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www.officer.com AUGUST 2017 LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY 27 The air pistol, a CO2 .177 caliber replica, is designed to fit the same holsters and have the same balance and operating system as the real thing. In fact, the two are hard to distinguish from a distance. If one were to pick them up while blind- folded, it still would be hard to tell. The P320 Air Pistol actually is balanced in a similar fashion. While it does not have the same durable finish as the real thing, it looks and acts like one, right down to a fully functional magazine release and slide that blows back when fired. The only major difference is the manual safety on the Air Pistol. It was designed to be operated by the right- handed shooter's thumb. This safety was in the same place as the slide release and only slightly changed the feel of one of the holsters we had on the range. It was not enough to be noticeable. The 9mm P320 we used weighed about 29.5 oz. The P320 Air Pistol was 35 oz. There are other "real" P320 con- figurations that weigh about 35 oz. The Air Pistol was as close to the real opera- tion of the gun as one could possibly get. Believe me, I have a shelf full of air pistols and rifles, and this is the best one I have seen yet. The Air Pistol was as accurate as the 9mm at close combat ranges. We were shooting 2 inch groups from standing between 3-10 yards with both pistols. Obviously, as a trainer, the advantage of using cheaper ammo without hear- ing protection is a great means of skills building. Being able to use the same hol- ster and having a gun that cycles when the trigger is pulled is awesome. We got between 60 to 90 shots from a 12 gram CO2 cartridge. The 30 round magazines fly out of the gun like the real ones and it is suitable for moving and shooting scenarios. The only real difference was the longer sear reset of the CO2 pistol, compared to the 9mm P320. One had to let the trigger out a bit more to get the subsequent shots. It was not enough to create training scars, but it was definitely present. Circle 26 on Reader Ser vice Card Sig Sauer ......................................................................... 25 For more information, circle the number on the Reader Service Card. Agencies that adopt the P320 should provide the P320 Air Pistol and use it for skills building. ($119.99 MSRP) The P320 is definitely on top of the heap for modularity. For military and law enforcement applications, it is one of the most universal products to ever hit the market.