Dry fire practice is a great way to practice even right at home.
Here are some products that will increase your dry fire enjoyment.
Before we look at top dry fire products, why dry fire anyway? Well here are a quick run down on why dry fire practice can help your overall shooting skills.
- No recoil. Many shooters get tripped up when they think about recoil. When no recoil is present, flinches can be noticed and worked on.
- Ammo cost. Sadly in this modern day ammo prices keep on rising. Range practice can add up in cost quickly and take a big hit on your wallet. With dry fire, the cost is little or nothing at all.
- More time to practice. Take all the time you want in the comfort of your own home.
Safety factors to consider. Just because your firearm or firearm replica trainer might have “snap caps” or other devices we must stress always to never point any weapon at anything you would not normally do. Muscle memory of sloppy training and “horse play” can give you a bad habit of not respecting a real firearm. This isn’t paintball or a squirt gun. It is a tool when used correctly can save a life or take a life. The old saying “train how you fight” are words to live by. Now let’s get into the world of dry fire practice.
Number one, the TITANX Smart Laser Training Pistol.
I recently was sent a MantisX product to test out. It is the newly released TITANX Smart Laser Training Pistol. This is the top of the line modern “dry fire” training system. Here is a little more about it:
- Rapid improvement with smart feedback
- Save thousands on ammunition
- Train conveniently & more frequently at home
- Safe & inert laser training gun
- Realistic resetting trigger
- Laser provides point of impact
- Optic-ready with a RMR/Shield RMS/RMSc footprint
Modeled after the ever popular Glock pistols this handgun only fires a laser when the trigger is pulled. You use a special target and a downloaded app for scoring your shots.
The TitanX inert laser training pistol is a dry fire training system containing the app that has changed the way shooters improve their marksmanship skills. Hone your skills faster than ever before with real-time feedback on your shooting technique, smart coaching, and actionable analytics via the app.
Combine that with a realistic form factor, realistic trigger, and a laser, and you have the complete package. Each TitanX is designed to fit seamlessly into most holsters made for each corresponding firearm model, ensuring compatibility with your gear for more realistic and effective training.
Overall after personally testing I found this product to be a top pick for practicing for a Glock style firearm. There is certainly no danger a live round could be fired from this training tool. It is plainly marked and can be used many areas for training a traditional firearm might get you in trouble.
Number two: Strikeman Laser Firearm Training Kit
Another dry fire training option is an actual cartridge that will fire a laser when struck on the primer. Strikeman cartridges utilize an app. that will score your shots. This allows you to practice drills and accuracy with your own firearm using modern technology. Impressive right? Here is a closer look at a selection of the training laser cartridges:
These laser training cartridges are like the modern offspring to those bore sighting laser cartridges of decades back. They do however allow so much more than the previously mentioned ones did back then.
Number three: Laser Ammo / SF25 PRO GEN2 IR ADVANCED TRAINING LASER PISTOL
If you are going all out on dry fire training this is one of the top of the line models but priced on the high side that can be purchased.
Check out what this ultra modern training system offers:
The ATLP PRO is a state-of-the-art device for firearms training and law enforcement. It simulates realistic scenarios and challenges users to enhance firearms handling skills and safety. The ATLP PRO has many easy to use, innovative features that allow the user to practice reloads, malfunctions, and even round counting. With our high-quality lasers and the authentic feel of a S&W M&P, The ATLP PRO is a powerful tool for safe and effective firearms training.
- Accidental Discharge Sensor: Detects finger intrusion into the trigger guard and alerts the user.
- Round Counter: Simulates empty mag by stopping laser pulse until the user releases the magazine and loads a new one.
- Random Malfunction Mode: Creates a random malfunction by stopping laser pulse randomly until new magazine loads.
- 4 Different Laser Modes: Short pulse, long pulse, bore-sighter and invisible pulse for the red laser.
- Shot Sound Indication: Emits a shot sound through a speaker with every trigger pull.
