any recommendations on which laser training device to get for a walther pdp-f
getting it for my daughter , something simple with feedback thanks
I do not use these myself, but know a few people that use the Mantis system. They are very happy with it.
What kind of laser are you looking for? Holster draw/fire training or muzzle tracking?
I prefer the Mantis Laser Academy personally - it has a Pink Rhino laser cartridge that goes into the chamber, and is great for dry fire holster draw practice. With striker/SAO guns you do have to rack it before every “shot”.
If you’re looking for muzzle tracking, etc - the Mantis X (x2/x3/x10) work great. X2 is dry fire only while the X3 and X10 can work with live fire. Not as great for holster draw, as the units are rail mounted so that interferes with most holsters. There’s an option for a magazine rail adapter to mount the Mantis to, which will let you use it for holster draw better, and live fire too, but you’re limited to a single mag.
There are other brands out there that do stuff like DryFireMag now has their Smart DryfireMag system which has a laser, but it’s not available for Walther PDP. Coolfire trainer does recoil simulation but does not include a laser.
One thing you COULD potentially do is the Coolfire Trainer + Mantis X. Those will work together, however I’m not 100% the Coolfire system will work with the PDP F.
If you’re trying to convert your existing gun, I generally recommend the Smart DryFireMag, coupled with Mantis Laser Academy, but they don’t have an offering for the PDP family.
If you’re looking for a laser each time you pull the trigger, I don’t see any option other than the Coolfire Trainer. It’s a cool option, though quite expensive. Once again, I’d pair with Mantis Laser Academy.
MantisX just came out with the TitanX which does exactly that but it’s not a live gun. There are some differences in ergonomics, but it’s a fully functional trainer. SIRT is also an excellent option, but once again, no PDP clones.
If you want to go cheap - there are firing pin activated laser cartridges available from amazon that you can pair with cheap laser-detecing targets or free/cheap smart phone apps that read the laser reflection from a wall/paper target:
You don’t want them cheap lasers, they keyhole all the time.
Ummmmm-what? Keyhole?
1 Like
They aren’t cheap, but nothing beats the coolfire trainers.
I actually LOLed !
1 Like
thanks for the responses, the strikeman one on amazon looks ok, anyone have one. its for my daughter to lear trigger pull
Haven’t used that exact one, but it’s similar to the “cheap” firing pin-triggered chinesium laser cartridge I do use.
If you do get it, you’ll want to find out what button-cell batteries the cartridge uses and immediately get a backup supply of those batteries from a “major” battery producer. If strikeman is indeed just sourcing their laser from China it will likely arrive with batteries that last for about 10 shots before they crap out.
The phone apps reading the laser “hits” work pretty well. I use a photography tripod with a phone holder on it - the cheap-o phone holder they include with some of their kits may or may not work for you depending on your practice area.
Downsides - you will very likely have to rack the slide in between each shot, and depending on the build of the cartridge and configuration of your firearm chamber you’ll likely need a wood dowel, chopstick or some other “soft” rod to push the cartridge out of the chamber when you’re done practicing.
I do, it’s not a bad system. My son used both the Mantis X and my Strikeman, and he said the Strikeman is a decent system. Yeah, you either have to rack the slide between shots, or depending on your pistol, you can just pull the trigger.
The Strikeman is the main competitor to Mantis.
Plus, you can get a laser for many different calibers. I have 9mm, .40 and .223