Reddit mentions of LaserLyte laser trainer 9mm cartridge built in SNAP CAP dry fire training the LASER BULLET is centered in the chamber RUBBER ORINGS great laser training your PISTOL no ammo needed

I got one of these and it helped a lot with trigger control - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NKY23E

note: I did not get the laserlyte targets; I can easily see where the laser hits and if it's a steady shot vs. showing some sort of flinching etc. - however i may get some of the timed targets later for rapid draw/fire drills.

[Laser Training Cartridge] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NKY23E/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) has been worth every penny. It seems to use batteries pretty slowly too. Makes dry-fire practice a lot more fun/realistic.

As others have said, definitely rent guns at the range. Black Wing has a very large selection both in the rental cabinet and on the sales floor. Vance is great too. I don't shop at LEPD because they're expensive and selection isn't that great, but I use their range sometimes.

For practice, start with a .22 target pistol, like the Browning Buckmark or Ruger Mark III. They're cheap to buy, cheap to shoot, very accurate and are excellent for warming up before moving on to the bigger calibers. Training on .22 will also help you focus on sight alignment while minimizing the chances of developing a flinch.

The other reason to buy a target pistol is that many ranges won't let you rent a gun if you're alone and don't have your own gun. That's to prevent people from renting guns and committing suicide on the range. If you want to try out guns for home defense and you can't bring a friend to the range, having a target pistol will get you into the shooting booth.

EDIT: Also get a laser trainer. For the price of a range trip or two, you can practice inside your home as much as you want. I find it really helps me focus on sight alignment and trigger control. Dry fire practice is one of the most important things you can do to improve your accuracy, and having a laser has made me a much better shot in a very short time.

Here is the one I use. Don't let the price scare you... you will easily save it in practice ammo. You can sometimes find them cheaper on Ebay. https://www.amazon.com/Laserlyte-Laser-Trainer-9-mm-Cartridge/dp/B004NKY23E/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1480200806&sr=1-1&keywords=LaserLyte

Use a laser sight when practicing trigger control with dry fire drills, so you get feedback on exactly what the muzzle is doing as you pull.

Use a laser trainer when you practice draw and fire drills, or point shooting. Again, this gives feedback that otherwise wouldn't be there.

Using a laser sight or laser trainer with dry firing also lets you practice firing while moving or from unusual positions in a safe manner and with feedback on what you're doing.

I'm a striker guy but for dry fire, I can totally see the benefit of having a double action trigger. I like to use one of those laserlight trainer cartridges when I practice my dry-fire (almost every night). And it would be really nice if I could just pull the trigger again to get another shot to go off, rather than having to re-rack the slide to get the next "shot" off.

But other than that and the extremely low likely event of a soft-primer strike, then I prefer the consistency of strikers.

100 rounds isn't very much. Have you looked into reloading?

I suck with my pistols and I get that shooting is not budget friendly, but 100 rounds/mo per gun is not very much at all. That would be a pretty light range day for me, and I try to go at least 3x a month. I'm assuming you don't have many pistols.

Might want to check this out. This was recommended to me and I'm going to pick it up soon. There's an option to pick up a target with it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004NKY23E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1452190593&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=laserlyte+laser+trainer&dpPl=1&dpID=41hdZ-MN7lL&ref=plSrch

I'd recommend starting to carry around your house. You can start carrying unloaded if you'd prefer so you can get used to it. Then when you feel comfortable you can carry loaded. Getting the permit is easy, I just took some online course, but what's important is your safety and comfort level. From a safety standpoint, becoming comfortable with your firearm is essential.

As far as at home practice, I really enjoyed having this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NKY23E/ You can get it in other calibers too. It's not perfect, but it helped me practice my aim, especially while drawing. Its not necessary and I know it's not really cheap, but I really enjoyed having it when I first got into firearms and carrying. It helped me a lot with my accuracy. You can even buy targets that will beep or fall down when the laser hits them, but I didn't feel like it was necessary. I just focused on an outlet or something else small across the room and feel like it was good enough.

If you want real live firing training, I can't really help you there because I've never done it. What I've seen and what seems to make the most sense is ask your ranges near you if they offer private lessons focused on CCW or shooting from a holstered position.

Best of luck and am always happy to hear of another CCW person here. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a story of a citizen carrying helped stop a deadly situation that could have been a lot more deadly!

I don't use a full laserlyte system.

I use this.

And combine it with this and this.

That way I'm using my real gun with its trigger break, etc.

Faaaaantastic for dry-fire practice.

Do that daily with nice slow, precise, control and it will absolutely perfect your live fire shooting.

But I wouldn't train with the system in the OP listing. I'm sure it's nice, but I'd rather use my own weapon.

You could check out something like a laser cartridge insert. It won't give you the added benefit of a double tap unless you have a true DA pistol, but you can safely use it around home.

I say invest in these:

https://www.amazon.com/Laserlyte-Laser-Trainer-9-mm-Cartridge/dp/B004NKY23E

They helped my shooting more than anything. They even have targets that make it like a game. When I started, live ammo was actually reinforcing some bad habits. I began anticipating and jerking the trigger. I would leave the range more frustrated than when I started, and it felt like a waste of money. Laserlyte cartridges helped me work on the fundamentals like drawing, presenting, sight alignment, and trigger pull. The best part was I could practice every day in the house. They made me a better shooter in days.

One of the best ways to feel more comfortable with your carry piece is to train and to wear it.

Wear it around at home. You'll get used to the feeling and eventually you won't notice it - you'll just notice it when it's not there.

Also train. Train train train. Shoot at the range at least once a month. Get a training round (they have other calibers) and train at home. You can use the training round to work on your draw from conceal, trigger control, and all around accuracy. You'll feel a lot more comfortable with your carry piece when you know you can quickly draw your sidearm without fumbling for it.

As for carry locations, I'm a guy - and other people have already spoken on that topic. So I'd listen to them, not me on that.