For people involved in the shooting sports, no matter the discipline, practice is paramount. We’ve all heard that “practice makes perfect.” In reality, it’s perfect practice that makes perfect. Dry fire training is one of the most effective ways to train and practice firing a firearm. Unfortunately, we can develop some serious training scars in the process if we’re not careful. I got my hands on a great device, a DryFireMag, and it’s a total game changer.
What’s the problem with conventional dry firing?
Dry fire, no doubt, will help shooters get the needed muscle memory to not respond to recoil on a firearm. It’ll also help work on trigger squeeze and achieving a “surprise break.” The problem is though, depending on the type of firearm that’s being used, depends on whether or not you’ll also be training yourself to do other things in the process.
Training with a double action revolver? No problem. Squeeze that trigger, the hammer comes back, the hammer falls, and you get your click. Rinse and repeat. If you’re practicing the fundamentals the way you should during this revolution, you’re training effectively.
One of the more popular action types on the market today would be the striker-fired semi-automatic. When dry firing a striker-fired pistol, the slide must be racked for each practice trigger pull. That’s where the training scars can come in.
By cycling the slide or action between every shot, you’d be training yourself to cycle the action prior to every shot. This could lead to issues down the line.
How does the DryFireMag help?
The DryFireMag is a make and model specific device that’s designed to mimic the travel, tension, wall, and break of your firearm’s trigger. We tested out a Glock model in a Glock 17 and Glock 19, fourth generations, and found it to work very well.
Users would insert the DryFireMag into their unloaded firearm. The firearm is supposed to already be cocked. Once the DryFireMag is seated in the cocked firearm, you’d pull the trigger. That first trigger pull would be a bit more forceful than usual. From there, subsequent trigger pulls or squeezes would be based on the settings of the DryFireMag.
The function of the DryFireMag
The way that the unit mimics the take-up and breaking of a trigger pull is how it interacts with the internals of the firearm. An adjustable spring puts tension on a paddle at the top of the DryFireMag. That paddle interfaces with the trigger bar of the firearm. After that first long/hard pull of the trigger, the firearm’s trigger bar would be interacting solely with the paddle and the settings of the unit.
There’s no need to re-cock or cycle the action of the firearm between practice “shots.” The break and take-up is not 100% the same as a factory firearm, however if you tweak the unit, you can get it as close to what you want within a small deviation. Squeezing the trigger through each practice cycle, users are greeted with an audible click from the unit, when the break is being mimicked.
Is the DryFireMag a clone of your firearm’s trigger/control system? No. But it’s really the next best thing.
The DryFireMag is a money saver
Using the DryFireMag will help users save money. The unit liberates gun owners from being tied to live fire exercises. Instead of having to go through the tedium of conventional dry fire practice, the DryFireMag allows users to practice without regard of breaking their grip, etc. between cycles.
In the long run, you’ll save money from not spending it on ammunition by substituting some live fire with dry fire exercises. And further, you’ll save money on ammunition with your live fire sessions being more meaningful and supported by quality practice.
Remember the fundamentals
If you’re using the DryFireMag, it’s not a substitute for training. You still need to remember the fundamentals of shooting and need to apply them when practicing. Ie: Take what you’ve learned in a class and practice. When applied appropriately, shooters will note a marked difference in their accuracy when they take what they’ve practiced to the range.
Works well with other systems
I’ve paired the DryFireMag with a MantisX to get the most out of my experience. The Mantis has a setting in their app that specifically recognizes the vibrations of using the DryFireMag. In my opinion, the DryFireMag gives bite to the MantisX and allows shooters to really concentrate on what they’re doing rather than be preoccupied by having to rack the slide between practice shots.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Affordable. Helps keep shooters from developing training scars. Allows for easy dry fire exercise. Will save shooters money.
Minuses: Make and model specific units will require multiple DryFireMags depending on individual situations.
Overall, the DryFireMag is a really awesome device. I hands down recommend this for any shooter that’s looking to enhance their skills via dry fire practice. This is also a good tool for instructors. Personally, I love having this as an aid to help me practice working on my skills. Most folks looking to improve would find the DryFireMag to be a valuable device to try, and you won’t be breaking the bank by purchasing one to find out.
DryFireMag units are for sale on Amazon as well as at their homepage.
