Some musings about the defensive pistol

[mercop]

Most people that have been involved in a shooting will tell you that their training was to the reality of a shooting what driving to work is to driving NASCAR. The mechanics are pretty much the same but that is where similarities end.

The vast majority of shooting competitions and informal shooting sessions use and audible cue to signal the shooter to draw and fire. This is very different from the street where shootings usually prompted by physical movement. Why do we still train this way? Sound may be a target identifier but alone should never cause you to fire. The first thing you need to be able to articulate for your defense is an immanent physical threat. There are many ways to simulate this on indoor and outdoor ranges. If the targets are not mechanical then attach a line to them and have a buddy yank on it moving the target. Teach yourself to respond to the preparatory and execution movements of someone drawing a weapon on you.

How many people that carry in the line of duty or have a CCW spend a day on the range shooting without holstering their pistol? The logical progression of carrying any tool for self defence is Selection-Carry-Deployment-Use. Too many folks get caught up in the selection phase trying to find the perfect pistol that will make them better. Some folks spend time learning to run the gun. Two hand shooting, one handed shooting, reloads etc. Very few take a legitimate inventory of their carry options and even less practice deployment under less than perfect circumstances. Their is a need for open hand skills that allow you to create time and distance where none exist. Time and time again we see students that shoot well melt down as soon as they have to draw from concealment even without added stressors. Hands down the most popular carry position is behind the strong side hip. When was the last time, if ever, you practiced drawing you gun from this position while seated in a vehicle with your concealment garment and seat belt buckled over it? You may want to before you need to.

There are a couple of invaluable things you can purchase beside ammo to increase your combat effectiveness with your pistol. The first in getting a Rings Manufacturing blue gun trainer of the gun you carry. It will allow you to practice drawing, weapon handling, room clearing, and weapons retention etc while enjoying total safety that is visibly verifiable by anyone. The second is to get an air soft copy of your gun if available. Even if it is one of the models that needs to be cocked it can offer great training value. Care must be taken to insure that the live gun is not in proximity to the training environment. With the help of a few like minded friends and some common sense scenarios you will soon see that under stress the fundamentals or marksmanship exit stage right as soon as the you know what hits the fan. Eye protection is the bare minimum when using air soft. The little plastic BBs can travel in excess of 300 per second, enough for a valuable pain penalty that discourages mistakes.

Your gun is not a talisman that can keep you safe. It is worthless without your dedication, awareness, determination and skill, and lots of luck.

If you like target shooting as I do, by all means keep doing it. Just set aside time to hone your other defensive skill sets that compliment your overall protection plan.

[Robert Kayland]

Sound advice... well done!

[XD40coyote]

Next time I am doing some shooting I'm going to set up a bunch of targets on the ground and do drills with drawing and quick firing. Real close range, about 15 feet, though the targets are on the ground. It doesn't cost me any money, money is something I don't have alot of for a private range with all the goodies or instruction( no IDPA real close to my area that I know of for one). I'd like to try the laying on the ground stuff, but I don't have an upwardly sloping adequate backstop here at home. Maybe at Keith4001r's place...

I also talked to my one shooting buddy about airsoft drills, he was intruiged. What do decent enough quality airsoft pistols cost?

[P-11 shooter]

Next time I am doing some shooting I'm going to set up a bunch of targets on the ground and do drills with drawing and quick firing. Real close range, about 15 feet, though the targets are on the ground. It doesn't cost me any money, money is something I don't have alot of for a private range with all the goodies or instruction( no IDPA real close to my area that I know of for one). I'd like to try the laying on the ground stuff, but I don't have an upwardly sloping adequate backstop here at home. Maybe at Keith4001r's place...

I also talked to my one shooting buddy about airsoft drills, he was intruiged. What do decent enough quality airsoft pistols cost?

Good airsoft guns can run into alot of money.


Also, I'm not sure about your location, but generally shooting at the ground is a bad idea. Ricochets are bad and that's one sure-fire way of doing it.

