[smw66]

You do not need to use snap caps to dry fire a Glock 17.

Here is a video that is worth watching when you first start to shoot.

(2) AIMING IS USELESS! 3 Secrets To Great Shooting | Rob Leatham 6x IPSC World Champion! - YouTube

 

[smw66]

Actually you do, otherwise there is nothing to absorb the energy from the firing pin and it will eventually blow out the breach face. I have seen this many times, especially in competition, where shooters tend to dry fire thousands of times.

As far as Leatham's video, that is still wasted on most experienced shooters, let alone brand new newbies. Get thru you basic gun safety class first, then practice simple drills to get your fundamentals (gundamentals) down: stance, grip, sight picture and trigger control. Followed by transitions and movement. Consider shooting competition next, USPSA/IDPA or Steel Challenge (SCSA). Then look at Leatham's video and you will understand.

"Learn how to jerk the trigger without moving the gun. It's that simple, it's just hard to do"

All the Grand Masters will tell you the same thing.



View attachment 271320

Actually you don't. Glock says you don't, every person I know says you don't and I've probably dry fired my Glock 19 50,000 time without a snap cap.

And this guy has never shot before and that video just helps him understand. We are not all highly experienced grand master shooters like you.

 

[smw66]

Danzig is probably right, however, have you zeroed the sights on your gun?

Those shots are all free standing correct?

 

[smw66]

Yes to both. I zeroed the sights, focusing on the front sight.

Then you are just jerking the gun in anticipation of the shot and that pulls down and left. Work on smooth trigger pull and maybe even try some different trigger finger positions. I saw someone earlier give advice on putting the trigger halfway on the pad on the tip of the finger and I find that to be wrong. I position the trigger on my Glock 19 and Glock 44 so that the crease in the first knuckle is right up to the edge of the trigger. But try some different positions, everyone is not the same.

 

[smw66]

I like using these self adhesive targets. I go to the range and use 1 or 2 silhouettes then plaster these for new targets.
There’s a bunch now on Amazon.
I’ve only used the American made ones by Birchwood Casey or Shoot-N-C
View attachment 274294
SHOOT-N-C 8" Bull's-Eye Target - 30 Targets Amazon.com
They make bigger and smaller sizes of targets. Plus you don’t have to bring your targets back and forth as much as these show your hits clearly.

I buy the 6 inch targets for my wife to shoot at. You can get 60 of those for 11.99 on Amazon, and they are plenty big enough to shoot at for her. She shoots them at 10 yards and can put all shots inside the 8 ring which is about 3.5 inches in diameter. You can also cover the shots with the furnished dots and re-shoot at the same target and save money that way.

 

[smw66]

This is something interesting I didn't know: did you know more than 90% of all the chips (the semiconductors, not the potatoe chips) come from one factory based in Taiwan (called TSCM)?

Chips are everywhere, from cell phones to cars to computers, etc. TSCM does not design the chips, they manufacture them as contractor manufacturers. But it's a highly specialized business which is not something you can develop in your backyard.

That makes the US and other countries very much dependent on Taiwan, and you can imagine what might happen if the Chinese go bonkers and invade Taiwan. China itself is also dependent on the same factory so they probably won't shut it down lest they shoot themselves in the foot. But it's difficult to predict what might happen ... if we end up in a (trade) war with China things might really go sideways.

In the budget just passed by Congress $52 billion is set aside to start up domestic US manufacturing. That seems like an interesting industry to get into, so if you have kids or grandkids might be something to recommend to them. Or if you still young, consider a career in chip manufacturing yourself. Get a college degree or something in electronic engineering or whatever.

The US Throws $52 Billion at Chips—but Needs to Spend It Wisely

Taiwan chip industry emerges as battlefront in U.S.-China showdown

The island dominates production of chips powering advanced civilian and military technologies. If conflict erupted, its fabrication plants would be in jeopardy.

www.reuters.com

I don't know if the 90% number is right or not, but it is without a doubt a substantial percentage of what we use. There are so many things that we are dependent on from China that they could easily bring us to our knees if they wanted to.

We better get our heads out of our ass and get busy developing other sources for this, for pharmaceuticals, critical metals and raw materials for lots of things we depend upon. They also control a huge percentage of our farmland, and so many other things that we are really at their mercy.

I suspect we are probably screwed because we have let this go far too long and can't probably turn it around in time.