The MantisX Blackbeard Review: An AR-15 Laser Trainer With Auto Trigger Reset
The MantisX Blackbeard might be the best accessory you could ever buy for your AR-15. No, it’s not a fancy handguard or night vision optic. It’s a laser training device that automatically resets your trigger. And it installs in seconds.
MantisX Blackbeard Simplifies Your Training
Training with a firearm can be complicated these days for several reasons. First, there’s an ammo shortage. Gun owners are holding onto their ammo supplies because they’re not sure when they’ll be able to replenish them. And prices have skyrocketed too, making live-fire practice an expensive proposition. The other thing is that with the zombie virus still a concern, people are more apt to stay home. The range where I usually shoot was closed for a few months earlier this year.
Dry-fire practice at home can’t be a complete substitute, but it can help to keep your skills sharp until you get to the range. Millions of shooters own AR-15-style rifles. Most people I know own several.
The problem with dry-fire practice with an AR-15 is that you have to manually reset the trigger after each pull of the trigger by yanking on the charging handle. That eliminates target transition drills and any drills for that matter that require multiple shots in rapid succession.
Until now, that is. The MantisX Blackbeard installs in a standard AR-15 without tools and you can do it in mere seconds. You push the pin to unlock the gun’s upper receiver, remove the bolt carrier and charging handle and then replace them with the one-piece Blackbeard unit. Secure the upper receiver to the lower and put the Blackbeard’s magazine-shaped battery pack in the magazine well. The battery pack is rechargeable with an included USB cord.
Using The MantisX Blackbeard Trigger Reset
That’s it. You’re ready for dry-fire practice. Take aim and pull the trigger. The Blackbeard momentarily emits a laser where you’re aiming. The trigger resets and you’re ready for the next shot. There are varying reports as to how fast the trigger resets. I found it resets and is ready to go as fast as I can pull the trigger. Better to take it smooth and slow, however, and gradually build up the speed.
I saw one YouTube video on this unit that complained the laser wasn’t on target. Read the card included in the kit, fella, before you make a video. The laser is adjustable. There’s a button that sets the laser to steady-on mode. From there, you can adjust the laser’s point of impact for both windage and elevation. I was lucky. The Blackbeard laser lined up well with the Bushnell Lil P optic I have on my rifle without any adjustment. And yes, I know, that’s a New York-compliant gun in the photos. After the recent elections, you might have to get used to these “that’s-just-not-right” firearms. Hopefully not.
Incorporating The Blackbeard In Practice
There are several ways to use this device. You can use it alone in dry-fire practice getting the gun on target quickly and firing double-taps or working on target transitions. Because the unit emits a laser – you can order a unit with either green, red or IR laser – you can use it in conjunction with one of the many laser training targets available. These usually record your laser “hits” on the target and provide feedback through your smart phone or other device.
Don’t Forget Your MantisX
Or, you can use the BlackBeard with your MantisX unit. Remember, the MantisX, available in several iterations now, is a small, rechargeable unit that clips on to the accessory rail of your firearm without tools. The unit makes a Bluetooth connection to your smart phone or other device and links to a free app that you download.
You can enter the specific gun you’re using, so you can track your progress with different weapons. The app is continually being updated with an array of challenging shooting drills. One great thing about the MantisX is that you can use the device for dry-fire practice – in this case with the BlackBeard installed in your AR-15 — and then transition to life-fire practice when you can get to the range. There’s a setting for using air guns too.
The app scores each pull of the trigger from 0 to 100 and provides feedback on such things as the motion of your muzzle, time from starting signal to trigger pull and time between shots. It provides charts on where you’re muzzle is at the time of the trigger pull in comparison to the bullseye and offers suggestions on correcting errors in your fundamentals.
You can compare your results from one practice session to the next to track your progress.
In this day of “social distancing,” you can even challenge a friend anywhere in the country to a friendly, remote competition through the app. I’ve used my MantisX exclusively with handguns until now. But now that I have the BlackBeard that automatically resets the trigger on my rifle, I can put in some quality training time with my AR-15 as well. The Blackbeard lists for a suggested retail price of $199. For the ammo you’ll save and the practice it provides, that’s money well spent. For more information, go to MantisX.com.
Steven Paul Barlow is a retired sergeant/station commander and former firearms instructor with the New York State Police. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enthusiast with all things related to firearms, knives, and survival. He has been writing on outdoor topics for more than 35 years. His collections of outdoor humor stories are available at BriarHill Books.
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