SIMO™
Train Without Fear

SIMO™ is a safety system manufactured into the frame of a firearm that allows our specially-designed training magazine to interact with the modified trigger group for safe and realistic dry-fire training and safely securing the firearm.

Simple modifications to the basic firearm include changes to the magazine well and trigger group; all modifications are in the frame, so nothing changes the slide, barrel, or other parts of the upper.

Making the necessary changes to the trigger group and frame is better done by the manufacturer than any after-market company: the testing, performance, and safety are all warrantied by the manufacturer that way.

Also, the relatively small frame changes are far less expensive to do during the original injection-molding and part-stamping processes that the manufacturer already controls.

SIMO-enabled firearms (ones with the SIMO components built into the frame) have two modes: live fire and training mode.

When the firearm is in live fire mode, it is a perfectly functional normal firearm. It performs exactly like a firearm without SIMO.

Insert a SIMO training magazine and the firearm changes to training mode. In training mode, the firearm shifts to a resetting trigger and full fire training simulation.

Shots are heard when the trigger is pressed, rounds are counted, malfunctions occur and must be cleared to continue firing, training magazines have to be reloaded, and shot times and splits can be recorded. If a compatible barrel-insert laser is placed in the muzzle of the firearm, shot placement can be seen and laser targets engaged.

Insert a SIMO storage magazine and firearm still changes to training mode, but without a resetting trigger and dry-fire simulation. The magazine locks into place until removed with a key, and the firearm can't be fired until it is.

From the moment any SIMO magazine is inserted, the firearm is no longer capable of firing. It will not become able to fire again until a regular magazine with live ammunition is inserted and the slide cycled.

High visibility blue LEDs on the base of the training magazine, visible at 50 feet in bright sunlight, notify everyone in the area that the firearm is in training mode. The “safety blue” LEDs only light up while the training magazine is fully inserted in the magazine well.

If a live round was left in the chamber when the training magazine is inserted, the firearm won’t fire. If the shooter changes magazines to a live magazine and presses the trigger, with a live round in the chamber, the firearm won’t fire. If the shooter ejects the training magazine (and the blue LEDs go out) and presses the trigger, with a live round in the chamber, the firearm won’t fire.

It won’t fire when in training mode. Period.

Shifting into and out of training mode takes seconds: changing magazines, cycling the slide. The training magazine has some electronics and programmable menus, but those can be mastered by anyone capable of operating a microwave oven.

Maximum number of rounds, frequency of malfunctions, current statistics on shooting times, volume control, and more, are available with a one-button interface. Reloading can be automatic or manual, with the resetting lever acting as a manual reloader when pressed.

With the storage magazine inserted, it must be unlocked and removed like a normal magazine. Then it returns to live fire mode when a standard magazine with live ammunition is inserted and the slide cycled.

Assembly (and disassembly) is at basic armorer level. If someone can remove their trigger group, they can remove the SIMO removable components.

For manufacturers, the modifications to the firearm are fairly minor, and the changes to the frame done during the injection molding process by adding a slider.

SIMO magazines only fit into a SIMO-enabled firearm.

Every SIMO magazine interrupts the trigger group mechanically.

With the storage magazine, the magazine can't be removed and the trigger group re-enabled until the magazine is unlocked.

With the training magazine, blue safety LEDs turn on when the trigger group is interrupted.

Blue safety LEDs turn off when training magazine is removed, but the trigger group is still prevented from firing.

Training magazine has the “intelligence” of the system.

Trigger control. The trigger press on the SIMO-enabled firearm models the live firearm. Even more than in live fire mode, yanking or jerking the trigger becomes painfully obvious.

Magazine manipulation. Training magazines can be safely ejected, inserted, swapped, and reloaded just like live magazines. In fact, magazine manipulation is necessary to use SIMO in training mode.

Ammunition management. Training magazine simulate the capacity of live magazines, and run out of rounds just like a live magazine does. Auto-reload settings can allow one magazine to act as two.

Flinch prevention. By providing lower volume, unthreatening shot sounds, SIMO keeps shooters from developing bad recoil-anticipation habits while providing realistic firearm handling. This is especially helpful for new or apprehensive shooters.

Sight alignment. Using sight picture or an optional barrel laser, results of each trigger pull show whether sight alignment occurs. This is perhaps the easiest part to simulate, but an important one.

Personal coaching. SIMO will lead uncertain shooters, step-by-step, through basic malfunction identification and correcting. The coaching level adapts to the shooter’s level of need.

Misfires. A relatively common malfunction with a very basic correction. SIMO simulates the malfunction and then requires the misfire to be corrected properly before allowing shooting to continue. This malfunction also covers failure to feed.

Stovepipes. Another common malfunction with a simple correction. SIMO again enforces clearing the malfunction before resuming shooting. This malfunction also covers failure to eject/extract.

Empty magazines. The enforced part of ammunition management, empty magazines require changing magazines with reloaded magazines or removing and replacing an auto-reloading magazine.

Squibs. These are infrequent but dangerous malfunctions that can result in exploding firearms. They are difficult to train for because they are rare, but necessary because they are severe. SIMO provides the correct auditory feedback to identify the malfunction and then coaches shooters unfamiliar with squibs on dealing with one safely.

Double-feeds. SIMO could simulate this malfunction, but the simulation wouldn’t have proper training value as the slide wouldn’t jam open and the magazine wouldn’t stick.

Recoil. SIMO currently doesn’t offer a recoil mechanism. When it is developed, however, it should work with existing SIMO-enabled firearms in a new type of training magazine.

Ammunition costs. SIMO doesn’t cost anything additional per round, meaning that shooters or agencies lose the opportunity to spend up to hundreds of dollars per training session on ammunition.

Liability risks. SIMO prevents the most common causes of negligent discharges, which are the most common causes of death, injury, and property damage during training.

Contact Mustang Industrial Design, Inc. to license this internationally-patented safety and training system for your key firearm product lines. Jump to our contact information.

SIMO stands for Safe Integrated Multimode Operation, because that’s what it enables.

Simo Häyhä was a Finnish sniper during the 1939-1940 Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland. He terrorized the Russian formations, with an estimated number of kills exceeding 500 in a 100 day period. In the end, he was severely wounded and thought dead. However, he survived and on March 13^th he awoke — the day peace was declared. “Simo didn’t awake because peace was declared; the Soviets made peace when they found he’d woken up.”

Simo remained modest and reserved about his feats until his death in 2002. When asked how he had acquired his incredible skills, he replied, “Practice.” That’s what Simo was about. That’s what SIMO is about.

We’re Mustang Industrial Design, Inc., and we created SIMO and hold the international patents on it. See more about us at MustangID.com.