When you dry fire a semi-automatic handgun, the slide locks back. And this is a problem because? Because it’s not what happens when you’re really using your gun. Unless you’re out of ammo, obvs. Is it a PITA? Maybe. Is it worth running the risk of a negligent discharge to insert a magazine that lets you dry-fire without having to rack the slide.
I would’ve thought the manslaughter created by cops shooting shotguns who thought the guns were loaded with less lethal ammo would have put paid to that idea. But I guess not.
[Thanks to everydaynodaytsoff.com for bringing our attention to this 2016 video.]
Well, the striker has to first be down…so unless you want to impugn the whole Glock family for requiring dropping the striker prior to disassembly, I don’t see the added risk here. Dropping the striker is dropping the striker.
No different than using snap caps, safe barrels or any other training tool. Keep you’re dummy/dry fire gear separate from your real gear and check, double check, triple check and quadruple check your shit and dry fire in a “safe” direction. All things you should be doing anyway.
Seems like each and every time I demonstrate snap caps to a new gun customer, they buy a set with their new toy. Folks like the idea of being able to practice certain maneuvers at home that they can’t do at public ranges….
But a special mag for the purpose? I don’t see the need. Just get a set of caps and use the original mag.
This mag allows one to pull the trigger to it’s “break” and reset points without having to rack the slide manually every time.
Word is, it doesn’t feel quite the same as the actual striker set, but I wouldn’t know.
For the price they charge for that mag, I’d take snap caps all day, everyday. That’s a heck of a lot of money for a training mag.
Always use clear mags, like ETS or Lancer when you use snap caps or dummy ammo.
Clearly different mags for your different ammo types is never a bad idea.
I’ve got 5.56 and .300 BLK rifles, 5.56 in Magpul and .300 in Lancer smoke and the two never intermingle.
blue or blaze orange on all dedicated dryfire equipment, preferably with distinctive floorplates so they feel different to the hand too.
Easy solution: buy a gun with a hammer like Sam Colt and John Moses Browning intended. Striker fired guns are the Devil, Bobby Boucher!
Actually Browning’s Hi-Power prototype was striker fired, his apprentice Dieudonné Saive is the one who made it hammer fired after Browning’s death. Browning also made the FN1910 and a few other striker guns.
I don’t cock the hammer directly on my hammer guns when dry firing. On mine (1911s and CZ 75s), I have to release the trigger, for the hammer to stay back when I cock it, so I don’t get to practice the reset.
“When you dry fire a semiautomatic handgun, the slide locks back.”
Really? When I dry fire either of my semiautomatic handguns, the slide doesn’t go anywhere. The PIA is recocking the striker by manipulating the slide. (Not so much of a problem on the 1911, as it is just pulling back the hammer.)
So why is this device dangerous? I am so confused!
none of mine do either. wtf?
I’m completely confused also. Maybe Robert will explain the dangers. I would have paid the $100 back when I was dry fire practicing every day. Racking the slide back just far enough to reset the trigger, but not far enough back to lock the slide, to the tune of 200-300 times a day will make you a believer in these sorts of things. Maybe some people don’t use mags at all (I practiced mag changes also), instead of weighted mags, when they dry fire, but I can’t see the source of concern here.
Right there with you. If this little gizmo makes a loud enough ‘click’ to activate my laserlyte barrel insert, it would make using that tool so much more natural and enjoyable instead of the the ‘partial rack’ between each shot. $100 is steep, but I’m thinking about it.
This confused the crap out of me as well. Maybe it’s for doing malfunction drills?
Doesn’t seem to have the same trigger break as a true dry fire. So, …why?
I noticed the same as Michael about dry fire. If it can’t replicate actual trigger feel including weight, travel distance, and release then I don’t see any value in it.
You guys who don’t have the $349.95 air slide upgrade that causes your slide to operate when you dry fire your Glock should hang your head in shame.
This magazine clicker, for the low low price of $99.00 has to be the deal of the century!
