Dry-fire training with a laser is the next best thing to live-fire training, and Laser Ammo makes that happen with your own AR. This means you are building muscle memory with the exact firearm you use in competition, or the one you would use to defend yourself. The constant handling of the same AR brings an intimate familiarity of the firearm so you can drive the AR to do what you want and need to do.
Laser Ammo’s Flash Bolt is a drop-in replacement for your AR’s bolt carrier group (BCG) and houses either a red of IR laser. I reviewed the red laser variant. It runs on a CR123 battery that will last for thousands of trigger pulls. We’ll do the cost benefits analysis in a bit.
What I like about the Flash Bolt is there is no need to cycle the bolt to cock the hammer and reset the trigger. Just keep pressing the trigger. Flash Bolt uses an electronic pressure switch that fits behind your AR’s existing trigger to activate the laser. It is simple to install and remove.
i-MTTS Interactive Targets
i-MTTS is the acronym for Interactive Multi Target Training System. These targets come in packs of one, three or five and work with Laser Ammo’s Flash Bolt as well as any of LaserAmmo laser cartridges for handguns.
I found using the Flash Bolt with i-MTTS was a blast, except without the blast. That blast and the recoil were only two things missing. What I also discovered using Laser Ammo’s training system was that I became more confident and proficient with my SAINT Victor. I also trained in my home with the AR I will use if I need to defend my home.
Doing the Math
I had a beautiful Cost Benefit Analysis PowerPoint put together, but I know your time is valuable. Let’s use one thousand as the benchmark, though Laser Ammo says you get thousands of trigger pulls on each battery. Honestly, I wasn’t counting. Let’s just say it was a lot.
Compare a thousand trigger pulls on the Flash Bolt to one thousands rounds of 5.56 NATO ammo. Bulk ammo costs between $410 and $524 depending on the brand and bullet loaded. The Flash Bolt costs $229.95, and i-MTTS is $99.95 up to 299.95 depending on how many targets you opt for in a pack.
That’s slightly more than a 1,000 rounds of ammo, but look at what you are left with. With the Laser Ammo system, you have the ability to continuously train, whenever and however you want. Plus, you can use Flash Bolt in your home at any time of the day or night as you please.
Flash Bolt Setup
Installing the Flash Bolt is as simple as field-stripping an AR. The first step is to remove the BCG from the empty and unloaded AR and replace it with the Flash Bolt by gently seating the Flash Bolt in the upper receiver and reattaching the upper and lowers receivers.
The next step is setting up the trigger. First adjust the trigger weight by inserting the desired number of trigger spring weights into the trigger switch. The flat springs are tiny and star-shaped. Maximum pull weight is 5 lbs. with five springs. Adjust the number of springs to match the desired pull weight of your trigger. My SAINT Victor has a pull weight of about 5 lbs., so I kept the five springs.
The next step is to determine spacer plates. These spacers are inserted into the trigger switch of the springs. The spacer fills the gap behind the trigger so as the trigger is pressed, the laser is activated. The trigger switch plate is then placed behind the trigger and secured with a magnetic side plate. Attaching the trigger switch is not permanent nor does it mar the finish of the rifle. A short cord from the trigger switch plugs into the Flash Bolt. That’s it. The Flash Bolt is now ready to be used.
There is an on/off switch on the Flash Bolt that turns the system off and that is accessed from the upper receiver ejection port. The red laser features four modes: Invisible, Dry Fire, Extra Duration and Boresight. Choose a mode by pushing a button to cycle through the modes. You do this through the magwell, and an extra-long hex wrench that comes with the Flash Bolt.
Invisible mode is for professional training and only works with Laser Ammo electronic targets. Dry Fire mode uses a short pulse, and Extra Duration offers a longer pulse that allows the user to see if they are flinching. Boresight mode stays on and allows you to align the bore to an optic.
Additionally, the Flash Bolt has the ability to be aligned with the optic. There are tiny windage and elevation adjustment screws that can be turned to zero the Flash Bolt to your iron sights or optic.
Setting Up i-MTTS Targets
What’s cool about i-MTTS is that the targets work together to provide a variety of drills. Sure, they beep and flash when they are hit — or not. You can turn off that function, but the fun part of using this system is the six operating modes.
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Each pack includes targets: a 3” circle target that resemble steel plates, 5” bullseyes, 1/5 scale B57 silhouette targets, and quarter scale IPSC targets. The targets are made of a reflective polymer and are sturdy. They fit in a slot at the back of an electronic base that runs off of three AAA batteries.
You can place the targets throughout your home with at least a minimum of 8” apart and a maximum distance apart of 8 feet.
Training Modes: Mild to Wild
To train, turn on the units. If you don’t choose a mode, the targets are in Stand Alone mode and will register hits. I used this Stand Alone mode to get my feet wet, so to speak, with the Flash Bolt and i-MTTs.
Turning on the modes not only increases the challenge it makes training fun and exciting. Steel-Plate Shooting mode has all the targets light up and then black out when hit. The targets automatically reset after you hit them all. Make sure the targets are all set on the same mode.
Chase The Ball mode has a random target light up bright green. Hit the target and another turns on. This is a great drill for target acquisition and trigger press. Shoot/No-Shoot mode has the targets light up green or red for two seconds. Shoot only the green ones or you get a penalty if you hit a red one. Targets light up randomly, so you need to have a fast reaction time to engage the target.
What to crank up the heat? Do you have a need for speed? Double-Speed Shoot/No-Shoot mode increases the speed. Let’s just say you’ll need your training wheels on before you progress to this mode.
The final mode is Double Tap. All targets will light up. Shoot a target once, and when it is hit, the color will change to green. Shoot the same target a second time to turn off the target. After hitting all the targets twice, all of them will light up again to start the drill from the beginning.
The system works with most 5.56 NATO or 300 BLK caliber ARs. To use Flash Bolt in a .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO AR, you need an adapter.
DIY Shoot-House
I placed the i-MTTS targets in Double Tap mode and had my wife set them up throughout my house to build a dry-fire version of a shoot house. Not knowing where the targets were exactly located, I pie-sliced corners and took shots ensuring I used the angles to my advantage.
I didn’t want to get sloppy knowing full well I was not going to be shot at. I believe you need to train with purpose, or you are just wasting ammo — or in this case, battery life. Performing this drill made me aware of blind spots in my home and helped me maneuver the rifle more easily.
In the workout room, I set the target mode for Shoot/No-Shoot where the targets light up green or red for two seconds. I then ran on the treadmill for 10 to 15 minutes and, with my heart rate jacked, performed the drill. I’ve been in situations where circumstances cause your heart rate to spike, and you need to manage your breathing while performing the fine eye-hand coordination needed for shooting a rifle.
Perhaps the mode which offered me the most fun was Chase The Ball. I placed targets in a spare bedroom — on the headboard, bureau, dresser — so targets were spread out. In this mode, a random target lights up bright green. Hit the lit-up target, and another lights up. Using the smaller 3” circle targets proved to be a challenge and helped with rapidly transitioning from one target to another.
Is It Worth It?
Finding time to training with your rifle can be difficult. Most of us have to work for a living. Using the Flash Bolt increases my trigger time with my AR. There is an initial investment up front, but the return on that investment means you can train any time, any day in the privacy of your home.
Another big plus with the i-MTTS targets are the variety of training modes. Dry fire training can become dull, but the different modes the target offer a challenge and make training fun. I’m sold!
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