Dry Fire Drills?

[Winny]

Hey there! New member here, happy to be a part of TFL community.

I was wondering what dry fire drills/ training yall do at home?

I've started practicing 25 dry fire trigger pulls daily, rotating handguns, aiming at a small black dot on a white board.

This has been going on for only about 2-3 weeks, but I have noticed an improvement in my groupings at the range.

I'd love to get a little more creative with my training, though! Let me know what you do to keep your trigger control strong!

[KY_blkout]

I usually practice dry firing a few times a week at random. I find myself practicing trigger pull and unholstering towards the points of entry if someone where to break in my house. Not the most exact way of practicing but seems to help some with trigger pull.

[JohnKSa]

Safety concerns are very important. Dryfiring is one of the most common ways that guns are unintentionally discharged. Intentionally pulling the trigger when there is no intent to discharge the firearm violates one of the big 3 gun safety rules. That means it's all the more critical to adhere to the remaining gun safety rules. Check, double-check and triple-check. If you set the gun down or get distracted, check again before going back to dryfiring.

I do my dryfiring using a gun that has a heavy double-action trigger to get maximum benefit from the exercise. I concentrate on a smooth trigger pull that doesn't move the sights AND also on releasing the trigger pull back to the starting point--still without moving the sights.

I try to keep the trigger pull reasonably fast--keeping the sights rock solid is important, but not if it takes an inordinately long time to pull the trigger. Also, taking a really long time to pull the trigger seems to contribute to flinching and fatigue.

I practice getting on target and pulling the trigger without unnecessary delay--trying to get the sights aligned in the process of moving them onto the target and managing the trigger all at once so that there's no long delay between the time that the sights get on the target, get aligned and the "shot" (dryfire) occurs.

I practice transitioning from one target to another while managing the sights and trigger pull.

I practice moving the gun while I shoot--I try to keep the movement smooth and consistent and avoid any unintentional movement when the "shot" (dryfire) occurs.

I practice moving while I dryfire--advancing, retreating, moving laterally--while keeping the sights aligned reasonably well and while managing the trigger pull.

I practice dryfiring one-handed because this really shows up any little issues with technique--issues that can be masked with a solid two-hand hold.

I try to practice only until I can feel my trigger finger start to tire a little. I don't want to learn bad habits, and technique can suffer when fatigue starts to set in.

I try to practice only as long as I can maintain a good focus on what I'm doing. Lack of concentration can cause technique to get sloppy and I'm trying to perfect my technique.

[WannabeMiculek]

It's crucial to make sure the gun is unloaded and there are no loaded mags in the room you are practicing in.

I practice a couple times a week, using a stock Glock 19. It's a boring drill, but I like to face a wall with the barrel about an inch or two away from the wall, and practice having a smooth trigger pull with minimal movement.
It's also good to do the same thing, but draw from a holster and then practice a smooth trigger pull.

[Winny]

Thank you for the tips, yall!

Safety concerns are very important. Dryfiring is one of the most common ways that guns are unintentionally discharged. Intentionally pulling the trigger when there is no intent to discharge the firearm violates one of the big 3 gun safety rules. That means it's all the more critical to adhere to the remaining gun safety rules. Check, double-check and triple-check. If you set the gun down or get distracted, check again before going back to dryfiring.

Agreed! I have designated "dry fire magazines" marked with loud hunter orange tape on the baseplates and keep my loaded mags in the safe during dry fire drills.

I practice dryfiring one-handed because this really shows up any little issues with technique--issues that can be masked with a solid two-hand hold.

This is where I tend to struggle. My only DA pistol is a beretta 92 and strong/offhand dry fire drills I notice a significant "drop" in the sights when the trigger is pulled. Practice, practice, practice....

[SIGSHR]

I always use snap caps when dry firing. For speed loader practice I use blaze orange dummy rounds.

[JohnKSa]

This is where I tend to struggle. My only DA pistol is a beretta 92 and strong/offhand dry fire drills I notice a significant "drop" in the sights when the trigger is pulled. Practice, practice, practice...

One interesting approach you can use is to put the pistol on safe. When you do that, the trigger will move very easily in DA.

Do some practicing with the very light DA trigger with the gun of safety--focus on keeping the sights still through the entire trigger movement. Not just pulling, but also releasing. I tried this by accident one day and realized that I was moving the gun even with the very light pull. I adjusted my technique until the gun didn't move around and found that when I went back to the normal trigger pull, it was now easy to manage the pull even with the extra pull weight.

We sort of assume that the reason we have trouble pulling a trigger properly is that the pull weight is too stiff. It's usually more of an issue of technique.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

The laser training cartridges are a major assist to dryfire training. Not only do they add an extra layer of safety towards preventing accidental discharges; but the laser shows actual impact as well as any bad habits (a little swipe across the target from sympathetic squeeze for example).

