Keyword: 1911
By Mark H Parsons From “Guns & Survival” Magazine, 1991
The American Pistol Institute, near Paulden, Arizona, is probably the most famous small arms training facility in the world. Founded and directed by Jeff Cooper, it’s the philosophical seat for what has come to be called the Modern Technique of the pistol.
Although most of us under forty probably grew up taking these things for granted (the use of the two-handed Weaver stance, the rapid acquisition of the front sight prior to firing, the superiority of a major caliber handgun, etc.) such was not always the case. For the most part these things were either discovered, or observed, refined, and reported by Cooper, and it would be safe to say that without his teachings we would probably still be shooting one handed from a “combat crouch,” using point shooting as the aiming method.
This would be reason enough for me to want to take a trip to Gunsite Ranch (the home of API) but I also had a practical reason – I wanted a thorough grounding in the practical use of the 1911- type pistol.
Although I’ve been an advocate of Cooper and his teachings for years, I’ve tended more toward the use of revolvers than autos. While a bad experience in the late ’70s with a 1911 clone and similar troubles with a friend’s hacked-up Colt, I still knew that I could potentially achieve better results with an autopistol – I decided it was time to bite the bullet (as it were) and make an effort to master the gun; and what better place to start than at Gunsite?
With this goal in mind, my buddy John and I got our equipment together (see sidebar: Gear for Gunsite) and headed out to Arizona for a week of some of the most relevant firearms instruction one could hope to acquire. (Relevant to what? To the real world, of course…)
What follows is an account of our week at the American Pistol Institute.
DAY 1 – THE FRONT SIGHT
Our group of 19 sat in the classroom at 0800. We were introduced by operations manager Bill Jeans to the staff members who would assist with our training. Our rangemaster was Ed Stock, and our shooting coaches were Lloyd Pond, Mike Norris, and Nigel Milner.
Colonel Copper’s wife, Janelle, gave a very hospitable welcoming speech which made us feel at home, and Cooper gave an opening lecture on safety. His thought on this is that no mechanical device h as a will of its own, and guns don’t fire unless someone causes them to do so. In light of this, firearms safety boils down to four simple but absolute principles:
1. All guns are always loaded. No exceptions.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. You can’t negate this rule by claiming the gun isn’t loaded… refer to Rule 1.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. At Gunsite they call this the Golden Rule, because they’ve determined that the majority of negligent discharges could be prevented by strict adherence to this rule.
4. Be sure of your target. Identify your target, identify what’s between you and your target, and identify what’s behind your target.
Along with the safety lecture he also covered the Gunsite Code of Offenses, which includes such interesting infractions as (401) asking if “make ready” means “load,” (403) whimpering, and my favorite (601) conspicuous stupidity in a public place.
After this he explained the Combat Triad (Mindset, Gun handling, and Marksmanship) which comprises the fundamentals of practical shooting.
Today he focused on Marksmanship, which is divided into two sections. The principles of practical marksmanship, which are accuracy, power and speed (in Latin, Diligentia, Vis, and Celeritas, commonly abbreviated as DVC) and the five elements of the modern technique of the pistol: the Weaver stance, the flash sight-picture, the compressed surprise break, the presentation, and the heavy-duty pistol.
After lunch, we headed to the range, where Cooper and the coaches inspected our weapons and gear and made practical suggestions. (Example: A woman with extremely small hands was having problems reaching the trigger on her .45 due to an after market “long” trigger. They suggested she swap back to a short trigger, which she did at the on site gun smith, and her problem was solved.) They also observed our firing grip and stance and made suggestions.
On the first day all shooting was done starting from the “guard,” or Weaver ready position. The drill was simply to raise the pistol, get a quick sight picture, and press the trigger. We started with single shots from three meters, then back to seven, ten, and fifteen meters, taking only enough time to insure a center mass hit at that particular distance. Then we went to shooting doubles (controlled pairs-reacquiring the front sight for each shot) at the same distances.
We also practiced tactical reloading (inserting a full magazine into the weapon while retaining the partially empty one for possible future use) during these drills.
At Gunsite they place high value on dry practice, and every night after class we were told to work on certain things in our rooms. The homework for the first day was to start from the guard position and as quickly as possible lift the weapon, obtain a flash sight picture, and press the trigger, checking after each time to see if the sights were indeed lined up on the target when the hammer fell. Extreme emphasis was placed upon looking at the front sight, rather than the target, at the moment of firing.
Quote of the day: “You will make a god of your front sight, and worship it faithfully.” – Cooper
DAY 2-LIFE IS TOUGH
Cooper started the day with a lecture on the presentation of the pistol from a holster. He teaches this in five distinct steps, each step having a key memory word that reminds you of the correct action (ie. grip, clear, click, smack, look).
You learn it “by the numbers” to program the correct sequence into your mind, but once you’ve learned it, it becomes one motion. Cooper says that trying to make it fast will make it jerky, while trying for smoothness will give you true speed.
We went to the range and practiced our presentations (dry, at first) under the watchful eye of Ed Stock and the coaches. I have a slight tendency to hunch when I draw, which they quickly caught and corrected. This helped smooth things out for me a bit when we went on to the next drill, which was to draw and place a hit in the X-ring of an Option target in a couple of seconds.
We worked at this for quite a while. My partner, John, is left handed, and while the ambidextrous safety on his pistol had a rather large shelf on the left (unused) side, the lever on the right side was narrow, and the whole thing had plenty of sharp edges. They taught us to ride the thumb safety (it felt awkward to me at first, but now it’s second nature and by noon John’s left thumb was pretty cut up, so at lunch we wandered over to the gunsmith.
The ‘smithy at Gunsite is a full service shop: they can do everything from while-you-wait parts swapping to building a finished gun from a block of steel. John explained his problem to Sam Trevino, one of the smiths on duty at the time, and went to lunch. Within an hour his gun was ready.
Sam had understood the problem well. He installed an Ed Brown ambidextrous safety (with a wide ledge on the right side), but before he installed it he removed most of the left side lever and smoothed all the sharp edges off of both sides. John was a happy shooter once again. Appropriately enough, after lunch Cooper lectured on weapon modifications and one of the first things he mentioned was the need for a pistol to be dehorned. He covered everything from “necessary” mods (dehorning, high visibility sights, good trigger, solid bushing) through “useful,” “ok” and “questionable” (the last included ducktail grip safeties, recoil buffers, and ambi safeties for right handers) on through “objectionable” after market modifications (extended slide stops, squared trigger guards, compensators, recoil spring guide rods, etc.)
It’s important to realize that these aren’t merely opinions based on personal likes or dislikes, but conclusions resulting from the training of thousands of shooters, firing millions of rounds through almost every permutation of handgun available today. If there’s a way a gun can malfunction, it’s probably happened at Gunsite, one time or another. As an example of this, during the shoot-off a student had his pistol (a big-buck gun built by a big name smith) choke on a recently changed (under 500 rounds) recoil buffer that came unglued. It cost a good shooter crucial seconds in a match (which I expected him to win), and on the street it could cost him his life.
We went back to the range and worked on the Mozambique drill, or “failure to stop” drill, as it is sometimes called. Emphasis was placed on the fact that the head shot must be made with precision, and must not be missed.
Our dry fire homework was to practice our presentation and first shot such that we could draw and hit the X-ring of an Option target at seven meters within 1.5 seconds.
That night in the motel room practicing this, I realized that my draw had improved more in that one day than in years of doing it on my own. (For a good description of the pistol presentation as taught at Gunsite, get a copy of “To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth” and check out the chapter on “The Firing Stroke.”)
Quote of the Day: “Life is tough. It’s even tougher when you’re stupid.” -Ed Stock
DAY 3 – NO APPOINTMENT FOR EMERGENCY
This morning Cooper lectured on the use of the tactical load and the speed load, then we went, to the range to practice our speed loading.
Like most techniques they taught us, first we learned it by the numbers, in order to learn the correct sequence, then continuous but slow, to achieve smoothness and form, and then at full speed. They made a point of teaching us not to release the magazine in the gun until the spare is in the left hand. Failure to heed this can result in what Cooper calls “speed unloading.”
Once everyone was up to speed on this we ran 1+1 drills (shoot one round-reload-shoot one round) and then 2+2s. As you may have noticed, most of the drills run during this course consist of one or two shots. There aren’t any of those “twelve rounds in 24 seconds” stages, because that’s counter to what this class is all about: surviving a sudden, violent encounter.
After lunch we received copies of Cooper’s classic booklet “The Principles of Personal Defense” and Cooper talked about the combat mindset, sprinkling the lecture with relevant anecdotes to illustrate its different aspects. These aspects include the color code, which describes the various stages of alertness, (ie., white=unaware, yellow=unspecific alert, orange=specific alert, red=fight) and he explained at what stage one should be at any given point, and what actions should trigger an escalation of stages. Different incidents were given as examples.
The key lessons to be derived from all this are that one should be aware of his surroundings and any potential threats therein at all times, and that aggressors aren’t usually expecting violent resistance, so that one who retaliates quickly and with force stands a very good chance of winning. In other words… be alert and fight back! Learning firsthand from Cooper about the combat mindset was really the fundamental reason I came to Gunsite, and I wasn’t disappointed; it was worth the price of admission.
After this we went back to the range where we worked on the assumption of the kneeling position. One of the key points here was that not only should you be able to assume the kneeling position quickly, but you should be able to get up and out of it quickly. The goal was, at the whistle, drop into kneeling and place two shots into the X-Ring in 3.5 seconds.
We finished the day by working on pairs to the center of mass, and head shots. Our homework was to continue work on the presentation, from both standing and kneeling positions.
Quote of the day: “You cannot make an appointment for an emergency.” – Cooper.
DAY 4 – ISOSCELES PERVERSION
This was a busy day. Cooper’s opening lecture was on tactics. He covered movement around corners, the proper way to conduct a search, scanning hostile territory, and of course, watching your front sight. We’d get the opportunity to put these ideas into practice before the day was out.
We went to the range, and while the rest of the class worked on short range speed drills, squads of four or so would leave to run simulator drills. Two simulators were run on this day.
The first of these was the North Draw, an outdoor gully walk with hostile “pepper poppers” strategically placed in various locations such that if you don’t apply good tactics they’ll get you before you can get them.
Next we went to an indoor simulator called the Playhouse, which had several hallways, doors, and windows. You had to clear every corner using good tactics, and there were plenty of decision-making targets (hostiles, hostages, and bystanders) to keep things interesting.
This was an educational experience. In some of the “close and quick” simulations I tended to focus on the target and point- shoot, rather than acquire a flash sight picture prior to firing. I hit quickly, but upon examination of the targets afterward I realized that the hits weren’t always in the optimum place. I was warned that this could happen, and it did. Well, I was here to learn, and I’d get a chance to profit from my mistakes the next day.
After lunch we worked on the roll-over prone position, shooting from 25 meters. The goal was to drop into prone and place a pair of shots into the center of mass within seven seconds. This wasn’t a speed drill as much as a “form” drill, because once the process is learned correctly it’s possible to assume the position and get shots off in much less time. The key is to do it smoothly, keeping your eyes on the target while you’re getting into position. It may be somewhat quicker to look down as you hit the deck, but it’s tactically incorrect, for obvious reasons. Another example of the difference between the match mentality and the street mentality.
After this, Cooper discussed extremely close and fast shots. He had us start from three meters in the guard position facing 45 degrees to the right of the target, not looking at the target. At the whistle we had half a second to look at the target, line up in a quick Weaver, and fire. We did this three times, then repeated the drill starting 45 degrees to the left of the target. The purpose of this is to demonstrate that hits can be made rapidly, providing you use the correct technique. It worked as advertised, and most of us were pleasantly surprised to find six hits in the center of mass after the drill.
We proceeded to the “eyes-off” drill, which was also done at close range. The shooter looks at the target and commences his firing stroke, closing his eyes when his hand grips his weapon, he continues the “stroke” until the shot is fired. This is done three times. Examination of the target will indicate whether your complete presentation is in alignment. My hits were in a group to the right of center. Ed Stock said that the size of the group indicated that my firing stroke was correct but the placement meant that my stance was slanted too far to the right. I ran the drill again using his suggested foot placement and all my hits were in the center. Another minor revelation…
After a break for dinner our group met in the classroom and the coaches lectured on the various mistakes made during the day’s simulator runs (and yes, ignoring the front sight was a prominent no-no.) After each coach’s report, Cooper would lecture about the appropriate tactic.
