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DRAW

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OSS Tactical Firearms Training

When and if you need to draw your weapon in self defense, are you prepared? Can you draw and present your weapon in a timely and efficient manner? How and where you choose to carry concealed will be a determining factor in how quickly and efficiently you are able to draw your weapon. Most importantly, have you trained enough to be proficient and do you have conscious competency?

I believe that “slow is smooth and smooth is fast”. In order to become smooth and fast, you must practice. I have heard that “practice makes perfect”. I argue that “perfect practice makes perfect”. If you practice a bad technique, you are doing a disservice to yourself and creating a training scar. If you have to draw your weapon, milli-seconds count and you need to be as quick as possible. The goal is to orient your weapon on your threat area as quickly as possible so that you can stop the threat as quickly as possible. If you fumble for your weapon or have a sloppy and inefficient draw, you are losing time that could save your life. If you are slower than your adversary, you lose!

Depending on where you choose to carry will dictate the process of your draw. You must break down each movement of the draw so that you can practice effectively. My choice is to carry outside the waistband on my strong side. This is the most natural and comfortable location for me. Remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. When carrying on the strong side, I think of a 90-degree movement to get my weapon on point. Simply coming straight up out of the holster and then a 90-degree movement bringing the muzzle of my weapon on the threat area. There is a little more to that technique but I will not make it available in this article. Some people take less time getting the weapon on point because they have excess movement such as casting or bowling techniques in the draw. No matter where you choose to carry, practice efficiency and economy of motion to ensure you minimize the amount of movement and time it takes to get your weapon on point.

The ability to draw your weapon in a smooth and quick manner only comes through time and practice. If you read my articles on a regular basis, you know that I am a firm believer in training and dry fire practice. Your ability is based on your skill set which is determined by the amount of training and practice you are willing to put in. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! If you are not able to draw your weapon in a quick and smooth manner, how can you possibly win the fight! You have to get your weapon on point before you can press the trigger to stop the threat. Remember that during a lethal force encounter, physiological things happen that you have no control over. You are in fight or flight mode and your lizard brain takes over. If you have not trained well, you will not perform well.

Stand up for your rights and get involved. The battle for our guns is real and silence is consent. Red Flag laws have been passed by Columbia, SC. These laws are in direct violation of Section 23-31-510 of the South Carolina Code of Laws that state “No governing body of any county, municipality, or other political subdivision in this State may enact or promulgate any regulation or ordinance which regulates or attempts to regulate the transfer, ownership, possession, carrying, or transportation of firearms, or any combination of these things”.

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson sent Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin a letter calling for the City of Columbia to repeal a pair of ordinances related to guns.

“In an effort to uphold the rule of law and to ensure the protection of taxpayers, this office strongly urges that these ordinances be repealed,” Wilson wrote Tuesday. “The ordinances not only undermine state law, but undercut the Second Amendment. They are an open invitation to costly litigation for which the municipal taxpayers must pay.”

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REVOLVER OR SEMI-AUTOMATIC

 

 

 

 

 

When choosing a weapon to carry, one must carefully choose what is best for them. You have the choice of a revolver or a semi-automatic pistol. Each type has positive and negative aspects to them. Careful consideration should be given to each one and ensure that what you choose fits your physical abilities and needs. Another consideration is weight of the pistol, how you want to carry it and will you carry additional magazines or speed loaders.

Many people cannot operate semi-automatic pistols due to physical limitations. Some do not have the hand strength to manipulate the slide properly without causing malfunctions. Some factors to consider are strength, hand size or possibly arthritis. Some do not like semi-automatic pistols because of the likelihood of malfunctions. Some semi-automatics do not have an active safety on them and some consider them unsafe.

While all pistols have a maximum number of bullets they carry, most common revolvers are limited to six bullets. This is another factor to consider when making the choice of a concealed carry weapon. If you choose to carry a revolver, will you carry a speed loader, should you need it? Most people will not carry a speed loader and further, it takes more training to become proficient at reloading a revolver in a timely manner. Revolvers are much less likely to malfunction, which is a strong point to consider.

