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Coolfire CO2 dry fire ?


dgrdvm

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I just watched the you tube review and I would really agree with pretty much everything there, though I will say that the recoil is actually pretty close to my steel loads and just a bit wimpier than my USPSA loads  ( 147 gr coated over 3.4 gr VV N320) .  I guess if you are used to factory 115's it would be soft.  I have never fired an open gun, so no way to compare the feeling. 

 

The dot does make a bit more of a circle than an "up and down", but I figure I am learning to watch it either way, and the fact I can track it at all is a win.

 

I have not seen the barrel freeze and slow down, even when I am hammering away, but I am a bit obsessive with lube and use a lot of oil on the coolfire when I put it in the gun

 

I agree that there is still a place for non fire,  technique dry fire, and I do that , often w/o the cool fire in,  but as I have no easy range, I do like the semi live fire experience.

 

Again, there is a bit of difference - I can rip a surrender draw to dot on target in 0.8-0.9 dry all day , but when I try with the Coolfire and pull the trigger and the dot jumps, it seems I am not as settled and on target as I like. This has helped my first shot is steel as I have to get that grip, bear down and see the dot a bit clearer.

 

But hey, it is another tool, and if you think it will help, it likely will.  for the cost of a case and a half of 9mm, it was worth it to me. 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...
1 hour ago, a_whole_lot_of_freedom said:

Does anyone know what kind of places fill paintball tanks. No paintball places near me I can get to.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

 

Try a welding gas supplier...  

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2 hours ago, a_whole_lot_of_freedom said:

Does anyone know what kind of places fill paintball tanks. No paintball places near me I can get to.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

 

I filled up at a home brew company. $5 for a 20 oz tank. Tank going strong after a few months. 

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  • 2 months later...

I´m using it, and i love it.

 

Couldn´t shoot since march due to corona. All i could do, was dryfiring with coolfire. I had 2 livefire trainings in this time period and there was no weird feeling, as there normally would be when you can´t shoot for 5 Month. It felt like i never stopped, i even became better.  

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  • 6 months later...

I slowed down using it for a bit, but now with small pistol primers basically unicorn horns, unless you want to pay some scalper on GB 10X retail, and the last I saw, 9mm 115 gr was 0.65-0.70 cents a round, it seems to make sense again. Now this costs what 500 rounds of practice ammo would cost. No brainer. 

 

I still think it is helpful, and it did point out that my weak hand grip was well, weak. The dot was making circles, and tracking up and down. 

 

Slowly getting better .......

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  • 1 month later...

One advantage to the Coolfire and similar "recoil" systems is that they reset the gun automatically.  Most striker fired and single action guns require racking the slide after each trigger pull so multiple fast shots are impossible unless recoil resets the striker or hammer.  

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it doesn't sound like gunfire, but it does produce some noise. I spent quite a bit of time firing the coolfire Trainer, using to the two included 90-gram CO2 cartridges, as well as several that I purchased. Most importantly, the kit was reliable. You do need to keep your gun fairly well lubricated.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 4/16/2021 at 5:38 AM, bimmer1980 said:

... and my timer can time every shot. Thats pretty cool.

I'm thinking about getting the coolfire system, but I also need a shot timer. What timer are you using that picks up the coolfire well? Thanks!

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On 5/19/2021 at 5:21 PM, jtaylor996 said:

I'm thinking about getting the coolfire system, but I also need a shot timer. What timer are you using that picks up the coolfire well? Thanks!

Hi!

 

I´d say every timer, on wich you can adjust the sensibility. I use a DAA Shotmaxx 2.

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  • 8 months later...
On 7/12/2019 at 6:44 PM, Smithcity said:

Define "better or worse" than dryfire or livefire. Coolfire is much more realistic than dryfire. Combined with the LASR system you get a 3rd of the recoil, sight disruption forcing you to find the subsequent sight picture, a resetting trigger, and instant hit feedback for full fledged drills. It is far more expensive than dry, far cheaper than live. As far as training goes, id say coolfire with the lasr system is 85 to 90% as good as live fire, allowes you to practice any time with direct feedback on time and hits. This is something you cannot get with dry fire and par times. Many people build bad habits with dry fire and par times walking way with an unrealistic understanding of their skills. If im going to spend time practicing at home, why not make it as realistic as possible?

 

I use a sirt bolt and lasr system with my pcc and the amount of realistic training i could do with instant hit factor feedback accelerated my acquisition of shooting skills, allowing me to climb the classification ladder quickly. With the success I had with pcc, I got a coolfire for my p320 x5 shooting carry optics. When I compete I use a heavy tungsten grip frame. When I do coolfire training I use a x5 grip module with no weight added. As a result I get more felt recoil from the coolfire system and it more closely simulates live fire.

 

I have no doubt that a "simulated" training system (sirt, coolfire) with the gun you compete with is orders of magnitude better than dryfire. Still not a replacement for live fire, but much more realistic. The training is so similar to live fire, that with all the hit factor drills ive run with the pcc i can predict within 3 or 4 tenths my match classifier hit factor results assuming i dont do anything stupid. I have no doubt ill get there in time with the coolfire system and the x5. Once i pick up a legion my current x5 will become a full time coolfire gun.

