The Role of Air Guns and Paintball in Self-Defense:
Let
me just say
up front:
Colorado law
gives me
criminal and
civil
immunity
from
prosecution
should I
decide to
use deadly
force in the
event of a
home
invasion. In
a home
invasion
scenario, I
will take
full
advantage of
the legal
protections
afforded to
me by law.
The main
objective of
any
self-defense
method is to
stop the
attack, and
my
philosophy
is to stop
the attack
and protect
my family by
the most
effective
means
available to
me at the
time. For
me, that
method of
self-defense
in the home includes having ready firearms, being trained to use them,
and then employ them where needed. This article is mainly written
for the benefit of those folks who do not or will not own firearms, and
who want at
least
"something"
to defend
themselves.
Not all
people are
comfortable
having
firearms in
their homes,
not
everyone is
comfortable
shooting
firearms.
That is
fine. The
methods that
are right
for me are
not
necessarily
the methods
that are
right for
others, and
I respect
that. I
wrote an
article a
while back
on
"Principles
versus
Tactics"
to explain
that you
have to
decide what
you are
willing to
do in a
particular
situation,
then for you
to decide
how you will
accomplish
that.
Also, and unfortunately, some people live in states or cities with very
strict firearms laws that practically prevent them from using firearms
in self-defense situations, or require them to retreat first before
defending themselves with firearms.
I believe
that it is
also
important to
maintain
training and
proficiency
in my
primary
self-defense
tools as
well as a
variety of
other
self-defense
methods that
I may need
to employ to
stop an
attack. It
is not
always time
or cost
effective to
schedule
trips to the
range to
expend live
ammunition.
There are a
variety of
training
methods out
there that I
use,
including
dry firing
with the
LASR App
System,
and using
non-lethal
projectile
shooting
tools such
as
paintball,
airsoft, and
air guns to
help build
the muscle
memory
involved in
firearms
operation,
and that
allows you
to actually
practice
tactics with
moving
targets in a
safe
environment.
There are
many other
self-defense
and training
tools out
there, but
in my
testing, I
have found
that air
guns and paintball guns are
both good
training
tools, and
paintball guns make for a
good home
defense
tool,
especially
for folks
who just
aren't
comfortable
with having
firearms in
their homes.
Paintball
and Airsoft
Guns as
a Training
Tool:
When
it comes to
training for
tactics,
having the
ability to
shoot at
moving
targets and
in return
being shot
at by moving
targets,
offers more
realism into
actual
scenarios
that you may
encounter.
This is a
type of
training
often
referred to
as "force on
force"
training and
is more
effective at
helping you
to learn
tactics and
gun handling
skills under
pressure
than simply
shooting at
static
targets. The
type of
training
tools to
achieve the
desired
proficiency
outcomes is
an important
aspect to
consider,
however.
Whereas
airsoft
tends to use
guns that
emulate
actual
weapons
functionality,
such as
forcing you
to perform
magazine
changes,
they offer
less, in my
experience
and
humble
opinion, in
comparison
to
paintball,
in the
"pain"
incentive to
force you to
be more
tactfully
minded to
prevent from
being shot.
While I have
found
airsoft to
be a great
training
tool for
indoor close
quarters
training,
paintball
offers a
more
fast-paced
alternative
to outdoor
and longer
range
scenarios.
Since the
incentive
"not to get
shot" is
higher with
paintball,
the "stress
inoculation"
component
obtained
provides a
more
realistic
force on
force
training as
well.
Paintball
and Airsoft
as Group
Bonding
Tools:
Putting on
my prepper
hat for a
moment:
Being able
to train
with your
family,
members of a
team that
you are
prepping
with, or
even just
the people
you work
with has its
benefits
also. Paintball
fields seem
to be
popping up
all over the
place. Here
in Colorado,
"woodsball"
is a very
popular
activity, as
we have our
beautiful
mountains
and forests
in which to
play games,
and those
areas offer
a wide
variety of
terrains and
scenarios. Grab your
bio-degradable
paintball
ammo and
head for the
hills! Paintball
has become
very popular
for families
and groups
to include
as part of a
camping
trip, as
well as for
groups of
co-workers
to plan
team-building
events.
Paintball as
a Home
Defense
Tool:
In my recent
testing, I
have been
quite
impressed
with the
types of
non-lethal
self-defense
paintball
ammunition
on the
market
today. In
addition to
regular
paintballs,
you can also
purchase
pepper balls
that contain
pepper
spray, hard
rubber
balls, PVC
nylon balls,
and even
glass balls
containing
iron dust
for use in
paintball
guns as a
self-defense
tool. In my
testing with
various
materials
used as
targets,
the
PVC Riot
Balls
cause enough
damage on
multiple
thicknesses
of heavy
cardboard
and drywall
to be very
plausible as
a
self-defense
method. I
received a
shipment
from
Bulls
Breaker
Balls in
South Africa
and have
begun
testing
their latest
product, and
so far, the
riot balls
perform
better, are
less
expensive,
and don't
take over a
month from
order to
receipt.
But I am
continuing
testing, and
my research
so far
indicates
that this
product has
promise as a
self-defense
ammunition
as well.
Paintball
Gun
Recommendations:
Hands down,
the
Tippmann
A5 is my
personal
recommendation.
The Tippmann
A5 is sort
of the "Ruger
10/22" of
the
paintball
gun world in
that
accessories,
modifications,
air supply
variations,
upgrades,
and spare
parts are so
plentiful
and widely
marketed,
that this
gun can be
personalized
very easily.
This gun is
extremely
easy to work
on and
maintain,
and there
are a
plethora of
YouTube
videos out
there to
give you
advice and
instruction.
