Does It Matter Which Gun I Use For Dry Fire?

[Trunk Monkey]

I have three candidates

Glock 19. This is the gun I carry all the time but that means it's loaded all the time and all my training says you minimize your administrative handling of loaded guns. I really don't want to load and unload and dry fire this gun every day. I really think that's asking for trouble.

M&P9. I don't carry this gun often at all and it's not loaded most of the time. I can't distinguish any difference between the two triggers and I would think dry practice on the one would transfer to the other.

S&W 4006. Never carried, only loaded at the range. The reason I'm considering this one is because I've been told a double action trigger is best for learning proper trigger squeeze and because with this gun I don't have to reset the trigger after each shot.

Other than if I ever forget to unload the Glock does it really make that much difference which gun I use for dry practice.

 

[Klint Beastwood]

It’s my philosophy you should use them all. For dry fire there is more than just trigger squeeze. If you are doing it right and practicing an isometric grip for recoil management as well sight alignment then you want to start stacking in your squeeze. It helps too to be congnitive of your trigger reset, which will be different for each gun. It will help with hammer pairs or faster firing without jerking the trigger as much.

 

[k4swb]

While it probably does matter to an extent, any practice is better than none.
Now if I could just convince the wife of this.

 

[strambo]

I guess I don't see why it matters since you should be treating all guns as always loaded and the handling practices shouldn't be any different. I dry fire my carry gun all the time. I take it out of the gunvault, clear it and put the mag & round from chamber in vault and close it. Go downstairs to my dry fire area (that has no ammo in it...aside from snap caps) and dry fire.

Edit: They way the human mind works, probably more likely when distracted or complacent, to have an incident with one of the other 2 thought of as usually unloaded or only loaded at the range. And the stress or distraction could have happened weeks ago at the range (gun left loaded), then a minor distraction or corner cut dry firing said "unloaded" gun and BANG!

 

[JohnKSa]

I do nearly all my dryfire using a pistol with a long, heavy traditional DA trigger pull. This approach has worked well for me.

 

[9mmepiphany]

It depends what you want to improve.

If you just want to improve your trigger management skills, the 4006 will be the most challenging with it's longer DA trigger travel...but it will improve your ability to press the trigger on the other two platforms. If you really can't tell the different between the trigger stroke of a G19 and a M&P9, it is likely that work with the 4006 would be very beneficial to improving your trigger management skills.

If you want to become proficient with your G19...meaning able to shoot it both quickly and accurately; reload smoothly and visually pickup the sights faster...that is the gun you should be using for Dry Fire Practice.

It really depends on your current skill level and how much you want to improve it

 

[bearcreek]

You should dry fire the most with the gun that you're the most likely to use for real. The safety issue should be a non issue since you should be going through the exact same procedure to verify the status of any of those weapons. The idea of using a different pistol to dry fire because it's more likely to be unloaded could actually cause an issue in itself. You get used to that pistol being unloaded, then what happens when it ends up being loaded cause you took it to the range or whatever? Just verify the status of the weapon, regardless of which one, prior to dry firing and keep it pointed in a safe direction and all will be well.

 

[FL-NC]

I think you should re-evaluate your firearm handling procedures. They are inherently dangerous, but this can be mitigated by safe handling. In virtually every training activity I have participated in in the military and as a contractor, your issued firearm is used. Exceptions include things like armorer training, force-on-force (where simunition weapons are used) and hand-to-hand type training, where red guns are used.

 

[bassjam]

I would use the G19 for dry fire practice. While the trigger may be indistinguishable from your M&P, the grip angle is certainly different. That's one of the reasons I got rid of my G23, every time I picked up another handgun my muzzle was pointing way too high when I aimed.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I think you should re-evaluate your firearm handling procedures. They are inherently dangerous, but this can be mitigated by safe handling. In virtually every training activity I have participated in in the military and as a contractor, your issued firearm is used. Exceptions include things like armorer training, force-on-force (where simunition weapons are used) and hand-to-hand type training, where red guns are used.

I think you need to reevaluate your reading comprehension skills because you have no idea what my weapons handling procedures are. I don't pick up so much as a squirt gun without verifying its status.

I make it a policy not to store loaded weapons in my safe. Even so if I check every weapon I pick up.

My concern with the Glock is that I'm orders of magnitude more likely to have a negligent discharge unloading and then reloading an actual loaded weapon than clearing an unloaded weapon.

 

[LiveLife]

If you want to become proficient with your G19 ... that is the gun you should be using for Dry Fire Practice.

BTW, my primary carry gun is Glock 23 and secondary M&P Shield 9mm. And FYI, 9mmepiphany is USPSA state championship level shooter and I would listen to his recommendations.

A big +1 to 9mmepiphany and other posters who endorsed dry firing with carry gun.

Here's why.