Another consideration is the size of the revolver, the weight and whether or not it has a hammer. Many revolvers are light weight and hammer-less. While being lighter is a good thing, depending on the caliber of bullet you choose, it may have more recoil when fired and be more difficult for some to manage. A pistol that is heavier in weight causes less recoil. If your choice of revolver is hammer-less, you will have a stronger trigger press, making it more difficult to hit your intended target. Hammer-less revolvers are more comfortable to carry and less likely to get hung up on clothing.  If your revolver does have a hammer, you may choose to fire it single action, having less trigger press to negotiate. When thinking about reliability, if a revolver malfunctions, you simply have to press the trigger again versus a semi-automatic requiring 3 to 6 steps in the malfunction clearance procedure. You may think about paying a gunsmith to lessen the amount of pressure it takes to press the trigger. Semi-automatic pistols typically provide the ability to have more ammunition than revolvers.

No matter the choice you make, make sure you train to become proficient with your weapon. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of training. In my experience, most people fail to train adequately. I am not trying to insult anyone and do not think that you need to train to be a Green Beret or Navy Seal. I do believe that you should be able to manipulate your weapon without having to stop, look at it and then think your way through the process to return the weapon to action.  The point of carrying a weapon is to protect yourself, loved ones and possibly others who are in peril. I have stated in previous articles that you must have conscious competency with your weapon. Some refer to this as “muscle memory”. If you bring a weapon to a fight, make sure you know how to use it properly so that you are not a liability to yourself or anyone else.

If you are unaware, Red Flag Laws close to home.  “Columbia City Council passed a trio of bills designed to give police more powers to tackle both guns and bias-motivated crimes. The new ordinances will make it easier for Columbia police to confiscate firearms from gun owners who are deemed to be an “extreme risk;” tighten restrictions on guns near schools; and create a city hate crimes ordinance. Under one new ordinance, the Columbia municipal court or other courts that may have jurisdiction in Columbia are empowered to issue protection orders if someone is deemed an “extreme risk”. (Greenville News September 18, 2019)

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Target Analysis

 

As much as we all enjoy going to the range and honing our skills with handguns, do you find yourself wondering why some of your shots are not where you thought they should? If so, are you doing correct target analysis? Do you know how to analyze your shot placement?

I want to give you some tips on how to analyze your shot placement and improve your skills. While you may be able to analyze most of your issues, sometimes you will need another set of competent and knowledgeable eyes to pick up on some of the more subtle things you may be doing without knowing it.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, the two most important fundamentals of marksmanship are sight alignment and trigger control. Trigger control, in my opinion, is the most difficult to master. This is why we all should know how to analyze our targets.

This is a chart that shows common shooting errors while shooting. This chart is designed for a right handed shooter. A left handed shooter would simply reverse the diagnosis shown on this chart. While the chart shows the most common reasons a shooter would have shot placements in these areas, it is sometimes difficult to relate this to the shooter. The chart is not an automatic solution to shooting errors. There are shooter induced actions that can be misinterpreted and then frustration can set in when attempting to correct the issue. A qualified and competent instructor can see things that others with less experience cannot and provide you with more insight to reduce shooter error.

To correctly analyze shot placement, the shooter must repeat the same action to achieve the same result. Once the perceived error has been analyzed, you must correct the action. This is where a knowledgeable and competent instructor can be of great value. The chart shows that a shot to the right of center would be caused by a couple of different reasons. This could also be caused by too much pressure with the support hand with a two-handed grip. There is another reason I can think of and have seen that could cause this to happen also. I will keep that secret for now.

Trying to correct shooting errors that you are not aware of can prove to be difficult. Frequently, a shooter will not be aware of the actions that cause shots to be inaccurate. I encourage everyone to take the time to instill a good dry fire routine into your week. This will enable you to concentrate on one or two things at a time and then go to the range to ensure you are applying the fundamentals correctly. I cannot overstate the importance a dry fire practice, done correctly!

I hope this helps some of you with your ability to improve your skills. Please take the time to text, call or email me with any concerns you may have or to provide input for upcoming articles.

