pistol as secondary: useful or expensive toy?
honest answer to the question of whether you need an airsoft pistol: for most players, no.
that's not the answer you get on a forum, because a forum is full of people who own one. but i've played whole seasons without a pistol and i've maybe missed it five times.
how often do you actually draw it
think about when a secondary matters:
- your primary jams or breaks
- you're empty and there's no time to reload
- you're in a space where your primary is too long
- you're already hit and your pistol is the only way to still do something (not allowed, but anyway)
on a normal wooded day with a decent AEG and three or four midcaps, scenario 1 is rare and scenario 2 is rare. scenario 3 only comes up on CQB fields.
i'd put it at roughly once every two game days that a pistol gets you a kill you wouldn't otherwise have had. that's not a huge return for something that costs 150 to 250 plus magazines plus gas.
what it really costs
this is where people go wrong. a pistol isn't the price of the pistol.
- replica: 100 to 250 for something decent. under 100 you're buying frustration.
- extra magazines: 25 to 45 each. you want at least two extra, because one magazine is 20 to 25 shots.
- holster: 30 to 80 for something that holds your replica when you run. a cheap universal holster drops your pistol, guaranteed.
- green gas: 8 to 12 a bottle, and that lasts a few game days.
- maintenance: silicone oil, o-rings, the occasional nozzle.
count on 250 to 400 before it's usable. for that same money you could seriously improve your primary, or pay five entry fees, or buy decent goggles and boots.
when it is worth it
there are situations where i completely get it:
you play a lot of CQB. indoors, in buildings, around corners. here a pistol really is faster and handier, and a sidearm is a genuine advantage.
you play milsim or realism-focused events. then it's part of the kit and it's not only about effectiveness.
you play DMR or sniper. this is the strongest case. with a bolt-action or a DMR you have a minimum engagement distance you're not allowed to shoot inside of, and for those higher energy roles that distance is significant. your secondary is then not a luxury but a necessity, because otherwise you're standing there empty-handed the moment someone gets close. (the exact minimum distances vary by country and by site, but the higher your energy class, the further away your target has to be, and bolt-action carries the longest minimum of all.)
your primary is unreliable. then that's the problem you should be fixing, but a backup is nice in the meantime.
you just enjoy it. this is a hobby, not an optimisation problem. a good GBB pistol is fantastic to shoot. that's a valid argument, just say it honestly.
if you buy one: dos and don'ts
do:
- buy a GBB (gas blowback), not a springer. a spring pistol you have to cock per shot is useless in a firefight.
- Tokyo Marui is the reference for reliability. WE, Umarex/VFC and KJ Works also do good things.
- buy two extra magazines right away. buying them later costs the same and you get nothing out of them for a day.
- buy a kydex holster that fits your exact model.
- pick a model you know you can get parts for.
don't:
- buy a spring pistol "to start". money thrown away.
- run a pistol on CO2 that isn't built for it. i've written a piece about CO2 versus green gas, and this is a real way to crack your slide.
- buy a universal nylon holster. your pistol will be lying in the dirt within two games.
- expect a green gas pistol to still work decently in the cold. same piece.
the cold-weather caveat
worth repeating because it's directly relevant here: green gas loses pressure in the cold. around 5 degrees celsius (40 f) your pistol works half or not at all. if you buy your secondary as a reliable backup, and you play through a cold, wet winter, then a green gas pistol is exactly the wrong backup.
that's the strongest argument against "you need a pistol", for me. the thing that's supposed to save you when your primary quits is itself the least reliable piece in your kit.
my advice
if you've played less than a year: don't buy a pistol. put that money into good goggles, decent boots, extra magazines for your primary, and entry fees. play more.
if you've played a year and you've thought "i wish i had a pistol right now" three times: buy one. then you know why.
if you're going to play DMR or bolt-action: buy a pistol right away, it's part of the role.
and if you just want one because it's fun: absolutely do. just don't call it a necessity then.
Also on Airsoft-FOB
- also available in dutch: Pistool als secondary: nuttig of duur speelgoed?