Trenażer Mantis-X

Mantis-X journey to the shelves started in 2014. It was developed by the Mantis company from the USA. Mantis, based in Lancaster Pensylvania, is a small firm employing just 20 people. According to the manufacturer, Mantis-X is currently used in over 60 countries and not only by sport shooters. The trainer is in use by the US Armed Forces, and also utilized by literally hundreds of Law Enforcement officers throughout the United States of America.

Polish was the first language that the Mantis-X was adapted to. Translation to Polish was caused by a huge interest of Poland’s shooting community at the 2016 SHOT Show premiere. This encouraged the company to visit the 2016 MSPO Exhibition in Kielce. After this presentation Mantis received an offer for translation of the software from one company’s initial clients from Poland. The translation isn’t faultless but it allows for easy use of the trainer without knowledge of English.

The first version of Mantis-X was based on smartphone accelerometers. The result wasn’t perfect but promising enough to continue the project. Next version was constructed with bespoke solutions created to the designed specifications.

After the in-house testing, a series of presentations were organized and thousands of shooters were able to test the product. The collected data clearly showed that 94% of the initial users were able to improve their skills in a short period of time. Manufacturer celebrated the success and decided to hit the market in 2016. Mantis-X premiere took place at the 2016 SHOT Show – the biggest shooters trade show in the world.

Mantis-X is compatible with airguns and traditional firearms such as pistols, revolvers, and rifles. In the future, this list should also include shotguns, bows, and crossbows. As a matter of fact, at the SHOT 2019, Mantis introduced the MantisX7 which is compatible with sporting shotguns. It can help with improving follow through and lead – useful in trap, skeet and bird hunting. Additionally, MantisX3 and X10 were shown to the public. Both are a development of the original product with upgrades and new features like tracking your draw-stroke and follow through in the X10. Polish representative of Mantis is the ArmyTec (Pagacz & Sons) from Torun.

Mantis-X is delivered in a solid cardboard box. The paper sleeve carries the basic information about the training system. Box itself contains a sturdy zippered pouch, short manual card, and the manufacturer information. The manual emphasizes that the first step is to download the correct application from Google Play or App Store.

The pouch with a rigid foam insert protects the Mantis-X module, micro-USB cable, and 2 different bolts. One is designed for permanent mounting (it has a slotted head), the other allows for quick removal of the device. a whole range of adapters such as

Mantis-X is packaging is rugged and prevents damage. Rigid case allows for ease of carrying without losing any elements

The device is fitted to the firearm with a bracket similar to those used for weapon lights. There are 2 fixing bolts included. One for permanent mounting, one for easy removal

The heart of the system is a black, trapezoidal-shaped box which contains the Bluetooth transmitter, accelerometers, and a gyroscope. The firearm movements and measured thousands of times a second. The box has a small on-off button and two LEDs’. The green one displays the device’s state while the multi- -color one provides battery charge information. The module can be charged via a Micro-USB cable from either a computer or a charger.

Mantis-X is fixed to the firearm with an integrated bracket. It slides onto the accessory rail and is then tightened. The device can be fitted in any position, even back to front and upside down. If the firearm does not have an accessory rail Mantis offers a whole range of adapters such as clamping rings, specialized fixings or magazine mounts compatible with a surprising variety of pistols.

The green LED provides information about Mantis-X status. The small, circular button works as an on/off switch, while the 3 openings on the left side display the current charge state.

Charging port is located on the rear of the case. In most cases, this will require regular dismounting from a pistol to charge the device.

Mantis-X works in conjunction with a simple application made for Android or iOS mobile devices. The software is free and can be downloaded from the Google Play or Apple Store sites. Since the introduction, the software was upgraded numerous times and is still rapidly developing.

When the app is installed, Bluetooth communication has to be enabled. A single press of Mantis-X button starts the pairing process. When the communication is established and the automatic calibration is finished, the software requires some inputs from the user, such as the device’s position and orientation, type of firearm, type of training (live, dry-fire, airgun), and the shooters dominant hand.

If the device is used on more than one firearm, each training session can be independently saved. The software has a range of advanced settings such as sensitivity level or a quickfire (more than 1 a second) detection block.

Mantis-X is not tied to a single account so one device can be used by multiple shooters. They just need to install the app on their phone and create a new account. This means that many users can share the same module without any negative effect on the device’s functionality

After the Bluetooth pairing is completed, the system performs auto-calibration. Next step is to configure the software depending on user preferences and type of firearm used with Mantis-X

The app is easy to use and intuitive. Reading of the manual is not required

The device is wirelessly connected to the phone but it ’s important to keep the smart phone close . Otherwise, the connection can get interrupted and the training session will be lost

When all the installation and calibration steps are completed, the new user of Mantis-X system can choose from one of 8 drills or 3 courses. Drills include precision shooting, timed shooting, two types of reloading and one-handed shooting with either hand. Courses include a tutorial, lessons for a complete beginner, and the FBI Qualification m ode. T he l ast one is a competency test for the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. It’s quite complex, has 8 timed tasks and should be left for later. The tutorial is the best mode to start with as it will help with familiarization with the Mantis-X trainer features.

The application allows for score sharing via social media. It also has its own platform which gathers the scores of all the owners of the Mantis-X. The platform has many features such as group creation, observation of selected users or group memberships, for example for people training with the same type of pistol.

