Dryfire practice

[PYROhafe]

How often do you guys do some dryfire practicing? If not so much anymore (been shooting/carrying for years) how much as a beginner shooter/cwp holder?

[CJB]

As much as I possibly can - without pissin' off the female unit with rack-click-rack-click...

[bapple]

If I'm hanging out watching TV sometimes I'll test my trigger control and focus on the sights. I have good control without ammo, but when that gun starts barking, I have a hard time cooling the nerves and not flinching...

I need to work on that.

[APSKahr]

I don't much anymore. As a new shooter you should do it enough until you can pull the trigger without disturbing the front sight.

[JFootin]

I don't much anymore. As a new shooter you should do it enough until you can pull the trigger without disturbing the front sight.

I'm not a new shooter, but I'm still trying to master that. :o

[Bill K]

I think more than most folks I know. You of course don't get the bang, flash, recoil and muzzle flip of live fire but it is safe (after being absolutely sure the gun is empty and pointed in a safe direction), inexpensive and transfers valuable skills to your shooting sessions. PLUS it makes your gun a lot easy to clean afterwards. :)

[RedRyder]

Really good question. I used to dry fire a lot when I shot competition with 1911 but have not practiced in some years. Now that I own DAO gun I'm finding I really need to go back to dry fire drill. Bought some snap caps the other day just for that purpose and plan to start the process with both my P9 and my new Sig P250.

[Micha2u]

I will dry fire once or twice a week with a Crimson Trace laser on my CM9 and think that it helps a lot with trigger control.

[TheTman]

I dry fire quite a bit with my CW45 on my point shooting, I draw and point at an object, often a door knob or something of that size, then hit the laser to see how close I was to hitting the object. I'm getting pretty good at not being more than a couple inches off target.

[voodoo54]

I can only get out to the range about once a month so I'll dry fire 2-3 times a week to help keep my skills up.

[AIRret]

I dry fire 5 or 6 days a week. I work on;
1.sight picture; while pointing at a target I stare at the front site until everything else blurs.

2. I balance an empty cartridge on the front site while I pull the trigger. This help my trigger control and gives me a steady hand.

3. I use snap caps to practice mag changes as well as holstering and drawing. Holstering the Kahr or my revolver is simple, but when I'm working with my Sig 226 or 239 I really concentrate on de-cocking before holstering.

[roskee]

After reading this tread, it's a great reminder for me to practice dry-fire.

Sometimes I have my buddies randomly place a snap cap or two in my mags when we're at the range. It shows you if any flinching or trigger slapping happens. It has helped me.

I will do it this week. Nice thread!

[muggsy]

Almost daily.

[downtownv]

This is definitely the area where I need more self discipline. Do you practice from your holster?

[Rilowe]

Back when the PM9 first came out (I had to wait for one) I bought a PM9 and an MK9.
By 2006, I'd put around 800 rounds through each of them and liked them both.
I did an awful lot of dry fire practice (no snap cap) in between range sessions.
One day, while cleaning, I decided I should clean out the metal flakes (that's a whole 'nother thread) from the striker chamber and I did a thorough inspection of the striker while it was out.
I discovered that the striker was cracked.
This got my attention and so I disassembled the PM9 and THAT striker was cracked too.
(Haven't learned how to post pictures yet).
Anyway, Kahr immediately replaced both strikers for me and I return shipped the cracked strikers to them.
I never heard another word from them about that.
At the time, I did post an extensive message on another forum as a heads-up to others about dry firing Kahrs.

So . . . . The thought of depending on a cracked striker/firing pin for personal defense made me a lot more cautious.

If dry firing, y'all really ought to use smack-softening snap caps to keep the integrity of your strikers.

(Flakes gathering and building up in the striker chamber in another post).

Rilowe

[Tejano]

I do quite a bit of dry fire practice with my Kahrs without snap caps. What is the likelihood of this causing cracked strikers in the recent production Kahrs?

[QuercusMax]

I dry fire my MK9 and a few other items at least weekly. I always use snap caps.

A few weeks ago I got a LaserLyte LT-9 (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/510737/laserlyte-cartridge-laser-training-system-fits-all-9mm) to help.

Wow. It's wonderful. This thing looks like an enlarged 9mm snap cap that you insert in the chamber, and it briefly projects a laser dot wherever you were aiming when you pulled the trigger. :laser:

I've done the various drills like balancing things on top of the slide while dry firing, but they didn't give me any feedback on where I was actually aiming.

Highly recommended.

[Rilowe]

I do quite a bit of dry fire practice with my Kahrs without snap caps. What is the likelihood of this causing cracked strikers in the recent production Kahrs?


I don't know if ANYONE could know the likelyhood or odds because there are 'way too many variables.
Just the same, from past experience, I would HIGHLY reccommend occasional disassembly and close inspection.
It just is not worth your life to be careless with that.
(My $0.02) (And yes - I carry that original MK9 almost every day).

Rilowe

[pitandkahr]

I dry fire my MK9 and a few other items at least weekly. I always use snap caps.

A few weeks ago I got a LaserLyte LT-9 (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/510737/laserlyte-cartridge-laser-training-system-fits-all-9mm) to help.

Wow. It's wonderful. This thing looks like an enlarged 9mm snap cap that you insert in the chamber, and it briefly projects a laser dot wherever you were aiming when you pulled the trigger. :laser:

I've done the various drills like balancing things on top of the slide while dry firing, but they didn't give me any feedback on where I was actually aiming.