And to add to what John said, safe direction and what’s beyond your safe direction are incredibly important in dryfire practice. Old-style tube TVs as small as 32” will stop 7.62x39 FMJ out of a 16” barrel reliably and make great backstops. You can even turn on the TV and aim at things on the screen. Some of the larger flat screens will stop pistol calibers or slow them down enough to reduce damage as well. They also sell small kevlar dryfire targets for a reasonable price.

[Winny]

Originally Posted by JohnKSa

One interesting approach you can use is to put the pistol on safe. When you do that, the trigger will move very easily in DA.

Wow! That never would have crossed my mind, brilliant! I will give this a try for sure

[FireForged]

I agree that a person should be familiar with the particular nuances of their trigger and the fundamentals of marksmanship... that said, I don't sit around dry firing a gun over and over and over. I train fairly regularly and shoot my gun, that's how I become accustomed to the trigger- I shoot it. I carry a gun for self defense, not bullseye shooting. If I were trying to light matches at 25 yards, I would probably feel differently about trigger work..but that's not my gig. If I need a gun, it will likely be as fast as possible and no time spent savoring, creep, stage, stack, wall or brake or reset. I will just pull it if need be and I not likely remember anything about the pull. Again, I am very familiar with my trigger but I don't participate in any sort of dry fire practice, never have.

I will dry fire a gun 10 -20 times when I first buy it, but that's it.

[TunnelRat]

Originally Posted by FireForged

I agree that a person should be familiar with the particular nuances of their trigger and the fundamentals of marksmanship... that said, I don't sit around dry firing a gun over and over and over. I train fairly regularly and shoot my gun, that's how I become accustomed to the trigger- I shoot it. I carry a gun for self defense, not bullseye shooting. If I were trying to light matches at 25 yards, I would probably feel differently about trigger work..but that's not my gig. If I need a gun, it will likely be as fast as possible and no time spent savoring, creep, stage, stack, wall or brake or reset. I will just pull it if need be and I not likely remember anything about the pull. Again, I am very familiar with my trigger but I don't participate in any sort of dry fire practice, never have.

I will dry fire a gun 10 -20 times when I first buy it, but that's it.

I carry a pistol for defense as well and not bullseye competitions. You're welcome to your choice of training regime. I will say I haven't had an instructor yet that taught defensive shooting that didn't think there was benefit in dry fire practice. I'd add that for myself there is a notable difference in my shooting that week, including close quarter drill, when I don't dry fire.

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[OhioGuy]

I agree with the laser training cartridge approach. I've used this and it really helps to get instant feedback on where shots would generally land. I adjust the laser to hit just above the front sight when everything is properly aligned. This way I can focus on the front sight, but still see the flash on the target and know generally whether or not I hit.

I've found a cheap laser sight to be a good training tool because you'll see in real time whether your point of aim is remaining steady through the trigger press. If you intend to use a laser sight defensively, then it's real easy because you'll be target-focused anyway. If not, then the laser cartridge is probably best so the always-on laser dot doesn't become a distraction.

LaserLyte makes a laser trainer/sight combo that works pretty well. You can either have it always on (sight) or just pulse when the trigger is pulled.

[doofus47]

Welcome aboard.
I dry fire with a snap cap. My home office sits across the room from my kitchen and the family TV. Hey, small house=small headaches; it's my system....
I dry fire aim at the knobs on my cabinets and when I'm watching a soccer game on TV, I dry fire at the ball. It's good practice for aiming, b/c the ball changes direction pretty quickly. It's also good practice for awareness b/c you don't want to "hit" players.

I use Talon grips on all of my carry pistols and carry magazines. I leave my dry fire magazine non-Taloned so that I know that my magazine isn't carrying live ammo.

[TunnelRat]

Not directed at anyone in particular, but if you are dry firing do try to be mindful of your backdrop. Obviously the goal is a cleared firearm in the first place, but as a level of redundancy try to choose a direction that will minimize any risk to people and reduce potential damage to property. I've seen 9mm hollow points go right out through the exterior wall of a dwelling. Depending on your dwelling there might not actually be much that will stop a bullet.

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[PushPuller]

Not directed at anyone in particular, but if you are dry firing do try to be mindful of your backdrop. Obviously the goal is a cleared firearm in the first place, but as a level of redundancy try to choose a direction that will minimize any risk to people and reduce potential damage to property. I've seen 9mm hollow points go right out through the exterior wall of a dwelling. Depending on your dwelling there might not actually be much that will stop a bullet.

I can check that the gun is cleared multiple times in one drill session, as well as point in the safest least inhabited direction, and still kind of hold my breath every time I dry fire a gun. I live in an apartment and have for years and accidently shooting a wall, or a neighbor is one of my biggest fears!

My girlfriend makes fun of me sometimes because while walking around the house or in the process of cleaning my guns ill check that they are cleared every 5 minutes if not disassembled. Long story short..... better safe than in the news paper!

[OhioGuy]

I bought a "Barrel Blok" product that fills the chamber and barrel with orange or yellow plastic, and can stick a few inches out the end. It's a great visual confirmation that the gun is in "dry fire mode" and it also acts as a snap cap.