When you dry fire, especially with your carry gun, you need to do more than simply dry fire the pistol. Since accuracy is paramount for defensive shooting, you need to deliberately dry fire so as to not move the front sight when you "jerk" the trigger under stress.

• Start out slowly dry firing while watching the front sight
• If the front sight jumps/moves when the striker is released, practice until front sight doesn't move
• Increase speed of dry fire without moving the front sight
• Draw and rapid dry fire from holster without moving the front sight
• At the range, perform draw/dry fire before you start shooting
• As you shoot, if POI of shot group is different from POA, do not change grip rather make adjustments at shoulders/waist
• Practice until POI is same as POA
• Increase speed as fast as you can shoot
• Practice progressively faster mag dumps while maintaining POI on POA
• If interested, consider learning point shooting (shooting without using sights) which is an important shooting option for defensive shooting at close range - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/point-shooting.814672/#post-10428857

You want to be proficient with your carry gun as much as possible. The goal of defensive shooting is to HIT YOUR TARGET as quickly as you can, preferrably faster than your target. Dry firing with different pistols may provide some basic trigger exercise but will not ensure mastery of your carry gun to consistently produce fast POI on POA.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

It depends what you want to improve.

If you just want to improve your trigger management skills, the 4006 will be the most challenging with it's longer DA trigger travel...but it will improve your ability to press the trigger on the other two platforms. If you really can't tell the different between the trigger stroke of a G19 and a M&P9, it is likely that work with the 4006 would be very beneficial to improving your trigger management skills.

If you want to become proficient with your G19...meaning able to shoot it both quickly and accurately; reload smoothly and visually pickup the sights faster...that is the gun you should be using for Dry Fire Practice.

It really depends on your current skill level and how much you want to improve it

I am specifically chasing two issues. I have a tendency to pull to the left and I hold the pistol angled down.

 

[LiveLife]

I have a tendency to pull to the left and I hold the pistol angled down.

More the reason why you need to dry fire while watching the front sight.

This repost from Competition Shooting category is pertinent to your input on trigger/pistol - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...hange-split-times.832796/page-3#post-10774062

Rob Leatham explains speed AND accuracy and demonstrates most people are capable of sub 0.2 second reaction time. At 3:20 minute mark of video he states, "Why would you ever pull the trigger slowly?" and explains the arts of "Jerking the trigger WITHOUT moving the pistol".

I tell people to dry fire while watching the front sight and buy pistols (especially match pistols) that do not move the front sight when the hammer/striker is released (so you start out with inherently more accurate pistol out of the box). I went through several pistols before I selected my last Glock for purchase. When the range staff became curious, I showed what I was looking for and range staff was surprised just how much front sight jumped/moved when the striker was released on pistols out of the box. Also when practicing dry fires or before shooting at the range, practice until you can release the hammer/striker without moving the front sight (Now you know where those low shots/flyers come from - shooter input on trigger). If your pistol still moves/jumps the front sight, then you may need to consider a trigger job or polish.

Rob emphasizes process used to shoot fast and accurate at 4 yards does not change regardless how far you are (Think about that as that is what I realized when told to "Shoot past the front sight" and "Zen" of making holes appear on target. When you practice until double taps appear at will anywhere on target, you move closer to shooting accurate and fast so you can focus more on other aspects of shooing a stage like round count, mag change, foot work, etc.).

When asked how far to push oneself, Rob says to practice until the point of failure. At 5:25 minute mark of video, Rob demonstrates accuracy deteriorating independent of speed. He comments when accuracy starts to suffer, we commonly tell the shooter to slow down - No, says Rob as speed has nothing to do with POI moving away from POA (Think hard about that). Instead of slowing down, we need to work on how to "jerk" or pull/depress the trigger without moving the pistol.

There, now you can shoot fast and accurate to get higher stage scores.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I am specifically chasing two issues.

Both would be better addressed if you could post at least a picture or better yet a video.

I have a tendency to pull to the left

This us usually a trigger management issue and is usually related to "wanting to make" the shot go off.

This is usually addressed by slowing down, to get the correct "feel", and letting the shot go off on it's own. After you have accomplished the trigger press at the slower speed, you can learn to prep the trigger, but it is something that should be learned through professional instruction. The common fault among self taught shooters is a more deliberate jerk...which throws the sights off target. This is the opposite of what Leatham talks about, "not moving the gun"

...and I hold the pistol angled down.

The pistol is supposed to be angled down, that is how the sights are aligned

 

[FL-NC]

I think you need to reevaluate your reading comprehension skills because you have no idea what my weapons handling procedures are. I don't pick up so much as a squirt gun without verifying its status.

I make it a policy not to store loaded weapons in my safe. Even so if I check every weapon I pick up.

