The new Mantis TitanX provides a training pistol that is compatible with both motion-based and laser-based training systems.
The MantisX motion-based training system is freely available for iPhone, Android and Kindle devices. It is a sophisticated app that provides an extensive collection of drills and courses. The TitanX pistol is also compatible with the Mantis Laser Academy Kit, which cost $159 at mantisx.com at the time of this writing.
As a dry-fire training aid, the TitanX does not expend ammo, can be safely used at home, and provides immediate feedback. In this way, it improves marksmanship while saving both money and time.
The TitanX is made in the United States and cost $199 at mantisx.com at the time of this writing.
The TitanX is by far the best dry-fire training aid that I have ever used. That is saying a lot, since the Mantis X10 and Mantis X2 are also excellent systems. If you shoot a handgun and want to shoot better, I highly recommend the TitanX.
Background
As I mentioned, I have previously tested the Mantis X10 and the Mantis X2 in SurvivalBlog. Both are excellent products, and both helped to improve my handgun marksmanship. So, when I heard that Mantis was about to introduce a new training pistol, I was eager to test it. I asked to be one of their pre-release testers, and was happy to be selected. Several weeks before the November 12, 2025 release date of the new TitanX, a box appeared on my side porch.
First Impressions
The 14 x 10.25 x 4.5 inch shipping box was delivered via UPS Ground from Mantis Tech, 2270 US Hwy 30, Oswego, IL 60543. The shipping box contained a 12.75 x 8 x 2.75 inch Mantis TitanX product box padded with bubble wrap. The product box contained a 12 x 8 x 2.5 inch zippered nylon case. The process of opening the various boxes and cases felt like opening the successive layers of a Matryoshka doll.
The nylon case contained a number of items: cards advertising the Mantis Blackbeard trigger auto-reset system and the Mantis Laser Academy, a TitanX Instruction Guide, a USB-C cable for charging, an Allen wrench for sight adjustment, a TitanX laser pistol, and two magazines for the pistol.
The instruction guide has some rudimentary directions, a QR code to an online instruction guide, and contact information for Mantis via telephone (630-551-8171), e-mail ([email protected]), and Internet (MantisX.com).
One great benefit of the TitanX over the X10 and the X2 is that the TitanX does not utilize a real handgun in the training process. Using a real handgun during dry-fire training poses a certain element of risk. It is possible to inadvertently introduce a live round into the firearm, resulting in a negligent discharge. That is not possible with the TitanX. That benefit of the TitanX is also a drawback. When using the X10 or the X2 on an actual handgun, the trainee employs the exact same grip and trigger that he will be utilizing during live-fire. This provides a slight edge over the TitanX in terms of realism.
Model 702 of the TitanX, which is the one that I tested, emulates the Glock Model 45. The Glock 45 is like a cross between a Glock 17 and a Glock 19: it has the compact slide of the Glock 19 with the full-sized grip of the Glock 17.
There are also Models of the TitanX that emulate the Glock 17 (Model 700) and the Glock 19 (Model 701).
Model 702 of the TitanX weighed 18.4 ounces on my kitchen scale with a magazine inserted. This is somewhat lighter than an actual Glock 45, which weighs 24.48 ounces without a magazine inserted and 30.34 ounces with a full 17-round magazine. One of the few suggested improvements that I have for Model 702 of the TitanX is to add about 12 ounces to the weight of the pistol.
The only other improvement that I can suggest is to provide a longer charging cable. At just 10.5 inches, the supplied cable was too short for practical use. Fortunately, I had a longer cable available. Without it, charging the TitanX would have been inconvenient.
Trigger Pull Weight
I tested the trigger of the TitanX using a ReadyUp Gear Digital Trigger Pull Weight Gauge. My five readings ranged from a low of 2.15 pounds to a high of 4.05 pounds with an average of 3.01 pounds and a median of 3.09 pounds.
My general impression is that the TitanX has a better trigger than the average Glock. It seems to be smoother and to have a more crisp break. This may, in turn, have some impact on live-fire results after dry-fire training with the TitanX.
