​Dry Fire Practice – Firing

Once grip and draw have been mastered it is time to practice firing. First and foremost, the firearm used must be cleared and no ammunition in the area. However, that is not all, this is a more complex problem.
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The firearm action affects the dry fire experience. Let’s look at the singe-action first.

A single-action firearm must be cocked each time before firing. For semi-automatics the slide must be racked. For wheel guns the hammer must be pulled back. While a semi-auto firearm can be (and should be) racked, and in battery in the holster, the second shot will have to be racked. In a live fire situation this will not be required since the cycling of the firearm will leave it in battery and ready to fire again.

 This adds artificiality to the dry-fire situation. This can also create a training scar. The artificiality is that for live fire the semi-automatic, single-action, firearm the first shot must be racked but subsequent shots do not. In dry fire all shots must be racked.

The training scar comes in when dry fire involves racking the slide after each shot. The fight or flight reaction will cause the higher thinking to shut down. At that point you react using the neural pathways that have been solidified during training. There is a very high probability a defensive response will also involve racking the slide after each shot.

Double-action firearms fire each time the trigger is actuated. These actions provide a consistent dry fire experience. The firearm works the same as it does in live fire, minus recoil, smoke and noise.

 Firearm safety is another complexity that I need to address. I know I have already talked about a cleared firearm and no ammunition. I am not going to rehash that, but we need to consider if it is safe to dry fire our carry firearm. Check your owner’s manual.

A firearm is designed for the striker or firing pin to impact a primer. Generally, a center fire firearm is safe to dry fire without a snap cap. However repeated dry fire can wear out parts that wouldn’t otherwise show wear. Rimfire firearms are generally not safe to dry fire without a snap cap. The difference is the mechanism.

In a center fire firearm, the striker or firing pin extends out of a hole in the chamber. The part that strikes the primer would not impact anything in an empty chamber. However, the shoulder would impact the edge of the opening in the slide. This could deform the striker/firing pin sides or the hole in the slide.

A rim fire cartridge has a ridge that sits on the rim of the chamber. Without a snap cap in place, it is possible the firing pin will get deformed by striking the rim of the chamber.

The prudent approach is to have a snap cap in the chamber. The snap cap has a soft area that the striker or firing pin impacts. This prevents the striker or firing pin from hitting metal.

That is a lot to think about when all you want to do is practice a few trigger pulls at the start of your day. Everything we do as armed citizens is important. What I have talked about so far is to help you have the best dry fire experience and protect your firearm.

With your cleared firearm in it’s concealed location and no ammunition in the area you are ready to begin dry fire practice. Well, almost…

Pick a target to simulate the threat. Then think about the chosen target and what is beyond. Yes, even in dry fire you must ensure you know your target and what is beyond. Yes, it is dry fire. Yes, the firearm has been cleared. Safety is critical, always.

Pick a target that has a safe backdrop and in a safe direction. We are creatures of habit. When we have formed a habit, we easily slip into that habit. Never form a habit that could result in death or injury, to include dry fire. We want to form habits that favor as much safety as we can, to include dry fire.

Whew! That is a lot, and the first trigger press hasn’t even occurred. Remember, a firearm is a tool, but it is a tool that can result in death or great bodily injury if mishandled.

Face your safe target. Draw your firearm and cycle through two shots in what would be center mass. Look left and right to clear the area of any other potential threats. Then re-holster the firearm.

Remember that the re-holster should only take place when there is no continued threat. That means you can move your garments out of the way and look at your holster while placing your firearm back in it’s place keeping your finger outside the trigger guard.
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Repeat this cycle two or three more times. I will discuss some further dry fire tools and techniques in future posts.