Solution to the dry-firing problem???

Boy are you ever wrong on that opinion!
Dry fire practice with rifle or pistol will always up my competitive scores.
You win or loose a match between your ears and the more you can commit to muscle memory, conditioning and sub-conscience shooting skill the higher the score you will post.
Nothing beats regular live fire practice but dry firing is next best when you can't be at the range and certainly is more beneficial to good scores than just making one feel better.
Besides, posting good scores is what makes one feel better , not just dry firing!

M.D. said:

Boy are you ever wrong on that opinion!
Dry fire practice with rifle or pistol will always up my competitive scores.
You win or loose a match between your ears and the more you can commit to muscle memory, conditioning and sub-conscience shooting skill the higher the score you will post.
Nothing beats regular live fire practice but dry firing is next best when you can't be at the range and certainly is more beneficial to good scores than just making one feel better.
Besides, posting good scores is what makes one feel better , not just dry firing!

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Wow, my opinion is wrong. Well, I guess you also correct people for selecting the wrong color shirt, eating the wrong lunch, driving the wrong car and voting for the wrong candidate.

True, for the serious competitor, dry firing is an important part of the training regimen. You failed to also mention that proper mental conditioning, a disciplined exercise program,and a diet specific to competition nutrition are all vital to the competitor.

On the other hand, for the casual weekend or occasional Joe Goober shooter firing next to me, dry firing is just that, a feel good since you're doing only a part of what's needed to hone the competitive edge. I grew up with all that, since my Dad was a competitive shooter.

Now, go change that shirt - it's really an ugly color for you :rotf:

real men wear pink

If I was into competition I would dry fire ALOT, lift weights, do curls, cut back 50% on chips etc. I'm like AZ there though, I shoot as good as I can when I get to the woods and find somethin to blame on the way home.

Actually my shirt color of choice isPURPLE. I don't do any dry firing. Of course I don't do competitive shooting either( I don't need the stress, scheduled start time, or aggravation especially at 62). Also I don't like putting unnecessary wear on my weapons internals. If the hammer come back I want it to shoot something. My time shooting is either my own range just for fun by myself or with others, or hunting. Since shooting BP since 1970 I generally hit what I aim at.
Those of you who competitive shoot go for it. Or want to spend hours dry firing also go for it. Whatever floats your boat have fun either way, and for me that's what is important FUN!
Shoot em if ya got em!

I believe dry firing is incredibly helpful for practicing proper trigger control.

It is also important to emphasize that anybody who is doing dry firing exercises still needs to treat every gun as loaded and follow all gun safety rules, as most accidents occur from unloaded guns.

No shooting related accidents have occurred from unloaded guns, only guns that should have been unloaded or were believed to have been unloaded or were "always" unloaded or were "just unloaded" or had the clip removed etc. etc.

Yes always treat every gun, rifle, shot gun etc as if it is, was, used to be or is currently loaded.

The subject was dry firing( which you dismissively characterized as a "Twinkie Maneuver") and your statement (which is an opinion)was that it only makes you feel better.
Call it what you like, it is incorrect information and any one who regularly practices dry firing knows better.

azmntman said:

No shooting related accidents have occurred from unloaded guns.

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My original statement is an exercise in correct mindset. Since the number one rule of gun safety is to treat every gun as loaded, then there is no difference between a loaded gun and an unloaded gun when it comes to safe handling. The increased danger occurs when somebody takes a relaxed view of their current situation, and then commits a very preventable tragedy.

AZbpBurner said:

Easiest and most direct solution to dry firing is to Don't Do It. If you don't get out frequently enough to maintain at least marginal proficiency, then some twinkie maneuver will be just a feelgood exercise.

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Anyone who has taken formal handgun training knows this is incorrect. If you are going to own and shoot a pistol, you owe it to yourself, and everyone around you, to be as familiar and capable with it as you can. For safety's sake and and for the sake of proficiancy. If you don't want to be proficient with a revolver, why have one?

Dry firing is a way to simulate parts of the firing process, many times more that you'll ever be able to at the range. If done properly it creates muscle memory that will greatly improve your ability to aim and fire accurately. Practicing in front of a mirror also allows you to self critique, to re-enforce proper technique.

Loaded vs. unloaded safety is another issue, albiet important, guns, like many types of machinery, require your rapt and total attention.

I will say however, the possibility of an AD while practicing with a cap&ball revolver would seem to be more remote than that with a modern cartridge gun, especially if you remove the cylinder. :wink:

Myself, I also wonder, as I stated above, how much damage dry firing actually does to a BP revolver, and what is damaged. Again, I have handled many, that I know have had to have been dry fired, but never noted any damage.
Is this just another BP old wives tale?