Most ranges also prohibit it, along with it being generally not a good thing to do.

[tdyoung58]

In usually try to incoporate shooting form different angles, one handed with both hands, in different positions, from behind and around things.

Use a B27 target and just try to hit center, aint to worried about tight groups. I shoot as often as I can.

I really need to learn to reload . . . . LOL

[CommonHighrise]

Mercop, always with the thinking.

Im a big proponent of regimented training in running your seected carry weapon in varied scenarios. It doesnt always require a private range, a class, or helpers to do some basic drills every other day. Dry fire with snap caps is your friend. I run them in the chambers, as well as for reloads, an do some basic drills. Of course, be super-safe here, triple-check everything. Hell, if youre running a semi, I'd paint-mark a spare mag, and that mag only ever holds snap caps. NDs suck.

But anyway, some of he drills to try are weapon presentation, fire, and reload from positions such as kneeling on either or both knees, and lying prone or on your back. Also lying on your strong and weak side, learning the body movement it takes to get to the weapon and reloads. Leaning up against walls for support, both standig and kneeling. Like was mentioned in the OP, sitting in your car (helps to be inside a garage), as well as presentation of the weapon through various stages of exiting the vehicle.

Another neat thing someone suggested to me; when training in contact-self defense with a blue gun, try covering your hands in vegetable oil first. It does well to simulate wet blood as far as grip goes, in case youve been struck first, or were rendering aid to a trauma victim before engaging a threat.

Also as was noted, empty hand skills are not just a good idea, but nearly a neccisity for strong self defense. One of the things that always caught me as odd is seeing prominant firearms instructors teaching the presentation draw either as a two-hand hold, or with the off hand flat on ones chest. More than likely in a close-quarters fight, that free hand is going to be busy keeping Mr Badguy off of you, giving a warning, or held out for support as you move to cover.

Knives, lights, OC spray, kubotans, bla bla bla; if youre not carrying and training with at least one of these, youre severely shortchanging your defense capabilities.

[tobyking8773]

excellent advice and thoughtful musings to consider in the advancement of an idividual towards more proficient defensive manuevering/response. One REALLY nice thing about the "range" at our camp where I do a majority of my shooting is the ability to drive my vehicle up to the backstop and practice drawing and shooting from that which I am familiar with and use regularly. Now the motorcycle....uhhhh....gotta start working on that one! lol The airsoft practice advice is some of the best in this post. nothing else comes as close to real life threat response training as this does and if you haven't done it, i highly recommend it. As for myself, i regularly clear the house in various conditions w/ an empty weapon at least once a week and will once a month sit down and think of several stiuations/scenarios to practice. I do the same thing at the cabin on a weekly basis because I am there on a regular basis. And while I don't necessarily agree w/ their discrimanatory practices of today, the age old motto of the Scouts still rings loudly for me -BE PREPARED. And preparation goes miles beyond just owning a weapon and firing it at a static bull every once in a while.... Thanks for a great post Mercop!

[Cole]

Another option to the blue gun or airsoft is the Blade-Tech training barrel. It's a visible, solid plastic, drop in barrel. They only run like $15.

http://gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satelli...raining+Barrel

This way you've got the same sights, grips, etc. and are truly using your weapon.

The training barrel will allow full trigger and slide function which aids in tap rack manipulation drills and trigger function.

[jcabin]

This is something I've been thinking about lately myself. I've been, in my home, practicing drawing from concealment. Though this is not as good as drawing from concealment and being able to fire I should be able to do that soon at my friends property. I've just got to build some type of range set up and I can practice tactical deployments, the stuff that isnt allowed on ranges.

[Robert Kayland]

The second is to get an air soft copy of your gun if available. Even if it is one of the models that needs to be cocked it can offer great training value. Care must be taken to insure that the live gun is not in proximity to the training environment.

Words to live by. Picking up the real McCoy instead of the air soft can lead to a real faux pas