Training pistol

You don't want to use substandard firearms, even when they are nothing more than starter pistols.

I went to Gundog Supply Company and was ready to throw down $189.95 for the Alfa .22, which seemed to be the top-of-the-line. I talked to one of the guys at GDS, who concluded that the Viper ($89.95) was enough for an occasional trainer like me. The Viper shoots .22 crimps (or shorts), which are a little shorter than a normal .22 blank. Viper recommends against using so-called acorn blanks, which are shorter still, and which can be difficult to extract after firing.

I use the gun in water training and in hunt tests. We shoot the blank gun instead of the shotgun for all of the dogs at a HT. It gets a pretty good workout on those days. Otherwise, in general training, there are maybe 2 shots per dog on a Sunday training day.

The Viper has enough heft that it does not seem likely to fall apart in your hand the way some of the really cheap guns do.

The Viper is a solid starter pistol sold by GunDogSupply.

The Viper shoots .22 crimps, also sold by GunDogSupply.