Mantis-X registers firearm motion during the aiming process, trigger pull and the shot itself

Each shot is analyzed and graded individually. It’s best to look for reoccurring mistakes and ignore the incidental ones

Mantis-X has a very clear way of presenting the mistakes and judging the shots on a 1-100 scale. Of course, the results should be periodically verified as the device isn’t infallible. The scores are presented on the display based on US Marines training target. It consists of two concentric circles. The external one is split into sections and each shape on the target is connected with a particular trigger control mistake. Skills are judged by how centered the shots are.

The program evaluates single shots and the whole session. The summary is displayed after the completion of a particular exercise. The user can access a database with exercise details such each shot or the timing of shots. Scores for aiming, trigger control, and firing are displayed as graphs and movement of the weapon during each phase can be traced.

The app displays potential mistakes like trigger jerking, recoil anticipation, trigger finger position and many more. Each session can be individually described by the user to the mistakes are easily visible and corrective measures can be planned. As a general rule, conclusions should be made from a full training session and not from single shots.

Shots are displayed on an illustrative target. Each type of mistake causes the shots to move off the target’s center, towards one particular side of the target.

the shooter can view a chart of weapon movement during each phase of the shot

Mantis-X was tested on a 3rd gen Glock pistol chambered in 9×19 mm and on a 5,56×45 Grot S16 FB-M1 semi-auto rifle. The device is calibrated to detect the trigger pull and the firing pin actuation. It does not register the reloading and slide manipulation. If the device is moved more than 45 degrees from the level the sensors stop working. This should not really be considered as a fault as training should be carried out in full stance with the weapon directed towards the target. Incorrectly registered shots were very rare with the Mantis-X.

The device was used with two Android Smartphones: Nokia 6 2017 and Huawei P9 Lite 2017. Nokia worked flawlessly but the P9 had some peculiar Bluetooth communication problems when trying to talk with Mantis-X.

Special magazine accessory mounts allow for draw training but prevent from magazine change training. Interestingly, Mantis-X has 2 modes for mag changes. To do both, the sensor must be placed on a compatible adapter or located on the pistol’s accessory rail.

Mantis-X does not only point out mistakes but also provides information on how to correct those

Mantis-X is a great tool for a beginner and also a useful addition to shooting instructor’s tool chest. It enables tracking of even tiniest mistakes made by the trainee. This is extremely important during the initial phases of the training. More advanced shooters can use the digital trainer to pin down less obvious mistakes.

The device costs around 160 EUR (700 PLN) and seems to be a good and quite inexpensive investment. Cost can be divided between a group of people who can then compete and support each other when analyzing mistakes and finding solutions. For the cost involved, Mantis-X offers great fun together with the educational value.

Shooting instructors should also consider the digital trainer. The system might be invaluable for detecting and correcting errors in shooting basics. The database and improvement progress information can also provide data useful for efficient training.

Thank you Armytec for providing device for testing.

Article previously published on MILMAG 01/2019

A total beginner will have problems understanding what Mantis-X actually expects. A novice will usually think just about aiming and squeezing the trigger. Terms like trigger control, stance, or recoil management are vague at best. Mantis-X is poor as an elementary teacher. Live instructor’s guidance can be a lot more beneficial.

The device will make more sense after 2 or 3 sessions with an instructor. Understanding the foundations will allow for Mantis-X to become a great tool to become a competent shooter.

Moreover, shooting trips with friends and Mantis-X give a lot of fun. Comparing scores and discussions about the software and the progress made was satisfying. Training becomes more interesting and shooting becomes more complex (yet understandable). The difference is similar to the one between jogging and marathon training. These have running in common – but at such different levels. It’s hard to train without Mantis-X after using it for a while.

A competent shooter will see Mantis- -X as a fair but strict teacher. Without mercy, the device will pick at mistakes and force the improvement. And it works. After a few hundred of shots results were clearly visible. Mantis-x is great at targeting and eliminating common, repetitive mistakes. This removes a lot of frustration from unassisted training – shooter does not have to painfully identify what is he or she doing wrong. Mantis-X will indicate this straight away. There is also the cost issue. It’s relatively cheap (especially after getting the license and buying the first firearm), and can change any shooting session into a meaningful training.

Mantis-X is great for working on the core skills such as trigger pull without sights movement, however, does not record the aiming itself or the sights- -target correlation. This has to be worked out without digital help. If someone has problems with precision shooting, the device will be helpful. Unfortunately, dynamic shooting can’t really be trained with the Mantis-X. Yes, it can help but it’s very easy to fall into a trap of searching for the ideal shot every time. The device can help with command fire shooting and fast trigger pull. When training dynamic shooting, Mantis- X can often display mistakes where no such problem is present. For example, quick double-taps will be displayed as very bad shots. Why? The device primary function is to measure if the firearm movemet during the shot process. When doing dynamic training, the weapon is almost constantly in motion and the shooter tries to re-target as quickly as possible. All issues aside, Mantis-X has a lot of advantages and plenty of features. The software is constantly updated with new options and interesting exercises. It’s a good product, worth checking out. It’s best for intermediate shooters who know the basics but have no grasp of their technique and can’t interpret their mistakes during the training.