Last week I completed another 5 day comprehensive handgun class.  One student in particular had a very difficult time concurring a TRIGGER PRESS ISSUE.  This is a subject I believe deserves another look.  I have written about  Dry Fire practice over the years.  In an effort to better explain the intent of the process, I am now calling what was once known as dry fire, DRY PRACTICE since the gun never actually fires.  

Many people get tremendous benefit from Dry Practice however, some people with severe trigger issues do not see much improvement with dry practice alone.  For those unique challenging students I have had great success by combining Dry Practice and Dummy round drills.

First let's explain why I believe this combination has proven to be so successful.  It comes down to our subconscious quickly learning that in dry practice there is NO recoil to deal with.  When this happens the shooter is not gaining much in the way of learning recoil management during dry Practice drills.  So we need to mix in the Dummy round drills to keep the subconscious guessing.

I will describe the dummy round drills first then the proper way to Dry Practice (DP).  The most obvious fact is that Dummy Round (DR) drills must take place on the range as live fire is taking place.  The first step is to set up your Dummy rounds in the magazine or cylinder.  You can have a partner disperse the dummy rounds indiscriminately throughout the magazine.  If you are alone, just load some dummy rounds in random order in multiple magazines.  Mix up the magazines and you will have no idea when a dummy round may be in the chamber.

When you have your magazines set up then go to the firing line, take up a good position and start shooting for accuracy.  In other words with the target at 15 - 20 feet away try to shoot all the rounds in the same hole.  When the hammer falls on a dummy round in the chamber the gun should not move.  If you jerked the trigger and the gun moved on the dummy round you can bet the gun moved and the trigger was jerked on the live round shot and your target will reflect the same.  In order for this to work or for you to get the maximum benefit from the drill, as soon as you recognize what happened, immediately praise yourself by saying "That's What It Feels Like" or criticize yourself by saying "That was BAD".  This immediate recognition and praise or criticism will have a dynamic effect on your performance.

Now let's look at Dry Practice done properly.  I believe that dry practice drills are one of the most effective practice techniques you can do to improve your shooting skills.  I am talking "Biggest Bang for Your Buck" here, no pun intended...well maybe. The benefits are tremendous but if done recklessly or if safety is taken for granted the hazards can be tremendous as well.

First let's talk about dry practice and the damage to your gun concerns.  I would not recommend dry practice with any 22 cal firearm.  The firing pin on the 22 cal is located on the rim, and therefore the firing pin could be damaged when allowed to strike the hardened steel area surrounding the chamber that is normally protected by the soft cartridge rim.   As for center fire handguns, don't worry about dry firing unless you have an old collectable classic piece that has monetary or sentimental value.  My primary center fire handguns all have thousands of dry practice cycles through them without any damage to them. 

Safety must be the primary concern.   I never dry practice in the same room with real ammunition.  I always dry practice when I am alone for maximum concentration.  Below are the Safety Procedures I follow every time I begin a dry practice session:

• Establish a practice area and make sure it is free of any live ammunition.
• Try to insure your privacy when selecting a practice area.  Possibly lock a door or post the area with a no ammunition allowed sign.
• Clear your firearm and all magazines of live ammunition.
• Establish an appropriate backstop for the caliber firearm in use.
• Double and triple check that your firearm is clear and safe.

As you begin to practice, make sure all your movements are realistic.  Train as you will fight.  Do not take any short cuts.  Make every effort to stay true to the techniques you are trying to master.  Wear your duty gear or carry your equipment as you normally would.   

The DP practice sequence should follow a natural progression.  Don't move to a new technique until you have mastered the skills you are currently working on.  For example, many people think DP is only a method of mastering trigger manipulation.  This is NOT the case. 

DP exercises can and if done correctly will help you in every aspect of firearm manipulation skills.  They will allow you to develop proper draw techniques, malfunction recovery, presentation smoothness and many more aspects of gun fighting.

I believe you should DP at least 5 times for every live round fired.  So if you shoot 50 rds a week in live fire, you should DP at least 250 times.  Never DP for more that 10-15 minutes per session.  If interrupted, STOP and start over another time.  Make sure you are calling every shot and you are aiming at a target that allows you to immediately access your DP performance.

If you have any DP questions, don't hesitate to ask next time you are in the facility.  Try this skill development technique and watch your shooting improve before your eyes.

Combine Dry Practice with some Dummy round drills when at the range...You will soon see the benefits.  Oh by the way, the student in the 5 day class with the huge trigger issues, improved his final test score by almost 100 points in just 4 days...  this combination of practice drill does work...  Good Luck!!