TNGhost said:

...Dry firing...Practicing in front of a mirror .

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You are breaking all four rules by doing this.





Rule #1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded.

Rule #2: Never point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy.

Rule #3: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.

Rule #4: Be absolutely sure of your target and what’s behind it.

:shocked2:


Rules are rules :idunno:

:rotf:

Obi-Wan Cannoli said:

You are breaking all four rules by doing this.

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Thanks for the refresher Obi,
But we're adults and fully within our rights to choose to dismember ourselves or die at anytime.

necchi said:

Obi-Wan Cannoli said:

You are breaking all four rules by doing this.

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Thanks for the refresher Obi,
But we're adults and fully within our rights to choose to dismember ourselves or die at anytime.

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I am not trying to get into an argument with you Necchi as I have a lot of respect for you, but you never have the right to jeopardize anybody else with those things...

Obi-Wan Cannoli said:

TNGhost said:

...Dry firing...Practicing in front of a mirror .

Click to expand...

You are breaking all four rules by doing this.





Rule #1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded.

Rule #2: Never point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy.

Rule #3: Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.

Rule #4: Be absolutely sure of your target and what’s behind it.

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Well rule #1 precludes dry firing, except at a range or other environment where you would normally live fire a pistol. So why dry fire?

Rule #2 Never practiced with wax bullets into the back of your fireplace have you?

Rule#3 Ready to dry fire?? Or not dry fire at all?

Rule#4 An assumption that a)One would be pointing their pistol directly at the mirror and b) the area downrange from your practice position wasn't checked. You know what happens when you assume.

I repeat, dry firing is an accepted and encouraged practice in professional firearms training. Ever heard of snap caps?

Which brings us full circle in this thread, back to "snap caps" for cap&ball revolvers, so I'll throw out another idea since no one's biting on the "no damage done by dry firing" comment, which is, how about cut off .22 rimfire fired cases, sized and slipped over the nipples?

Gonna try to offer a little middle ground here, but I am likely sticking my neck out too far.

Dry fire practice is helpful. That said, the only sort of dry firing I do is releasing my set triggers. No lock movement, just triggers. Set, click. No lock wear or potential damage that way.

Now... guns should ALWAYS be treated as outlined by Obi-Wan. When dry firing, it is important to treat it like you are shooting with live ammunition and take the same precautions. Dry firing at your cat is NOT a good option. Dry firing in your back yard at a realistic target, where the gun will be pointed in a direction that can confidently be deemed safe, IS a good option, IMO. Just think "if the gun went off RIGHT NOW, would there be a risk of hurting/destroying anything, or putting ANYBODY at risk?" If you say yes, find a different place to practice. If you say no, then click away. Can never be too cautious.

I mean no offense, they are not just my rules, they are everybody's rules. The rules are a constant, there are no exceptions to following them. They are also not up for debate.

I am, as stated in my original comment, a huge proponent of dry firing.

I did not assume anything with the mirror: you stated that you use a mirror to critique your stance. You only need to focus on your front sight and your target: this means you are either pointing your weapon at the mirror (and can not tell what is beyond it, breaking a rule), or you are taking your eyes off of where you are pointing your weapon to look at the mirror (which is also breaking a rule).

Safety is never going off topic.

The four rules is what puts the "professional" into "professional firearms training".

And no, I have never shot up my fireplace. :youcrazy:

Mountain Dewd said:

Gonna try to offer a little middle ground here, but I am likely sticking my neck out too far.

When dry firing, it is important to treat it like you are shooting with live ammunition and take the same precautions. Dry firing at your cat is NOT a good option.

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Not too far, good advice and should be common sense. The part about treating it like live fire is important not only for safety, but for getting the proper practice out of it. You're doing it to work on your stance, hold, sight alignment, trigger control and follow through. Breathing too if you're that kind of paper puncher.

If you're dry firing at your cat, you should sell your guns and move on to video games.

Obi-Wan Cannoli said:

I mean no offense, they are not just my rules, they are everybody's rules. The rules are a constant, there are no exceptions to following them. They are also not up for debate.

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Well there goes that whole North-South Skirmish thing shot to heck. (pun intended) :haha:

That is helpful as well but it is better to have the sear release and the hammer fall to better duplicate the actual physics of a shot before the discharge.
This trains you to follow through better as you try to keep the sights aligned with the target while sear release and hammer fall inertia move you off.

AZbpBurner said:

Easiest and most direct solution to dry firing is to Don't Do It. If you don't get out frequently enough to maintain at least marginal proficiency, then some twinkie maneuver will be just a feelgood exercise.

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You can't be serious.!!! Dry firing is great practice and is muchmuchmuch cheaper than driving to a range and shooting your gun at 40 cents a pop. You can dry fire while watching TV.