G Sight Laser Training Cartridge

First as always – the youtube review for those that do not want to read.

I did a lot of research and reading over reviews trying to decide on a laser training app and cartridge to use for dry fire practice. At Shot Show this year I had a chance to touch a few different products and talk to the reps and the one that interested me the most was the G-Sight. The cartridge seemed sturdy and accurate so when I got home I looked them up and I saw a lot of good reviews and positive feedback so I bought the 9MM unit to play with. 

G-Sight has an app that they developed and it is well put together and has a ton of good features but I went a different direction and downloaded the I-Target app. The only reason I went with the I-Target app for now is because I had previously used the app at a friends house and liked it. I wanted something simple to start with so I could evaluate the laser with the expectation that I would get a better app with more features at a later date.

The build quality of the unit seems to be very sturdy and well done. The O rings are easy to replace, which is good because I see them as the weakest part of the cartridge. Rubber and some oils do not mix well so if your gun is well lubed or you still have oils in your chamber the O-rings may deteriorate faster. The laser itself will last forever, the batteries can be found on Amazon and most electronic stores so I am not worried about them. Because lasers use relatively little power I don’t foresee a need to replace the batteries anytime soon, with just the quick strobes of the laser they should last thousands of shots. 

I do have a concern for the polymer endcap that the firing pin contacts. After a couple hundred shots the cap has a dent in it from the glock firing pin. If it is already showing wear I do wonder how long it will actually last. I am using this unit in a 1911 and a glock and although they have a different overall pattern there is overlap where its starting to bore into the end cap. I don’t believe that there is any way to replace the cap so once its completely hollowed out or damaged to the point that the laser is not triggered a new unit may need to be purchased. 

With that said I think that is far down the road, I will update this review as needed when I figure out the answer. Once I do burn it out I will also update with ways I try and fix it – nothing lasts forever.

The laser is very well centered and it has been accurate in multiple weapons. I knew my Glock’s red dot was shooting about an inch higher and 1 inch to the left than point of aim. I confirmed this on my last range trip and decided not to fix it util after this test. When using the laser it reflected the 1 inch up and 1 over discrepancy perfectly. Needed a second verification of the point of impact being accurate I tossed the laser in my best shooting pistol, my 9MM 1911 and it was driving the same tacks on the app as the pistol does using real ammo on targets at the range. 

Reading reviews I saw that some people were having problems with the unit fitting in their chamber, I don’t know if this was an issue with earlier units or if some people just have a very tight chamber but mine worked in 3 different guns. It fit my 1911, Canik and my Glock with a match barrel without issue. It was a bit harder to pop out of the Glock chamber but not anything to worry about. I have also seen some people oil the O rings slightly to allow for easier chambering and extraction but I have not had to do so. 

One good thing about the unit is that it will not eject when the slide is racked, this is more of a concern for Glock and M&P’s more than pistols with external hammers like 1911’s, Beretta’s and Caniks. With the 1911 and Canik I just thumb the hammer back for the next shot. With the Glock I have to cycle the slide every time, this is good for mag change drills but the lack of a trigger reset is one of the down sides to a training simulator like this – you can not practice riding the trigger on your gun back to the reset point.

One other potential down side to the unit not having a rim is that it may not work in revolvers. I have been unable to find a review of someone who uses this training cartridge, or one like it, in their revolver. I am sure someone will come up with some kind of moon clip the will work and hold the unit in the correct spot of the cylinder but I don’t have a 9mm revolver to try it out with. When I emailed the company they were not sure if it would work. I think the majority of the industry uses these lasers in semi auto pistoles only. When I get a chance I will drop it in a 9mm revolver, once I find one.

The app I choose was the I-Target Pro app, the reason I choose it was its free, it works on android phones and it has constantly good reviews. I did not want to spend any money on an app that I may not use or may not like; so for now I am sticking with this one. It is very simple and really only has a few settings. It registers the lasers “impact”, counts shots and gives you the points you earned for each shot based on your target. It is not fancy and it is not flashy but it gets the job done. It will allow you to share and save your shot groups and score for later reference though – which can be nice if your working on your skills and want to see the progression, or so you and your friends can compete even when you can’t hit the range together. If you pay for different apps you get things like shot timers and beeps for quick draw training but I don’t feel the need for any of that just yet. I like the ability to work on my form and trigger pulls with a real result. Here is a view of what is saved.

When I first started using the app I found the sensitivity on the app was way to high and I had to adjust it to get the app to function correctly. At high sensitivity the app was reading shadows as laser flashes and counting hits all over the target. Once I adjusted it down everything leveled out and I could use it without issue. I also don’t know why it wants you to put your distance in. I put in 5 feet and then went back to 30 and then to 10 and back to 30 and it did not seem to make any difference. I am guessing its just for your information so you know where you were shooting from if you decide to save the results. 

I also did not buy a sled or any fancy stands from I-Target, I just tacked a target to a piece of foam core poster board, propped my phone up on my work bench and used my finger to adjust where the app was reading the bullseye on the target and started shooting. Once I figured out how far from the target to put the phone  (about 15 inches) I had everything working smoothly and still use the same set up. Its not fancy its not pretty but it works and its simple (and cheap). 

One thing I did do was slave my phone screen to my TV using google Chromecast – this way I can shoot from anywhere in the room at any distance and see where the shot hit. Being 30 or 40 feet back from the phone made it hard to see hits without walking forward. With the phone screen projecting to my 50 inch flat screen I can see at a glance where the last shot landed. This also means I can use the laser to shoot from way back in my bedroom, through the hallway and out to the living room and still get instant feedback.

As a training tool I think the G-Sight is a sold purchase. Its simple design is easy to use and sturdy and the batteries and O-rings easy to replace. It has been accurate in the pistoles I have used it in and has worked every time I have triggered it. With the ITargetpro app I have been very happy with the interface and practice time I am getting without trying to squeeze a range session in somewhere after work or between appointments. Although I don’t see it as a true alternative to trigger time at the gun range I do see it as a viable way to keep your skills sharp and also to identify any problems you may be having. 

The only down side I see is the end cap. Eventually that polymer end cap is going to be to dented to read the firing pin strike. This is something I do not foresee happening for a long time but it is something to keep in mind. Your still going to be saving a ton of money using this laser rather than shooting real ammo every night, every few days or every weekend. Just depends on how much practice you want to put in. If / when I do burn this one out I will be getting a replacement and am still thinking about picking one up in 45ACP as well.

G-Sight website

I Target app

Buy it on Amazon