It is important to learn, understand and train in the proper and safe handling of firearms. Aware of the dangers associated with handguns and rifles, gun owners typically empty the weapon to assure the chamber is clear before handling the gun. However, the cartridges that are used in these guns are manufactured for live fire with materials that have considerable weight. Gun magazines hold a considerable number of cartridges, with the weight of a fully loaded magazine being several ounces heavier than when unloaded.
When the cartridges are removed from the magazine, the weapon is lighter in weight, and this limits the experience of the training operation. Indeed, the unloaded weapon is so much lighter in training as compared to a fully loaded condition that the operator will be unaccustomed to the feel of the gun when the situation arises for the weapon to be fully loaded. In short, the muscle memory learned during training and handling will be incorrect.
A variety of devices exist that allow for the handling of unloaded weapons for so-called “dry fire” operations, wherein the operator aims and pulls the trigger for training purposes. The prior art allows for the pulling of the trigger and cycling and, in some cases, a dummy cartridge may be placed in the chamber for the firing pin to strike without a bullet being fired. Again, however, the muscle memory learned from handling and training loaded guns is not achieved.
An alternative training technique may include leaving live cartridges in the magazine but not in the chamber and simply not cycling a cartridge into the chamber to simulate the actual weight of the loaded gun. This is a serious safety issue, however, as the trainee may mistakenly chamber a cartridge and create a severe hazard to anyone nearby.
Both pistol and rifle magazines utilize an internal spring that creates an upward pressure on the cartridges, urging them into position inside the chamber of the gun. When the slide device on the gun is drawn back and released and placed into battery or cycled, a round of ammunition is pushed upwards into the chamber of the barrel and thus prepared to be fired.