/sarc
Yo I got my AirSlide plated in gold son!
Dang Hank! You got me out classed, thought I was the bomb when I painted mine Operator FDE. Now I got Air Slide envy!
I totally disagree, this is no bigger a threat than A-Zooms and similar products. This is a very good idea for dry fire practice, but yes, you do need to check and recheck your gun before you dry fire practice.
…Is that news to anyone?
l’ll just keep using the less expensive snap caps. and when I use them the live ammo is in a separate room. At the range they are great for simulating weapon malfunctions.
I don’t understand how it’s any less safe than using no mag.
I guess I’ll just keep dry firing my SIG Sauer P250–you know, the modular pistol with a DAO action that cocks and releases the hammer every time I pull the trigger, whether there’s an empty or a full magazine in the well… or even if there’s no magazine inserted!
P.S.: I believe this may also be true for the SCCY CPX series of pistols which are also DAO hammer-fired.
“P.S.: I believe this may also be true for the SCCY CPX series of pistols which are also DAO hammer-fired.”
Yes, this is true. Best sub 300 dollar gun I’ve ever owned, fwiw.
Also true for Taurus PT111, another <$300 gun that is a surprisingly good firearm.
Why is this ANYTHING?!? I use snapcaps to improve the trigger and practice my pull(or press). If I want to shoot I shoot at a range…
Can someone explain the safety issue here?
… otherwise, yes, make sure your firearm is unloaded prior to dry fire practice…
I’ve never ever dry fired any gun then had the slide go to the rear.
I think RF’s issue here is complacency. If you have a mag inserted and keep pulling the trigger and nothing happens, you’ll expect subconsciously that EVERY time you have a mag inserted and pull the trigger, nothing will happen. I’m guessing, I waited to comment hoping he’s expand.
At any rate, I can tell by the balance and weight whether my magazine is loaded, and I don’t think I’d mistake a full mag for empty.
The chamber itself is loaded, always, no exceptions of course.
I can see why this CAN be unsafe but as long as you’re responsible and check your equipment prior, you should be good. You should always press check to see if the round chambered on any carry gun or double check if you’ve inserted this dry fire mag. Even without a mag, I always check my chamber multiple times prior to dry fire practice.
I guess he thinks this product ‘loads’ your gun with non-lethal training ‘ammo’, and worries that people will put the wrong mag in and end up having an ND?? Or that people might take this product, replace their loaded mag, forget to clear the chamber and have an ND. Which is fair enough, but the same could be said about any dry-fire practice.
IDK. I think if you are capable of safely dry-firing at home (or just capable of clearing and cleaning your Glock) adding this in does not make you any less safe. i.e. You are still not supposed to point this at people (making it v diff from bean-bags and NLTA).
The REAL problem to me is that price. WTF. This looks like a ‘seen on TV’, late night, 19.99+S&H and you get not one, not two, but three, type of product. That man is so nice for letting his five-year old do the dremel work on the feed lips there.
What?
I don’t see the problem here. I clear all of my handguns before dry fire practice. Why would it be any different with a clicky magazine.
None of my pistols require bringing the slide all the way back to recock for dry fire. So I don’t even have a mag in.
But even with a mag in I don’t have to slide all the way back.
I understand that some states have foolish regs requiring a mag in place to pull the trigger. I don’t live in such a state.
Only my wife’s CCP requires the slide to all the way back to recock.
The market for this mag is pretty small.
I’m the guy from the first video. The striker is down, the trigger bar is simply clicking on the spring that is inside the magazine. The striker isn’t moving when you press the trigger.
Trigger feel is very similar and helps a lot. Dry fire is about more than trigger control. I use USPSA targets on my walls and focus on grip, trigger, sight picture, transitions, etc. Back when I was a Glock shooter this just gave me a better feel than putting the slide slightly out of battery.
The cost is small compared to the amount of ammo I would be using in love practice.