Gaining proficiency with firearms is just like any other combat skill. It requires fitness, discipline, a mastery of the basics, and hundreds of hours of trigger time. For most people, when they think of firearms training, they think of time on the range. It’s true; range training is an important piece of the puzzle. However, with ammo prices rising, and many people struggling to find time to get out and shoot, there is another important training exercise: dry fire training. You may have heard of it, but be unfamiliar with the concept. Keep reading to find out the how and why of this beneficial practice.
What Is It?
Simply put, dry dire training is the act of training with your unloaded firearm. It is a fantastic way to practice trigger control, right picture, and follow through. Traditionally, you check(and double check) that your firearm is unloaded. It is best practice to have your ammunition locked in a different place while training. Once safety has been assured, set your weapon. If, for example, you are training with a semi-automatic pistol, you can seat and empty magazine and release the slide forward.
Next, pick a target for sighting. You can even hang up a traditional range target. Then, take your stance and sight down the barrel at your target. Concentrate on proper breathing, acquire your sight picture, and get your sights in alignment. Finally, practice a smooth squeeze of the trigger. You will hear a ‘click’ when the trigger breaks, because, of course, the gun is empty.
Once you’ve successfully completed the steps above, rack the slide/reset the trigger and repeat.
What Is It For?
If you’re a new gun owner, you may be wondering what the point of dry fire training is. After all, don’t you get better training from actually firing live rounds?
The answer is yes. And no.
For many of us, shooting a live firearm is slightly uncomfortable. After all, every pull of the trigger causes a small explosion as the round leaves the chamber. As such, new shooters often develop bad habits, such as flexing the wrist to overcome recoil.
When you dry fire, and you know the gun is not loaded, it allows you to identify bad habits. It also allows you to instill positive muscle memory. As with any physical discipline, mastering the basics of operation are generally more important than any flashy toys or techniques. Slowly practicing reps of dry fire training will help cement a firm foundation of skills. And, as an added benefit, it’s free!
Additions to Training
While plain old dry fire training(as described above) has served generations of warriors and gun owners just fine, modern advancements have created tools to assist. SIRT, for example, makes replica draining pistols with a laser produced from the barrel upon the trigger being pulled. They also make drop in barrel mods for your AR-15, so you can train with your rifle as well.
Other companies also make drop in lasers which fit in the chamber of your chosen weapon. Even better, many modern kits allow you to reset your trigger without manually racking your slide. This enables you to practice follow-up shots!