After a brief discussion of night shooting we went back to the range to get some practical experience in this matter. At first, before it was completely blacked out, they had us shoot without flashlights to show that you can make close range hits without them as long as there’s enough light to identify your target. After this we shot in pitch black with flashlights, using the Harries technique. This involves holding the light in Your support hand under your shooting arm, with arms crossed at the back of the wrist. More important than how you hold the light is how you utilize it – bad use is worse than no light at all. Taking care not to illuminate yourself, the light should be used for a very short period of time, then switched off, at which time you should move to a new location.
Quote of the Day (possibly inspired by one of the coaches commenting on John’s tendency to revert to isosceles under stress during the simulators): “The isosceles stance is not an acceptable alternative, but a perversion.” -Cooper
DAY 5 – CLEAN YOUR GUNS
The first thing we did was go to the range and shoot the “basic drill” for Cooper. This is a 10 round drill which includes a little bit of everything we’d learned, from pairs in a second and a half at seven meters to shots from kneeling and prone at longer distances.
After this we went to run more simulators. The outdoor one, the Donga, was a gully walk similar to the North Draw, only the hostiles were “sneakier.” (l don’t know what Donga means, but it probably translates as “valley of death for unaware students.”) The only instructions I received prior to running this drill were “Two hits per gook” and a big grin from Lloyd, the coach.
The indoor simulator, the Funhouse, was like yesterday’s Playhouse, except, again, perhaps a bit more difficult. This time I made sure I was fixed on my front sight as I let fly and I made better hits than yesterday, and just as quickly, too. (Live and learn, right?)
Following the lunch break Cooper gave his lecture on power. This is a chalk-talk on the subject of which calibers are more effective than others, and why. He presents the information in a scientific, objective manner, covering both the kinetic energy and momentum schools of thought, along with lots of empirical data. Cooper speaks on handgun cartridge effectiveness with the air of a university professor lecturing on a subject he is both deeply interested in and intimately familiar with. After being exposed to this, one would give considerable pause before voluntarily giving up the inherent advantages of a major caliber.
When we went back to the range I witnessed an interesting diagnostic technique. One of the students was having trouble keeping his hits in the X-ring from prone at 25 meters. I n order to determine if the problem was due to inattention to the front sight or jerking of the trigger, Ed Stock had the student assume the firing position with his finger off the trigger, then Ed carefully reached over and pressed the trigger, three times. When they went forward to examine the target they found a nice group in the center, indicating that the student’s sight alignment was fine, and that the culprit was indeed the student’s failure to achieve a surprise break. Armed with this information, he quickly rectified the situation.
That afternoon we were taught the “hammer.” (At Gunsite they don’t use the term “double tap” due to its ambiguity, and Cooper is one of the most unambiguous people you could ever hope to meet.) The term “pair” denotes two shots, each having a distinct sight picture, while “hammer” is the act of lining up the sights and firing two shots in succession, as rapidly as possible, without realigning the sights between shots. If done correctly both hits will end up in close proximity to each other when fired from close range, which is where this technique is designed to be used.
The last drill we worked on was the El Presidente. They look on this not as a shooting test so much as a gun handling test, as it combines a number of different skills in one drill (combat turns, multiple targets, pairs, reloading, etc.)
Quote of the Day: (Which was also our homework… ) “Go back to your rooms… clean your guns… put them away… go out… beer.” -Ed Stock
DAY 6 – LESSONS LEARNED
The first thing we did was to shoot the basic drill for score, followed by an El Presidente. This led up to a Saturday morning tradition at Gunsite, the shoot-off.
The match was called the Middle Race, with two contestants standing side by side, each facing half of a bilaterally symmetrical course of fire consisting of a plate at approximately 10 meters, another plate at 15 meters, and a third one at close range. On the whistle each shooter draws and engages their first two plates, reloads, and attempts to beat their opponent to the last plate, which is in the middle, hence the name.
A shooter must beat his opponent two out of three times to advance to the next level of the J-ladder, a double elimination type of chart invented by Janelle Cooper. The shoot-off was won by a gentleman who works S.W.A.T. in the greater Chicago area.
Even here, at the end of the class, there was a lesson for me. Namely, that 1 rarely shoot as well in a match as I do in practice. For this reason, I’m trying to shoot as many matches as I have time for. Additionally, I can take solace in two things: First is the fact that, according to Cooper, most gunfights happen too rapidly to allow one to develop a case of “match nerves,” and second is the knowledge that even if I’m keyed up with anticipation I can usually manage to hit the target, although not always with extreme precision. At least now I know what I need to work on, and that’s part of the Gunsite plan.
In the General Pistol course they give you everything you need in order to be in control of your immediate surroundings, but that doesn’t mean that you can go back home, put your gun away for a year, and expect to perform at your potential. You have to practice, and to this end they give you a student notebook containing descriptions of all the pertinent techniques they’ve taught you, along with a chapter describing recommended practice drills. If these are followed the edge should stay sharp.
After the shoot-off we went to the office to settle up our accounts and buy the obligatory T-shirts, then headed over to the classroom for the graduation ceremony where we were given our certificates. After a brief closing speech the Coopers invited those of us whose schedules allowed to visit with them at their house. As I hope I’ve already made clear, the Coopers and the entire staff at APL were friendly and helpful to a fault, and this opinion seemed to be shared by everyone who attended the class.
On the first day of class when I saw that some of the students were very experienced with .45 autos I started thinking “boy, do I have some catching up to do!” Wrong…. As Cooper and his staff made clear, we weren’t at Gunsite to see how well we could do against each other, but to learn as much as possible. Once I got in this frame of mind things went smoothly and I did learn a lot. I went from being basically a “revolver” man to someone who felt like the 1911 was an old friend that he could use in an emergency situation with complete confidence. In fact, John and I though it was so worthwhile that we’re talking about going back next year for the API 499 Special Pistol Course…. I’ll let you know how it goes!
By Syd
If you are reading this, perhaps you haven’t made up your mind or have questions about your selection of a personal defense handgun. There have been many articles written on this subject, most of which boil down to a discussion of calibers and actions. While the caliber and action discussion is important, I find it incomplete and lacking in some important considerations for a person who carries a concealed handgun for self defense. Hence, my point of departure is what it means to live with a pistol every day.
Conceptual Basis
The paradox of the concealed personal defense weapon is that it is something you hope you will never have to use for its intended purpose, but with which you must achieve a level of mastery and familiarity comparable to the other tools you use to survive and get through your day. You wouldn’t drive to work in a car that you didn’t know how to operate. You wouldn’t wear a coat that was three sizes too small or use a carpenter’s saw to slice up a pot roast. No, you use the tools appropriate to the job and you learn how to work with them competently. The same holds true with a self defense pistol. You should know how to operate it and have the level of skill necessary to use it safely and effectively. It should fit your hand and your lifestyle because you will be spending a lot of time with it. It should be comfortable to shoot and hopefully to carry, although when asked if a carry gun should be comfortable to wear, master trainer Clint Smith said, “Your carry gun should be comforting, not comfortable.” Your pistol should be powerful enough to do the job and accurate enough to hit the target. It should be completely reliable, and its operation should be as familiar to you as riding a bicycle or brushing your teeth. You must also have a clear understanding of the legal issues surrounding the use of deadly force — when you can and when you can’t — and the methods and techniques of using a gun in a self defense situation. Sounds like a lot? You’re right; it is, and if you are unwilling to master the skills and concepts of lethal force, do yourself a favor and just don’t carry a gun. (See also The Psychology of Self Defense and the Force Continuum)
Skill and Familiarity
Handguns are not easy to shoot well. The ability to consistently put bullets into a target quickly and in the places which will stop an attacker is a skill that requires a lot of practice. Too many people have the notion that a pistol is a kind of magical talisman and the user need only take it out and wave it around and the problem will magically disappear. Nothing could be further from the truth. A gun brandished at the wrong time and without the fighting skills necessary to employ it effectively will make a whole bunch of new problems, including getting you killed or arrested and charged with some very serious crimes. Hence, making the decision to carry a gun should be made only with the commitment to practice and learn. This may take the shape of attending classes or participating in a practical shooting sport like IDPA. At the very least, a regular practice schedule should be part of the package. This means that you will be spending a lot of time with your pistol. The gun should be comfortable in your hand, have manageable recoil, and be sturdy enough to stand up to heavy use in practice sessions, matches, and classes. The gun should also have reasonable accuracy. You should be able to consistently put all of your shots in an area the size of a saucer at ten yards quickly.
Types and Sizes: Pros and Cons
Pocket Guns
When many folks think of a concealed carry gun, they think of little-bitty pocket pistols that will easily disappear into a pocket or purse. While these may be light and convenient, that’s all they are. Aside from that, they’re pretty useless. They lack the power to put down a determined attacker and they lack the accuracy to hit anything at more than spitting distance. But even more importantly, most little guns are unpleasant to shoot. Being very light and having small handles, their muzzle flip is very bad. After a few rounds your hand may begin to hurt. Shoot a match or take a class at Gunsite with one of these pocket guns? Forget it. If you don’t learn to use it, how much good is it going to do you when the chips are down? In this group, I would include the small Berettas, Airweight snubnose revolvers, Seecamp .32’s, Kel-Tek .32’s and derringers. There may be a place for these pistols, but they all suffer from serious inadequacies. (I am particularly fond of the Airweight snubnose .38 Special revolver, but it can be an unpleasant gun to fire.)
Medium Frame Revolvers
Even though they have been around for 165 years, revolvers remain an excellent solution. These pistols are simple to use and accurate. They can handle hot loads and larger bullets making them effective personal defense weapons. Examples of this class of pistol are the Ruger GP Series and the S&W Model 66. The ideal revolver would have a 3″ to 4″ barrel, a six-round cylinder, and a grip that fills your hand. The biggest drawback of these pistols is the speed of reloading, but with practice, a revolver can be reloaded as quickly as an autoloader.
Medium Frame Auto Pistols
The overwhelming majority of professional trainers, operators, law enforcement and military people prefer medium to large framed autoloading pistols. These pistols have the best combination of speed, firepower, accuracy, and power. These pistols will generally load 8-10 rounds in their magazines (or more if you can find the magazines), have full-length grips, and 3.5″ or longer barrels. These guns tend to have adequate accuracy and power, and large enough grips to be comfortable. Examples of this type of pistol would be the Glock 17, 19, 21 and 22, the S&W 39xx, 59xx, and 69xx series, the SIG 22x series, the H&K USP and P7, the Kimber ProCarry and Compact, the Springfield Champion, Para-Ordnance P12, and many others.
Large Frame Pistols and Revolvers
I like big pistols. They shoot more accurately, absorb more recoil, and develop greater muzzle velocity due to their longer barrels. I would include in this group the Beretta 92, the Colt Government Model M1911 (and clones), The N Frame S&W revolvers, Colt Python, Anaconda and their copies. Characteristically, these guns have 5″ barrels and weigh 36 oz. or more. The biggest drawback of these pistols is their weight. They get heavy and small framed people may have difficulty concealing them.
Autoloader Action Types
There are four types of actions around which semi-auto pistols are built. It’s important to understand the differences:
Single Action – M1911 Colt .45 ACP and Browning Hi-Power 9mm
This is the oldest autoloader design still in service, designed by John Browning (with the help of the Army Ordnance Board) during the period between 1905 and 1911. The hammer must be cocked, generally by racking the slide, for the gun to fire. This design in .45 ACP, .40 S&W and .38 Super is favored by competitive shooters, FBI SWAT, FBI Hostage Rescue Team, and many special forces units because it has the best trigger, outstanding accuracy and is very fast. For the gun to be carried in a state of readiness, the hammer must be cocked and the manual safety applied, “cocked and locked” (see “The Conditions of Readiness“). This looks scary and is not recommended for novices or those suffering from attention deficit disorder.
Double Action/Single Action – Beretta 92F (Armed Forces M9), most Smith & Wesson autos, SIG, Walther, and some Rugers.
This has been the standard design for most autos for the last 50 years. These pistols are cocked by the first trigger pull, but subsequent shots are cocked by the action of the slide cycling back. Consequently, the first trigger pull is long and harder (Double Action) since it is also cocking the hammer. Subsequent trigger pulls are easy (Single Action) since the hammer is already cocked. These guns have an external safety lever which puts the gun on safe and de-cocks the hammer. This is generally thought to be the safest design since the long, heavy first trigger pull and the external safety which blocks the firing pin tend to prevent the gun from going off by accident. The criticism of this design is that it forces the shooter to learn two different trigger pulls and accuracy often suffers on the first double action shot. Most accidental discharges with these sorts of pistols are the result of the shooter forgetting to de-cock the hammer.
