I hit the floor at SHOT Show to check out the latest in dryfire and malfunction training, and let’s just say, there’s a lot to be excited about.
DryFireMag is pushing the boundaries with their smart trigger-resetting magazines, now paired with the gunSHOT BOX — an intense 125 dB simulator that adds real-world stress to dryfire drills. Meanwhile, Steve McCloy, founder of LiveFire Tactical Training, LLC and inventor of the Type3MalfunctionRound (T3MR), is changing how shooters train for the dreaded double feed. Whether you’re refining your trigger pull or mastering malfunction clearance, these innovations are making firearms training more dynamic than ever. Mantis debuted Raven at SHOT Show, a smartphone-based shooting simulator with diverse scenarios and upcoming MantisX integration.
Up your dryfire game with trigger-resetting magazines
I stopped by the DryFireMag booth to get more information from them about what’s coming down the road this year. Besides sharing that additional regular and smart DryFireMags are in progress, they were also showing off a version of the gunSHOT BOX, which connects via Bluetooth to their smart magazines. The gunSHOT BOX creates adrenaline-producing realism with a 125 dB explosion, muzzle flash and retort. Also, DryFireMag will soon be selling the Laser Ammo Smokeless Range.
The video below shows the magic behind their namesake product. It shows the DFM inserted into a Sig Sauer P320 from the top. With the slide removed, we see the fire control unit (FCU). The DFM spring on the left is pressing the black plastic lever of the DFM towards the sear, which is on the right. Every pull of the trigger compresses the spring to the left and when released, the sear is reset as if the slide was cycled.
Practice clearing Type 3 malfunctions during live or dryfire
There are 3 common types of firearm stoppages; failure to feed, failure to eject and failure to go into battery. These also are called type 1, type 2 and type 3 malfunctions. Type 3 malfunctions sometimes are called the mother of all malfunctions.
Shooters need to be sufficiently trained so that they don’t freeze and run through their OODA loop figuring out what to do (hint: tap, rack, assess). The first two failures can be simulated with dummy ammo, and Steve McCloy developed the answer to the third one, the Type3MalfunctionRound, or T3MR.
The idea is to train students to react without going through their OODA loop if tap, rack, assess doesn’t get them back into the fight. The patented design of the T3MR causes the round to pop out of the magazine when it is stripped to clear the malfunction.
By popping out of the magazine, the T3MR gives the student the option to retain the magazine and reinsert it if they wish, or they can discard that magazine and insert a fresh one. Some students, especially civilians, may not always have a spare magazine, so this feature allows students to practice type 3 clearance procedures multiple times with the same magazine. (Note: The instructor needs to insert multiple T3MRs into the magazine for this scenario — but never together. One or more live rounds need to separate T3MRs.)
In real life, it is possible that a type 3 malfunction is caused by a broken extractor, and the officer will have a double feed on every shot. That is, they may not be able to successfully clear the jam to stay in the fight. Students need to be trained to have back-up plans such as transitioning to another weapon, going hand to hand, or going to cover.
The permanent jam scenario is just one of the reasons why training simulators with system-driven weapons such as VirTra and Milo, which I will cover in a future SHOT Show article, and others are so valuable — because the weapons can be permanently jammed, forcing the student to come up with an alternate plan — or suffer the consequences.
Steve McCloy, inventor of the T3MR, tells us that the NRA Law Enforcement Division is using the Type3MalfunctionRound to train their LE training instructors — about 1,500 a year. Several law enforcement customers stopped by their SHOT Show booth to say the product has been a game changer for them.
For a limited time, you can use code SHOT2025 for 25% off all 5-packs at https://livefiretacticaltraining.com. Law enforcement & military: email smccloy@livefiretacticaltraining.com for 100-round bulk pack discounts. T3MR come in .380, 9mm, .40, .45, and .223.
Mantis announces smartphone-driven firearms simulator
Mantis, the creator of the MantisX firearms training system, introduced its Raven shooting simulator at SHOT Show. Unlike competing systems, Raven runs on a smartphone, using its camera for shot detection. Compatible with most laser pistols, like the Smart DryFireMag, Raven comes with dozens of scenarios, such as USPSA stages, a shoot house walk through, multiple qualification runs, cowboy action shooting, steel challenge and many more.
A future release will display the shot analysis output of your MantisX on the screen margins, for a fully-integrated training system. For further info and pricing, please watch the interview below. And did I mention zombies? Raven has plenty of them wandering the system too.