Highly recommended.

So how does that work? Seems interesting but not cheap.

Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk 2

[JFootin]

So how does that work? Seems interesting but not cheap.

Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk 2

I prefer their model that sticks in the front end of the barrel because you can use it for more than one gun/caliber. They can be found online in the low $80s. They also make an indoor target that shows where the laser hits (resetable, of course). It is over $100. But what a fun setup that would be for dry fire practice!

http://www.amazon.com/LaserLyte-Pistol-Laser-Trainer-45-Caliber/dp/B002N2B0DO

http://www.amazon.com/LaserLyte-TLB-1-Laser-Trainer-Target/dp/B004GFDTNA

[pitandkahr]

I prefer their model that sticks in the front end of the barrel because you can use it for more than one gun/caliber. They can be found online in the low $80s. They also make an indoor target that shows where the laser hits (resetable, of course). It is over $100. But what a fun setup that would be for dry fire practice!

http://www.amazon.com/LaserLyte-Pistol-Laser-Trainer-45-Caliber/dp/B002N2B0DO

http://www.amazon.com/LaserLyte-TLB-1-Laser-Trainer-Target/dp/B004GFDTNA

Thank you JFootin...Very cool...I'm going to have to look into a LaserLyte trainer...

[QuercusMax]

I prefer their model that sticks in the front end of the barrel because you can use it for more than one gun/caliber.

Do you have one of those (LT-Pro)?

I considered it for the reason you mentioned, but it is a completely different product from the LT-9 in several ways:

- Like you mention, the "Pro" can be used in several different calibers, while the LT-9 only works in 9mm guns, and you have to buy a different item (LT-40 or LT-45) for other calibers.

- The LT-9 (and similar) is activated by the firing pin, while the LT-Pro is activated by sound. I preferred the firing pin method.

- Because it is sound activated, the Pro requires you to remove the batteries when not in use which is a PITA, while you can leave them in the LT-9. This was the main reason I went with the LT-9.

The Trainer Fire target looks interesting, but costs a lot more - and you need to have one of the "LT" products to insert in your gun as well. I decided to start with the LT-9 and practice. So far, that's working well for me and is all I need.

[JFootin]

No. I don't have one yet. I'll go to the bother of removing the battery to save money on multiple ones of the bullet type. Shoot, I can use the saved money to buy one of the targets! :wof:

[QuercusMax]

If you do get a LT-Pro - or if anyone else does - I would be interested in your experience report. I've heard a lot of discussion either way, and we each have to make our choices. Many of the reviews I have read suggested that having to remove the tiny batteries from the LT-Pro after each use was a real PITA. Being lazy, I chose to avoid that.

Despite caliber proliferation, I am still trying to keep a lid on acquiring too many additional calibers that I need to understand and feed. 9mm and 45ACP are my only "large" calibers (so far, although still hoping for 45LC some day), thus I was comfortable getting the LT-9 for now, since I am reasonably satisfied with the accuracy I can achieve with my 1911s, even if not prize-winning.

[Laetus1]

I recently purchased both the LT-pro and the Laserlyte Target. Besides my wife and I, we have three sons and their wives who carry and practice dry firing with these tools. Excellent! Now we need not spend as much time at the range rushing around to get everyone some time before the hour is up. We can each leisurely practice a variety of self defense skills. We have .38s, .380s and 9 MMs, so the Pro model works best for all to use it. Limitations are that you do not have flash, bang, or recoil. But you DO have the ability to practice holster draws and various self defense scenarios you cannot practice at the range. I have been very much helped in identifying poor technique by getting immediate feedback and not having to reel in a target. Not only that, we were able to identify which guns needed the sights drifted for accuracy. So, I guess you could say we've saved a lot of money on ammo and range time. But, now I've also bought a universal sight pusher and have enjoyed sighting in our guns with the laser. That has really helped. After reading the experts, I became convinced that QUALITY dry fire practice was essential if range time was to be effective. These tools have definitely helped us. Moreover, I love that the family likes to get together and "shoot" together right at the house. With the free shot timer I've downloaded for my smartphone, we practice not only our accuracy but also our speed in drawing from concealment, etc. This has been an eye opener not only for some to purchase and practice with different holsters, but also the importance of needing other self defense skills for scenarios when needing to by time to draw our weapons. I must also admit that my friends want to come over and "shoot" with us, too! :p. Of course, we demand and practice beforehand strict unloading procedures, checks of each other's unloaded guns, storing all live ammo in another room, and the four basic laws at all times when dry firing.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[r2dhart]

Daily. I don't practice a lot at one time just a few minutes every day.

[Wolffire99]

Just doing 10 dry fires at the range before firing, slowly, concentrating on little nuance of the trigger while keeping the front sight steady will do wonders for the average shooter. It did for me.

[ParabellumJ]

I dry fire about once or twice a week, but sometimes more if I can't get to the range. My trigger finger gets itchy after a while if its not used.

[Just in joy]

I dry fire at least once a week with snap caps I do this with all my semiautos pistols.

I work on my steady hand and trigger and flinching controls using snap caps also helps me realize the flinches and concentrate on squeezing the trigger instead of pulling it. Along with keeping the sites where I want them on the target.

[DKD]

I dry fire weekly especially if I can't make it to the range for live fire. I also practise daily with using aiming points that I pick out and hold on and this type practise helps a great deal with my holding and point shooting.