[racer88]

However, you seem to get upset when old timers tell you that is not the same as being on the street and facing it in reality.

I'm not upset at all. Just pointing out that it's a statement of the obvious... or should be obvious. It is to me, anyway. Yes... dry fire and dry practice is not the same as live practice, which is also not the same as "real life SHTF" experience. It's just not. I don't think anyone has suggested any of that. So, I don't think any of us has to be reminded that, "What you're doing there isn't the same as facing down real life danger." Well, yeah... Duh!

Thankfully, I have managed to not face "reality" on the street. I've managed to avoid such situations. I have not served in law enforcement, nor faced direct battle while in the service. Again... thankfully. I've also managed to have never been mugged (knocking on wood) or faced a violent threat from a criminal. I don't pretend to be an "operator" or "badass mofo."

So far, so good. I will prepare for such "emergencies" as best I can, while balancing all of life's priorities... which are quite different than those of others. Naturally. We all have different priorities... or at least a different order of priorities.

Personally, I think I've done better than the majority of gun owners. I attend classes when I can. And I ENJOY those classes. They aren't a chore. They are.... in a way... a luxury or extravagance... with real world benefits. In any case, I'd go to a LOT more classes if I could... and may do that as the order of my priorities naturally evolves.

If, gawd-forbid, I'm ever faced with the real deal SHTF, hopefully I'll win. I might not. No guarantees in life. I could never be over-prepared. But I'm more prepared than the average person.

But I'm not going to chase some perpetually-moving goalpost as established by the experts here... or feel bad that I have fallen short of their litmus test of the day.

But, dammit... my local ranges won't let me draw from a holster. I can't do reloads the right way - by letting my mags drop to the floor (at the indoor range), lest they bounce down range (very good chance of that) and I can't retrieve them. I can't shoot on the move, either. Only one of the ranges allows rapid fire. These are the ranges I can go to easily and frequently.

But, I can practice unconventional positions and shooting on the move with dry fire at home. I can practice reloads. I can practice draws from the holster. And the gizmos help assess where I am and any progress being made. Plus it makes it more interesting and fun.

I fired 6,700 rounds of live ammo in 2022. Not bad, I think, all things considered.

And if you / they will have me... I'll sign up for the next live fire course, if at all possible.

 

[racer88]

Let me refer you to my article in Ammoland explains the differences in Training, Practice, Qualification, Games and self defense.

Gun Training, Practice, Qualification, Competition & Defensive Shooting Defined

Do you know the difference between training, practice, qualification, competition (gaming IDPA/IPSC/3gun) and actual defensive shooting???

www.ammoland.com

I've read that before. Well expressed and succinct.

I'm quite familiar with the semantics of the different words and their definitions. I consider myself a wordsmith (I've written many articles and have been published in national journals) and a nearly insufferable pedant. So, I know the difference. And I use the words correctly.

Me going to the range to shoot static targets from a static position over and over and over... practicing.

Me going to a TFP course or one of your rifle courses... training. Training is a learning experience.

Earning the Expert Pistol Shot Medal in the Navy.... qualification (an easy one at that).

The only competitions I've been in were a few NRA "High Power Rifle" matches from 300 - 600 yards... and I was really there to practice rather than truly compete.

 

[racer88]

So, I'm the only one that's actually timed it and posted the time.

 

[racer88]

Well; the shot timers don’t pick up the draw.

The OP doesn't ask about the time to draw. It's about a mag change, right?

Timing a reload is easy....

Gun out in front of you with slide locked back (like when mag is empty), both hands gripping pistol.

BEEP!

Drop mag, insert new mag, send slide home (by either method) and fire.

Timer starts at beep and ends at shot.

 

[racer88]

Yesterday I tried timing [dryfire] reloads with a shot-timer app on my phone and could not get either of two different apps to correctly time the reloads to first shot. However, I need to figure out how to adjust the sound thresholds because there was too much noise to get anything usable. I'll continue to experiment. . .

The MantisX does an amazing job. It FEELS when the shot breaks. And it doesn't mistake racking the slide for the trigger press.

It actually waits for me to reset the slide (locked back) and get the gun level (in front of me) - READY - It knows! - Before the timer goes BEEP. It then knows when I've broken the next dry fire shot to stop the timer. I don't know how they do it, but they do it very well.

Well, I sort of know how they do it... it's with gyros, not audio.

An impressive bit of technology.