Training with LaserLyte

So here we go with another entry in my continuing quest to be a good instructor.  I have purchased a LaserLyte Training Blue Gun and the Laser Trainer and Target that go with it.  Now this was all with my own money, nothing was give to me by LaserLyte so this review is mine and mine alone. . .

You can see more stuff they have at the LaserLyte website.

The goal of all this was to improve my own shooting and to use it as part of my pistol training class I give.  I am an NRA certified pistol instructor in Massachusetts and I am starting to move forward with giving classes per MA law so I can help others get their permits here.  I have not used this with a student yet but here are my findings so far using it myself for dry fire practice. . .

OK, enough about me.  Where are we at so far. . .

The Blue Gun:

This is a LaserLyte LT-TT gun designed to practice dry fire.  The trigger pull is about 5 pounds and cannot be changed.  It would be nice to see the next version of this gun let you set the trigger pull so you could match it to your carry gun but it works.  It also has a "barrel" that you can use to put the LaserLyte laser into for target practice.  This trainer CANNOT be modified to fire a bullet.

The sights are basic black no dots or other marking on them.  They are your standard pistol sites with the notch in back and blade in front.  They work fine as is and are not adjustable.

The trigger pull is ok, but it is long.  The trigger reset is also long and it is at times loud enough to trigger a second shot from the laser when used.  

I do find the grip a bit large for my hands and it would be nice if they made it with a way to change the grip size to fit your hand, maybe a changeable backstrap like Smith & Wesson uses on the M&P line of semi-autos.  If you have small hands this could be an issue.

The Laser:

This is the LaserLyte LT-Pro and is used to generate the laser "shot" when you fire the gun.  It will work in any gun from .38 to .45.  It runs on three small 377 batteries and does not have an on off switch so you need to unscrew the end when not in use.  It will drain the batteries overnight if you don't. . . . I forgot to do this at first.  When not in use you need to unscrew the back part (the left side in the above photo) and flip it around.  The black plastic will fit into the battery compartment and close it off to save the batteries.  It is easy and works.

The laser fits into the barrel of the blue gun (or whatever gun you want to use but make sure it is UNLOADED) and each time you pull the trigger it sense the hammer fall or click and sends out a laser pulse.  This works very well as it pulses long enough for you to see your hit.  For me it was ease to see that instead of a dot I was getting a line as the gun moved during the pulse.  It showed me with ease that I am moving the gun with the trigger pull. 

I think it is nice that you can transfer this to your carry gun for dry fire if you want.  That gives you the ability to get use to the trigger pull on your own gun and fix any issue you have with trigger pull on your actually gun without using up ammo or dealing with recoil.  You can focus just on the trigger pull to fix things. 

I have been told you may need to adjust this in the barrel to get it to shoot where you aim but my experience is that it centered in the barrel very well and fires at point of aim.

The Target:

This is the LaserLyte target that works with their laser system.  It works on three AAA batteries.  It is very simple to use.  You turn it on and set it where you can shoot at it.  You shoot at the target and it records the hits but they do not show up as you shoot.  When you are ready to see where you are hitting you shoot the DISPLAY target and your hits will then glow red on the target.  When you want to clear the hits you shoot the RESET target.

Here is what it looks like with the hits displayed:

You can set this up anywhere in the house, and since it is a blue gun you can use it without the fear of a negligent discharge and all that goes with it.

So far I have used this system with just the laser and blue gun and with the target.  Right now I am working with just laser and gun as I try to improve my trigger pull and get rid of the gun movement I can see in the laser with each shot.  It is very easy to see how inconsistent my trigger pull is right now.  Sometimes I get a nice dot and sometimes I get a line as the gun moves while the laser is on.

Overall Review:

I like the system.  It makes it easy to see what you are doing without the need of going to the range or the expense of shooting live ammo.  It also takes out the recoil and all the bad habits you can acquire from that too.

I have yet to use it with a student but I look forward to doing that too.  It would be a great way to introduce them to the proper sight picture and trigger pull without dealing with the noise and recoil from actually shooting.  This could be a very good first step in teaching a new shooter that is a bit scared of a gun.  I have had them in class and sure you can use live fire with them but I think this would ease them into it so they could focus on aiming and trigger pull without the distraction of the gun going off.

We will see and I will post more as I use this but so far I see it as a great addition to my collection and a good way for me to get some trigger time during the winter so I can fix my trigger pull.

If you have used these I would love to hear your reaction to them in the comments.