Laserlyte J-Frame Trainer: Getting Accurate with a Snubbie Revolver
Oleg Volk 07.13.17
A good quality snubbie revolver, for example S&W J frame series or Ruger SP101, can be quite accurate. Especially when matched with equally good ammunition, it’s often sufficiently accurate for antipersonnel use past a hundred yards. About fifteen years ago, I tried a 2-inch .357 Taurus against a 5-gallon paint bucket at 210 yards, the distance verified with a laser rangefinder. Standing, my girlfriend and I could each hit the can with at least two, and sometimes three shots out of each seven. That was obviously done with single action, and we had good light and plenty of time for each shot.
Trying to make the same hit quickly, one the move and with double action is difficult even at one tenth of the distance. While relatively short sight radius and often low sight visibility are part of the challenge, the bigger problem is the control of the heavy double action trigger. When firing indoors and using a grip laser for aiming, it’s easy to see just how much the point of aim moves during the trigger pull. Practice and developing hand muscles help, but how much live fire can a person do? The limiting factors–the travel time to the range, the cost of range time and ammunition, and the fatigue from brisk snubbie recoil–usually add up to insufficient practice with what is often the primary defensive weapon.
If only there was a way to practice trigger control in the privacy of your own home…oh, wait! Laserlyte makes a snubbie trainer that matches the shape and the feel of a J frame revolver. At $94 retail, it would pay for itself very quickly.
The laser emitter is deeply recessed in the “bore”. Each trigger pull projects a brief laser burst, perhaps 1/10 second in duration. The spot is well collimated with the sight picture, and may be used to verify aim and to improve point shooting skill. It’s much better to draw and “fire” from retention with this trainer than to burn up the necessary box or two of ammunition. The cost may be a minor issue, but the wear on the shooter isn’t. If you prefer to use your own gun, a laser muzzle attachment is also available. The advantage of the complete kit is that it is completely inert, safer than a real weapon which has to be carefully checked for ammunition before every practice session.
While life fire training is also necessary for full mastery of the sidearm, laser training helps perfect trigger control, sight alignment and stance long before the first real shot is fired. For semi-auto pistol users, Laserlyte makes another model, but the sheer number of variations in the autopistol shapes and triggers suggests using the real gun with their laser cartridges for greater realism. An electronic target can be helpful but isn’t necessary, a the laser spot is quite obvious in indoor light.