Double Action/Single Action with De-Cocker Only – Ruger and SIG
This is a variant of the DA/SA which is used by Ruger and SIG. It functions just like a DA/SA except the “safety” lever is not a safety. It only de-cocks the hammer, but the gun will still fire when the de-cocker is applied and the trigger is pulled. I personally do not like this design since the de-cocker looks just like a safety lever but does not put the gun on safe.
Double Action Only – Glock, Smith & Wesson Sigma, some Berettas, some Rugers, Kahr, Kel-Tec, and others.
This is the newest action design made popular by Glock. With these pistols every trigger pull is the same and they have no external safety or decocking levers. The hammers are not cocked by the cycling of the slide (except for the Glocks which are pre-cocked by the slide cycle, and are not true double action). DAO pistols depend on the long double action trigger pull to prevent accidental discharges. In a sense these are autoloaders which fire like revolvers. Triggers vary from model to model. Some, like the Glocks, have very light triggers. Other DAO triggers can be quite heavy and long, and can be very unpleasant to shoot. The advantage of this action is its simplicity and the fact that every trigger pull is the same.
Calibers and Power
Here we get into mysticism and voodoo, and I will just give you my personal opinion and you can take it for what it’s worth. I like the .45 ACP and the .357 Magnum the best. Just under them in effectiveness are the .40 S&W, the .44 Special and the 9mm. Below them are the .38 Special and the .380 ACP. There are other cartridges, but these are the most common for personal defense weapons and the ammunition is readily available.
I wouldn’t be comfortable with anything smaller than a .380 (actually, I wouldn’t be comfortable with anything smaller than a .45 ACP, but that’s a different argument. See also Jim Higginbotham’s “Case for the .45 ACP”). My personal favorite handgun cartridge is the .45 ACP because of its power and accuracy, but smaller cartridges will do the job if you do your part. Like the selection of the gun, the selection of a cartridge should be based on your ability to shoot it well. A good hit with a .380 is better than a miss with a .45. So, as a general rule, your self defense cartridge should be the largest and most powerful load that you shoot well.
The Selection Process
Don’t be in a rush to buy the first gun you see. Give it a lot of thought. Ideally, shoot as many pistols as you can before you make a decision. Most gun ranges have pistols you can rent to see how they feel. If you have friends who own pistols, go shooting with them. Most will be happy to let you shoot their guns and share with you their experiences with them.
Be careful about the advice of clerks at gun stores. Some are very knowledgeable but many others are total idiots. Just because someone works at a gun store doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she is an expert on personal defense pistols. They will all offer an opinion, whether they actually know anything about the matter or not.
I would also maintain a healthy degree of skepticism toward articles in popular gun magazines. They don’t make money by trashing the offerings of their advertisers.
Consider how you dress and your lifestyle. How will you carry the pistol? Can you adjust your wardrobe to accommodate your pistol? Particular body shapes may present special problems. Your physical strength and conditioning may also be a factor, i.e., powerful auto pistols tend to function better for people with strong arms and hands. How much time do you have to devote to practice? As a rule of thumb, autos require more training than revolvers, so don’t pick a single-action .45 auto if you’re not willing to learn to use it.
As important as any other single factor is the size and geometry of your hand. Hand size varies greatly between people and it is very important to handle a gun and note carefully the comfort of the grip and the position of the controls on the pistol. If you can’t easily manipulate every control on the gun with either hand, then find a different gun. People with short thumbs may have trouble with the safety of an M1911. People with short palms may have difficulty with the thick handles of the double-stack 9mm and .40 pistols. People with meaty hands may be “bitten” by the slide of a small auto when it cycles.
Does the gun feel good in your hand? Is the trigger smooth or is it rough and heavy? Is the frame fairly narrow so that it will conceal well? Does the gun have the right balance of power, weight and size? (Remember, bigger is better for shooting and power, but can you carry it for 8 hours if you have to?)
You will notice that I have said nothing about price. I really hate to hear people making a decision on a handgun based on price. No one wants to pay more than we have to or what is fair, but price should be the last consideration. You won’t remember a hundred or so dollars extra you paid for the right pistol, but you will remember the ill-fitting bargain pistol that doesn’t shoot right or feel good.
To summarize, hold it, feel it, fire it if you can, and recognize that you’re going to spend a lot of time with the pistol. Remember also, that it may be called upon someday to defend your life. No, it isn’t easy, and you may end up buying two or three pistols before you find the one with just the right balance of weight, power and comfort.
Holsters
The selection of a holster which fits the gun you intend to carry is critically important. For a detailed discussion on this matter, click here.
Reloads
Most of the tactical gurus recommend the carry of at least one reload. If you observe police officers, they often carry 2-4 extra magazines or speed-loaders. If your gun is an autoloader, the second magazine is a good idea for two reasons: (1) you may need the extra rounds (and it’s better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them), and (2) magazines sometimes fail and having a backup will ensure that you won’t get caught with a non-functioning gun. Hopefully, very few of us will ever need twenty one or more rounds, but the carry of a spare magazine or speed-loader is just a wise practice. One of the reasons I prefer an autoloader to a wheel gun in this role is that the flat shape of a magazine is easier to carry on your belt than the rounded and somewhat bulky shape of the speed-loader used for revolvers.
Summary of Selection Criteria
What Pistol Do I Carry? Click Here
Related Articles:
Pistol Packin by Jim Higginbotham.
Concealed Carry and the ‘Large’ Auto Pistol by Jim Higginbotham.
Custom Auto Pistol Modifications for Serious Duty by Jim Higginbotham
Defensive Marksmanship by Jim Higginbotham
Handgun Power by Jim Higginbotham
Recommended Modifications to the Colt .45 Auto for Self-Defense Use by Les Bengtson
The Case for the .45 ACP by Jim Higginbotham
The Psychology of Self Defense and the Force Continuum by Syd
The .45 ACP Cartridge – Development, Specs, and Performance
Selecting a Holster for Concealed Carry
By Syd
You have made the decision to legally carry a self defense firearm. You have selected a pistol, acquired a CCW license and hopefully learned the basics of using all of this exciting new firepower. You have spent a lot of energy learning about pistols, cartridges, holsters, and the laws and rules concerning the carry of deadly weapons. That is all good and necessary, but it is woefully incomplete. Hopefully, a moment will come when you will step back from it all for a minute to consider what you are doing.
“If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail,” said Abraham Maslow and it was brilliant. Nowhere is this more true than in the real world use of defensive firearms. The point I’m going to make and make again, is that we need to insure that the gun isn’t our only tool.
The use of a defensive firearm is not an appropriate response to the vast majority of threats, hurts and insults we receive. For normal people who don’t work in law enforcement or the military, situations in which armed self defense is justified are actually quite rare. The odds are good that you may live your whole life without ever needing to draw a gun and fire it at another human being. I hope you do.
When you strap on a gun, you are introducing into your life the possibility that you may shoot and kill another person. This is extremely serious business. No right thinking person wants to shoot someone. It is a tragic and horrible thing. It is expensive in every way and creates a profound legal liability. It may create an emotional and spiritual trauma. People respond to this in different ways, some having a great deal of “post traumatic stress” while others seem able to shrug it off pretty easily. One way or the other, it leaves a mark on your soul. You don’t want to shoot someone if you don’t have to.
While the presence of the gun may resolve the problem without it ever being fired or even drawn, it may not, and you need to be mentally prepared to use it. By the same token, you must be perfectly clear about the correct and legal use of deadly force, and you must be emotionally capable of controlling yourself so as not to use the gun when its use is inappropriate. Your mind is the true weapon. Everything else is just a tool. If your mind is not prepared, the hardware will be useless. If the mind is not prepared, the hardware is more likely to get you into trouble than out of it. If your mind and body are prepared, you will not need to use the gun except in the gravest extreme.
The Spiritual Dimension
All of the world’s great religions contain prohibitions against the wanton destruction of fellow human beings. This is good. We don’t want to be killing each other over parking spaces. My own tradition is Judeo-Christian, so I will tend to speak from that background. One of my own struggles revolved around the fact that on the surface, arming myself seemed to run contrary to the religious tradition with which I was raised: “Thou shall not kill,” “Turn the other cheek,” and “Blessed are the peacemakers.” How do you resolve this with a .45 auto strapped to your hip?
First of all, we recognize that these ancient rules are still good ones. They still make sense. They are the rules I want to live by. I don’t want to kill anybody. I don’t want to get into fights just because someone says something obnoxious to me. I want to see peace in the world. I would love to see a world so peaceful and good that the assertion of my right to keep and bear arms would be nothing more than an exercise in constitutional law. Choosing to take responsibility for the safety and security of yourself and your family is not a repudiation of the basic injunctions not to murder and to seek peace and human decency for all.
There are evils greater than death. History is full of examples which show that it is the moral choice to oppose evil. We don’t have to look very far: Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, the Khmer Rouge, the domestic terrorists who have attacked our schools and work places, the psychopathic predators who have roamed our streets. Soldiers, law enforcement, and citizens who have opposed this sort of evil with deadly force are making a moral choice, and if they kill in the course of fighting this sort of evil, they have committed no “sin.” If you had Hitler or bin Laden in your sights, would you take the shot?
The demand by the radical pacifists and gun grabbers that we should accept brutalization and death at the hands of criminals and psychopaths for the sake of their notion of “safety” is irrational to the point of being demonic. If being raped and murdered by a crack head is someone’s idea of spiritual development, then count me out.
You have the right to live without the threat of abuse, torture and murder. You have the right to defend yourself. You have the right to freedom and self-determination, and you have the right to defend these things with deadly force if necessary. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, simply remind them that the very right to discuss these things and pursue those religious and political beliefs freely was won by force of arms, not by rolling over and playing dead.
But “turn the other cheek”? Not only is it a good idea, it’s absolutely mandatory in the legal environment in which we operate. When you begin to carry a personal defense weapon, you will immediately notice an increased reticence to get involved in the macho matches in which you may have engaged previously. Generally, you can only use lethal force for self defense or the defense of another in response to an imminent threat of bodily harm, sexual assault or kidnap. If you initiate a pissing match with someone which escalates into a shooting, your self defense justification is negated. You will go to jail. Consequently, civility, forbearance, and patience are absolutely mandatory for the armed civilian (and that includes law enforcement personnel). So “Turn the other cheek,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and “Thou shall not murder” will serve you well. Avoidance of conflict is always the best policy. This is the paradox of the concealed personal defense weapon: we equip, train and prepare ourselves and then we must make every effort to avoid employing it.
If you think that your gun makes you ten feet tall and enables you to be rude, confrontational, and gives you god-like power over the people around you, think again because you’re on your way to jail. You just don’t know it yet.
Bushido
So how do we make sure that we have more tools than just a hammer? The short answer is to prepare mind and body so that the situations in which the gun would need to be deployed will be reduced to an absolute minimum. This means the development of “empty hand” and non-lethal techniques of self defense, and improved situational awareness.
With the disclaimers that I don’t read or speak Japanese and am not a samurai or any sort of combat god, I want to talk a bit about Bushido, the “way of the warrior” in traditional Japanese martial arts. Bushido got a bad rap during World War II when it was corrupted by the military leaders of Japan to become the kamikaze cult which led thousands of young men to senseless deaths. In reality, Bushido is an ancient philosophy and warrior ethic based in the non-attachment principles of Zen Buddhism. Bushido is not unlike the chivalric code of the European knights but it is not the same. It puts emphasis on loyalty, self sacrifice, justice, a sense of shame, refined manners, purity, modesty, frugality, martial spirit, honor and affection.
There are a lot of cool and nifty things about Bushido that are worth studying in their own right but which are totally irrelevant to the discussion of concealed carry and self defense. The points of connection are in the paradoxical nature of the Bushido ethic and the practice of armed self defense. The Bushido warrior practices detachment from life and death, and from wealth and personal ego. At the same time, the Bushido warrior has a fanatical devotion to the development of his craft, to duty, honor, family and country. The Bushido warrior strives to achieve a profound respect for justice, life, and fellow human beings. He is detached, free and fluid, adaptable and relaxed, while being totally focused, ready to die, and a master of his martial craft. The spiritual quest of the Bushido warrior is to resolve these paradoxes into a unified personal balance. He empties himself and becomes the weapon.