Reading the Manual
The TitanX manual is 21 pages long including the cover and the table of contents. It is clearly written and well illustrated, including excellent directions for processes like reversing the magazine release button or installing an optic on the TitanX.
About the only question that the manual did not answer concerned how to interpret the light on the top of the frame while the TitanX is charging (i.e. does a flashing green light mean that the TitanX is charging, or that it is fully charged?).
My other major conclusion from reading the manual is that the TitanX and the accompanying MantisX app are much smarter than I am. The basics were pretty easy, but the system is capable of some pretty amazing tasks. It won’t cook your breakfast or balance the Federal budget, but it does provide dozens of different ways to help a trainee shoot more accurately. Drills include Open Training, Shot Timer, Par Timer, MantisX Benchmark, 20 Second Benchmark, Timed Benchmark, Endurance, Compressed Surprise Break, Primary Hand Only, Support Hand Only, Decision Drills, Reload Drills, Cadence Drills, and Hostage Rescue Drills. Courses include MantisX Introduction, Basic Marksmanship, Advanced Marksmanship, Elite Marksmanship, Basic Combat, Advanced Combat, Elite Combat, Double Action Diligence, Basic Concealed, Advanced Concealed, and Elite Concealed.
I was also interested to discover that the TitanX can accommodate real Glock magazines. I tested this claim with an Elite Tactical Systems (ETS) GLK-18 clear polymer magazine that holds 31 rounds and with a Glock brand 33-round magazine. Both magazines fit well and were easy to insert and remove.
My Testing
I began my testing by installing the MantisX app on my smartphone. I had previously installed the app on my Kindle for use with the X10 and the X2. Kari had loaned the Kindle to a friend who had experienced a serious concussion. The friend found standard-sized text difficult to read. The Kindle offered the option of increasing the size of the text. The friend had not yet returned the Kindle, so I needed to use my phone instead.
After installation, I opened the app and discovered that I had forgotten my MantisX password. I requested a recovery email and quickly rectified that problem.
As mentioned above, the app offers an extensive collection of drills and courses. I started out with “Open Training” since it is a simple and straightforward place to begin. Over the course of the following week, I shot five groups of ten shots each on six different evenings. This exercise took about five minutes on each of the evenings in question. My first 360 shots with the TitanX had an average score of 92.1.
Back when I first began using the MantisX in 2020, the average score of my shots was somewhere down in the mid 80s. By the end of my first 583 shots with the Mantis X10, I was averaging 91.6. My shooting has continued to improve slightly since then, but at this point I am primarily using Mantis products to preserve perishable skills rather than to develop new ones.
The TitanX offers three major advantages over the Mantis X10 or X2. The first advantage is safety. The TitanX eliminates the admittedly small risk of a negligent discharge that exists with the MantisX.
The second advantage is convenience. Using the X10 or X2 involves making sure that the host handgun is clear of ammo, attaching the MantisX device, and cocking the handgun between each shot. Using the TitanX simply involves taking it out of its case and beginning to practice.
The third advantage of the TitanX is immediate feedback. Seeing where the laser hits with each shot is very reinforcing.
The shape of the laser print is almost as instructive as its location. If the print is a small dot, it indicates that the pistol is being held in a steady position. If the print is a line, oval, or some other shape, it indicates that the pistol is moving.
Conclusions
Dry fire training with the TitanX will reduce trigger flinch, help the user to polish his marksmanship, and preserve perishable skills while saving time and money. It is safe, convenient, and provides immediate feedback.
As I mentioned above, the TitanX is by far the best dry-fire training aid that I have ever used. If you shoot a handgun and want to shoot it better, I highly recommend the TitanX.
Disclaimers
Mantis provided me with a sample of their TitanX 702 training pistol for testing and evaluation. They had previously provided me with samples of their X10 and X2 Shooting Performance Systems for earlier reviews. Ready Up Gear provided me with a sample of their Digital Trigger Pull Weight Gauge for an earlier review. I tried not to allow the kindness of these vendors to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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