What's your backstop for dry practice?

[EastBayEnthusiast]

I'm trying to determine how to dry practice in my home in the suburbs. I want to dry practice with a target and a backstop/support. Because of my home layout, my gun safe will not work. Is there anyone that built a backstop?

For example: added metal plating on the inside wall of a walk-in closet. I could fire against the outside wall knowing there was a backing behind it.

What do you use? Did you have to rig anything?

[C.Strong]

I may be a bit dense here, but why do you need a backstop if you are dry firing?

[Jaiofspam]

im assume he needs it "just in case"

[mecam]

I'm trying to determine how to dry practice in my home in the suburbs. I want to dry practice with a target and a backstop/support. Because of my home layout, my gun safe will not work. Is there anyone that built a backstop?

For example: added metal plating on the inside wall of a walk-in closet. I could fire against the outside wall knowing there was a backing behind it.

What do you use? Did you have to rig anything?

Just to clarify, what is your definition of "Dry Practice"?

[emilio]

a purposeful backstop is a good measure, but i wouldn't say it's necessary. a sufficient backstop can be found easily in a single-family home, with the knowledge of its construction.

i do dry fire practice in my bedroom. in case of gross negligence, i point it at a wall such that my backstop is then wall -> wall -> sheet metal kitchen cabinet -> refrigerator -> wall -> external wall. all walls are light plaster and lath. a .45 ACP hollowpoint - or ball, even - would have a hard time making it through all of that.

- emilio

[Ishoot]

I'm lost here....what are you dry firing with to need any sort of backstop? I'd say your best bet is to use Snapcaps...

[D.carden]

a purposeful backstop is a good measure, but i wouldn't say it's necessary. a sufficient backstop can be found easily in a single-family home, with the knowledge of its construction.

i do dry fire practice in my bedroom. in case of gross negligence, i point it at a wall such that my backstop is then wall -> wall -> sheet metal kitchen cabinet -> refrigerator -> wall -> external wall. all walls are light plaster and lath. a .45 ACP hollowpoint - or ball, even - would have a hard time making it through all of that.

- emilio

If your that unsure of your "gun handling at home", I'd save your practice until you have a berm (at the range) in front of you.

[emilio]

If your that unsure of your "gun handling at home", I'd save your practice until you have a berm (at the range) in front of you.

what a productive comment.

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
This is the primary rule of gun safety. A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle or front end of the barrel is pointed at all times. Common sense dictates the safest direction, depending on different circumstances.

while you're at it, ride that high horse up to the full-time firearm instructors that have steel plates installed in their home for "dry fire".

- emilio

[chickenfried]

I don't understand why people are giving th OP flack. Just because you're dry firing doesn't mean you shouldn't do it in a safe direction. Remember "never point your gun at anything you're not willing to destroy"? I'm lucky rear of my house is on a hillside. You could buy this.

http://www.safedirection.com/home.html

dang checked out the prices at that site, insane. I talked with a guy that owned a similar product but it cost a lot less. That site was just the first hit on my google search.

[Trapper]

27" Sony!

[D.carden]

Just because you're dry firing doesn't mean you shouldn't do it in a safe direction.

In a house........There is NO safe direction. It's that simple..!!!!!! I doubt you point the muzzle exclusively at your "safe spot" all the time....

And as far as Fire-arm instructors go Emilio. I watched one AD in front of the class he was teaching...!!!!!
If you dont trust yourself. Dont make the tuna salad in the refer or your big screen stop your bullets for you. if you light-one off, there's a good chance you'll follow up with another oooooppps after the first. Where do you think that ones going. Probably through the roof or a diffferent wall/direction or maybe the baby's room next door...!!!!

[chickenfried]

I dry fire in my house a lot and never do it in an unsafe direction. If the gun's not pointed in a safe direction you should't be pulling the trigger, it's that simple.

In a house........There is NO safe direction. It's that simple..!!!!!! I doubt you point the muzzle exclusively at your "safe spot" all the time....

[Desert_Rat]

27" Sony!

YUP, 48"Mttsibishi. I try to dot all the "I's" on the lettering on the screen during comercials.

[EastBayEnthusiast]

chickenfried- thanks for the link. That's the type of thing I am looking for.

To clarify, this is for an added measure of safety and to always point in a direction that I'm willing to destroy. My definition of dry is no different than yours. I'd just like to have some extra precaution.

[C.Strong]

This is what I do. I don't have any loaded mags in the room. All my ammo is in a sealed box that is kept in another room.

I check all the mags I will be using, to make sure that they are unloaded. Then I check the gun, Mag well check, work the slide a few times, then I run a dry bore snake through it to make sure there isn't some magic hidden casing in the barrel.

Then I start my dryfire.

If you want to go the extra step, I would recommend that you get some kind of scrap steel from a junk yard, you can probably paste a photo or target on it as well.

You may also want to wear eyes and ears as well, just in case it does go off, then you won't experience hearing loss, and you wont be at risk for catching some splatter after the bullet hits the backstop.