Since ammo is hard to get I want to stay sharp so I’m looking for the most cost effective dry fire equipment available. I have a big list I got from my training instructor but just looking to narrow it down. I see USCCA has a discount but what to pick??? any suggestions?
Hi Christine,
Wonder if USCCA has a specific item in their own store, or if you’re referring to the discounts they have within certain online stores - any particular item and store interesting?; If so, I would like to read/check it out.
I’m having trouble find a laser which lights up in a revolver upon trigger pull, which is more affordable at 6 rounds/lasers. Most what I find is for semi auto’s.
I’ll be exploring snap caps for the time being.
When I typed the term Dry Fire in our community search, a few other strings popped up, including:
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The laser thing is the best & snap caps certainly have their place. What’s missing though? The recoil! To be able to simulate the recoil of my particular firearm would be the best thing.
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CoolFire Trainer
I thought it was a flyer, but…
YMMV
Oh! for the OP; MantisX (Their top of the line product is phenominal in the depth of dynamic data it can offer you. At one time - I dunno now - they’d let you buy the inexpensive version and see if you liked it, then trade up for the top flight if you found it to your liking and interest.)
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How about any double action firearm that’s unloaded & some practice
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Actually not having the recoil is one of the main advantages of dry fire. If most of your practice is live fire it often teaches your body to tense and flinch in anticipation of the explosion that takes place every time you pull the trigger. If most of your practice is dry fire your body will be calmer and smoother every time you pull the trigger even when you go back to doing live fire.
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@Shamrock Shamrock knows what he’s talking about.
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I use laser ammo for drawing and dry fire; snap caps for reload drills and malfunction training. Right now I’m trying new techniques (Grips and sighting methods) and it’s a lot easier to do it with these tools than with live fire at a range. Not all new ideas work, which is another reason for using training tools-- I’m not burning up my precious ammo!
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There are a variety of apps which allow you to use laser cartridges for dry-fire practice which work well. Many of the apps have basic dry-fire practice available free of charge.
If you want to get into details on your dry-fire and actually measure performance, I cannot recommend the Mantis system enough. It can be a little pricey if you go all out, but it provides real, measurable feedback which can make all the different in the world when it comes to finding out what you’re doing wrong/how to get better. Some models can even be used with live ammunition. This attaches to the firearm accessory/picatinny rail. You need to add a laser cartridge to practice with targets though.
But the big thing about dry-fire is you need to do it consistently.
Keep in mind that dry fire is about consistency in draw, presentation, grip, trigger pull, etc. It’s all the small things that take a lot of time to learn and don’t require ammo.
Recoil takes ammo to learn to adapt and become comfortable with it. I’ve always recommended newer shooters start with a pistol similar to their EDC or other shooting pistols in 22LR caliber. It lets them shoot often at a much cheaper price and to learn to deal with small amounts of recoil. They can adjust their grip and learn how it impacts the felt recoil and time to reacquire a target. My wife had been shooting with a 22 pistol at the range and when she went to her concealed carry class she was outshooting most everyone else. My wife has been able to carry what she learned on the 22 over to her 9mm and other pistols she’s shot.
More than 20 years ago I worked for a company that developed a system for military weapons training that used an air compressor to provide the felt recoil and cycling you’d get with most traditional weapons. It was designed to go from sighting, familiarization, and even qualification without ever firing a single round of ammo. It was bought and tested by the FBI and a few other agencies, but never really made it to the civilian sector. Basically it was a grown up version of ‘duck hunt’ with real ‘firing’ military weapons.
The closest option to this would be airsoft or other similar firearm using CO2/compressed air as a propellant but the felt recoil is likely going to be substantially less.
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I feel you on that one. but it sure is nice to be able to practice lol . Here in Texas I have been able to get rounds for my 12g 20 G and my revolvers, I happen to love revolvers,
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They still do.
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Mantis X hands down.
Cheap lasers for dry fire can be had on Amazon and eBay. There is plenty of software that supports lasers that ‘blink’ when the firing pin hits the back. Some calibers can be nearly impossible to find though (.357 sig). Should work in revolvers and semi autos as long as you find a round that works (38 special in 357 magnum, etc.)
And of course draw and present drills don’t require any additional equipment.
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Yes, I use strikeman I have in 5.56 and 45 acp. Works great. I also use strikeman and mantis apps with it.
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nice post I have been doing a lot of dry fire lately.
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IMHO some of those laser ammo system are way off… the item does not fit exactly into the chamber!!! thus cocking the laser slightly to one side… works but is NOT accurate…
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I’ve been using MantisX for mostly dry fire, but also at the range. Using the feedback it provides my trigger control improved a lot in dray fire, and when I went to range the improvement was noticeable.
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I have been using LASRX and iTarget with a Sirt pistol and laser bullet. but I have been keeping an Eye on the Smokeless Range 2.0… The Poet Warrior recommended it.
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I’d like to share a little mod I made on one of my P365 mags so I could use the MantisX device more easily.
Since the P365 doesn’t have a Picatinny rail (its frame has a proprietary rail, and mine is occupied by a Lima365 laser anyway), Mantis Tech makes a Picatinny plate adapter for the magazine so their device can be attached at the bottom of the grip. But… with the mag installed, the slide locks back, of course, when it’s racked after each shot. I wasn’t crazy about having to unlock the slide every cycle.
Before & After: Magazine Slide Lock Tab Removed
So I removed the follower, filed off the slide lock tab, and then replaced it in the magazine. It works great, and makes dry firing much more enjoyable – and that means I’ll do more of it, which is a good thing.
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I use the g-sight laser and app. Works great 
I had a flinch shooting a new larger cal pistol. I hate dry fire drills so I bought an airsoft Sig p320 replica goes bang and tiny recoil. Still punching holes in paper and my flinch is almost gone! I think it cost just over 100. pellets and co2 are super cheap still not legal in CA lol.
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