safety gear.

Airsoft - Fairly new to the law enforcement and military training field.

PROS

• There have been great in-roads & improvements in the quality of the Airsoft weapons available over the last few years. This is not your children’s toy anymore.
• There are several different systems on the market today:
  - Spring Powered - Have to cocked for each shot
  - Gas Powered - Utilizes “green gas” to power the system. They produce good power and function like a real weapon
  - Battery Powered - Usually the long gun replicas and they have rechargeable batteries. They typically fire a 6mm BB between 300-450 fps (feet per second).
• Very well suited for scenario training indoors and some drilling depending on distances.
• The weapons have the look and feel of the real gun and even reload like a real gun.
• They do not hit as hard as paintballs or Simunitions but if you do not let people wear too much clothing they are very effective training tools.
• Depending on the skill level of your student you can adjust the required safety gear to range from goggles and a balaclava to full helmets and masks, groin protection is always recommended for any force-on-force training program.
• By using just goggles a shooter is able to use the weapon just as he would in the real world without interference from a mask.
• These weapons are also the perfect training tool for the shooter that needs remedial training or the serious shooter that wants to train without having to travel to the range. A simple indoor range can be set up and is only restricted by your imagination.
• Very cost effective training tools costing approximately 1 to 1 ½ cents per round to operate.

CONS

• They do not hit as hard as paintballs or Simunitions but if you do not let people wear too much clothing.