AIRSOFT PISTOL "MORPHS" INTO A CARBINE

Some time ago, I wrote an article on the fast and accurate method of fire called Rifle Quick Kill (QK), as detailed in an old US Army Training Text: TT 23-71-1.

In the training, soldiers were taught to focus on small targets thrown in the air, and hit them without use of the sights.

The method was presented as being very simple, and easy and quick to learn.

And it was taught BEFORE the soldier was introduced to aimed fire which utilizes the sights.

To determine for myself if the QK method really does work, and if it is easy to learn, I tested the method using a home made airsoft carbine. I found that QK works as advertised, and that it is very easy to learn.

The Army manual calls for the use of a BB rifle as the means to learn the QK method, and I felt that it would be good to have a BB rifle and try it. However, as we live in town, our neighbors might object to me filling the air with BBs.

Also, the training text states that the use of aerial targets is not a strict requirement for learning the method.

So I thought that maybe I could morph an arisoft pistol into a carbine, and then use swinging targets for an in-the-garage test.

For the carbine, I used a gas operated "airsoft" BTUG -161 made by UHC and purchased for about $40 a few years ago from Blazing toys in CA http://blazingtoys.com.

The slide does not go back with each shot which saves gas. If needed, it can be pulled back to cock the gun.

My idea was to use a length of plastic pipe for the stock and barrel, and insert the pistol into it as the receiver/trigger group.

The pic below shows the piece of pipe with a "slot" cut in it, and into which the pistol - as the receiver/trigger group - just fits.

The cut was made where I would be able to both place the "stock" against my shoulder, and comfortably access the "trigger group" when it was inserted in the slot.



This next pic shows the carbine. Note that rubber bands are used to secure the pistol into the pipe.

When I first used the carbine, the pistol slid a bit in the slot, so I ran a piece of masking tape around it as shown (between the blue rubber bands), to fix it in place.



By chance the inside diameter of the pipe was 1 1/8 inch, and the distance from the top of the sights to the middle of the bore was 9/16 inch. So the tops of the front and rear sights kept the pistol barrel parallel with, and centered in the pipe.

(1 1/8 = 9/8 or 18/16, and 1/2 of 18/16 = 9/16)

The gun can be fired using double action (one full pull of the trigger, both cocks and fires the gun).

The pic below shows an 8 1/2 x 11 inch target with three small bullseyes and six hits. The range was 12 - 15 feet. The impact points have been touched with a felt marker to make them easy to notice.



I used the QK method. The back of the carbine, the "stock" was placed against my shoulder and my check was placed against the stock. Each bullseye was just looked at and the trigger pulled twice.

I moved my head and the weapon as I shifted my focus from one small bullseye to another. No effort was made to aim the weapon.

My right hand index finger was placed along the side of the gun to help in aiming automatically and accurately, and I used my middle finger to pull the trigger. I did that on my own, as the Army training manual does not specifically call for shooting that way.

I also made several rapid shots in a row at an imagined bullseye on another target, and all of the hits were in a nice tight group.

I then made some tests using a moving target.

For the tests, a length of plastic pipe with a BB trap attached to one end of it, was hung from the ceiling of the garage. Here is a picture.



The plastic pipe with BB trap attached, is different from, but works like a very large clock pendulum that can swing from side to side. When the trap is drawn up on one side and then let go, it will swing rapidly from side to side. And a target placed in the trap, will go along for the ride and also swing rapidly from one side to the other.



The trap catches most all BBs except for the occasional flyer which is stopped by the metal of the garage door.

See chapter 22 for information on how you can make your own BB trap, and from very inexpensive materials.

For some time, I have thought that adding a front grip to a rifle would be a help in keeping it tucked firmly into/against one's shoulder, and that it could also help with weapon control. So I added one to my carbine.

I also attached two of my simple, cheap, and practical aiming aids. One to front grip, and one to the area just above the trigger guard.

The aiming aid works with our instinctive ability of being able to point fast, automatically, and accurately at things.

Below are pics showing the carbine with the front grip plus aiming aid in blue on the front grip, and in white on the trigger group.





Now, if any gunmakers "out there" are "listening", a front grip along with a rifle's magazine could form two legs of a crude tripod, with the rifle butt making up the third leg. Such could help keep the weapon up from the ground/sand/dirt/mud if and when set down, and as such, help to keep it in service.

The front grip I added, also can be rotated outward to aid in holding the weapon more naturally, comfortably, and securely.

Also, when both forearms are rotated some, the alignment of their bones and muscles change. That in turn "locks them up" so that a firer will be able to better resist recoil forces. That is not so when a vertical front grip is used.

When hip shooting, I found that the front grip rotated outward, and my shots struck up and to the left a bit. When the front grip was in the vertical position, shots were more to the center. For a picture of the hits, see the pics of the targets below.

The positioning of the front grip did not seem to affect the location of hits when shooting from the shoulder. In any event, the hits were adequate for Close Quarters shooting and combat accuracy versus dime or quarter sized groups.

The following is a series of pics of targets showing hits on both moving and stationary targets using the QK method. An assist was provided by the use of my index finger to help with aiming.

All of the targets used in the airsoft test were 8 1/2 x 11 inch pieces of paper, and the range was 12 to 15 feet. The hits have been marked with a black ink marker to make them more visible.

As it was only 4 1/4" from the center to either side of the target, the hits made on the swinging targets would strike a man sized target at 3 or more times the test distance.

All shots were made rapid fire (just about as fast as I could pull the trigger). I used my middle finger to pull the trigger as my index fingers were placed against the aiming aids to help with aiming.

To put the swinging target in motion, I pulled on the cord attached to the BB trap with my left hand to raise it up, and then with my carbine mounted, released the cord, grabbed the front grip, and made my shots.

QK calls for focusing and shooting at the top edge of disks thrown up, and at the bottom portion of ground targets.

The picture below shows my result using QK and shooting four times at one swinging target, twice while focusing on the top of the circle, and twice while focusing at the bottom of the circle.

You must shoot very fast.



The picture below three QK hits on another swinging target when I focused and shot at the center of the circle.



..........

The picture below shows a stationary target with five hits made with QK when focusing on the center of the circle and shooting very rapidly.



The target below shows 6 hip shots made with the front grip rotated outward some (splayed), and using my index fingers as the main aiming tools. The hits are up and left.

Then, with the front grip vertical, 5 shots were made the same way, and the hits are in COM.

The aim point in both cases was the lower right corner of the target (see the X). I adjusted the aim point after trying some hip shots and missing. I feel that the need to move the aim point to the lower right corner of the target was mainly due to the quality of my rifle construction skills and the materials used. :-)



USING A PISTOL.

The target below shows hits on a swinging target when shooting first at the top edge of the circle and then at the bottom edge of the circle using a pistol. I used the P&S method (point index finger at target and pull the trigger). I had added had my little aiming aid to the side of the pistol just above the trigger guard. It serves as a guide to make correct index finger placement mechanical and automatic.



The target below shows hits on a swinging target. Generic Point Shooting was used first (focus, point, and pull trigger with your index finger). Then I used P&S (point-n-pull). One of the generic Point Shooting hits is in the COM, and two of the P&S hits are in the COM.



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