How To Dry Fire

Joined
Jul 16, 2008
Messages
1,802
Likes
92
Location
Middlesex County, MA
Feedback: 4 / 0 / 0
Now, before you go and jump on me and say "make sure it ain't loaded, cock the gun and squeeze the trigger" - that's not quite what I mean.

I tried a search, but "how" and "to" are too ambiguous and were removed, so it just searched for "dry fire" and got about 1345 million hits.

I like sitting in front of my TV at night and snap at commercials. How often do you guys generally shoot when you are practicing dry firing? What are you looking for? I get the gun, get a proper grip on it, line up the sights and make sure they don't move when I squeeze the trigger. The rest of my body is in whatever position I happen to be sitting on the sofa. Do you lean forward into your dry firing? Stand? How do YOU do it?

Also, are snap caps helpful even with a gun that doesn't need them? I have a 1911. What brand do you recommend?
 
I dry firing with snap caps often. First thing is to check you weapon to be sure its empty, then check it again, then one last time. Okay, now drop a single snap cap in the chamber, did I mention that you should have any ammo in another room. I snap away at figuures on the TV. I am looking at alot of things, but the item I want you to focus on is the clearing of the weapon, not once but three times.
 
I dry firing with snap caps often. First thing is to check you weapon to be sure its empty, then check it again, then one last time. Okay, now drop a single snap cap in the chamber, did I mention that you should have any ammo in another room. I snap away at figuures on the TV. I am looking at alot of things, but the item I want you to focus on is the clearing of the weapon, not once but three times.

I always make sure to stick my pinky in the chamber, among the other clearings. No nasty things that go bang hiding there!

I guess I'm looking more for "what you guys do while dry firing" with regards to posture, number/speed of reps, etc.
 
Most people who "dry fire" do little more than use it as an excuse to play with their guns. Playing with your guns leads to bad habits. Real practice is exactly that. You want to focus yourself completely on trigger control, sight alignment and follow-through to do any good. One way to gauge yourself is to balance a dime or an empty cartridge case on the front sight and keep it there until the hammer hits (which will usually knock it off). If you've got a laser sight such as a Crimson Trace, you can use it check the stability of your aim throughout the entire process, including follow-through. For semi-autos, I like to swap out the barrel for one of the Blade-Tech safety barrels. (The yellow part in the picture; I've got one to fit most of my pistols.) Otherwise my obsession with safety would have me checking the chamber every minute or two.
d_308.jpg


Ken
 
Last edited:
When I was serious about doing well in USPSA competitions I would dry fire at least 1 1/2 hours a night. It would include my stance, draw, sight aquisition, sight picture, trigger squeeze and then the next target aquisition and finally my reload (mag change).

I used both my 1911 and my single action TZ75. No snap caps. Empty firearm.

I would set up at least 3 pie plate size paper plates in the room. At different hieghts and seperations. I would cock the firearm and holster. From my starting position (usually surrender) I would draw, aquire the front sight, place that front sight on the first plate and squeeze the trigger. I would then simulate the second shot by pressing the trigger again. Transition to the next target and simulate that double, then move to the next and so on. After all targets were aquired, I would perform a "reload" (mag change) and run the targets again. When that run was finished, I'd recock the firearm and reholster and start all over. I would use a "key word" and wait to hear it on the television and then draw.

very important to remember, do not squeeze the trigger unless that front sight is on the target. Go slow enough that you see the front sight on target every time you squeeze the trigger. Speed up as you get better. You are building muscle memory in your eyes, brain, hands and soforth. I found this and shooting alot of purposefull live fire (1000 rounds a week) very helpfull. It made a huge difference in my shooting skills.

Remember, focus on that front sight. you want it nice and crisp.
 
I very rarely cock the firearm when I to dry fire practice. I usually just practice rapidly moving to different "targets" of varying sizes and distances. I focus on getting my sights alligned as quickly as possible then just squeezing the uncocked trigger a couple of times, then quickly transitioning to another aiming point.
 
I dry fire alot during the winter, I usually set up a classifier stage with 1/3 targets, so that I am not doing the same thing over and over, as Hamar said, I don't reset the trigger for the 2nd shot on.

I start by going slow and gradually add speed until it falls apart, then back it down some. The Key to dry firing is being honest with your skill, but pushing the limits

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5369993846468269276&hl=en#
 
Ben Stoeger dry fire program is excellent, as is Steve Andersons book Refinement & Repetition. Both give purpose to your dry firing routine
 
I dry fire alot during the winter, I usually set up a classifier stage with 1/3 targets, so that I am not doing the same thing over and over, as Hamar said, I don't reset the trigger for the 2nd shot on.

I start by going slow and gradually add speed until it falls apart, then back it down some. The Key to dry firing is being honest with your skill, but pushing the limits

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5369993846468269276&hl=en#

Do not dry fire much with pieces I am thoroughly familiar with, but DO with a new piece....all safety observed. Perhaps only me, but I want to see how sights are affected with placement of grip, placement of finger on trigger, how it "feels" in the hand, what happens to sights with all above, etc. etc.

Only me of course, but I do not believe you can grab any firearm and have all be the same. Size of grips, size of frame, overall config., trigger placement within frame, and so on. End result may be OK (within whatever parameters you pick), but I just personally want to know how each fits, how I need to hold, and what happens to the sights upon firing. Of course, there is nothing like live fire....but, do not sell dry fire short.

Examples: Take a Sig P226 "Blackwater". The grip (to me) is different from the original factory and aftermarket Hogue rubber. Jump to a Sig X-5 or X-6
The frame is totally different, grip needs to be changed, and finger-on-trigger placement follows....as well as thumb placement. Jump to a 1911 of whatever variety. What about grips? How does it "fit" in the hand? Wood or rubber? Does it affect finger placement? Only "dry" or live fiire can answer.

I believe in the "dry" to get an initial feel. Then go to the range to find out if the "dry" was close to what you need for the piece. That will be the bottom line....adjust as necessary for the piece.

Grin, no doubt there will be folks that say all this is unnecessary, but that IS the way I personally approach things, and make no apologies for it. Just trying to get out some info to shooters in general. [wink]
 
I had heard a story that old time rangers used to dry fire their .45s with pencils in the barrel--the pencil would stick in a cork board when fired so you would get an idea of aim. Never tried it myself.
 
I had heard a story that old time rangers used to dry fire their .45s with pencils in the barrel--the pencil would stick in a cork board when fired so you would get an idea of aim. Never tried it myself.

I imagine you'd have to be pretty close to the board to get a pencil to stick, while you'd still be shooting "lead" a pencil generally doesn't go that far. I'd be dead meat if I stuck a pencil into a wall :)

Reminds me of one of the first times my girlfriend and I were cleaning our guns, she stuck an uncapped pen down the barrel to make sure she had re-assembled it properly and launched it across the apartment...I just wasn't quite quick enough with the "Don't!"...luckily she avoided drawing on any walls.
 
Back
Top Bottom