I have a green gas pistol (M9) and the slide has a recoiling action when you shoot it. It fits in most holsters made for the real thing and nicer ones than mine have 1 for 1 working controls. Accuracy is so so but again mine is a cheaper one. I think they are great for practicing things like drawing from a holster, trigger discipline, sight alignment, reloading if you have multiple mags. It sure doesn't replace the real thing but if you're like me and just don't get to the range very often having the ability to go to your garage and "shoot" for a few minutes every day is better than nothing.

Yes. My kids have glock style airsoft. The safety, sights, and weight are similar enough to real firearms, for training purposes. Obviously the range & recoil is not the same with ammo vs airsoft... But recoil is a non-issue for sight-training purposes, since training yourself not to anticipate the recoil is key to a straight shot. The recoil from airsoft is still there, but not as intense... so new learners will experience that recoil on a lesser scale and comprehend the physical affects of firing. My kids haven't fired live ammo yet, but when they do, they won't be surprised by the mechanisms of firing live ammo. Just like driving a car, you learn to view your equipment as an extension of your self, and so you develop a subconscious memory for appropriate maneuvers specific to your equipment. After establishing a second nature for your equipment like a car, you could theoretically apply those same learned maneuvers in a similar type car with success- same goes for firearms.