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Has CoolFire Technologically Outmoded Pistol Reloading?


ChemistShooter

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The main reason I reload is to save money. I recently ran across a handgun training system that looks like reloading, at least for pistols, is no longer necessary and seems to be a smarter thing to use.

Up till now, there has been no way to completely simulate the experience of firing a pistol. The thing that, as far as I know, is the most important thing to learn to handle is the kick. You can dry-fire all day, but there is no kick. You are forced to go to the range to get that particular experience.

 

These Coolfire guys (http://coolfiretrainer.com/)  have finally come up with a way to simulate the kick with a CO2-driven recoil and a laser pulse thingy.

And I can't really see why pistol reloading is really necessary any more. Let me list some advantages:

 

1. I like reloading, but it is a VERY high-concentration thing. There is little room for error at the reloading bench. Plus there is all the knowledge necessary---different kinds of powders, bullets, how much to use. Plus equipment---chronographs, scales, and so forth. Unless you have to have high-precision pistol bullets, I don't see the need to acquire all this any more. I don't shoot to reload. I reload to shoot.
 

2. This CoolFire thing is actually CHEAPER than reloading. I think .$.03 a shot is the number I heard mentioned. Plus you need ZERO equipment and no special knowledge.

 

3. It's safer. Can't blow yourself up with bad ammunition you didn't make. No squibs, no undercharges, no overcharges.

 

4. The time spent pulling a handle is now time you can spend pulling a trigger. That's hours and hours and hous practicing handling kick and doing transitions. This is actually the most attractive aspect for me. Yes, you still need to go the range, but once a month would be sufficient.

Add it all up, this CoolFire thing looks cheaper, faster---and BETTER.

I can think of one minor drawback. You can't dial in how much kick you want, at least not yet.

Has anybody out there actually gone this route? Anybody know any reasons why this won't work? Right at the moment I am seriously leaning toward consigning my 550B to the technological junk heap right next to horse-drawn wagons and moving into the 21st century with my very own laser pistol.

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If this were reliable and available for CZ's I would buy one just for the benefit of training the single action in dry fire. It doesn't provide the same feedback as firing a live shot so I don't think it could completely do away with livefire practice, at least in its current form. It'll be interesting to see where things go with this type of technology, I could see a lot of uspsa shooters using something like this for training if you can ditch the laser.


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Don't be so quick to give up on your 550 just yet.

 

Lucas from the triangle tactical podcast was talking about the coolfire system a while back and from what I remember there's a few things I can give you to think about.

 

Locations to refill the CO2 tank are few and far in between. So co2 availability might be a problem for some people. Can't remember what he said it cost without hunting down the episode. The gun gets really cold from the gas and takes a while to warm back up. I don't think the coolfire trainer supports a wide variety of pistols, so some might be disappointed that they can't use it with their tricked out open guns.

 

IMO I think it's a really great concept but it's not quite there yet. At least not for everyone and definitely not enough to warrant tossing your 550 into the technological scrap bin.

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, ChemistShooter said:

The main reason I reload is to save money. I recently ran across a handgun training system that looks like reloading, at least for pistols, is no longer necessary and seems to be a smarter thing to use.

Up till now, there has been no way to completely simulate the experience of firing a pistol. The thing that, as far as I know, is the most important thing to learn to handle is the kick. You can dry-fire all day, but there is no kick. You are forced to go to the range to get that particular experience.

 

These Coolfire guys (http://coolfiretrainer.com/)  have finally come up with a way to simulate the kick with a CO2-driven recoil and a laser pulse thingy.

And I can't really see why pistol reloading is really necessary any more. Let me list some advantages:

 

1. I like reloading, but it is a VERY high-concentration thing. There is little room for error at the reloading bench. Plus there is all the knowledge necessary---different kinds of powders, bullets, how much to use. Plus equipment---chronographs, scales, and so forth. Unless you have to have high-precision pistol bullets, I don't see the need to acquire all this any more. I don't shoot to reload. I reload to shoot.
 

2. This CoolFire thing is actually CHEAPER than reloading. I think .$.03 a shot is the number I heard mentioned. Plus you need ZERO equipment and no special knowledge.