The armed civilian faces analogous paradoxes. He or she must exert a high level of self control. Petty offenses and insults cannot be allowed to goad one into an armed confrontation. A high level of skill must be attained in the use of the firearm. If one must shoot, the shots must be expertly placed. It would be better to endure a mugging than to shoot three innocent bystanders in the process of stopping a mugging. The armed civilian must imagine and rehearse endless possible scenarios in order to be adequately prepared. What if I am attacked in a crowd? What if I am injured? What if my gun jams? Part of this process is fantasy and imagination, and we must do some serious soul-searching to make sure that we aren’t seduced by the fantasies into desiring or seeking an armed confrontation. We must be detached and yet devoted to the craft. We must be free from macho and blood lust and yet ready to apply lethal force without hesitation if necessary.
The warrior is prepared for combat wherever he is. It is said that one samurai, who was so poor as to earn his living by working in a small field, always carried a sword and wore leggings even in the field. He therefore did not need to go home first if he was called up. A samurai is a warrior first, whenever and wherever he is. He doesn’t sleep with his left arm under his body. If he is attacked when he is in bed, he can prevent the first blow with his left arm, and can reach for his sword with his dominant arm. He remembers to find an emergency exit before he sleeps when he stays in an inn or hotel.
Like the samurai in the story, the best practice for the CCW holder is to be armed at all times. There are several reasons for this. If your gun is on you, it isn’t laying around unsupervised somewhere and it is available to you in case you need it. If you get into the practice of wearing your gun every day, you will wear it more naturally and adjust your wardrobe for adequate concealment. When you wear the gun at all times, the muscles and unconscious learn where the gun is, making for a faster and more certain draw. This practice of wearing the gun at all times reinforces the “warrior spirit” and is the safest mode of storage for a personal defense weapon.
But this article is about making sure that your don’t have only a hammer. Samurai military training (Bu) included at least the six martial arts of sword fighting, spear throwing, shooting bow and arrow, riding, Karate and also the use of firearms. The samurai didn’t think very highly of firearms, considering them a dishonorable way to fight, but that’s another story. Apart from the six martial arts listed above, others were taught, such as swimming, fighting with clubs (Jitte) and spikes, star-dagger throwing (Shuriken), fighting with halberd (Naginata), climbing ropes, and spying and concealment (Ninjitsu).
The samurai schooled in Bushido could employ a wide range of martial tools along the complete force continuum in order to deal with a problem. He was in no way limited to his sword. In the same way, the armed civilian is best served by equipping himself or herself with a range of tools, both weapons and “empty hand” techniques. (Karate means “empty hand”).
The Force Continuum
The legendary governor of Louisiana, Huey P. Long, when discussing the political risks inherent in communications, once said, “Never write what you can phone; never phone what you can say in person; never say what you can wink.” The governor was describing a continuum of risk and security in communications. For the armed civilian, we could come up with a parallel list: “Never shoot what you can baton; never baton what you can spray; never spray what you can punch; never punch what you can walk away from.” Less is best.
The advantage of having a range of self defense tools is obvious. If you can subdue an attacker without using a deadly weapon, you eliminate the possibility of being charged with assault with a deadly weapon or facing a lawsuit for shooting someone. You also eliminate the possibility of emotional repercussions in yourself that might result from a shooting. There are a number of situations, especially involving close-in surprise attacks, in which the assailant may already be too close to draw a gun. In these situations, your hand-to-hand capabilities will be life savers. It has been shown that an attacker armed with a knife who is within 21’ distance can wound or kill a person before they can draw a gun. Finally, there are some places in which you cannot carry a firearm such as an airplane. The World Trade Center attack of September 11, 2001 demonstrates clearly the advantage of having empty hand techniques in settings where firearms are prohibited (whether they should be prohibited in these settings is another question, but for now, that is our situation).
Which items you add to your personal defense tool box is an individual decision based on your own appraisal of your capabilities. Some people add pepper spray, ASP collapsible batons, or kubotans. The kubotan is a miniature baton developed by Takayuki Kubota for use by the female officers of the Los Angeles Police Department as an aid in controlling unruly suspects. It was so successful that law enforcement agencies nationwide have adopted the kubotan for their officers. The kubotan can be used for stabilizing your fist, applying pressure to sensitive parts of an assailant’s body, or gaining leverage on an assailant’s wrist or fingers.
You will notice that I haven’t mentioned knives as a gun alternative. The reason for this is simple: knives are deadly weapons and the legal penalties for misapplying them are nearly as rough as with guns. Additionally, anyone who has ever been in a knife fight will tell you that they are nasty, brutal affairs and should be avoided whenever possible. Do I carry a fighting knife? Yes, I do. Do I want to use it? No, not at all.
The point is that if you can “air out” an opponent with a single well placed punch, immobilize him with a kubotan, or disarm him with your hands, you are that much ahead of the legal and emotional game.
Empty Hand
“Karate” literally means “empty hand.” I talk about Karate because of the symbolism of its name and it happens to be the martial art that I study. There is a bewildering array of martial arts schools and disciplines. In fact, probably the hardest part of it is in finding the right school and discipline. This part is harder than going to the store and buying a gun. It requires some research, talking to people, and perhaps trying out several schools before you hit on the right thing for you. I wish I could tell you it was easy to find the right trainer and school, but it isn’t. However, if you are able to find the right empty hand discipline, you will find it richly rewarding. My personal favorite discipline is Karate, but most of the other schools – Tae-Kwon-Do, Aikido, Kempo, Kung Fu, Ju-Jitsu, or the western military hand-to-hand disciplines – will serve you well if you develop them.
The obvious benefits of acquiring an empty hand technique include having an effective mode of self defense for those times and places in which you absolutely cannot carry a gun, and it provides you with an alternative to lethal force in situations where a lower level of force would be sufficient to handle the situation. Additionally, the regular practice of an empty hand technique significantly improves your physical condition – improving muscle tone and quickening reaction time, and thus improving your overall health and appearance.
There are also benefits which are less obvious. After a few months of Karate training, I began to notice that I was moving better and had better control of my pistol at IDPA matches. My upper body strength and footwork had improved. There is also a subtle psychological change which comes over you when you know that you are in good condition and are capable of handling a physical confrontation. This is largely unconscious, but you project an aura of self confidence and ability. Predators sense this and tend to move on to more vulnerable targets. They want any easy kill, not a fight.
Like IDPA in the world of defensive pistolcraft, an empty hand technique teaches you to perform under pressure. Nothing simulates real combat, but the testing for belts, sparring, and performing your moves in the presence of others creates stress and acclimates you to acting under pressure. The simple practice and repetition of moves programs them into your muscles and nerves so that when you need to employ these skills in a crisis, they are there, automatic and reflexive.
But aren’t guns “the great equalizer?” Of course they are. That’s why I work so hard as an advocate for concealed carry and RKBA. I’m not Bruce Lee and never will be, and if I get cornered by a gang of thugs, I probably won’t try to duke it out with them using Karate moves. Some people simply aren’t capable of practicing a martial art due to physical disabilities or other impediments. However, if you are in reasonably good health and martial arts training is available to you, I believe you will find it highly rewarding in a variety of ways, whether you ever use it in a fight or not. You’ll have another tool in the box and every problem won’t look like a nail.
Situational Awareness – Zanshin
At the top and bottom of the force continuum is situational awareness. The Karate term for this is zanshin. Literally, “zanshin” means something like “remaining mind,” or “continuing awareness.” Zanshin applies to your awareness of the world around you. You notice the people around you – how they stand, how they carry themselves, what is in their eyes – because you need to be prepared to interact with them. You are present in the moment. The greatest self defense tool you have is between your ears. When you are aware of the world around you, you can head off and avoid 99.44% of the situations which might force you to deploy a weapon. Even Gichin Funakoshi, the “father of modern Karate” said avoidance was the best strategy, and, if confronted by an armed [with a knife] opponent, run if you can. In the same way, if you are planning on going somewhere that you think you’ll need your battle rifle, two backup pistols and a kevlar vest, just don’t go there. If you find yourself somewhere that doesn’t “feel right,” leave. A little bit of common sense can spare you of a lot of grief and lawyer bills. If you can’t avoid the situation, your zanshin will prepare you to respond effectively and appropriately.
The Warrior’s Way
You have decided not to be a victim. You have embarked on the warrior’s way. It is my hope for you that this will all remain a fascinating but academic exercise, and that you will never have to face a mugging, attempted rape or home invasion. Yet, in arming yourself and making the decision not to be food, you have, in fact, adopted a way of life that makes particular spiritual, physical, philosophical and legal demands upon you. These rules and demands are non-negotiable. Misuse lethal force and you may win the battle but lose the war. By understanding and mastering the force continuum you can win the battle and win the war.
To summarize, the warrior
By Syd
When you make the decision to arm yourself with a defensive pistol, one of the first psychological bridges you have to cross is when and how much to carry the pistol. The choice generally comes down to either carrying the pistol only when you think you’ll need it, or carrying it pretty much all the time. My preference is for the latter – as close to all the time as I can get it. This is just one man’s opinion, but here’s why I think this way.
· Keeping the gun on you at all times (or as close to that as is reasonably possible) is the safest way to store your gun.
· Keeping the gun on you at all times is the most effective way to deploy a personal defense weapon.
· Keeping the gun on you at all times is the most comfortable way to deploy a personal defense weapon.
Safe
If the gun is in your holster, you know that no one else is messing with it. Unless you live completely alone and no one else ever enters your domestic domain, a loaded gun laying around unattended is a dangerous thing. Even with other adults moving through your space, it is a risky proposition, but if kids share your space it can be a recipe for disaster. I have trained my own kids on firearms, but I don’t know about other kids they might bring over to the house. If the gun is under your immediate physical control, you know that none of these dark possibilities can become realities.
If the gun isn’t with you, it can’t perform the function of defending your life, and it becomes nothing more than an expensive and problematic paperweight. In other words, it’s not keeping you safe. If you’re not going to use it, why have it? Assuming you don’t leave the pistol laying around loaded, you must unload it when you take it off. In an emergency, it is just too slow to load a gun before you can bring it into action. Loaded guns are much more effective at discouraging goblins from doing unpleasant things to you.
Effective
When you wear the gun day in and day out, your body “learns” it. It learns where it is and where to reach to get it. It becomes almost like a part of your body. The value in this is that in an emergency, you don’t have to think about where the gun is and how to get your hand on it. It just happens, smooth and quick. When you go to the range to practice, all you should have to do is clear leather, aim and squeeze the trigger. Personal defense guns don’t live in plastic boxes.
If you ever have to use the gun in earnest, it will probably be a surprise. It is likely that you will be responding to a threat quickly, and it will probably not be something you expect. The shock of a sudden, violent attack is not the context in which you want to be doing new product testing.
Comfort
Unless you are a retired law enforcement officer, the first time out in public with a concealed handgun will be an incredibly uncomfortable experience. You won’t be able to think of anything but the gun. You’ll feel like you have a red neon sign on your back flashing “GUN.” You will most likely feel that everyone has x-ray vision and can see right through your clothes and to your pistol. You will move strangely, stand differently, and act unnatural. It’s not a good thing. Experienced people can spot the awkwardness and discomfort you’re feeling. People will talk to you and you’ll have trouble concentrating on what they’re saying because all you can think about is the GUN. Wearing the gun every day dispels this discomfort and awkwardness.
In terms of physical comfort, I’m not sure that any chunk of metal hanging from your belt or bouncing in your pocket is really comfortable, but I am reminded of Clint Smith’s observation that “Your carry gun should be comforting, not comfortable.”
As the gun become a part of you, you move naturally, quit being nervous about it, and adjust your wardrobe and carry gear so that you are more comfortable, well concealed, and not worried about the gun. Part of successful concealment is not “telegraphing” that you’re wearing a gun with awkward body language.
Practice, practice, practice…
To be safe, comfortable, and effective with your carry gun and rig, you must practice with it. The ideal form of practice for most civilians is the IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) style of tactical pistol matches in which you must draw from the holster, get on target quickly, move, and engage multiple targets while being timed and scored for speed and quality of hits. (IDPA is not “tactical training” but it is good practice. For more on this, click here.) Standing in a pistol range and punching holes in paper is better than nothing, but it does not allow you to practice many of the skills necessary to effectively use a defensive handgun. Classes offered by local shooting clubs are also excellent opportunities to improve your skill. Like any martial art, the movements of defensive pistolcraft must be practiced and repeated thousands of times to achieve the speed, accuracy, and fluidity of motion which a violent encounter will demand of you.
