Quick Thoughts- SIRT Training Pistol

I have had The SIRT training pistol for a few months now and have been using it on and off for awhile. When I first received it I wasn't sure how I would use it and what it would actually do for "training", especially since I feel that training without the recoil or the ability to rack the slide for a reload isn't super beneficial for trained actions. However as I spent time with the SIRT I saw what some of the benefits are.

One of the first things that I noticed when I picked it up was the weight, while it's not exactly the weight of my Glock 19 fully loaded with 147gr HP's (it's about 10 ounces lighter), it does have a nice weighted feel to it. Also the construction and materials are pretty good quality, it doesn't feel cheap when you hold it. It holds just like a Glock 17, which for me is ok but the fact that I have done a grip reduction to my Glock 19 it does mess with the grip angle I am used to.

One of the things that I really appreciate about the SIRT was the fact that the trigger pull, weight, and reset can all be adjusted. Since I run the McNally trigger on my G19 being able to adjust the trigger on the SIRT to be closer to the actual trigger pull and reset that I have is an awesome bonus. Also the fact that there is a take up indicator is great, especially since it will remain on if you do not go beyond the reset distance which allows you to train for quicker follow up shots.

Having the all black sights works well for me since I run the Pro i-Dots on my carry pistol, instead of having the typical stock Glock sights installed on the SIRT it makes me feel much more comfortable with the way I line up either set of sights. After using the SIRT a few times I did notice that my presenting sight alignment did improve, and more often than not my first trigger pull resulted in the laser marking exactly where I was aiming.

Having the ability to drop the magazine, and insert another one is awesome. However not being able to insert the magazine during slide lock, and then bringing my hand back over the top to rack the slide back into battery is a training downfall for me. While this is one thing I feel is a downfall, it does not render the training pistol as useless, it just lacks one of the things that I use during training.

I had used the SIRT for a few weeks before I took my last Combat Focus Shooting class, and I did notice some improvement with my presentation from the holster, first shot and follow up shot placements, and overall trigger control. I was extremely pleased to see these improvements. I know part of them were from training with live rounds at the range, and the other part were from practicing with the SIRT.

Overall the SIRT does have it's place in my training, where it lacks in some features it makes up for in adjustability and savings on ammo costs. It does help you focus on trigger pull without constantly having to dry fire your carry gun, and it gives great visual feedback when the trigger is pulled. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I wasn't sure where it would fit in for me as far as a training tool, but the more I have used it at home the more I have grown to like it.