If you have the desire to improve your skills with any of your weapons, contact me to arrange a training session.

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1 Eye or 2

Shooting is a skill that must be learned. Hopefully, everyone had the opportunity to be taught by someone knowledgeable and competent. Two of the fundamentals of marksmanship are sight alignment & sight picture. To be a proficient marksman, one must be able to apply these fundamentals repeatedly and correctly. Sight alignment is the relationship between the front sight and rear sight. Sight picture is the relationship between the front sight, rear sight and target. The front sight must be in clear focus when applying these fundamentals.

I was taught to close one eye when shooting. This allows me to focus on the front sight without much difficulty. As I progressed in my career and age, the concept of shooting with both eyes open became more prominent. I struggled with this concept but through training, was able to adapt and utilize this technique. I find that shooting with both eyes open is fine for anything within 7 yards. When the distance becomes greater than that, I choose to close my weak eye allowing better focus on the front sight.

When I am teaching anyone, I ask them to use both techniques in order to determine what works best for that particular individual. Some people simply cannot shoot with both eyes open. That is fine. There is no one set way to do this. If any instructor tells you that you have to do it “this way”, find another instructor. I spoke about what to look for in an instructor in last month’s article.

Shooting with both eyes open allows me to pick up my front sight a little bit quicker thus allowing me to put rounds on target quicker. I do not necessarily have to have perfect sight alignment when shooting up close and quick. I may have nothing more than a flash sight picture. If shooting competition, I may want to close the weak eye to better focus on the front sight so that I can shoot a tighter group. In a deadly force encounter, I most likely will have both eyes open. This will also allow me to have a larger field of vision and allow better situational awareness.

As with anything else, there is always a positive and negative side with everything. Find out for yourself what works best for you at close distance and as you progress further away. You should also know which eye is the dominate eye. Some people are cross eye dominate. That is not a problem as all you need to do is move the weapon to your eye allowing you to align the sights.

I do encourage you to send questions, concerns or thoughts to me. If you or anyone you know is looking to improve on your skills, I hope you contact me to set up a training date. If you have a group and want training, we can arrange that also.

Stay vigilante in the efforts to maintain our right to bear arms.

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Maintaining & Improving Trigger Control

Let’s face it, most of us do not have enough time in the day to accomplish all we need and want to accomplish. How do we find the time to become a better pistol shooter when each of us already have a full schedule with work and families? That being said, what are you doing to maintain or increase your skills with pistol shooting? It is great when we get that time to make it to the range for some quality range time in an attempt to put a tight shot group together. It is also disappointing to see the results of not having been to the range recently or regularly when we look at our target and see holes everywhere instead of a nice tight shot group. Doesn’t exactly build the confidence you were looking for. Especially knowing you may have to defend yourself or loved ones someday.

Shooting is a perishable skill and if you fail to train, you train to fail. Yes, we all have a base skill-set but would you like to see real improvement not only in your shot grouping but also the ability to put more rounds on target faster and more effectively? I want to offer you some of the techniques and practices I have learned over the last 3 decades as a firearms trainer.

Everyone wants to know the “secret” to becoming a great pistol shooter. Well, I have the answer and I will share it with you now. The secret to shooting is applying trigger pressure straight to the rear in a smooth continuous manner without disturbing the sight alignment. This is only 1 of the fundamentals of marksmanship but definitely the most important to master.

Sounds easy enough but to effectively accomplish this repeatedly can be a daunting task for some. It takes time and repetition to become proficient at any task. We may be able to correctly apply this fundamental of marksmanship occasionally but not consistently when shooting. Launching bullets downrange at a paper target can definitely be considered quality training but if you are not consciously working on a specific task, are you really getting the most bang for your buck? Those bangs can become quite expensive if you keep repeating the same mistake and not having better results.

I would like each of you to think about it and decide if you have ten minutes three times a week that you could dedicate to improving your skill set with this particular fundamental of marksmanship. If you decide you have that amount of time, I promise you will see better results when you go to the range. These improved results will be a direct reflection of your ability to practice effectively.