My concern with the Glock is that I'm orders of magnitude more likely to have a negligent discharge unloading and then reloading an actual loaded weapon than clearing an unloaded weapon.

You are 100% correct- I have no idea what your weapons handling skills are because I have never observed them. Yes, loaded weapons in a safe is dumb, since loaded weapons that aren't accessible are useless, and only have the opportunity to be a potential danger when they are accessed. But what I did read, is that you are concerned about having an accident with a modern firearm by either clearing it, loading it, or during a dry fire exercise. If you do everything correctly, every time, and focus on what you are doing while you are doing it, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a ND, AD, or whatever people call it nowadays because there won't be any live ammunition in the pistol, by any "order of magnitude". It won't matter if the pistol in question was last loaded 1 minute ago, 1 week ago, etc. as long as proper clearing/loading procedures are followed. If you understand these procedures and follow them without fail and without exception, (and from your statement, it seems like you do) then you should be 100% confident in your ability to not put a hole in something you don't want to during dry fire. Based on the information I have, it seems like a confidence issue. I wasn't trying to start a fight with you.

 

[Mizar]

OP, this is not a suit, and not a watch - it's a firearm. Carry one gun and practice with the same. As already mentioned, dry firing is much more than just learning how to pull the trigger.

P.S. And do use snap-caps.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Both would be better addressed if you could post at least a picture or better yet a video.

Not even sure how to do that properly.

This us usually a trigger management issue and is usually related to "wanting to make" the shot go off.

This is usually addressed by slowing down, to get the correct "feel", and letting the shot go off on it's own. After you have accomplished the trigger press at the slower speed, you can learn to prep the trigger, but it is something that should be learned through professional instruction. The common fault among self taught shooters is a more deliberate jerk...which throws the sights off target. This is the opposite of what Leatham talks about, "not moving the gun"

That's why I'm trying to dry fire

The pistol is supposed to be angled down, that is how the sights are aligned

.

No. When I say angled down I mean if you put a level on the slide it would probably be 1/3 of a bubble off.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

So I asked a very specific question. "Does it matter which gun I use for dry fire?".

I didn't ask for a fire arms safety lesson.

I didn't ask for you guys to try to diagnose my shooting proplems long distance.

I asked Does it matter which gun I use for dry fire?

So guys, does it matter which gun I use for dry fire.

 

[Mizar]

So guys, does it matter which gun I use for dry fire.

Yes.

 

[9mmepiphany]

That's why I'm trying to dry fire

There is a correct way to Dry Fire and many incorrect ways. If you're practicing an incorrect technique, you're just ingraining it as a "Bad Habit"...which will take much longer to break

 

[JohnKSa]

IMO, the lighter and shorter the trigger pull is, the more it will compensate for poor trigger technique.

Even a very inexperienced shooter can easily manage to hold a gun steady while they pull a trigger that barely moves and has an 8oz pull weight.

If you can pull a long, heavy, DA trigger through to shot break AND then release it again to the fully forward position all without moving the gun then your trigger pull technique is very good. If you can do that while holding the gun in one hand, then your trigger technique is flawless.

When I'm practicing, I don't try to do it the easiest way possible. I make it difficult on purpose so that I can see where I need to improve.

 

[9mmepiphany]

So guys, does it matter which gun I use for dry fire.

Yes, it does

 

[LiveLife]

Does it matter which gun I use for dry fire?

Yes.

But the next obvious question we all ask is "Why are you dry firing?"

I didn't ask for you guys to try to diagnose my shooting problems

Sorry for jumping the gun and answering the next question - To hit your target.

And for a carry gun you depend your life on, as fast as you can at defensive shooting distances so your family don't have to attend your funeral prematurely.

Think about it. You asked your question on a gun forum in "Strategies, Tactics and Training" subforum, not "General Gun Discussions" or "Handguns: General Discusions". You are going to get technical answers. It's like asking race car drivers "Does it matter which car I practice with?"

Yes.

And why do you practice? - To drive as fast as I can.

 

[TN Outlaw]

So I asked a very specific question. "Does it matter which gun I use for dry fire?".

I didn't ask for a fire arms safety lesson.

I didn't ask for you guys to try to diagnose my shooting proplems long distance.

I asked Does it matter which gun I use for dry fire?

So guys, does it matter which gun I use for dry fire.

Yes, it depends on what you are practicing to do as to what gun you should use.

If your practicing to master a particular gun, (carry gun, comp gun, range toy etc) then using THAT gun would be the way to go.

If your dry firing to improve trigger control techniques, I would use a DA handgun the most.

You could dry fire several different pistols to familiarize yourself with all of your guns and all the little nuances of each gun. In this case, the guns that are the most difficult to control your sights during the dry fire I would spend the most time with.

Be safe and have some fun

 

[Wisco]

Since all you want is an answer, yes it matters.