Dry-fire training is one of the most effective ways to improve firearm handling, trigger control and accuracy — without the cost of live ammunition. But is it safe? The short answer is yes, when done correctly. However, improper dry-fire practice can lead to negligent discharges and potential firearm damage.
What Is Dry-Fire Training?
Dry-fire training refers to practicing firearm handling and trigger control without live ammunition. It allows shooters to refine their technique, develop muscle memory and build confidence in a safe, controlled environment.
Why Do Shooters Dry Fire?
Dry-fire remains popular because it can be incredibly beneficial. It improves trigger control by eliminating recoil anticipation, allowing shooters to refine their pull and reset technique. It enhances sight alignment and follow-through, helping marksmen develop steady aim. For those who carry concealed, practicing dry-fire drills with an empty firearm allows a shooter to learn and then to perfect a smooth, safe draw stroke.
Additionally, dry-fire training enables shooters to practice skills that are often prohibited at live-fire ranges, such as drawing from a holster, shooting while moving or engaging targets from behind cover. Dry fire is also an affordable way to maintain and improve shooting proficiency, eliminating the need for costly ammunition. Whether the difficulties are financial, legal, practical or simply a matter of convenience, dry-fire work often meets needs that simply cannot be met by live practice on a traditional range.
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Is Dry Firing Safe?
Among those new to shooting and firearms training, a common question is: “Will dry-firing damage my gun?” Most modern centerfire handguns will not be harmed by dry fire without snap caps. Check your owner’s manual or call the manufacturer if you’re unsure about your particular model. Rimfire firearms, such as those chambered in .22 LR, should not be dry-fired without snap caps, as the firing pin may strike the chamber and cause damage.
Dry-Fire Safety: Avoiding Negligent Discharges
Dry fire is, by nature, a dangerous activity. Every year, far too many shooters embarrass or injure themselves or others while engaging in dry fire. However, it can be done safely by following the four gun safety rules. Dry-fire practice should be done in the form of a ritual; the same way every time. Doing it the same way every time may help prevent a tragic goof when tired or distracted and can build redundant layers of safety into your gun handling skills.
1. No interruptions! Turn the ringer off the phone and make sure the front door is locked. If you are interrupted, start again from the beginning rather than picking up where you think you left off.
2. Unload your gun.
3. Check that the gun is unloaded. Use both your eyes and your fingertips. Lock the action open and then run your pinky into the empty chamber to be sure it’s really empty. If you have a revolver, run your finger across each hole in the cylinder. Count the empty holes to be sure you touched them all.
4. Remove all ammunition. Get it out of the room and out of sight. I even go so far as to lock the door to the room where the ammunition is kept so that it takes several deliberate steps to get the ammunition back together with the gun.
5. Choose a safe backstop. A backstop is anything that will reliably stop a bullet from the most powerful load that your gun is capable of firing. Never dry-fire without a solid backstop.
The result of a range experiment, which found that .357 Magnum penetrated less than a foot into a tightly-packed bookshelf. The shot was fired from a distance of approximately 10 feet.
6. Place a target in front of your backstop. To avoid a “just one more” mishap, do not dry-fire directly at anything that will remain in the room. Use a target that will be taken down when you are done.
7. Double-check that the gun is still unloaded.
8. Mental shift to practice. Say to yourself, “This is practice. I have checked and double-checked the gun. Ammunition is not present. This is only practice.” Say it out loud, and if you find yourself wondering if it’s really true, go back and check again.
9. Limit sessions. Ten to 15 minutes is as much dry-fire practice as most people can safely handle. If your mind begins to wander, stop immediately. That’s a sign that you are not paying attention to what you are doing — an important red flag.
10. Take the target down immediately. Before leaving the room and before reloading the gun. Never leave the target up after you are done practicing. As you take the target down, say aloud, “Practice is over. No more dry fire. Practice is over.” This helps you make the important mental shift back to the real world and prevents the infamous “just one more” mishap.
11. Put your gun in the safe or if you are unwilling to lock your defense gun away for an hour or two, at least get yourself out of the practice room. Stay out of that area until your conditioning to pull the trigger there has been replaced by conscious thought.
12. Reload out loud. When do you reload the gun, say aloud, “This gun is loaded. It will fire if I pull the trigger. This gun is loaded.” Say it three times and say it out loud. This allows you to think, speak and hear that the gun is no longer in dry-fire condition.