This is called the dry fire ritual and must be done the same way, every time! First, you will need a place alone, without any distractions. No family members, no T.V., no radio, no pets. ALONE! Secondly, unload your weapon and magazines. Visually and physically ensure the weapon is unloaded. Then you must remove all ammunition from the room. Out of sight, out of mind. This helps alleviate the “Murphy” syndrome. We all know or have heard of Murphy. When he comes around, bad things happen. Thirdly, make sure you have a safe back drop. An area where if Murphy did show up and you somehow shoot a live bullet, it will not harm any living thing. A brick fireplace, a dirt mound or any other item that will contain a bullet should Murphy show up. Never point a weapon at anything you are not willing to destroy.

Next, I want you to say out loud, “This gun is empty and I am going to practice dry fire”. It may sound silly to ask you to do this but when you hear something said out loud, it stays with you more so than mentally thinking it. Once you have verbally made that statement, it is time to decide what specifically you want to train on.

If you, like most of us, have not mastered the fundamental of trigger press or trigger control, now would be a great time to dedicate no more than ten minutes to the secret of pistol shooting. Applying trigger pressure straight to the rear in a smooth continuous manner without disturbing the sight alignment. You may watch your trigger finger as you do this or you can point in at a target with a safe backdrop and watch your sight alignment to notice any movement when the trigger falls. Sometimes, having a mantra as you are pressing the trigger helps maintain the steady continuous motion until the weapon “fires”. I have told students “one continuous motion, straight to the rear, until the trigger falls” as a mantra to maintain the steady pressure. By doing this trigger control dry fire technique correctly, you will begin to develop what some call muscle memory. It has been said that it takes ten thousand repetitions to develop muscle memory. If you are going to invest the time to do something ten thousand times, don’t you want to ensure you are doing it correctly so that you are not reinforcing bad habits? Take your time when conducting any dry fire technique to build proper muscle memory.

Now that you have finished your ten minutes of correctly applying trigger control dry fire, it is time to step back into the real world. You can reload all of your magazines and your weapon, should you choose to. Remember safe storage practices. Once this is done, again out loud say, “This weapon is loaded and will shoot”. This will reinforce that the weapon is fully loaded and can take a life or destroy property. Put the weapon away for at least 30 minutes and do not go back to practice “just one more time”. Remember Murphy shows up at times like this.

I will leave you with this. I have met and trained with some of the best pistol and rifle shooters in the world. One such person told me that “I only live fire to confirm my dry fire”. He was a nationally ranked pistol shooter. He also said that he dry fires one thousand times for every one live round he fired. If it was good enough for him, it is definitely good enough for me.  By putting this ritual in your tool-box you are well on your way to developing conscious competency. I look forward to providing more useful techniques and practices for you. If you have any questions, about anything related to firearms fundamentals or tactics, please do not hesitate to contact me at timowens@tacticaladvantagefirearmstng.com

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OSS Tactical Firearms Instructors

Everyone should strive to enhance their knowledge base in order to become wiser and more proficient. We do this by seeking out knowledge we either do not have or wish to enhance and build upon. We read articles, seek out videos and any other means available to us.

When dealing with techniques and tactics with firearms, we want to know that we are provided the best instruction available to us. We want to walk away knowing that we have actually learned something of value to us. Especially if we have paid good money for the lesson we attended.

What does it take to be a good instructor? First, you must be able to articulate your teaching objectives in a manner that is conducive to each learning style. Not everyone learns the same way. There are 3 different learning styles; Kinesthetic, auditory and visual. As an instructor you must ensure that you are addressing each style to ensure full understanding of the material being taught. If you, as an instructor, fail to address one of them, you have left someone in the class behind. If you are the student, make sure your instructor is teaching to your style of learning.

Every instructor must have a base level of core competencies in which to effect learning. We do this by attending classes to become certified in the fields we wish to teach. That is only the base level. This is the book knowledge everyone must possess. Once you have this, you must go out and put it into practice. This is where we develop our teaching style and learn how we, as instructors, are able to get our point across to students. It is a learning process for us and only through experience do we become better.

