Step aside, paintball and MMA gyms — the truly hardcore (or just masochistic) are heading to Las Vegas to participate in a competitive endeavor that involves shooting (and being shot at by) people with real handguns and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
The real-life combat simulation is being called a “new sport” by Las Vegas Gunfights, which hosts paintball-style shootouts with a live audience. However, these aren’t your average paintball guns or ammo — they’re real (but, yes, modified) handguns with real (but, again, modified) ammunition. The force inflicted by the guns is non-lethal, and the weapons’ modifications include a way to prevent real bullets from being inserted. However, they still hurt, and the welts left behind indicate that this activity isn’t for the faint of heart.
When the ammo is out, combatants are encouraged to engage the same way they would in a real-life firefight — by using striking and grappling. The goal is to recreate a realistic gunfight without lethal force. In fact, Las Vegas Gunfights refers to the sport as “UFC for shooters.”
The venue was featured in a news segment by Fox 11 Los Angeles. Take a look and ask yourself if this is something you think you’d like to do for “fun!”
