09/09/2026
DRY FIRE TRICK
One of the most valuable lessons I learned in the Marine Corps was how to adapt and innovate with less. A lack of budget, equipment, or technology was never an excuse to stop training, and that same mentality still applies today.
Whether we’re talking about live fire or dry fire, consistency is what separates people who simply own equipment from those who can actually perform with it. Knowing how to create productive repetitions when you can’t get to the range is an important part of developing a skill set you can rely on.
This isn’t a knock on companies innovating in the dry-fire space. Products like the DryFireMag have their place, and I’m all for companies creating solutions that help people train. But not every shooter or law-enforcement agency has the budget to outfit multiple guns or an entire academy with dedicated training equipment.
Sometimes the solution is much simpler.
For those balling on a budget, or agencies trying to maximize limited training dollars, take a staple out of your staple gun and try this the next time you’re working dry fire. Whether you’re teaching cadets to move and shoot, developing your ability to move the gun as quickly as your eyes can process information, or simply getting repetitions at home, maintaining a functional trigger allows you to complete the process rather than stopping at presentation.
Your eyes identify the information, the gun follows, and the trigger press connects that information to an action.
Dry fire shouldn’t just be about moving the gun around. Build repetitions that reinforce the complete process of seeing, deciding, and executing so that when performance is demanded, the skill is already there.
Adapt. Innovate. Get the reps.