Closing thoughts
Finally, and perhaps an ancillary but vitally important issue, rights are like muscles; if you don’t exercise them, they wither away. There still remain powerful forces who would take away all of our gun rights if they had their way, and shall issue concealed carry is first on their list. One of the greatest arguments and supports for shall issue concealed carry is the tremendous track record of safe and lawful concealed carry by millions of permit holders across this nation. When you carry your gun, you are joining this historic movement and casting your vote for the right of individuals to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is no small thing. When you strap on your gun, you are telling Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Sarah Brady, Hillary Clinton and Josh Sugarmann to go to hell, and it feels good.
Remember, it is your legal and constitutional right to carry your gun, and you don’t have to apologize to anybody about that. As a responsible and trained gun owner, you are making your corner of the world a safer place. The goblins will have to find some other place to do their nastiness.
Related Articles
The Psychology of Self Defense and the Force Continuum
Selecting a Pistol for Concealed Carry
Selecting a Holster for Concealed Carry
Pistol Packin’ by Jim Higginbotham – Discussion of holsters for concealed carry.
CCW and the Large Auto by Jim Higginbotham – Discussion of carry of a large auto, particularly the M1911
Is “Cocked and Locked” (Condition One) Dangerous – A discussion of the safety features and function of the M1911 Pistol
Defensive Pistol Practice and Training – Some basic understandings
By Syd
Pistols are inherently difficult to use effectively.
Some people are born with talent and good instincts, but no one is born with fighting skill.
Pistolcraft is a perishable skill.
You fight like you train.
Training. Training. Training. Be honest with yourself for a minute. No one else is listening. If you were called upon to defend yourself, your family, right now, would your skills and equipment be up to the task? I suppose that the really dedicated warrior type would have to give a “Yes, but…” kind of answer, knowing that he had done everything he could do to prepare himself, and yet he would know that complacency could be deadly. For most of us, the answer would probably be something more along the lines of, “Well, I need to get out to the range…”
If one’s only exposure to the art of combat pistolcraft is from the gun mags and the Internet, it would be easy to get the impression that defensive pistol is matter of buying the latest and greatest pistol and stoking it with Brand XYZ Super Death Ray ammunition. And yet, if you happen to meet a real master gunfighter, you are likely to find that the gun is missing some finish from many thousands of draws and it is on its third barrel. The ammo may turn out to be some boring generic stuff that always works and he was able to get a really good deal on ten cases. The most important feature of the gun will be that it goes bang every time the trigger is pulled. It probably won’t be a new gun and it probably wasn’t the featured beauty spread in American Handgunner last month.
The masters practice a lot. They work on the fine points. They compare ideas with other experts. They study the craft and the dynamics of fights. But mostly, they send a lot of rounds downrange. They don’t just shoot a lot. They move while they’re shooting. They practice using cover and shooting from weird angles and positions. They practice malfunction recovery and reloads. Those who have actually “seen the balloon go up” will place heavy emphasis on not getting shot.
Pistols are inherently difficult to use effectively. There are two parts of this that are interrelated but different. The first part is mechanical: the small size of pistols and the way we hold them make it more difficult to hit accurately compared to a long gun. The second factor is that pistol ammunition is not very effective so it is critically important to get good hits with a pistol in order to stop an attacker. The hit zone which a bullet must strike to stop an attacker is pretty small. We all grew up with media images of cowboy quick-draw artists snapping their guns out of the holster, firing from the hip and disabling or disarming the bad guy with a perfectly placed bullet. There are a few rare individuals who can do shots like that, but most of us mere mortals can’t.
Most of us need to work at just getting good hits fast enough to have a chance of staying alive. Often, when we start shooting pistol on our own without any skilled guidance, we develop bad habits like “milking the trigger” and flinching when we pull the trigger. A skilled trainer can watch you shoot and help diagnose shooting mistakes. One of my own was hooking the trigger in my first knuckle rather than pressing the trigger with the center of my finger pad. Once an experienced shooter pointed that out to me, my accuracy improved dramatically. It was a small thing, but it really mattered.
Some people are born with a great deal of natural ability – good eyes, good reflexes, strength and innate athletic ability. It’s wonderful to be blessed with such things, but unless one is also blessed with clairvoyance, there are techniques and methods to defensive pistolcraft which must be learned from someone who knows them. We aren’t born with them. Innate athletic ability is negated if the attacker gets off a lucky shot which hits you between the eyes, or if your gun runs dry at precisely the wrong time. There is a body of knowledge to pistolcraft that you have to acquire, such as how to use cover, when and how to reload, how to move and shoot and what the tactical priorities are. And once learned, these things have to be practiced until you can do them in your sleep. One might come to all of these things alone by intuitive means, but why chance it? A good teacher can save you a lot of time, give you insights you might not come to on your own, and let you know if you’re on the right track.
I’m going to take off my Second Amendment advocate hat for a second (You know, the hat that makes you say ‘all people have the right to bear arms and possess an adequate means of self defense.’) and put on my gun elitist cap for a while. There are some folks who have bought pistols and are carrying them who don’t have a clue about how to use them. (I hate even committing a thought like that to paper because I know some sniveling troll from the Brady Campaign will pick it up and quote me, but sometimes you have to call them like you see them..) I don’t want to condemn any inexperienced person who chooses to get a pistol and carry it, but I do feel strongly that the decision to carry a pistol implies a commitment to learn how to use it safely and effectively. I want new and inexperienced people to acquire self defense pistols and carry them, but I also want them to train and practice so that they can employ those pistols competently. You fight like you train, and by implication, if you don’t train, you don’t fight very well. Without training and practice, you may get lucky and survive, but do you really want the well-being of yourself and your loved ones riding on luck?
Pistolcraft is a perishable skill. The best analogy is that of a musical instrument. Even the most highly accomplished musicians need to practice every day to keep their skills sharp, and most do. It may not be feasible to go to the range and shoot every day, but a regular practice regimen is necessary to maintain your effectiveness with a defensive pistol. If you lay off and don’t shoot for weeks or months, you skills will deteriorate significantly.
“Shooting skill is lost more quickly than we would like to admit, and unless you keep up your practice you cannot expect to maintain your command of the situation. I find this to be more true of the pistol than the rifle…” – Jeff Cooper, Commentaries, June 1996
You fight like you train. Barrett Tillman said, “You won’t rise to the occasion – you’ll default to your level of training.” This is true. Physiologists, psychologists, and survivors of violent encounters tell us that a whole witch’s brew of things happen to our bodies and minds in the stress of a violent encounter. There is the “adrenaline dump” in which the body is flooded with this powerful hormone/neurotransmitter. Its effects are: increase in the rate and strength of the heartbeat, dilation of bronchi and pupils, vasoconstriction, sweating and reduced clotting time of the blood. Blood is shunted from the skin and viscera to the skeletal muscles, coronary arteries, liver and brain. Psychologists tell us that in times of extreme stress, the unconscious balloons to fill our whole consciousness. (The theory is that the repository of survival instincts, “muscle memory,” learned responses and emergency reflexes is the unconscious part of the mind.) Survivors report temporal and auditory distortion and a narrowing of the field of vision. None of this is conducive to a high level of marksmanship. Overall, our performance is thought to degrade by about 30% if not more. An emergency is not the venue to work out new fighting techniques. As Tillman says, “You’ll default to your level of training.” In the investigation following the tragic CHP Newhall gunfight that left four CHP officers dead, it was found:
“…that officers would react to a situation exactly the way they were taught in training. This occurred with Officer Pence. After Officer Pence had fired his sixth and last round, he tried to perform and reload just the way he was taught at the academy. He dumped the expended rounds from his revolver into his right hand and put the expended rounds in his pants pocket, as he had done on the firing range, then reloaded 6 rounds into his revolver. This gave Twining enough time to flank Pence and put a bullet in the back of his head. After the California Highway Patrol learned of this they issued speed loaders to their officers and changed their firearms training program to reflect real life shooting scenarios.”
– Tom Kohl, STAYING ALIVE ON THE JOB – A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR PEACE OFFICERS
I relay this sad anecdote only because Pence’s empty brass has stuck in my mind for a long time, and it is a most graphic and emblematic image of the principle that we fight like we train. Even when it makes no sense, even when it may be the wrong thing to do, we tend to default and revert to the methods we have practiced and rehearsed. By inference, we could suggest that if the only way you ever fire your gun is standing flat footed in the Isosceles stance at the range, you will most likely shoot that way in an emergency. This, of course, provides your adversary with a superb stationary target. To survive a fight, you must train on the right things, and train well, and hopefully with someone who has “seen the balloon go up.”
A note about gun games: By “gun games” I mean the organized “practical” pistol matches such as IPSC and IDPA. I love these matches. They’re fun, good fellowship, and decent marksmanship practice. They’re good for testing guns and gear. They are not, however, genuine tactical training, and to confuse the two could be dangerous. Each of these disciplines began as “practical” defensive pistol competition intended to simulate gunfights to a certain extent. The hope was that by practicing defensive pistol scenarios, shooters would be better equipped for the real world. Human nature being what it is, the competitive sporting side of the thing eclipsed the practical. What we got was a highly stylized athletic event that tends to neglect important tactical issues. For
example, a target is neutralized in IDPA when two rounds are placed in the saucer sized area in the middle of the target; in the real world, the target is neutralized when he’s out of the fight, and it may take one round or ten. At the end of an IDPA stage, the shooter must “unload and show clear.” At the end of a real engagement, the shooter should be reloading and scanning 360° because he doesn’t know if this is the end or not. (This will of course, get you ejected from an IDPA match for breaking the 180 rule.) In an IDPA match, effective use of cover is considered to be when 50% of your A-zone is behind hard cover. In the real world, that still leaves a lot of you uncovered to shoot. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I’m not saying that IDPA-style matches have no training validity – they’re a whole lot better than not practicing and good social interaction to boot – but it’s important to distinguish that which is not real about them and practice the correct techniques so that we can fight like we train.
You may be thinking right now, “OK, you’ve made your case, but how do I find a good trainer?” That can be difficult, but not impossible. There are quite a few talented trainers around the country. There are several training facilities which have maintained excellent reputations for many years. A number of the top level trainers travel around and conduct classes for gun clubs and the better ranges. There are also a fair number of gun shop commandos and posers that have to be sorted out. If you participate with local shooting organizations you can often get referrals from fellow shooters. Sometimes the gun mags (who are not always corrupt whores) will carry stories about trainers or facilities. There are several training facilities that have achieved almost legendary status in the mind of hand gunners. There is, of course, the mother ship, Gunsite, founded by Jeff Cooper. Also, there is Thunder Ranch, Yavapai, Range Master, Blackwater, and The Lethal Force Institute.
How do you identify the trainer who is right for you? The recommendations of people you trust and respect is one excellent way. Another important tool is your own intuition and gut-level feelings. Does the guy’s understanding of the world around you square with yours? Can you work with him? Ask him questions? Get the answers that help you? Does he seem excessively blood-thirsty or too cautious? I personally don’t like the guys who come off with the “combat god” attitude, although if they’re really excellent at what they do, I’ll endure the attitude. On the other hand, guys who are too cautious and only seem to want to talk you out of ever using you pistol put me off too (These are often retired cops who would almost rather die than go through another grand jury hearing – but even they have something important to say and should be heard). I would consider a complete lack of military or law enforcement experience a red flag. Personally, I prefer to work with guys who use M1911 pistols, but I have met some very talented people who use Glocks and SIGs. And while it probably doesn’t need to be said, is the guy good enough with a pistol that you are going to learn something from him?
When most of us hear the expression, “martial arts,” we tend to think of Bruce Lee and Kung Fu. Defensive pistolcraft is a martial art too, and shares with the traditional martial arts many of the same requirements and disciplines. I don’t want to push the analogy too far, but like the traditional martial arts, pistolcraft requires self discipline, a sense of the seriousness of the purpose, a regular regimen of practice and study, a willingness to set aside your own ego long enough to learn something, and a certain reliance upon the master-student system. Jeff Cooper could be said to be the “guru” for our whole generation of pistol shooters with his development of “The Modern Technique of the Pistol” and the founding of Gunsite. Perhaps I should say that defensive pistolcraft benefits from a master-student system. A lot of the old time legendary gunfighters like Bill Tilghman, Bill Jordan and Charlie Askins, and even Cooper, didn’t have schools and training facilities to learn their tricks. It is possible to teach yourself, and if you’re lucky and have a lot of innate talent you may be successful. However, you can save time and risk, and have a lot of fun in the process, by working with good trainers in an organized instructional setting.