I also
prefer the
Tippmann A5
simply
because of
the
"Cyclone"
feed system
that has
shown to be
extremely
reliable,
and saves
the expense
of having to
buy an
add-on
electric
hopper, or
some other
feeding
system, to
make the gun
run
consistently
and
reliably.
The Tippmann
A5 also uses
the larger
20+ oz CO2
and 3,000psi
High-Pressure
Air (HPA)
supplies,
which allows
for larger
capacities
and more
shots.
Reusable CO2
canisters
are
relatively
inexpensive
to purchase
and fill,
and fairly
easy to find
refill
stations.
HPA refill
equipment is
becoming
more readily
available
and
inexpensive,
and HPA is
said to
actually be
better on
paintball
gun
internals
and more
consistently
shooting in
a variety of
environmental
conditions
(temperatures)
than CO2.
My test
model that I
built to be
used as a
home-defense
Tippmann A5
is modified
with a
buttstock,
red dot
sight,
Vortex
magazine
conversion
kit, and
Flatline
Barrel. The
magazine
conversion
is
inexpensive
and was very
simple to
install.
Instead of a
hopper that
is now in
the way, I
have the
ability to
load
20-round
magazines
with a
variety of
ammunition
types. I
have the red
dot sight
set up for
very close
engagements,
zeroed for
21 feet, a
typical
distance of
encounter
within my
home. I have
the velocity
set at
around
300fps,
which is
enough
velocity to
be
effective,
but yet low
enough to
help prolong
the life of
the gun
internal
valves and
o-rings. The
CO2 supply
is a 24oz
external
cylinder
that is
screwed in,
but not
fully, so as
to prevent
leakages,
but still be
on the gun
so that it
can be
quickly
screwed in
the
remaining
turn or two
to fully
charge the
gun when
needed. The
ready
condition of
this gun
also
includes a
fully loaded
magazine in
the gun and
four spare
fully loaded
magazines
nearby.
For those of
you who
prefer more
of a
"handgun"
type of
platform,
there are
two
front-runners
out there.
The
Tippmann
TiPX, and
the
Tiberius
T8.1. In
fact, the Tippmann
TiPX is used
as the
manufacturing
model for
the
SALT
Supply
Pepper Gun,
as those
models are
actually
manufactured
by Tippmann,
and then
sold as a
self-defense
weapon. Both
the Tippmann
and Tiberius
are .68
caliber
paintball
guns, an
important
factor when
choosing a
caliber for
your
paintball
ammunition.
68 caliber
is the most
readily
available
when
choosing
actual
self-defense
rounds, and
it has more
capability
as a
self-defense
caliber (in
my humble
opinion)
than the
smaller
paintball
calibers.
Both also
use the
smaller
12-gram CO2
cartridge
for the air
supply.
These
cartridges
are very
inexpensive
to buy in
large
quantities
but have
very limited
capacity
when
shooting. I
recommend
the handgun
platform as
a backup,
but not as a
primary
defense
tool.
My personal
preference
(for the
handgun
platform) is
the Tiberius
T8.1. The
main reason
I chose the
Tiberius
model is
because the
CO2
cartridge
and the
paintball
rounds are
both
contained
within the
magazine.
That means
that will
very
magazine
reload, you
are getting
a fresh CO2
canister as
well as more
ammunition.
These
paintball
pistols only
fire 10 or
so rounds
per
paintballs
CO2
cartridge,
so being
able to
quickly
reload both
ammunition
and CO2
quickly is
extremely
important in
a
self-defense
scenario. I
also chose
the Tiberius
model
because it
comes ready
to go out of
the box with
the ability
to load and
shoot the
new "First
Strike"
shaped
paintball
rounds,
which come
in both
paint and
solid
self-defense
rounds.
A Word on
Airguns/Airsoft
for Self
Defense:
Airsoft guns
are NOT
self-defense
tools.
Period. They
may offer a
half-second
distraction
so that you
can flee and
go find
another
weapon, but
they will
not stop an
attack.
There is a
chance that
brandishing
that airsoft
gun will
give the bad
guys pause,
but they
will soon
see that
orange tip
and know
that you do
not have the
ability to
do them any
harm at that
particular
moment.
Other air
guns, such
as pellet
guns, may
have the
ability to
cause minor
injury or a
momentary
distraction,
but again
(in my
humble
opinion),
pellet guns
just are not
made to be
self-defense
tools. There
are varying
opinions
about that
out there,
certainly,
the video
below
explains
some ideas
on the
subject.
Wrapping It
All UP!
I believe in
firearms as
the most
effective
defensive
measure in
the event of
a home
invasion.
Period!
Violent
criminals
only
understand
one thing:
Force.
Speed,
surprise,
violence of
action, and
a
determination
to win will
help you
prevail
against
evil. I
always have
a firearm at
the ready at
various
places in my
home and am
ready to
employ the
firearms as
a defensive
measure all
the time,
but I also
have
non-lethal
self-defense tools such
as pepper
spray and
paintball
guns that I
see as
viable
options in
home defense
scenarios.
Not everyone
is
comfortable
with having
firearms in
their homes
and would
like a
non-lethal
measure to
stop or at
least slow
down an
attack.
Paintball
guns offer a
viable
self-defense
alternative,
in my
opinion.
There are a
variety of
inexpensive
and reliable
paintball
guns out
there,
including
the Tippmann
A5 and
Tiberius
T8.1 guns,
that can
easily be
adapted and
customized
for home
defense use.
But whatever
tool or
tactic you
choose, you
must be
familiar
with the
operation
and
maintenance
of that
tool, be
familiar
with its
capabilities,
and above
all practice
using them
in order to
be
effective.
More Information Resources:
