SIRT STIC – Safest AR-15 Dryfire Training Solution
The SIRT STIC is a replica laser dryfire platform that replicates the look, feel and weight of an AR-15, providing a way to dryfire practice with a rifle in a safe manner. The sirt stic is an extension of the SIRT 110 training pistol, a Glock 17 gen 3 clone, or the SIRT-115, which is a Glock 17 gen 5 clone. We’ve reviewed the SIRT 110 in detail in another video.
A Chasis system for the SIRT 110
The SIRT training pistol locks into the SIRT STIC, expanding on the training capability offered by the base pistol. It has many of the same features that you’d come to expect from a typical AR-15, but is designed in such a way to be maximally customizable to match your rifle configuration.
The SIRT STIC features a functioning safety identical to those found on the AR Platform. It has a collapsible stock very similar to a base carbine stock. The stock features regular sling mount loops as well as QD attachment points, one in the rear similar to a B5 Bravo, as well as one near where a buffer tube would be on an AR-15.
A fully featured AR-15 Replica
The rifle replica features a pic rail across the top, typical for the platform, as well as short pic rails on the sides. The handguard features both MLOK and Keymod attachment points for a wide variety of accessories. Other AR controls are molded into the body like the forward assist, bolt catch release, and magazine release although they are not functional.
Notably missing with the sirt stic is a lack of a magazine release. Instead, magazines are held in with pressure. This is useful for tactical reload training, as you can still move your finger in place to do the reload and use your other hand to retain the magazine, but its not helpful if you want to practice your emergency reload. Still, that’s a very minor gripe.
Advantage over other dryfire solutions like the Mantis Blackbeard
That said, other dryfire solutions like the mantis blackbeard require the magwell to contain a battery pack, so the sirt STIC really shines in this area. To date, I think the only platform that would really allow for that is the SIRT AR Bolt, because it doesn’t reciprocate the fire control group mechanically so the battery sits in the bolt itself. So each product has pros and cons across the board. I realize it would have been a very difficult design constraint to make a functional magazine release given the innovative design of the SIRT stic, so this is maybe the only trade off made.
One of the coolest features of the sirt stic is the weighted barrel. It really has a heavy feel giving the rifle a heavier feeling of weight despite most of the replica being made of plastic.
The barrel can be extended to any length and then torqued into place, which is great for replicating training on a variety of firearms. To date, there isn’t a solid solution for dryfire training with an AR-10, but at least by being able to lengthen the barrel you can achieve similar barrel lengths to larger DMR type platforms.
Minor Gripes with the SIRT STIC
Another very minor gripe for me is that keymod runs the length of the bottom of the handguard. MLOK is dominant nowdays, so if you’re going to support both, my preference would be to have MLOK run half of the bottom of the rail.
As well, the choice of using a proprietary stock on the back didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I think for max customization they should have just put a standard carbine style buffer on the back so you can choose to put whatever stock you want on the back. I run a B5 Bravo on pretty much all of my rifles, so having the ability to run that on here would have been nice.
SIRT Stic + SIRT 110 is my most used dryfire combo
Otherwise though, the platform is really great and I probably dryfire train with either my SIRT-110 and / or the SIRT STIC more than any other platform. Even though arguably, the Mantis Blackbeard has a different set of advantages over the SIRT STIC, the SIRT STIC is more convenient.
You don’t need to lock it up in your safe, which is the primary reason why this gets the most usage from me in a house with young kids. You don’t need to unload the firearm, drop out the bolt carrier group, and re-assemble every time you dryfire train, you just grab the SIRT STIC and go.
The SIRT110 is also rock solid. I’ve in several years of owning it and using it regularly not had to change the batteries even yet. It still works phenomenally well, just like the day that I bought it. If you follow the channel at all, you know that I build dryfire training software. Project MARS is my passion project, Marksmanship Augmented Reality Simulators, so the dryfire hardware side of that system is a crucial component. Obviously in building the software, I dryfire train A LOT.
The SIRT110 and SIRT STIC are super durable
Durability is the biggest reason why I use the SIRT110. I’ve broken a mantis blackbeard before. The Mantis blackbeard is plastic and I’ve had longevity issues with mine. The warranty department at Mantis is great, but for the amount of dryfire reps that I do, given that I build dryfire simulators, the SIRT 110 and SIRT STIC is my work horse. So if you’re concerned with longevity, especially if you’re say, a firearms instructor, the convenience, unparalleled safety, and durability of this platform is going to be a major advantage to you. The SIRT STIC would be perfect for demoing concepts like how to use cover and concealment in classroom settings since it isn’t a real firearm, but give you added advantages over a blue gun.
However, the blackbeard has many advantages over the SIRT STIC which may make it a better option for you. I’d encourage you to watch my Mantis blackbeard review video (and BlackbeardX video) to understand those in more details, and I’ll probably also release a video shortly comparing the two side by side that will go over every nuanced advantage or disadvantage of both platforms. But since this is a video primarily about the SIRT stic, I’ll just highlight the three main disadvantages versus platforms that convert your actual AR-15 for dryfire.
Disadvantages of the SIRT STIC vs Mantis Blackbeard
The first is having to shift around optics and accessories or having to own duplicates to get dryfire time with your platform of choice. Obviously to train with your optic of choice you’d have to take it off of your main squeeze, which is a pain in the butt for zeroing unless you have a really top tier QD mounting system. Even so its less than ideal.
The second is that the trigger on your AR-15 is going to be different than the trigger on your SIRT-110. Even though the 110 has an adjustable trigger, it features a glock style two stage trigger. You may have a single stage trigger in your actual rifle.
The third is that you’d have to own Two SIRT pistols in order to practice transitions from rifle to pistol. There’s definitely a case to be made for owning the SIRT 110 pistol, then having the blackbeard with your AR-15 for those types of drills.
SIRT STIC is excellent for practicing movement with a rifle
However, the SIRT stic is excellent for practicing moving with a rifle, which is where this really shines. The safety considerations are much simpler since the SIRT Stic is a replica. While the blackbeard is very safe since it replaces the bolt carrier group entirely, it still makes my family a lot more comfortable knowing that the SIRT stic is what im using when practicing and developing our training simulators daily. I can leave the SIRT stic out unattended. Again, the SIRT stic is the ideal option in terms of safety since your main squeeze can sit in the safe.
And as mentioned earlier, the SIRT stic allows me a dryfiring training solution that is more similar to other platforms like the AR-10 because of its adjustable barrel length, whereas there aren’t really any good dryfire solutions for the AR-10 as it stands today. I’m looking at you mantis, make a blackbeard for the AR-10 and you will sell a boat load.
SIRT STIC retails for $239
The SIRT STIC retails for $239, but you have to factor in the additional cost of the SIRT 110. It is slightly cheaper if you bundle both. So the combination of both is more expensive than the Mantis Blackbeard, but if you’re going to be buying the SIRT 110 anyway or already have one, they are comparable.
Final Thoughts
I hope this video was helpful to you, if it was, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. Later this year I’m going to do a comprehensive review video of all dryfire options for the AR-15 and go over the detailed pros and cons of every option, and that might help solidify your decision. However, in the meantime, consider checking our our review video of the Mantis blackbeard, as it’ll help further educate you on which product is right for you if you only plan to buy one. Thanks for watching and we’ll see you next week with a new video.