A Tactical Analysis of the Tyler Courthouse Shooting and the Tacoma Mall Shooting
By Syd
For the second time this year, a legally armed citizen armed with a pistol faced a crazed gunman armed with a rifle and did not prevail. In February 2005, Mark Wilson engaged David Arroyo on the steps of the courthouse in Tyler, Texas. Arroyo was wearing body armor and was armed with a Mak-90 7.62x39mm rifle. While Wilson was able to land hits from his .45 pistol on Arroyo, Arroyo’s body armor stopped them and Arroyo was able to kill Wilson. On the 20th of November, at a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington, Dominick Maldonado opened fire on shoppers with a Norinco Mak-90 rifle. Maldonado, who at the age of 20 already had an extensive arrest record, had been taking methamphetamine for five days. He decided to take out his “rage” against the world by shooting complete strangers. A legally armed citizen, Brendan McKown, chose to intervene. He drew his 9mm pistol but did not fire. Instead, he verbally ordered Maldonado to put down his gun. Maldonado responded by firing four rounds into McKown’s torso. McKown survived his wounds but was grievously injured including a hit to the spine which may leave him unable to walk. Both Mark Wilson and Brendan McKown are the finest kind of people, heroes in truest sense. I would be proud to call either man my friend. Nevertheless, both men were shot and did not succeed in stopping the bad guy in their engagement. The good guys got shot and the bad guys walked away.
These incidents raise troubling questions. This is not the way things are supposed to go. The good guys are supposed to come out on top, or at least they shouldn’t lose their lives or become paralyzed. Were these outcomes simply fate, or could things have been done differently and a different outcome obtained? How do our ethics and religious principles affect our tactical decisions? And most importantly, are there lessons which can be learned from these incidents that could improve the outcome of a similar encounter in the future?
Analysis of these two fights runs the risk of criticizing two brave men who I consider to be heroes, and it’s my hope to avoid “Monday morning quarterbacking” although some of that will be necessary. Everything said here is in the context of deepest respect and appreciation for the sacrifices these men made.
Firepower
It’s an interesting coincidence that in both of these incidents the bad guy was armed with a Mak-90, a semi-automatic AK-47 clone chambered in 7.62x39mm. This is a formidable weapon. At first glance, it would be easy to say, “Well, duh. Rifle trumps pistol. End of story.” Closer examination, however, would suggest that the rifle versus pistol matching made less difference in the outcome of these incidents than the first glance might suggest. Wilson landed body hits on Arroyo before Wilson was shot but the body armor worn by Arroyo stopped the bullets. A rifle capable of punching through body armor would have been of great benefit to Wilson in countering Arroyo. McKown did not fire his weapon so the comparison of guns is irrelevant. Maldonado was willing to shoot and shoot fast whereas McKown was not. At the range that Wilson first engaged, about 40 to 50 feet, the rifle wielded by Arroyo might have been an advantage, but the fatal shots fired by Arroyo were fired at close range when Arroyo came around the truck behind which Wilson had taken cover. The fatal shots were fired at point blank range. McKown engaged Maldonado at approximately 20 feet; so again, the rifle’s advantage at range is irrelevant.
Ethics and Religious Principles
The issue of ethics and religious principles comes into play at two distinct junctures in these incidents. The first is the deeply felt obligation to defend the innocent and the second is the Christian affirmation of the sanctity of life.
Both of these brave men chose to engage voluntarily. They were not personally under an immediate threat. Mark Wilson was in his apartment when he heard gunfire. His apartment had a clear view of the courthouse steps so he could see what was happening before he grabbed his Colt and went into the street to intervene. McKown was in another shop when he heard gunfire and went toward the sound to try to stop the mayhem. Both men could have opted to stay where they were and would have remained safe, but they chose to do otherwise. A hard-nosed, pragmatic analysis viewed from the perspective of personal survival would say that the wisest course of action would be to take cover and stay safe. Another CCW holder at the Tacoma mall who was there with his family chose to get his family to a safe place behind cover and defend them, but not to engage the crazy shooter. Had I been there with my family, I’m sure that I would have made a similar choice on the basis that my first obligation would be to defend and protect my loved ones.
It is clear in both cases that Wilson and McKown felt a moral obligation to intervene to save the lives of complete strangers, and they did. For guys like McKown and Wilson, simply taking cover and protecting themselves is not an ethically acceptable response. The clearest tactical judgment would tell us to take cover and defend ourselves, but there are times when our ethical convictions supersede our better tactical judgment.
McKown is the progeny of a deeply committed Christian family. His parents are involved in a prison outreach ministry, and he shares their convictions. By his own report, when he looked at the boyish Maldonado, he could not bring himself to take the shot. Instead, he chose to draw his gun and attempt to command Maldonado to drop his gun. (There is some confusion about what happened next. Some reports have McKown re-holstering his pistol and attempting verbal commands. Another report said that when the CZ pistol was found it appeared to have fired one round and then suffered a “double-feed.” McKown’s own report is not clear about this. At one point he says that he couldn’t fire at Maldonado because he looked like a kid and at another point he relates his attempt to crawl after Maldonado after he was shot because “I missed him.”) Maldonado’s response was to spin around and put four rounds into McKown’s torso. McKown’s compassion and respect for human life had prevented him from taking the shot on Maldonado, even though Maldonado was already firing and had shot people. God bless McKown, and I’d love to have him for a next door neighbor. However, the cold tactical analysis would suggest that the most effective course of action would be to take the shot when he had it, and make no attempt to verbally confront or command Maldonado.
Criminal Psychology
For the purposes of this discussion, I will divide those who criminally use firearms into two broad categories: rational criminals and crazy shooters. I am aware that other categories could be suggested such as thrill killers, “crimes of passion” and terrorists, but those aren’t particularly relevant for this analysis. By “rational criminals” I mean the folks whose basic “job” is some kind of crime, such as stick-up guys, burglars and dope dealers. While they may suffer from poor judgment and other character flaws, they are relatively “sane” and rational. They use their firearms as tools of the trade and only employ them to coerce and intimidate others or to defend themselves. These folks tend to react in more or less predictable and rational ways, and their responses can often be anticipated. If they’re cornered and you have the drop on them, they are more likely to surrender and cease their behavior, since, like other rational people, they don’t want to be shot and they know they can go to jail, call their lawyer, and be back out on the street in a few hours. If they aren’t cornered, they will flee – a rational response to the instinct for self-preservation. This is not to say that you should ever let your guard down, but with the rational criminal you have at least a common basis for communication and expectations.
The “crazy shooter” is a different breed of cat. He may be truly psychotic and hallucinating, very high on drugs, or in some other way distressed and no longer operating in a rational framework. His responses cannot be anticipated. He may be insensible to pain because of drugs and/or suicidal. He may be hoping for a “suicide by cop.” The values of the crazy shooter are totally different from those of rational people, and rational people are rarely able to empathize with or understand a crazy shooter without advanced professional training. He is a failed personality who has run out of options. These folks almost never have a realistic exit strategy for the situation because most often they are not really planning to live through the encounter.
Both Maldonado and Arroyo fall into this second category of crazy shooters. Maldonado has a long felony rap sheet and had been taking methamphetamine for five days prior to his shooting spree. Arroyo was perhaps more rational and capable of planning but he was ultimately suicidal. In the midst of a contentious divorce, he went to the courthouse to kill his ex-wife and his own son. He put on body armor which demonstrates planning, but the expectation that he could just get into his pickup and drive away shows that he was not thinking rationally and did not really expect to survive the day. He was stopped by the local police on his way out of town and killed in an exchange of gunfire with them.
When McKown ordered Maldonado to put down his gun, he was relating to Maldonado as if he were a rational criminal, but Maldonado was a crazy shooter, high on methamphetamine, and operating on a set of values which are totally alien to rational people. Our tactics must be appropriate for the adversary we face. It is safe to assume that a person standing in a public place and shooting total strangers is a crazy shooter and will not respond in rational ways. For a rational criminal, just the sight of a gun may dissuade him from further action, although you can’t count on that. With a crazy shooter, an “enemy” to shoot it out with may be just what he’s looking for.
Movement, Cover and Marksmanship
One factor that was present in both cases is that neither Wilson nor McKown were moving at the time they were shot. McKown went into a fixed stance with his gun drawn and issued verbal commands. He was in an open area of the store and there was no hard cover available to him. Wilson went prone behind a pickup. Witness Nelson Clyde III said that Wilson was hit and then went down into the prone position. Arroyo then came around the pickup and delivered the fatal shots. This is a report from a friend of Mark’s, Robert Langham, who viewed the courthouse security camera tape:
“Mark had heard the boom of gunfire from his loft apartment overlooking the Spring Street side of downtown Tyler… A glance out his windows would have shown the scene completely: the gunman advancing, the victims sprawled on concrete. Mark grabbed his Colt, bounded down the staircase to the sidewalk, crossed the corner intersection and sprinted to cover behind the first vehicle on the end of the block… David Arroyo was at that moment stepping forward to finish killing his own son on the courthouse steps… Mark lined up the sights on the gunman’s bulky back. He shot once, perhaps twice. The range is inside 20 yards. Less than 60 seconds had passed since he heard the first shot… Mark Wilson was in street, firing. The courthouse security camera shows Arroyo turning away from his son bleeding on the steps and running back to his truck… On camera, three sheriff deputies in the courthouse door began to fire steadily. Mark shoots again to no effect. The gunman is wearing an army flak jacket over body armor. Pistol shots will not penetrate… Wilson and Arroyo exchange shots across the truck bed popping up and down, perhaps three shots each before Mark falls to the red bricks, face down. Arroyo walks around the end of the truck, steps over him and shoots repeatedly…”
It’s hard to find fault with Mark Wilson’s performance that day from a tactical viewpoint, nor is that my desire. Wilson did almost everything right. It’s tragic that he couldn’t accomplish a head shot, that he didn’t grab a rifle to start with or retreat when Arroyo began to move toward him. If, if, if. If frogs had wings, they wouldn’t bump their butts when they hop. These are the facts and the fact is that Arroyo landed a disabling shot before Wilson did. It should be noted that, against a rifle such as an AK, the bed of a truck is concealment but it is not hard cover. An FMJ 7.62x39mm round will shoot through the bed of a truck.
What Can Be Learned Here?
“The faster you shoot, the less shot you will get.” – Jim Higginbotham
Act decisively. When your internal “go” signal is tripped, don’t hesitate. He who hesitates loses.
Use hard cover when possible. Learn the difference between hard cover and concealment.
“Hard cover” is a barrier that will stop bullets and protect you from incoming fire. “Concealment” is a barrier that hides you from the adversary but does not stop bullets. Weapons like the AK-47 will penetrate most building materials. They will also penetrate car bodies.
Move!
Moving targets are hard to hit. Especially when hard cover is not available, keep moving. Retreat is an honorable strategy. “He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.” Practice shooting on the move, the faster the better.
Do a “gut check”
Are you really able and willing to pull the trigger on another human being? If you aren’t, don’t draw a gun on someone who is. I have talked to a number of people who choose not to carry a firearm for personal defense. Almost without exception, the reasons given are, “I just don’t think I could do it,” (meaning, “I can’t shoot someone.”), or “It would probably just get me in trouble,” (Meaning, “I don’t feel competent to fight with a firearm.”). I respect that position and I respect that level of self awareness. If that is your personal truth, then find other means and strategies for self-defense. On the other hand, no right thinking human being ever wants to shoot another, and being repelled by the idea does not necessarily mean that one would be incapable of armed self defense faced with a real threat. But in all things, “Know thyself.” Many folks seem to subscribe to a notion that I have come to call “The Magic Talisman” theory of pistolcraft. They seem to believe that somehow simply brandishing a handgun will solve the problem and make the bad guy act right. It might and it might not. The reality is that pistols require skill, training, and self control to employ effectively. If you draw it, be prepared to fire.
