Simulated Training Gun

[Robert Tawton]

Hi All,

Recently, as is my want, I was watching a TV show on ABC or perhaps SBS (it doesn't really matter). The show was directed towards explaining to school children the working of an orchestra. One of the instruments, shown ever so briefly, was designed to simulate the “crack” of a whip. Being a bit of a lateral thinker, I thought “what about simulating the crack of a gun”.

No doubt most triallers will attest to the fact that if you try to use a (real) gun and primers in built up and/or public up area, you are guaranteed of attracting unwanted attention from the Police and/or local authorities. Using a child’s “cap” gun is certainly one option, but their reliability leaves a lot to be desired.

Cutting along story short, I took a piece of 2x1 pine about 10 inches long and to this I attached a second piece of 2x1 about 6 inches long using a butt hinge. With a short, sharp downward motion, the 6 inch piece of material strikes the longer piece and a “crack” like noise is produced. A cheap, simple and 100% reliable instrument! I have no doubt that by playing with the choice of and thicknesses of the material; it may be possible to produce an even more realistic simulation of the sound of a firearm.

R’s , RWT

[Wayne Parkinson]

Hi Bob this certainly does work.
The first time I saw this was when the Golden Retriever club first started having training weekends.
Jim Hargraves and company were just starting off in retrieving trials.
Jack Montasell was helping out and was using it for the puppies.

For a more upmarket version John Lawton sells a device that fires a primer. It has two sockets. one soft and the other louder.
From what I understand these are not classed as firearms.

Wayne P.

[Greg Cress]

I've seen a hinged clap-board type device. I agree it sounds more like a gun than anything else I can think of.

It sounds as though it is difficult to use a real gun for training down there. Do they allow it on private land?

Introducing dogs to gunfire from a great distance and then gradually bringing them closer is a good method if you can do it.

[Prue Winkfield]

We need to be careful of anything that looks like a gun in public places and yet if childen play with toy guns it seems OK

[Kerry Webster]

I can vouch for that Prue,

Several years ago two friends and myself were out training our dogs at a well known spot classed as open public space. Wonderful lakes and reeds and high kikuyu were aplenty, and we were doing wonderfully well with our training, using, a timber cutout gun and verbally, going "bang".

Right in the middle of our session, a police paddy wagon cruised up and two police officers carefully opened the doors and cautiously approached us, asking what we were doing. With one person out in the field at the time, on a thrower, the two of us standing there with our dogs, explained how we were training our dogs for retrieving. The relief on the "cops" faces was obvious, and they told us that a report had been received of, get this...............'people shooting dogs' !!!!

We explained that our dogs were definitely not being shot (though the temptation has existed at times), and, that the 'gun' was a piece of cutout timber. They suggested using an umbrella for our training instead, which we accordingly followed, but people see what they want to see and they interpret situations so differently.

These days no form of umbrella, cutout or anything similar is used by me or my training partner/s when in a public accessed area, just to be on the safe side.

Kerry