Instructors must also be able to adapt to each individual student to make them at ease. Learning a new skill is difficult and this causes self-induced stress. A good instructor recognizes this and is able to make the student more at ease, coaching them through the process.

Learning in an instructor’s class how to diagnose shooter errors and what the target grouping looks like is one thing. Being able to diagnose what a shooter is actually doing and making them understand it and overcome it, is another. The ability to diagnose shooter error only comes through many repetitions and experience. What I am able to diagnose in a matter of 3 to 5 shots, may not be as easy for another instructor who has limited experience. Some shooters may be squeezing the trigger using the entire strong hand instead of only using the trigger finger. A less experienced instructor may not recognize this as quickly. This is only one example. There are many subtleties that are sometimes difficult to observe and diagnose.

Having been an instructor for almost 4 decades does not mean that I know everything and it must be done my way because I have seen this before. A closed-minded instructor is limited in their ability to be effective. Just because I have 4 decades of experience does not mean that I cannot learn something new from someone else. I have worked with students and not been able to effectively communicate my thoughts to them. When this has happened, I have asked other instructors to assist me and the shooter. This is for the shooters benefit and mine also. A fresh set of eyes is a good thing. Can an old dog be taught new tricks? I hope so.

I also know several instructors who possess only book knowledge, along with a list of instructor certifications but lack real world experience. Just because someone has a degree or certifications does not make them an effective instructor. There is no substitute for real world experience. Especially dealing with a lethal force encounter and the legalities involved.  In previous articles, I have written about physiological changes that happen under stressful situations. It is difficult to simulate stress in a training environment. Real world scenario training must be integrated in order to produce stress and understand limitations.

Bottom line is this, if your going to pay someone to teach you, don’t you want to ensure you are getting the best for your money? If you would like to take advantage of the knowledge and training, I have garnered over the years, contact me.

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Shoot To Kill Vs. Wounding

I was working with a student recently who informed me that they had been taught to “shoot to kill” by the instructor in the CWP class they had attended. I was assured this is what they were taught after asking again if that was, indeed, what was said. I was dumbfounded to hear this and even more so, that a qualified instructor would teach that philosophy. Granted, I do not know everything and have only been doing this over 35 years. In all of the training I have had, either in the military or police work, I have never heard any instructor teach shoot to kill. Does that mean that we teach shoot to wound? No, it does not. Any qualified and competent instructor teaches shoot to stop the threat and to shoot center mass of that available target area you can identify.

The military and law enforcement are taught to shoot center mass of the target. There are numerous reasons for aiming center mass. Most importantly, it provides the largest area to aim at and gives the shooter the best chance of striking the target area in order to stop the threat. Where is a non-lethal area on a person that would allow me to shoot to wound? Most likely, it would be an extremity. Major arteries are in our arms and legs. What happens if I was successful in shooting an extremity in an attempt to shoot to wound but struck a major artery, causing death? With all of the physiological changes that occur in a lethal force encounter, trying to hit a smaller target becomes even more difficult, if not impossible.

The leading authority related to the study of scientific research on areas associated with human factors, including the intricacies of human movement, action/reaction times, how the mind works during rapidly unfolding events and decision-making under stress is The Force Science Institute. They are comprised of physician’s, psychologists, behavioral scientists, attorneys and other leading professionals. Force Science studies officer involve shootings; however, the science still applies to everyone. According to Dr. Bill Lewinski of Force Science Institute Ltd., “Shooting to wound is naively regarded as a reasonable means of stopping dangerous behavior”.

Studies by The Force Science Research Center show that the average suspect can move the hand and forearm across the body to a 90-degree angel in 12/100 of a second. They can move the hand from the hip to the shoulder height in 18/100 of a second. “The average officer pulling the trigger as fast as they can on a Glock, requires ¼ second to discharge the round. There is no way an officer can react, track, shoot and reliably hit a threatening suspect’s forearm or a weapon in a suspect’s hand the time spans involved. The upper arms move more slowly than the lower arms and hands. But shooting at the upper arms, there’s a greater chance you’re going to hit the suspect’s brachial artery or center mass, areas with a high probability of fatality. Where does shooting to only wound come in? Legs tend to move slower than arm’s and to maintain more static positions. However, areas of the lower trunk and upper thigh are rich with vascularity. A suspect who’s hit there can bleed out in seconds if one of the major arteries is severed, so again, shooting to wound may not result in just wounding. If the legs were taken out non-fatally, that still leaves the offender’s hands free to shoot”.

