Training firearm with trigger finger position sensing

Abstract

A training firearm including a body that has or replicates the look and feel of a real firearm where the body includes handle, trigger and barrel portions. The training firearm includes at least one sensor for sensing separate ready and trigger positions of a trainee's trigger finger and at least one indicator for providing distinguishable indications of the ready and trigger positions of the trainee's trigger finger sensed by the sensor.

1 . A training firearm comprising:
 a body having or replicating the look and feel of a real firearm, the body including handle, trigger and barrel portions;   at least one sensor for sensing separate ready and trigger positions of a trainee's trigger finger; and   at least one indicator for providing distinguishable indications of the ready and trigger positions of the trainee's trigger finger sensed by said sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor further senses when the trainee's trigger finger is in a firing position and said at least one indicator provides distinguishable indications of the ready, trigger and firing positions of the trainee's trigger finger. 
     
     
         3 . The training firearm of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one indicator comprises a plurality of indicators, at least one of said plurality of indicators providing an indication of when the trainee's trigger finger is in the ready position, at least one of said plurality of indicators providing an indication of when the trainee's trigger finger is in the trigger position and at least one of said plurality of indicators providing an indication of when the trainee's trigger finger is in the firing position. 
     
     
         4 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors, at least one of said plurality of sensors sensing when the trainee's trigger finger is in the ready position and another one of said plurality of sensors sensing when the trainee's finger is in the trigger position. 
     
     
         5 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one indicator includes a colored light. 
     
     
         6 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one indicator includes a plurality of indicators, each of said indicators including a colored light. 
     
     
         7 . The training firearm of  claim 6 , wherein at least two of said colored lights are different colors. 
     
     
         8 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one indicator includes a light. 
     
     
         9 . The training firearm of  claim 8 , further comprising a switch attached to said body for adjusting a brightness intensity level of said light. 
     
     
         10 . The training firearm of  claim 8 , wherein said light is a light-emitting diode. 
     
     
         11 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source. 
     
     
         12 . The training firearm of  claim 11 , wherein said power source is at least one of a disposable battery and a re-chargeable battery. 
     
     
         13 . The training firearm of  claim 1 , which includes an impact indicator attached to said body. 
     
     
         14 . A training firearm including a body that replicates the look and feel of a real firearm, said training firearm comprising:
 means for sensing a position of a trainee's trigger finger on the body; and   means for providing distinguishable indications of at least two different sensed positions of the trainee's trigger finger.   
     
     
         15 . The training firearm of  claim 14 , further comprising means for indicating a potential impact location. 
     
     
         16 . The training firearm of  claim 14 , further comprising means for providing power to said sensing means and said indication means.