“A man’s got to know his limitations.” – Dirty Harry
Despite some of our negative stereotypes about police officers, most police officers have years of specialized training that the rest of us don’t have. Police officers will always appear more tentative than we might like in situations such as the Tacoma mall because they are trained to gather as much information as possible before acting. They know that sometimes bad guys set bombs and lay ambushes. They have to determine how many bad guys there are, their locations, if there are hostages and the locations of possible hostages. Many have seen colleagues fall because they didn’t have adequate information or backup. Armed citizens are not police officers, but sometimes it pays to take a cue from the way law enforcement approaches these kinds of situations.
Know what you can do. Know what your gun can do. Know what you can do with your gun. A fight is a terrible venue for new product testing.
Practice hard shots
Practice shooting from weird positions. Practice weak hand shooting. Practice for head shots. Practice on moving targets if possible. Practice malfunction clearances. Practice emergency reloads. Practice everything. Practice a lot. Get some training. Ammo is cheap and Murphy is alive and well.
Be flexible.
If what you are doing isn’t working, do something else.
“When going to a gunfight, take a long gun and a friend with a long gun.”
Pistols are close quarters self-defense weapons. All pistols are a trade-off of performance for convenience. When you go on the offensive, i.e., attack, all of the shortcomings of the pistol come into play with a vengeance – puny ballistics, limited firepower, limited range and difficulty in achieving accuracy quickly. Despite the silly propaganda from the gun grabbers, no pistols are “assault weapons.” If they were we wouldn’t bother with equipping our soldiers with rifles and machine guns.
Epilogue
I still feel a great reluctance to say anything at all about these two incidents. No matter how carefully one proceeds and chooses his words, commenting on the sacrifices made by McKown and Wilson still feels disrespectful. My reluctance to talk about these incidents was only overcome by the idea that lessons should be learned and by doing so we honor the fallen and make their sacrifices more significant by applying their lessons to the next incident that may arise.
I have tried to avoid using the language of “winning” and “losing” in reference to Wilson and McKown because winning and losing is not a simple matter in these incidents. McKown and Wilson did what they felt they had to do. They were true to themselves, and both men saved the lives of others even though they paid a terrible price. You can’t call getting shot “winning” and you can’t call standing up for what you believe and saving the lives of others “losing.”
Analysis such as this traps us at a point of abstraction. We can’t be there and we can’t get into the heads of the people who were. We can guess and speculate about things which might have been done differently but we cannot re-create the situation in order to test our theories. Ultimately, we are left with our revulsion for the bad guys and reverence for the good guys, fear that we may face a similar test and hope that somehow things will turn out better for us.
Mark Allen Wilson
An American Hero
1953 – 2005
Texas House Resolution No. 740
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The tragic death of Mark Alan Wilson of Tyler on
February 24, 2005, at the age of 52, has brought a profound loss to
his many friends and loved ones; and
WHEREAS, With instinctive courage and selfless resolve, this
valorous Texan confronted a gunman on the steps of the Smith County
Courthouse; reacting to the kind of inhuman crisis that compels
ordinary men to seek cover or flee, Mark Wilson proved to be an
extraordinary man; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wilson confronted a lethal threat in order to
protect the people of his community, and in his valiant attempt to
save the lives of others, he risked his own safety; and
WHEREAS, The magnitude of the sacrifice that ended his life
all too prematurely is in keeping with the character that was
evident to all who knew him; an active member of the Tyler
community, he used his time on earth to the fullest; and
WHEREAS, Born on January 20, 1953, in Dallas, Mr. Wilson
graduated from MacArthur High School in 1971 and went on to serve
his country with distinction in the U.S. Navy; after his discharge
from the military, this avid sportsman worked as a racquetball
instructor and embraced his entrepreneurial spirit, opening
Tyler’s On Target Shooting Range in 1997; and
WHEREAS, A dedicated volunteer, he committed his talents to
help raise money for nonprofit organizations and lent his time to
Heart of Tyler/Main Street projects, including the Texas Blues
Festival and Festival on the Square; and
WHEREAS, Mark Wilson was a true hero, and his example reminds
us that the very best elements of human nature can emerge in the
midst of the chaos and violence that threaten our society; though
this brave man will be missed, his legacy will continue to inspire
all who are privileged to know of him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas
Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the life of Mark Alan
Wilson of Tyler and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his
family: to his parents, Alex and Lynn Stewart; to his sisters,
Melody and Holly Wilson; to his nieces, Katie and Kristen DeFazio;
and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Mark Alan
Wilson.
Berman
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 740 was unanimously adopted
by arising vote of the House on March 31, 2005.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/79R/billtext/HR00740F.HTM
There is NO evidence to support the assertion that law enforcement officers are put at risk by law-abiding citizens carrying concealed firearms in their car. There are no studies, even ones with twisted statistics, that draw this conclusion. How can that be? Because there is NO record of a law enforcement officers having been injured by a CCW permit holder during a traffic stop, anywhere in the 44 CCW states.
We can, on the other hand, offer numerous examples of armed citizens coming to the aid of officers in peril.
Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, FL
Driving to work one morning, Jim Povia, of Sarasota, Florida, saw a state trooper with his service pistol drawn, confronting a trio of male suspects during a traffic stop. Povia, a right-to-carry permit holder, pulled over and grabbed his .40 cal. pistol and went to the aid of the officer. The two held the men until backup arrived. The driver of the vehicle was driving with a suspended license and a gun was found in the rear of the vehicle. The three men were charged with felony weapons possession.
The Post, Houston, TX
In the finest tradition of armed citizens who take on crime in their communities, Texan Travis Neel helped save a wounded Harris County deputy sheriff’s life. Witnessing the shooting by one of a trio of Houston gang members after a traffic stop just west of Houston, Neel–who was on his way to his pistol range–pulled his gun and fired, driving the officer’s assailants away. An off-duty sheriff’s deputy also came on the scene and joined Neel in covering the deputy, whose life was saved by his body armor. The trio was captured after a manhunt.
The Bulletin, Norwich, CT
While the situation ended without incident, armed citizen Michael Acree stood ready to lend a hand when a police officer stopped a carload of unruly teenagers outside his Salem, Connecticut, home. Noticing the youths scuffling with the officer, Acree retrieved his pistol and went out onto his lawn. When the youths saw Acree and his handgun, they calmed down and the situation ended peaceably. Acree earned the appreciation both of town officials and the officer.
The Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL
Vincent McCarthy wasn’t afraid to lend a hand when he noticed a police officer struggling with a man and woman at the side of the road. He tried to help subdue the man who was kicking the officer in the face. Despite McCarthy’s warnings, when the man pressed his assault, the tour boat captain shot him once in the leg with a pistol he is licensed to carry and stopped the attack. Neither the officer nor McCarthy were seriously injured.
The Observer, Charlotte, NC
A North Myrtle Beach, N.C., citizen was credited by the city’s public safety director with possibly saving the life of Police Officer Richard Jernick. Jernick had pulled over a suspected bank robber’s car after a chase, when the suspect charged the cruiser and pointed a gun at the officer, who was still behind the wheel. At that point authorities said, the robbery suspect saw that James Beach, a semi-retired electrician who had joined the pursuit, had a pistol pointed at him. Startled, the robber ran for his car, and Officer Jernick was able to shoot and wound him.
The Star-Banner, Ocala, FL
When a drug-trafficking suspect fleeing a state police traffic stop ran through an Ocala, Fla., campground, he was spotted by the manager. Leonard Hicks armed himself and held the man at gunpoint for pursuing officers. An officer later commented, We wouldn’t have caught the suspect if it hadn’t been for him.
The Valley Daily News, Renton, WA
The armed man who intended to rob a Renton, Wash., gunshop should have been forewarned by the police cruiser he had to walk past to enter the store, and the uniformed officer standing just inside the door. Belatedly noticing the policeman, the would-be robber began shooting at him. The officer and a store clerk armed with a semi-auto pistol returned fire, fatally wounding the man.
The Press-Herald, Minden, LA
During a drug arrest in Webster Parish, La., a sheriff’s deputy and a state trooper found themselves struggling with their two suspects. But four citizens observed the battle and, armed with shotguns, they came to the officers’ aid–enabling them to make the arrests.
The Chronicle, San Francisco, CA
Dave Storton, a San Jose, Calif., police officer, was doing off-duty security work at an apartment complex when two burglars knocked the officer down and attempted to grab his revolver. During the struggle, one of the assailants bit off part of Storton’s ear, but the two attackers were run off by an apartment resident who came to the rescue, armed with a shotgun.
The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK
Miami, Okla., motel owner Oba Edwards witnessed two policemen struggling with a man they were attempting to arrest and saw the man wrest away one officer’s revolver, shoot and kill him. Edwards armed himself and fired a shot that allowed the remaining officer to recover his partner’s revolver and fatally wound the attacker. The dead man was on probation for assault of a Texas police officer.
The Morning Herald, Hagerstown, MD
Police officer Chris Haldeman entered a Chambersburg, PA gold and silver exchange to arrest a suspect in a stolen property case, but the man resisted and a struggle ensued. The 220-lb. suspect had Haldeman pinned to the ground and was choking him when storekeeper Ken Cummings pulled his pistol and shot the officer’s attacker in the leg. The man, a known felon, managed to escape, and Det. Haldeman was treated at a local hospital and released.
The Morning News, Dallas, TX
A stolen car bearing three escaped convicts was stopped on a Kansas highway by a state trooper. When the officer ordered the men from the vehicle, they sped away. With the trooper in pursuit, the escapees crashed in the town of Gorham; two were captured as they crawled free of the wreckage. The third convict attempted to flee on foot, only to be collared by several onlookers who had secured rifles from their pickups at the trooper’s call for assistance.
The Times-Tribune, Corbin, KY
Corbin, Ky., motel operator Ray Miracle came upon state trooper James Phelps attempting to subdue two drunken occupants of a stopped auto and, carrying his revolver, went to the officer’s aid. At that point, another car stopped and one of two men inside levelled a gun on Trooper Phelps. Seeing Miracle’s drawn gun, however, they hastily drove off. Kentucky State Police rewarded Miracle with their highest civilian honor.
The Post, Houston, TX
Ralph Festavan watched as a heroin peddler attacked a Shreveport, La., policeman and grabbed the officer’s gun. Festavan ran to the patrol car parked nearby and got a shotgun with which he shot and killed the pusher.
The Times-Union, Rochester, NY
Dennis Koch was putting storm windows on his fiancee’s house when he observed a youth run into nearby woods. He passed the information on to a police officer who stopped by minutes later and told Koch he was searching for a burglary suspect. He gave Koch permission to assist him. Carrying his pistol, for which he has a permit, Koch found the youth hiding and held him in custody until the officer could place him under arrest.
The Memphis Press-Scimitar, Memphis, TN
A Missouri state trooper had been shot three times by two armed robbery suspects when armed citizen Robert Riley of Tiptonville, Tenn., rushed to his aid. Riley fired a small caliber pistol at the assailants until they surrendered. The law officer was then rushed to a hospital.
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, CA
Inland Valley, California, Humane Society officer Amy Murillo, 27, was responding to a local resident’s pleas when she attempted to call off a vicious dog. But the animal turned on Murillo, jumping at her and causing her to fall against her vehicle. She suffered several bites to the head and chest from the crazed animal. Witnessing the young officer’s plight, the resident who had summoned her help returned the favor by running to his house and retrieving a handgun. The dog then turned on the man who shot twice, killing it.
The Daily Facts, Redlands, CA
Redlands, California, sheriff’s deputies credited an armed citizen with helping them capture four men and two juveniles who had just robbed a convenience store and pointed a gun at a plain clothes police officer as they made their initial getaway. Following a short chase all the suspects were captured. “One of the guys was detained at gunpoint by a resident who really helped us,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Bobby Phillips said. “He kept him there on the ground until we got there.”
The Review Courier, Alva, OK
Things had turned ugly for Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer Rick Wallace. He had found marijuana on a speeder, but was overpowered by the man before he could cuff him. Passerby Adolph Krejsek witnessed the altercation and came to the rescue, using his own firearm to help the trooper control the suspect. After helping subdue the assailant, Krejsek used the injured trooper’s radio to call for help.
Associated Press, IN
In Indianapolis 17-year-old Gerald Watson stood near a policeman who questioned a robbery suspect when the suspect’s accomplice appeared on the scene and shot the officer down. Watson, who had taught marksmanship at the YMCA, grabbed the fallen policeman’s service revolver and shot the felon dead.
UPI, AL
In Saraland, Ala., the berserk husband of a woman charged with possession of illegal whisky killed one police officer and wounded another but, as he tried to make his escape, was shot dead by Carlos McDonald, the proprietor of a nearby shop.