 

3. It's safer. Can't blow yourself up with bad ammunition you didn't make. No squibs, no undercharges, no overcharges.

 

4. The time spent pulling a handle is now time you can spend pulling a trigger. That's hours and hours and hous practicing handling kick and doing transitions. This is actually the most attractive aspect for me. Yes, you still need to go the range, but once a month would be sufficient.

Add it all up, this CoolFire thing looks cheaper, faster---and BETTER.

I can think of one minor drawback. You can't dial in how much kick you want, at least not yet.

Has anybody out there actually gone this route? Anybody know any reasons why this won't work? Right at the moment I am seriously leaning toward consigning my 550B to the technological junk heap right next to horse-drawn wagons and moving into the 21st century with my very own laser pistol.

 

1: reloading is actually pretty simple. Once you have a load, stick to that. A 550 is a hit if a pain since you need 5 hands to feed it brass, bullet, turn shell plate, pull handle. Normal machines with feeders (650, 1050) you just pull the handle. That's it. 

 

2: unless you're planning to shoot your 'coolfire' at matches, practice and perhaps in self defence it's not replacing reloading. It's replacing dry fire which currently costs 0.00 per 'shot'.

 

3. I don't know where all these self immolating reloaders are but even in practice I see people shoot 5,000 reloads in a few hours and none has lit up like a suicide bomber just yet. Also you're still going to need ammo for matches (unless you're going to bring your laser). Sure you can buy factory which will basically wipe out those savings you made by not practicing and provide a sub optimal load for your gun/division. 

 

4: it takes me 20min from start to finish to load 200 rounds for a weekly practice session. Wow. I'll get 20min back but I'll loose valuable live fire practice. If your reloading takes longer invest in a better machine. That's where the gains are. 

 

If if you think you can achieve in the sport with just a laser gun and no live practice I'd suggest think again. Even dry fire legends like Ben Stoeger still shoot upwards of 50,000 live rounds a year. Many shoot 1000,000. 

 

Dry fire is great for gun handling (draws, reloads etc). And transitions. This device will add in a 'real' trigger pull so trigger control can be practiced at speed but don't think it gives real recoil. The co2 barrel just cycles the slide/trigger. It's not comparable to live fire. 

 

Its also crazy expensive and you get about 10-12 shots between refills. The. When you're main tank is done you get to schlep out to a depot somewhere to buy more c02. Yay. There goes all that time saving you were going to spend on dry fire. 

 

Dry fire is great. But you need the real thing too. Once a month is not enough if you want to get good. 

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11 hours ago, bandw1dth said:

Don't be so quick to give up on your 550 just yet.

 

Lucas from the triangle tactical podcast was talking about the coolfire system a while back and from what I remember there's a few things I can give you to think about.

 

Locations to refill the CO2 tank are few and far in between. So co2 availability might be a problem for some people. Can't remember what he said it cost without hunting down the episode. The gun gets really cold from the gas and takes a while to warm back up. I don't think the coolfire trainer supports a wide variety of pistols, so some might be disappointed that they can't use it with their tricked out open guns.

 

IMO I think it's a really great concept but it's not quite there yet. At least not for everyone and definitely not enough to warrant tossing your 550 into the technological scrap bin.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yeah, I think you're right. I've been looking around. This technology just flat isn't there yet. One day it will be. You'll be able to dial in the kick you want and have a perfect simulation shot--but it ain't there quite yet.

 

Fudge. Fudge-fudge-fudge-FUDGE. I was really drooling at the prospect of pulling a trigger instead of pulling a handle.

Just have to keep an eye on these guys till they or somebody like them comes up with something workable. I'll bet you when they finally come up with something workable, it'll sell like snow cones in Hell and these guys will make more money than they ever thought was possible.

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On Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 9:25 PM, ChemistShooter said:

 Right at the moment I am seriously leaning toward consigning my 550B to the technological junk heap right next to horse-drawn wagons 

 

How much for the 550 and what comes with it?

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1 hour ago, Ultimo-Hombre said:

After reviewing the website, 

 

i believe the OP is either a company representative, or an idiot. 

 

Go and look at a few of his posts and the answer will be clear.

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