In many places, access to firearms is very restrictive, and ammunition can be costly.

In the United States, people have been spoiled with how accessible and affordable firearms and ammunition are. Still, the new Biden and Harris government could all change very quickly for the worse.

In most other places outside the U.S. where firearm ownership and defensive carry is available for private citizens and security personnel, the price of guns and ammunition can be very costly, and the application processes to own and carry guns can be a bureaucratic nightmare. 

In many places, it’s mandatory to belong to a gun club or shooting association who are the ones that have control of the shooting ranges. Personally, I have little time for clubs and associations as they tend to be very cliquey and attract people trying to compensate for a lack in other areas.

Many gun clubs and public shooting ranges have strict rules on what live-fire drills can be done on their ranges; withdrawing from a holster and rapid-fire are banned in many places for safety reasons. I understand why they do this, as many that seek to practice drawing a live pistol from a holster have zero training and can end up shooting themselves or others. And those rapid-firing tend not to be able to control their firearms and end up shooting the range ceilings, floors, walls, and target carries, which all cost the range owners money to repair.

It can be tough to find ranges where you can adequately train for carrying a pistol, shotgun or carbine for defensive purposes and finding locations where you can run close protection and team drills is even more of a challenge. So, how can you continue to train and stay up to speed? The only option is dry fire training.

I have always practiced dry fire drills, even when I had access to affordable ammunition and decent shooting ranges. If you are serious about carrying a pistol or other firearms for defensive purposes, dry fire drills should be part of your physical training program; think of them as “Kata” with firearms.

You should include the following dry fire drills in your personal training program. If you live somewhere where you do not have access to live firearms, you can practice point shooting and holster drills with replica, airsoft, rubber training, etc. If you’re using real firearms, ALWAYS ENSURE THEY ARE UNLOADED BEFORE YOU USE THEM FOR DRY FIRE TRAINING. LIVE AMMUNITION SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR OR MIXED WITH DUMMY ROUNDS OR SNAP CAPS. KEEP THEM SEPARATE AT ALL TIMES.

Assembly/Disassembly:
You need to know your weapons inside and out, so practice stripping and assembling them until you can do so without having to think about it.

Familiarization:
You need to get used to the feel of your firearms. I tell my students that when they get a new firearm, ensure it is unloaded and play with it. Get used to the gun’s feel by handling it with both hands and practice using the magazine release, slide release, de-cockers and safety catches, etc. The gun needs to be comfortable in your hands; it should fit like well-worn soft leather gloves.

Loading/Unloading:
You should be able to load and unload your weapon without looking at it, and the only way you will be able to do this is to practice, practice and practice… there are no shortcuts! If you are using a real firearm, buy some snap caps or dummy rounds so you can practice loading and unloading magazines, chambers or tubes. Also, so you can practice chambering rounds and unloading the weapons.

Pointing:
You need to be able to grip and point your firearms correctly to point at what you want to shoot. Again, the only way to do this is by practicing. Out of habit, if I have firearms around, I am usually handling them and pointing them. If you’re serious about firearms, then handling them needs to become second nature.

To start to practice point shooting, pick a point in the room you are in, for example, a light switch. Now with a straight arm, point your finger at the switch. Look down your arm and see where your finger is pointing- it should be pointing at the switch. You have been pointing at things your whole life, right? Practice this a few times and then try it with an unloaded handgun or long gun. Point the handgun at the switch without using the sights and then look down the sights to see where the gun is pointing. Again, it should be pointing at the switch. If not, adjust your aim and try again. It would be best to practice this strong and weak handed while sitting, standing or lying in bed; this will build up your muscle memory and make you flexible with the weapon.

These days there are lasers available that go into the chamber of your weapon that can help you access your point of aim; ensure you don’t mix them up with live ammunition!

Trigger Pull:
A good trigger pull is essential for accurate shooting. You need to learn the trigger of the gun you are using and the only way to do this is to practice pulling the trigger. The trigger pulls on various guns can differ significantly; shooting a double-action revolver and then a single action 1911 are two completely different shooting experiences. Dry firing some guns can damage the firing pin, so always use snap caps or at least a spent cartridge casing.

Holster Drills:
On most days for many years, I would practice drawing and pointing my carry pistols for at least 100 draws left and right-handed in the different configurations I was carrying at that time. This should be an essential part of your pistol kata and is the only way to build up the required muscle memory if you’re serious about carrying a pistol. You must conduct these drills repeatedly until you’re not thinking about them, and they are just one smooth movement. 

Dry fire training is essential in all firearms training programs, especially if you do not have ammunition to waste for correcting accuracy issues etc., on the range. However, even where you do not have access to real firearms and live-fire ranges, you can still develop the required muscle memory essential and help you get up to speed a lot faster when you start training with live firearms.

 

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Dry Fire Training
By Orlando Wilson

Orlando Wilson has worked in the security industry internationally for over 25 years. He has become accustomed to the types of complications that can occur, when dealing with international law enforcement agencies, organized criminal and Mafia groups. He is the chief consultant for Risks Inc. and based in Miami but spends much of his time traveling and providing a wide range of kidnapping prevention and tactical training services to private and government clients.