- Speaker System: Provides visual and audible feedback with every shot.
Product Package includes:
- SF25 PRO GEN 2 Training Laser Pistol (Smith Weston M&P compatible) – Orange.
- SureStrike IR Laser cartridge – installed in the gun
- Allen key and replacement set screws
- User guide
- Gun carrying case
Note: Compatible with most Smith and Wesson M&P style holsters as well as Sig Sauer P320 holsters. NOT compatible with any Blackhawk holsters
Physical Features:
- Eye safe, high quality laser
- Weighted gun and magazine (1lb 5oz)
- Windage and elevation
- Fits most duty holsters
- Removable weighted magazine
- Visible or invisible laser option
- Simulated night sight
- Red dot plate ready
- Long battery life
Talk about quite a list of features! What is the price of this high end training tool? Well $500 is listed currently on their website for the I.R. model, and $480 for their red light version. That is quite heavy on the change pocket but who said you need to take it all with you to the grave right?
Now check out what the LaserPET 2 Personal Reactive Target is all about.
Laser Ammo’s reactive target systems improve shooting skills such as drawing, target acquisition and trigger squeeze while building a solid foundation for accuracy and speed. Our reactive targets give immediate audio, visual and numeric feedback with unlimited training options without the need for a computer.
Sound
With the LaserPET II not only can you see when you hit the target, you can hear them as well, allowing you to focus on your sights without being distracted.
Shot Timer
The LaserPET II includes a shot timer, split times between shots, and total time of the drill so you can train on your reloads, holstering and target acquisition.
Speed
Improve your reaction time to ensure your shots land on target quicker than ever during your next range session, IDPA/USPSA match, Fast-Draw match, and more!
Reaction
Make each shot count with valuable visual, audible, and time feedback. Hit the target on time, every time.
Malfunctions Training
When you are in danger, you need to act fast in case your gun will stop working. With the LaserPET II you can practice different malfunction drills under pressure and time.
Standalone Targets
The reactive targets use AAA batteries with no need for a computer, cell phone or webcam. This gives the shooter the ability to use the targets indoors or in shaded areas outdoors or in different rooms/locations in your own home or office.
Now that is a handy training tool that mates perfectly with the previous discussed laser training pistol.
Number four: Old school snap caps.
Training is not all about high cost products and there is certainly nothing wrong with the good ‘ole budget friendly snap cap. Case in point the A-Zoom Snap Cap.
A-Zoom Pistol Snap Caps are for safety training, function testing or safely decocking without damaging the firing pin. CNC-machined from solid aluminum to precise cartridge dimensions, then hard-anodized for smooth functioning and long life. Each round has A-Zoom’s durable “Dead Cap” proven to withstand over 3,000 dry fires while protecting the firing pin.
The great thing about snap caps is they allow your actual firearm to be practiced with without danger. Remember though never just dry fire any weapon for practice without a snap cap. You could certainly damage it without special care.
Another great snap cap that has been around for years that I have also personally used are the Tipton Snap Caps.
What I do really like about the Tipton Snap Caps is the massive spring contained inside that absorbs the impact of your firing pin strike. You can actually see that amazing spring and with the hard use red casing you will never mistake this dummy cartridge as a live cartridge. They are tough little products that perform well for a long time of dry fire use.
Another use that is often overlooked by many for snap caps is for dry firing practice for shotguns, especially double barrel field guns and trap range scatterguns. You can have someone shine a beam of light across a distant wall and then get great practice on smooth maneuvering out of the field or range. I refuse to put firearms away, especially double barrel shotguns, with cocked hammers. Use the same snap caps for dropping those hammers safely and keeping unwanted stress off your springs while in storage. Once again, be sure you are using snap caps and not live ammunition or your home owners association might have your head on a platter!
There you have it, dry fire is an important tool for your training regiment. If you aren’t currently using it to it’s full potential, you are certainly missing out on valuable training.
