"Safe" direction from inside a home

Hard to say... first and foremost, obviously, no live ammo in the same room and double check the gun before practicing.
Certainly, you must have windows in your condo right? Therefore, an outside wall? Pointing at that one would be my best guess.

Triple check the gun; if you can, remove the firing pin. (Added bonus: reduces wear) The no live ammo near your dry fire area should suffice, but if you are hypervigilant, removing the firing pin clinches it. Pointing at a window toward an unoccupied area as milemaker13 suggests is a good idea also.

D.B. Cooper said:

I'd like to dry fire practice at home, but everything I've heard, seen, or read (and a little common sense) says to always point the gun in a safe direction and have no live ammo in the area. I live in a condo; there is no direction I can point a gun in my home that, in the event of an ND, it will not negatively impact someone else.

How do you guys handle this?

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By not having ammo anywhere NEAR where you are dry-firing. I point mine at various spots, depending on where I am, including out the window - but I KNOW there is no ammo in the gun or nearby. Don't practice when you're tired or imbibing adult beverages so an "oops" doesn't happen.

I'll practice by pointing at tv characters I don't like LOL; gives me moving target practice.

If a training barrel is available, I’d get one. No mistaking it.

In lieu of that, just triple check.

That's just one more thing I like about using a laser cartridge.....once it's in the chamber nothing else is getting in there. You could also use one of he plastic dummy rounds and grind the rim off. That way you'd have to use a rod to remove it. As the others said, no live ammo nearby, designated area and triple check.

Other than that I don't have an issue. My house is ICF construction with 8" of concrete sandwiched between 1.5" of foam insulation. In addition my dryfire range is in my basement/bunker, so that's 10" of reinforced concrete. I often utilize the entire downstairs so I can use door frames for cover so I can mimic a match.

I don’t dry fire.
I use snap caps.

Now we all take risks and we all break rules.
Our freedom allows us to choose what we feel is safe and what isn’t.

If I were you, I wouldn’t go nuts in “finding a safe direction” instead, I’d “use reasonable care”. Now know I’m for extreme care especially when handling a fire arm and I’m all about safety. But I’m also about using our brains.

So in your case if I might practice in the living room. I’d get the gun from my bedroom or den or wherever I store it. I’d remove any rounds and triple check that it was empty. I’d get my snap caps and take the empty gun and the snap caps to the living room. There I’d find a target or targets to practice aiming at. Before I shot at them, I’d again mJe sues that the gun only had snap caps in it and I’d then practice aiming and firing.

Ideally my target would be an outside wall but I wouldn’t go nuts as I’d have used what I felt was enough precautions that I know the gun was safe. It’s a risk I’m willing to take during that session. You will likewise need to determine what you feel is safe.

Now keep in mind as I type this I’m in a farm house in the country far from other houses in a very gun friendly county. So my perspective is from someone that moved from what became an anti gun county and went from a nice Sudbury to a nasty city mess.

+1 to training barrel. Blade Tech makes good ones for several key models:


I personally LOVE my SIRT pistol (and bolt) now I have those as well. Being Not A Gun they are very safe indeed.

Build a backstop of wood...2" x 4", 4" x 4"'s. Nail, screw the pieces together leaving no air spaces. Add plywood on both sides to cover them. If you are fashion conscious build it so a seat cushion cover will fit over it.

It may not completely stop a +P or magnum bullet but it will slow it down a lot.

If there is NO ammo near/in the gun, there is no need for backstops or anything similar.

Buy snap caps and buy peace of mind. I like the bright orange color. Hers a link to a set for pistols different calibers.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...my-round-snap-cap-nra-instructor-variety-pack

Red snap caps for me. You just glance at the loaded chamber hole and you see red.

I would like to have one of those fancy laser targets that scores your hits with a laser snap cap

JohnKSa said:

You can buy a "safe direction" pad/panel which consists of a target panel of bulletproof material.
https://store.ravelingroup.com/safe-direction-handgun-rated-composite-armor-board.aspx

Bookcases full of books make a pretty good backstop.

Fireplaces make a good backstop.

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Dang that’s stupid expensive. You can get a 12” ar500 3/8 square for like $50 these days.
Some folks can sell anything.

A 5 gallon bucket full of sand should be sufficient for any handgun round. A couple large books will also work. 3 magazines will stop your average .22 rounds.

If your condo is surrounded in every direction with other people there's a good chance the police will get called when a shoot is fired. I'd just triple check the gun before pulling the trigger.

A SIRT is a great training tool especially if you carry a Glock or an M&P. You don't even need to buy a holster. Their newest model the Pocket Pistol is a generic small pistol that covers a lot of small handguns. The only drawback is the lack of a reciprocating slide and on the smaller gun only, is the ability to change mags.

Use a empty gun and mag/s and don't have any live ammo around and you're fine. No need to overcomplicate things.

Of course you're free to do anything anyone else has mentioned as well, free country and all.

there is no direction I can point a gun in my home that, in the event of an ND

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Don't have an ND. There is no direction that's safe if you don't make sure the gun is unloaded and stays unloaded. Don't worry about an accident because there aren't any if you follow safety procedures EVERY time. Be paranoid about making SURE the gun is unloaded EVERY time you pick it up, not so much which direction you're pointing it when you THINK it is unloaded (yes, I know the 4 Rules, but if the gun is unloaded, it can't fire no matter what the backstop is).

I don't dry fire. And I couldn't hit my nearest neighbor If I went outside and deliberately aimed at him because I can't see his house from mine, anyway.

Is your Redhawk usually left loaded? If not, store it with a zip tie or similar object through one of the chambers and the bore. They make them in bright colors these days, too. Cut it off as you check the gun before dry-fire, then replace it when done. You could even have a tag on the tie that says something like "Check status first!" Or, store it with the foam, cartridge-shaped ear plugs hso mentioned in the chambers.

That's if you're not satisfied with the much-more simple advice of "clear the gun, relocate any ammunition, and snap away", which is what I do.

With a revolver the simple way is to empty it of ammo in one room and put in six snap caps in a different room where you intend to dry fire. I would not hesitate to dry fire in the garage using a five gallon bucket full of sand and the snap caps. I did his when I lived in the city. Just keep the ammo in the other end of the garage. If you are not careless and always pay attention there should be no problems.
Also I have used one of those laser bore sighters secured in the barrel. You can tell if there is any movement by where the dot is on the wall and if it moves as you dry fire.