UPI, AL
Two gunmen kidnapped an Eclectic, Ala., town policeman and used the officer to gain admittance to the home of Carl Ray Barker in the early morning hours. Barker, an Eclectic banker, was taken by one gunman into town to open the bank’s vault, his wife, child, and the town policeman being held hostage by the armed companion pending a safe return from the bank. When the time-vault resisted opening, the gunman returned Barker to his house and, after some debate, took the policeman away with him to get tape for binding all hostages until morning, when another attempt was to be made on the vault. Barker, now held in his home with wife and child by the second armed man, asked if he could make coffee. The robber assented and Barker put water on the stove and got it boiling. “I took the scalding water to the living room,” said Barker. “When he held his cup, I just poured the water in his face and grabbed his gun.” Barker pistol-whipped the robber into submission, loaded a shotgun and waited for the return of the other bandit. When the door opened, the captive policeman dived out of the way and Barker killed the would-be bank robber with two blasts. Barker said he feared for his family’s safety and, “I didn’t want my bank to get a bad name about being robbed.”
Article used by permission from the Ohioans For Concealed Carry PAC
Jim Higginbotham
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; ….A time to kill,……. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 (Amp.)
Now this may be a shock to your sensibilities and I hope you will pardon me if I take you out of your comfort zone a little here. However, brother and sister in Christ, if you will allow me, I hope to demonstrate a few things that many Christians seem to be confused about these days. Now this is not a lecture but a discussion so please do not get the idea that I am pontificating or waxing eloquent. Also in the short space I am allowed I cannot cover all aspects of the topic but I hope to hit the high points. As always, the ultimate resource is not the opinions of man however, but the Word of God.
God has a good bit to say about the use of lethal force and it readily becomes evident that there are both acceptable and unacceptable applications of it. Of course the first and most commonly known passage involving lethal force in the Bible is the Commandment, “Thou Shalt not Kill”, Ex. 20:13 so we had better deal with this first. Part of this dilemma is taken care of by the modern translations such as the NIV, the Amplified Bible and a few more. The Commandment, taken from the original Hebrew actually reads, “Thou Shalt not Murder”. If you have a concordance you will find that the word used in the original text was Ratsach for which the preferred definition is indeed “murder” and its derivations even indicates premeditated murder or assassination. Even if you don’t have a Concordance then the meaning is made clear in the very first chapter of the Bible; Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, Gen 9:6, a clear authorization for man to end the life of an offending party if the crime be serious enough. We could develop this further but enough now, considering the constraints of space, to establish that God does not forbid using lethal force in all cases.
OK, we have established that God sanctions the use of lethal force in some cases. Just where do we draw the line. What justifies taking the life of another human being. Well it is clearly not in response to an injury to your pride. Jesus Himself advised us to: “…resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”, Mat. 5:39. Does this mean you should allow someone to attack you? Hardly. In nearly every instance I can find in the Bible, a “smite on the cheek” is a personal affront not an physical attack (see: 1Kings 22:24, 2 Chron. 18:23, Job 16:10, and so on). It is not to be used to make a point. When Peter made what was surely a futile effort to retaliate against the armed group who came to arrest Jesus at the Garden, Jesus rebuked him with these words; “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”, Mat. 26:52. I am not sure if there is any significance to the fact that this particular warning is not worded the same in the other gospels but one thing seems to come to mind and that is that Peter, impulsive as ever, was trying to alter what was clearly God’s perfect will, and impose his own, by his show of force.
However equally clear from scripture is the guidance that is given by Jesus to his disciples in Luke 22:35 –36: “And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”
More to the point Jesus, who mostly spoke in parables, confirmed an old testament treatment of the use of lethal force, using deadly weapons in Luke 11:21, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace”. Now this parable was not about protecting one’s goods but about spiritual warfare, however the comparison confirms the correctness of the philosophy of protecting one’s property with lethal force. One can go back to the Old Testament to get the confirmation. “If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, [there shall] no blood [be shed] for him.”, Ex. 22.2.
The Apostle Paul even has something to say about arms and lethal force when talking of the Centurion (who is part soldier and part policeman). He states; “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Now some will be quick to point out that this is referring to a government official, who, through God’s will has been appointed to a position of authority. In America, God has allowed us to appoint our own officials, through the power of the ballot box. What the armed official does with his weapon we bear some degree of responsibility for, in theory, we are self governing. As an aside, and by logical extension, there is an implication there that we share some degree (certainly not most) of the responsibility for any nefarious actions of those whom we leave in office when their misconduct becomes public knowledge and we have the legal recourse to remove them – now there’s a sobering thought.
An even more interesting, perhaps we might say perplexing passage penned by Paul is found in Hebrews 7:1-4 which refers to Melchisedec, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God and King of peace and, what many biblical scholars believe is a type of Christ, a preview from the O.T. if you will. Now it might be ironic but this King of Peace is only known for one act in the entire Bible and that is his blessing of Abraham when Abraham took his private militia – his army of men that he presumably armed and trained – and slaughtered the kings who had kidnapped members of his family. If God forbids all forms of homicide then Abraham and Paul certainly missed it.
While not on the level of the Word in authority, church history abounds with Christians who resorted to the ultimate violence in order to work for good. The Catholic Saint, Gabriel Possenti, was most noted for standing up to a band of mercenaries over 100 years ago. St. Gabriel was, among other things, one fine pistol shot. While his collar did not impress the mercenaries, the fact that he physically disarmed one of their men and then shot the head off a lizard convinced them they had best loot some other town.
In 1994 one of the documents produced by the Vatican Pontifical council for Justice and Peace states: “In a world marked by evil and sin, the right of legitimate defense by armed menace exists. This right can become a serious duty for those who are responsible for the lives of others, for the common good of the family or of the civil community”. It goes on to state that the right to armed defense is coupled with the duty to do all possible to reduce to a minimum or eliminate the causes of violence. In case you have not noticed, violence is not caused by instruments, it is caused and carried out by people.
With the current argument in the press over people carrying guns in church it might fascinate you to know that 200 years ago it was against the law for a man to come to church unarmed! Now you may point out that times have changed but how does that change God’s view – as perceived 200 years ago. What was OK with God then is OK with God now for He is “the same yesterday, today and forever”. What has changed is only social mores.
Of course we have only scratched the surface of this very complex subject but due to time and space constraints we will have to address them at a later date. If you have questions you would like to see addressed we will try to cover them so let me know by email and I will keep a file so that we might do a Word study on them.
Now before you decide that I am being rather cold hearted and bloodthirsty, let me say that I am merely discussing the Word as it applies to the restrictions – or, more to the point – devine authorization to employ lethal force. I personally would caution you to be very reluctant to use that authorization. Taking the life of another person always has serious consequences legally, socially and financially. While the Word is clear that you may use lethal force to protect your belongings, especially if they are in your house. Risking the consequences just to protect things is not a very good idea. Kentucky state law allows the use of lethal force against burglars if you happen to be in the house at the time and against the arson of your home and outbuildings but you could still end up paying a huge financial settlement. I strongly urge you to use it only if your life – or that of a loved one – is in jeopardy. It is, in other words, the second to last resort – the last would be allowing an attacker to take your life or cause you serious bodily injury or do the same to one you are responsible for.
I hope this has not been too traumatic for you. I hope you will not mistake it as an excuse for those who use weapons irresponsibly. It is sometimes very difficult to objectively assess ideas that might seem foreign or even radical. I hope I have shown you that this is not something new or radical. In fact it is the idea that personal arms and their restrained, responsible use are somehow “immoral” that is radical considering the historical position of the church. Perhaps next time we can discuss things that are really surprising – like the fairly well documented fact that the “Wild West” was much safer than many of our major cities today, and that “gun control” in Dodge City was a magnificent failure. Food for thought.
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
Jim Higginbotham
By Gabe Suarez
To hit the enemy fast and shoot him to the ground before he is able to hit you. That is all. In the end, all else is totally irrelevant. So, issues about methods and styles, finite accuracy or scores mean absolutely nothing if you cannot hit fast before you yourself are hit.
What does it take to do that? First and foremost, regardless of distances involved, you must get the gun into action, and pointed and aligned onto the enemy/adversary. This is totally a physical action relying on such variables as your grip and draw (learned skills), your hand-eye coordination and the ability to focus on and point at an object (an instinctual thing).
Second in order, is firing the pistol without disrupting the alignment you’ve created. This involves trigger control and is also a learned skill. Certain pistols may be easier to use in this area than others, but that is another issue altogether.
These two simple steps may be sufficient to get a hit on the adversary. This depends on the distance between you and him, which in turn either makes the “target” appear larger or smaller. A larger-appearing target (closer to you) presents a greater margin for error than a smaller-appearing target (more distant from you), and therefore is much easier to hit. The marksmanship problems in real gunfights are not very difficult at all.
The mechanics of getting the pistol “out and on”, in other words, drawing and pointing should be the same regardless of distance. I am opposed to the idea of having different draw strokes and different firing positions for the various distances. Some shooting disciplines teach a two-handed position for some distances, and a hip shooting position for others, etc. In my opinion, this creates more variables than are needed.
Instead, I favor the concept of having one draw stroke that raises the pistol out of the holster and gets it close to horizontal at the side of the ribs, near the pectoral muscle. This point of transition between “UP” and “OUT” can be a ready position or a firing position depending on your intent and the proximity of threat. The pistol is then extended as needed and can be fired at any point along that horizontal extension toward the target.
Notice that I haven’t mentioned the use of the sights at all. This is no accidental omission. I’ll risk disapproval from some by saying this, but at close range gunfight distances (0-15 feet) you may win the fight without ever even looking at your sights.
I see far too many students in class take excessively too much time to get a hit on a relatively close and easy target. The reason? They are seeking a perfect sight picture. Not much of an issue on a two-dimensional piece of paper. When that paper is replaced by a moving attacking human adversary either in a force on force problem, or in an actual fight, the time frames may not be sufficient to obtain a perfect sight picture. Thus students must learn through their own training what is sufficient to hit without getting hit.
Initially, in any type of combat, the visual focus will be on the adversary. Thus we begin the fight looking at the target/threat. The trick, and its not much of a trick as it comes very naturally, is to focus hard (visually and mentally) on the spot you wish to drive the gun to. Thus where my eyes focus, my mind will focus, and where my mind focuses, my gun will go. It’s the same physical phenomena (or instinct) that allows us to toss a Soft Drink can into a waste basket across the room. It is the same inborn skill that allows you to point something out to someone with your finger tip. Don’t over think it. It is what it is: a natural ability to visually acquire something, visually focus on it and point the hand (or throw something) at it.
As I said earlier, the aligning or pointing of the pistol onto the target is a physical act comprised of hand eye coordination, grip, and aided by a directional draw. Let’s not forget the “EYE” part as it’s crucial. Look hard at the spot you want to hit and drive the gun there. Let’s keep that crucial point in mind as it is the common thread that runs through the Modern Technique taught by Jeff Cooper, the Point Shooting systems of Fairbairn, Sykes and Applegate, as well as the lesser known system of Quick Kill created by Lucky McDaniels. The pistol must be aligned with the target via hand eye coordination and grip.
Now if the target is close, as your adversary will normally be very close in most surprise attacks, you need nothing more than this skill to hit quickly. You are not relying on the sights to align anything at all. Good hits can be expected from arm’s length to about 15 feet.
As the target becomes smaller, more difficult to hit, or more distant, the more visual verification is needed to make sure your gun is in fact aligned on target. That is what the sights are for. The amount of time you spend on those sights (verifying and making adjustments based on what you see) is proportionate to the distance from threat and difficulty of the shot.
Try this. Set up a Teuller Drill with your training partner and Airsoft Pistols. The Teuller Drill involves facing an adversary charging at you from 21 feet with a rubber training knife. The secret to beating the drill is to move as you draw and shoot. Run it a few times and be honest with yourself about what you saw when you broke the shot. I’ll bet most of you will not be seeing the same perfect sight picture you see on a piece of paper. Some may not be seeing anything at all, yet the hits will still be on the training partner’s body. Try it!
Good heavens! Am I advocating point shooting? I’m advocating hitting your adversary using whatever it takes, whatever it’s called and regardless of where it came from. Avoid labeling your techniques. Instead do what you need to do to hit and see what you need to see to make sure.
__________________
Gabe Suarez
Suarez International USA, Inc.
One Source Tactical
[email protected]
Office 928-776-4492