 

Im not sure why there are so many disparaging remarks on the forums about the simulated training systems. As a guy who cant get to the range as often as i like because of work, family, and life, im able to easily spend 20min to 30min in the evening if i want, get a quality 400 trigger pulls with instant time and hit placement feedback, without driving anywhere, pasting targets, etc... and the practice is very similar to live fire results.

I’m a little late to the party but I’m interested in your idea here. I’m getting back into USPSA and shooting a x5 legion in CO as well. Since your time training with the coolfire using the poly grip can the tungsten grip, do you still support the coolfire trainer? I could see how the weight difference could compensate a bit for the felt recoil but curious in your take now that time has passed. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 7/12/2019 at 6:44 PM, Smithcity said:

Define "better or worse" than dryfire or livefire. Coolfire is much more realistic than dryfire. Combined with the LASR system you get a 3rd of the recoil, sight disruption forcing you to find the subsequent sight picture, a resetting trigger, and instant hit feedback for full fledged drills. It is far more expensive than dry, far cheaper than live. As far as training goes, id say coolfire with the lasr system is 85 to 90% as good as live fire, allowes you to practice any time with direct feedback on time and hits. This is something you cannot get with dry fire and par times. Many people build bad habits with dry fire and par times walking way with an unrealistic understanding of their skills. If im going to spend time practicing at home, why not make it as realistic as possible?

 

I use a sirt bolt and lasr system with my pcc and the amount of realistic training i could do with instant hit factor feedback accelerated my acquisition of shooting skills, allowing me to climb the classification ladder quickly. With the success I had with pcc, I got a coolfire for my p320 x5 shooting carry optics. When I compete I use a heavy tungsten grip frame. When I do coolfire training I use a x5 grip module with no weight added. As a result I get more felt recoil from the coolfire system and it more closely simulates live fire.

 

I have no doubt that a "simulated" training system (sirt, coolfire) with the gun you compete with is orders of magnitude better than dryfire. Still not a replacement for live fire, but much more realistic. The training is so similar to live fire, that with all the hit factor drills ive run with the pcc i can predict within 3 or 4 tenths my match classifier hit factor results assuming i dont do anything stupid. I have no doubt ill get there in time with the coolfire system and the x5. Once i pick up a legion my current x5 will become a full time coolfire gun.

 

Im not sure why there are so many disparaging remarks on the forums about the simulated training systems. As a guy who cant get to the range as often as i like because of work, family, and life, im able to easily spend 20min to 30min in the evening if i want, get a quality 400 trigger pulls with instant time and hit placement feedback, without driving anywhere, pasting targets, etc... and the practice is very similar to live fire results.

I agree 100% and share your confusion with criticism of the value of simulated training systems.  I come from an aviation background and simulated training is essential there.  I also agree that a recoil system with SIRT is orders of magnitude better than dryfire.  

Edited by Ocrrhbow
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For anyone interested in purchasing a CoolFire trainer let me know.  It fits P320 Legion, X5, and P320 Max guns.  It will include 1 bench mounted fillable station, rapid fill adapter with red laser, 20 oz. refill bottle and entire barrel system.  Cost to me new was $585.00.  I will sell it for $350 shipped.

 

image.png.d85da8e460b97dd6454e2b6fbe59027e.png

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  • 1 year later...

Coolfire for some platforms (Glock, SIG) seems more or less a drop in.  For a VP9 and some other platforms you have to swap out the striker spring.  This is a little involved.  For any folks who have done this do you switch the gun back and forth between coolfire and livefire, or because of this do you leave the pistol as a coolfire/dry fire only pistol and use a different gun for practice?

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  • 1 month later...

A review from Steve Anderson:

https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-dry-fire-training-systems/

 

 

" . . . The recoil provided by the CoolFire is about as powerful as live fire recoil and may be slightly more violent the lighter handloads frequently used in the “minor” power factor divisions of USPSA and other practical pistol sports. I fired 12 rapid shots with the Glock, and it felt fairly realistic. While the CoolFire recoil feels like live fire recoil, it doesn’t look the same. The red dot on the Glock 34 actually dipped below the aiming point in recoil instead of rising up like it does in live fire. This is not a problem for newer shooters but is not ideal for more experienced shooters who are learning to pay more attention to the sight picture during recoil as opposed to just before and after recoil.

 

With the CoolFire there is a sight picture, a disturbance in the sight picture as the gun recoils, and then another sight picture. This is good, but it’s not the same disturbance in the sight picture that happens when a live round is fired. I have worked with many clients who like to use the CoolFire at the end of a traditional dry fire session to remind themselves that the gun will recoil in live fire and to make sure their grip is appropriate.

 

If you want the gun to recoil in dry fire, the CoolFire is one of the best dry fire training systems for this purpose, and might be the only option if you want to use your own gun. It’s also the only way I know of to reset a semi-automatic handgun trigger during dry fire. It was necessary to recharge the CoolFire barrel with CO2 often, with faster trigger presses requiring more frequent charging. Another thing to note is that the recoil impulse changes as the CO2 becomes depleted. The slide begins to move slower as the gas runs out and eventually stops until the unit is charged again.

I would recommend the CoolFire to any shooter who needs to get accustomed to handling recoil, especially someone with limited access to live fire. They just need to understand that the sight picture will look different in recoil than it does in live fire. And I would absolutely recommend the CoolFire system to anyone who tends to flinch in anticipation of recoil, particularly a new shooter who may have an actual fear of recoil. . ."

Edited by ReconNav
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