Hi Ors,

The ASP "Red Guns" are considerable lighter than an actual firearm. I have never used "Blue Guns" but have used heavier, solid metal replica firearms in weapon retention and disarming drills. In disarming techniques the firearm is often twisted violently and fingers can get trapped in the trigger gaurd with resulting physical damage, therefore some training guns have the trigger gaurd removed. Concerning weapon retention, the trigger gaurd is often required to work with the holster design to "lock" the firearm into the holster, retention drills use this system to advantage.

During an assault when a person is trying to take your firearm you are in a fight for your life. In a high stress situation you will instantly revert back to your training, so you practice the drills with near the same intensity as in a real situation. Firearms are often dropped or thrown during training. The fight you are in is with your assailant; when you are in a hand-on-hand struggle over possession/retention of a firearm, a few ounces of firearm weight difference is not noticed. That being said if I was going to purchase one replica training "gun" I would try to have it duplicate my firearm exactly, but be of a bright colour.

I would never use an actual firearm in retention/disarming drills. Safety mistakes can and have happened and I would not want to subject a firearm that I may later stake my life on, to that amount of unrequired abuse.

Train the way you live and stay safe,

Mike