Gear Review: Glock E-Trainer -- Rack-free dry fire for noobs

The Glock E-Trainer is model-specific. (Photo: Eve Flanigan/Guns.com)

Ever seen a new shooter frustrated by the need to rack the slide to practice the art of the trigger press? Now there’s a product to circumvent that chore so new shooters can concentrate on that, as well as the other fundamentals.  Meet the Glock E-Trainer.

This little widget is distributed in the States by ConcealedCarry.com. It’s an extremely lightweight (think paperclip), W-shaped device that clamps onto the rear of a Glock slide. E-Trainers are model-specific; there’s one for every Glock except the 42. I’ve been using ones that fit models 19 and 43.

Amongst new shooters there are almost always some which find dry fire practice can be slightly detrimental when they get a loaded pistol in their hands, as the memory of racking the slide to reset the trigger becomes something of a habit. Yes, I’ve explained that the gun does that without human help when loaded, but in the avalanche of information that is my state’s concealed carry course, that little fact can be forgotten.

The view from the back of the E-Trainer. It doesn’t interfere with grip or slide manipulation. (Photo: Eve Flanigan/Guns.com)

I was pretty stoked when I read about the E-Trainer, thinking it would solve those slide-racking woes. Not so fast, said a company rep. Technology is good, but we’re not there yet. What this little clip does do is give the shooter a steady, constant pull weight from the front to the rear of a full trigger press. It’s repeatable with no other manipulation required.  What it doesn’t offer is any differentiation between slack, break, and reset.  It’s just a smooth press, of about five pounds by my rough estimation.

E-Trainer is short for easy trainer and any implications of the usual “electronic” inference of the letter E should be discarded. It’s strictly mechanical. Mechanical yes, and also easy.  Installation takes just a few seconds—lock the slide to the rear, and slip the outside branches of the device around the back of the slide.  The instructions say to close the slide gently, but I instead gave it a realistic rack many times over, and the E-Trainer stayed in place—a very good thing.

This little gadget is shipped with two business-size cards stating the return policy, help resources with ConcealedCarry.com, and tiny instructional graphics for installation. So tiny they are, that it’s hard to tell from the drawings onto what part of the slide the device goes. Opening the Glock E-Trainer website made installation a breeze, as it has photos that give a better view of installation.

Pressing the trigger all the way to the rear, and back again, without a hitch and without racking the slide, using the E-Trainer. (Photo: Eve Flanigan/Guns.com)

The sides of the Glock E-Trainer are coated with rubbery sleeves and don’t leave any marks on the slide upon removal. (Photo: Eve Flanigan/Guns.com)

Though the Glock E-Trainer is limited by brand—Glocks only need apply—and by lack of full trigger function, it has a place. Brand new shooters can practice all the fundamentals, including a semblance of trigger press, without the distraction and confusion of racking between each press. Without a palpable “click” and reset, though, it’s an aid that’s quickly outgrown.  As part of a progressive learning program, the E-Trainer could be used in an encouraging dry fire reward system, wherein taking the device off after other dry fire fundamentals are in place is akin to taking the training wheels off a bicycle.

Had it not been provided for me as a factory sample, would I spend $29.44, including shipping, on it?  No. That’s quite steep for a device useful for a limited time per shooter, but it is indeed an asset to any range or instructor working with brand new shooters, simplifying the steps associated with dry fire orientation to shooting.