Im not always the biggest fan of dry-fire.
Its not that dry-fire doesnt work.
When done correctly, dry-fire can produce a high level of competence when it comes to weapons manipulations.
The Mantis Blackbeard automatically resets your AR trigger to allow you to dry fire practice with your identical trigger press, and have visual feedback with the laser models.
My issue is a question of what results can you achieve for your effort.
Hear me out for a second before you scowl and exit the web app window in disgust.
My first issue with dry-fire is the fact that there can be a feedback deficit for the shooter.
The Mantis Blackbeard is available in a red or green, with an IR laser, or without a laser. Each of the units comes in a protective package to ensure years of service.
It gets tedious and can be a habit issue as well.
Finally, dry-fire has a steep learning curve when it comes to safety.
One misstep and you’re able to loose a round where you dont want one going.
The Blackbeard’s power pack connects to the laser BCG replacement with two spring tabs on the top of the battery.
So as a result, Im careful when I recommend dry-fire.
For some folks the juice just isnt worth the squeeze.
Yeah, I said it.
The Blackbeard allows you to train your offset. Here the red laser is the Blackbeard showing a “hit” while the green laser from the author’s Steiner DBAL-A3 is aligned with the optic.
Dry-fire can be boring.
But it doesnt have to be so.
When it comes to pistols, Ive spent a bunch of time messing around with Mantis products.
The Blackbeard’s red laser is easy to see even in daylight conditions. This helps you understand your shot placement regardless of where you train.
My favorite for pistols is theMantis X10 Elite.
This little unit measures firearm movement before, during and after the shot breaks during dry-fire.
It can analyze your draw stroke and even measure recoil and other factors during live fire.
The Blackbeard is powered by a battery pack that inserts into the magazine well. The battery pack ensures a live magazine cannot be inserted.
It pairs with Mantis Laser Academy and provides a whole dry-fire training system.
The X10 Elite can also work with long guns.
It is available in red, green, IR and no-laser versions.
The Mantis Blackbeard is an automatic trigger resetting and laser unit that is easy to use, improves dry-fire safety and provides immediate visual feedbackduring dry-fire.
Mantis Blackbeard Enhances Dry-Fire Safety
I like to look at safety in a conceptual manner.
The big idea of safety revolves around ensuring that the benefits of your actions significantly outweigh the possible risks.
The Mantis Blackbeard removes my concern for safety issues during dry-fire.
In addition, the Blackbeard is powered by a battery housed in a magazine-shaped power pack.
When the power pack is in place, its impossible to insert a loaded magazine.
While the Blackbeards inherent safety is robust, Im not suggesting this replace typical dry-fire safety protocols.
Strict attention to redundant layers of safety is what reduces risk.
When it comes to defensive shooting, it may not be a one-shot affair.
Breaking our grip to reset the trigger works directly against our need to follow through.
The Blackbeard handles resetting the trigger for you, up to 10 times a second.
Not only is this convenient, but it also helps to address the follow-through issue I mentioned above.
In addition, the Mantis Blackbeard allows you to work on things like target transitions without missing a beat.
I really appreciate that.
The trigger is reset using battery power supplied by the magazine-shaped power supply.
And this reset doesnt change your trigger press.
The reset is a bit different and took me a bit to get used to.
It seems to me to be more of a solid and forceful push.
I dont think this change has a significant impact on my ability to train with the Blackbeard.
However, it is worth mentioning.
You have to be paying attention to what you are doing to get the benefit.
The Mantis Blackbeard helps with this.
With the red or green Blackbeard units, this laser pulse is visible on the target.
The real-time visual feedback that Mantis Blackbeard provides is an important training aid.
One of the more difficult things to learn about the AR-15 is mastering the offset.
Because of the design of the AR, the optic or iron sights sit above the bore.
Mastering your hold-over is a constant challenge as it changes with the circumstances.
This is invaluable information that allows you to immediately correct your hold-over to get the hit you need.
This is my greatest use for the Blackbeard.
This practice is invaluable and simple to accomplish.
The immediacy of the feedback and the convenience of the system mean that developing solid fundamentals is virtually barrier-free.
Final Thoughts The Blackbeard Works!
Dont misunderstand me; I know it has benefits.
I also know I need to see to it that the juice is worth the squeeze.
But traditional dry-fire tends to put me to sleep.
Mantis has changed that.
With todays busy lifestyles and the cost and availability of ammunition, the Blackbeard only makes sense.
The Mantis Blackbeard is affordable.
The red laser unit has an MSRP of $219.
In todays world that equates to 365 rounds of .556.
The green and infrared versions are a bit more expensive at $249.
If you dont want the laser, simply tape the barrel to block it.
Regardless of which Blackbeard you choose, youre going to find it a benefit to your dry-fire program.
Its products like the Blackbeard that make dry-fire more fun, safer and more beneficial.
