Dry-Fire Training

What is the difference between training and practice? When you train you are learning a new skill or technique. You then practice what you learned when trained. So… What training have you failed to practice sufficiently? The answer is the same for all of us – trigger finger discipline. Second on the list is drawing from the holster.

If you haven’t spent time doing any dry-fire exercises, then you’re spending too much money. If you go to the range and fire 50-rounds with MOST of the shots being pulled low left (right handed shooter) then you have just lost $20 for nothing. The box of rounds could still be in your range bag – and you could be home practicing for free, using some of the products from LaserLyte and Next Level Training.

The first thing you need for laser training dry-fire practice at home is a way to shoot a laser beam at your target. There are THREE ways, from least expensive to most expensive.

1. Purchase a $75 laser cartridge.
2. Purchase a $110 laser barrel.
3. Purchase a $150 LaserLyte laser pistol.
4. Purchase a $240 NextLevel SIRT pistol.

I love the SIRT (Shot Indicating Reset Trigger) pistol. It’s spectacular. It’s a GLOCK made of all plastic with two weighted, removable magazines. The LaserLyte pistol is much lighter and the magazine is not removable. The laser barrel goes into your current handgun and makes training very simple – and consistent. The laser cartridge slips into the barrel like a regular round. The firing pin strikes the back of the round and the laser fires. Simple, but you have to rack the slide. Every. Single. Time. That gets old.

You can shoot these laser devices at anything. Choose the clock on the wall, the light switch, the bunny on the shelf. No matter. Practice shooting. Pull that trigger and DON’T let the laser move off target. Good practice. But it gets better…

LaserLyte makes some of the neatest training devices (toys) I’ve ever used. Here are my favorites.

First are the $70 LaserLyte Trainer Target Plinking Cans. Imagine setting up three soda cans on your bookshelf. You shoot at them with a laser and they fall over! That’s amazing, fun and great practice.

I love these fellas. In fact, EVERYONE loves these fellas! I couldn’t get my nephews to give me back the pistol! One more time, Uncle Joe? Who can say “No” to such lovable kids? 🙂

The $145 pair of LaserLyte ReactionTyme targets are fun and helpful. They can be put in random mode to become a training system with multiple targets at varying distance. Practice from the holster can be challenging!

And of course, the old standard, is the $130 LaserLyte Laser Target. Shoot at this target and you won’t see anything. It’s just like a paper target. But when you’re done with your shots, take careful aim and shoot the lower left circle. All your shots will be revealed on the target. If you’ve been pulling your shots, you’ll know right away. The lower right circle clears the target for another session. Shoot to hit with dots, not dashes, and you’ll find your dry-fire practice is fun and very rewarding, because your shots on the live range will be more precise.

Here’s something to think about… You don’t have to buy any of this gear to get good effective dry-fire practice. Simply aim and dry-fire at a target. Watch the muzzle. Did it move? Yes? Practice longer. You can also put a #2 pencil in the barrel and get near the wall. A sharp pencil will hit the wall and you’ll see if you’re staying on target. Yep, that’s REALLY old school, but it works.

As always, safety is paramount. My habit is to clear the entire room of all live ammo before I start dry-fire practice. When I’m dry-firing in a room with others, I make it habit of showing the firearm is clear to everyone in the room. This makes for comfortable folks that are not nervous about an impending “bang!”

I do dry-fire mag changes, timed shots, multiple targets and draw practice. 10-1 ratio of dry to live fire is a good rule of thumb. It also saves a bunch of money. Your mileage may vary. See you on the range!