Simple Dry Fire Drills

The simplest dry fire exercise is to get the sights on target and press the trigger. Sight alignment, Sight picture, squeeze. That’s it.

Put up a very small target, get your proper sight alignment
and sight picture, and squeeze the trigger. The gun should not come off the target, or at least shouldn’t come off the target much. Practice shooting with a full shooting grip, and also with
your dominant and weak hands only.

The Dry Fire Reload

To set up, we recommend an empty magazine and a spare magazine with plastic dummy rounds. You can also do this with two empty magazines. Start with your sights on target, an empty magazine in the pistol, and the slide locked to the rear to simulate slide-lock from firing to empty.

balance drill

Balance Drill

To work on trigger control, a great dry fire drill is what’s called the “balance drill.” It’s simple and can help you build a smooth, consistent trigger press. Balance a small object on the top of the slide, front sight post, or top strap if you’re using a revolver. An empty shell casing, a coin, whatever works as long as it’s small enough to fall off if you move the gun too much during your trigger squeeze.

The best way to do this is with your pistol presented as normal, then place the object on the front sight of the gun. Get your firing grip, and then press the trigger. The object shouldn’t fall off.

The goal of this dry fire drill is to pull the trigger without the object falling. 

Presentation

Another simple dry fire drill is to practice presentation along with trigger press. The goal of the drill is to work on picking up your target and sight picture during the draw stroke, and then pressing the trigger. Practice this drill from concealment and open.

At first, break your draw stroke into the steps we practiced in class.

Access. Grip. Pull. Rotate. Join. Extend. Press trigger.

As you become more confident and consistent with the draw stroke, you will move smoother and quicker, until it is one fluid motion from the holster to sight picture.

presentation drill

Target Transition

You’ll need to have two targets. Starting from the low ready, present the pistol to the first target, press the trigger, then transition to the second target, acquire a sight picture and then press a second time. Remember to use your peripheral vision to pick up the second target and shift targets by driving the gun from the hips.

Make it Visual

Dry Fire Drills with John

If you need something a little more visual to help you out with these drills, John takes you through the Balance Drill, Presentation Drill, Sight Alignment Drill, Target Transition Drill and Reload Drill.

KEEP TRAINING WITH BLACK FLAG ARMORY

Check out our upcoming classes for your next opportunity to get out there and push your knowledge and skills to the next level.