Many negligent discharges occur because a shooter forgets he or she reloaded after practice or fails to follow proper safety procedures. To ensure safe practice, always begin by completely unloading your firearm, checking twice, and then verifying again. Remove all ammunition from the room, storing it in a separate location to prevent accidental loading.
Dry-Fire Practice: Drills & Techniques
Dry-fire training is more than just pulling the trigger. What can be practiced in dry fire? More than most casual shooters would believe! Structured drills can help you train smarter and improve faster.
A penny balanced on the front sight easily demonstrates a smooth trigger pull.
Start by practicing a smooth, controlled trigger press with the sights continuously aligned on target. When you think you’ve got that basic trigger press mastered, move on to the penny drill. Place a penny flat atop the gun’s front sight. See if you can pull the trigger without causing the penny to fall to the ground. This drill helps reinforce a smooth, consistent trigger press.
Dry-fire also allows you to practice a good follow-through with a trigger reset drill. Rather than immediately removing your finger as soon as the trigger is tripped, mentally count one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand before relaxing your finger or allowing the sights to waver. On the range, your goal will be to keep the trigger to the rear until your sights are re-aligned, which will eventually allow faster follow-up shots without flinching or yanking.
The draw-and-fire drill allows shooters to practice drawing from concealment. Wear the clothes you ordinarily wear (not ratty range grubbies), in the condition you normally wear them (everything tucked in as if you’re walking out the door), with the holster you generally use (not your competition speed rig). Can you get to your firearm smoothly and safely? How efficiently can you align the sights when drawing from deep concealment? Find out; then improve.
What is prohibited at your range? Moving while shooting? Shooting around barriers? Kneeling? Do all these things in dry-fire. Every time you are tempted to grumble about something your range does not allow, take it as a challenge to figure out how you can effectively practice it in dry fire. Practice retreating from the target, shooting around obstacles or working the angles from your designated safe room. Movement drills help train to engage threats dynamically. Practicing one-handed shooting drills — both dominant and non-dominant — strengthens the ability to fire under real-world conditions where using both hands might not be possible.
Try setting up a video camera to watch yourself draw. Do you have any wasted motion? Are your hands swooping up to the target or thrusting the gun straight toward it? Are you rearranging your hands at the last moment or did you get a good firing grip on the gun while it was still in the holster? Did you commit any safety violations, such as sweeping your non-dominant hand while reholstering? All of these are much easier to assess when you see them on video.
Dry-Fire Training Tools
Modern dry-fire tools can make practice safer, more engaging and highly effective.
Snap caps are essential for protecting the firing pin, especially in rimfire guns, and help simulate the feel of live-fire training. Laser training systems, such as the MantisX, SIRT Pistol or iTarget, provide real-time shot tracking and accuracy feedback. Dry-fire targets, including paper targets and reactive laser systems, help reinforce proper sight alignment. For those seeking the highest level of safety, the BarrelBlok device is an excellent option, as it ensures the firearm is completely safe for dry-fire use.
Common Dry-Fire Mistakes to Avoid
Neglecting a structured safety routine is one of the biggest mistakes shooters make when dry-firing. Complacency leads to negligent discharges, so a deliberate and consistent process must be followed every time. Failing to mentally transition from dry-fire to live-fire can also result in dangerous accidents. Always reload with full awareness and verbal confirmation to avoid confusion. Maximize your training with structured drills. Randomly pulling the trigger without focusing on specific skill development is not productive. Dry-fire practice should always have a purpose, whether improving draw speed, accuracy or movement techniques.
Maximizing Dry-Fire Firearms Training
Dry-fire training is one of the best ways to improve your shooting skills, but it must be done safely and with a purpose.
To get the most out of your practice, always follow strict safety protocols and establish a routine to prevent negligent discharges. Structured drills focused on trigger control, sight alignment, and movement will enhance skill development more than unstructured repetitions. Integrating training tools, such as laser feedback systems and snap caps, can provide more detailed insights into shooting performance. Finally, setting clear goals for your dry-fire routine ensures continued improvement over time.
By incorporating safe and structured dry-fire practice, you can sharpen your skills, improve accuracy, and gain confidence in handling your firearm.
Credits
[The safe dry fire ritual presented in this article was heavily adapted from a ritual created by William Burris, firearms instructor at the Pierce County Sheriff Department near Tacoma, Washington. The author first learned of it through a class given by Marty and Gila Hayes at the Firearms Academy of Seattle, www.firearmsacademy.com]