These professionals list a myriad of scientific reasons that shooting to wound is not a viable option. This does not mean they are advocating shooting to kill either. Modern training teaches when deadly force is used the intent should be to stop the threatening behavior as fast as possible. Shooting for an assailant’s center mass is usually considered the most effective first option because the upper torso combines a concentration of vital areas and major blood vessels within the body’s largest target.  Ron Avery of Force Science Research Center states, “When the risk of failure is death, an officer needs the highest percentage chance of success he can get”. We all need the best chance possible to survive a deadly force encounter.

While I have informed you about some of the science associated with lethal force encounters associated with law enforcement, I hope you are able to relate the science to those who are not as well trained as law enforcement officers. The science applies to everyone. I also hope you can better understand the need for competent training and education relating to a deadly force encounter. Remember that knowledge is power.

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Constitutional Carry

The 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution states; “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. This constitutional right, unlike others, has been infringed upon by lawmakers regulating and passing laws stating that individuals must have a license in order to carry a weapon in the state and cannot cross state lines unless the visiting state has reciprocity. To do so, would make one a criminal in the state they are visiting.

This is the only right granted by our forefathers in the United States constitution that is manipulated and subjected to regulations by states in order to exercise it. Our 1st Amendment rights and others are not regulated or require us to have a license in order to exercise them. How is it that this constitutional right has been subjected to laws and regulations for us to be able to exercise it? Elected officials have passed these issue laws in attempts to provide more “safety” to the public, while additionally producing income for the state.

Currently there are 16 states that have passed constitutional carry laws. South Carolina legislators have introduced Bill 3456 “Constitutional Carry Act of 2019”. This is the 3rd time a bill of this type has been introduced in South Carolina. While I support the 2nd Amendment and believe every citizen, who is not a convicted criminal, should be able to exercise this right, I also believe that there is a level of responsibility that comes with it. I have spoken about the need for training and the value of it. This is where I have reservations about everyone carrying a weapon. Too many people are unsafe with weapons and are nothing short of a liability and danger to others. The need for competent training cannot be understated.

As with anything else in life, if you are not trained correctly, how can you possibly be expected to understand the ramifications of the tool you are using? Weapons are a tool and the ability to correctly and safely operate a weapon affects everyone who is exposed to it. Don’t get me wrong, I want people to be able to defend themselves. I just want to know that myself and my loved ones are not in danger of some person who lacks a complete and thorough understanding of weapons manipulations and safety, pulling a weapon out and possibly injuring or killing one of us. I have seen too many people harmed by reckless handling of a firearm.

Guns are inherently dangerous and should be handled and treated with the utmost respect. I do support some type of training curriculum for those wanting to carry a weapon. This can do nothing but ensure everyone has a basic understanding of the safety and operation of a weapon. I know some people will disagree about any training standards or required classes. Having been around firearms for over 4 decades, I have seen things that are simply hard to comprehend and still am surprised by what I continue to see. Training can help alleviate some of the problems, not all of them.
I hope those who read this can appreciate the need to be a responsible gun owner and the value of training to produce safe gun handling and competency with weapons.

As always, if you need or want any training, reach out to me and I will do my best to accommodate your training needs. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Thanks to those who reached out to me with questions. I look forward to meeting some of you soon.

Train the way you fight and prepare for all contingencies.

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The Need For Training

I believe there is intrinsic value in training. In the military and as a police officer, I have had the opportunity to be trained by some of the best firearms and tactics instructors in the nation. I also have had the opportunity to train thousands of people in the fundamentals of marksmanship and advanced weapons skills and tactics. What I learned 30 years ago has evolved and I, as a trainer must evolve with it. The only thing that does not change is fundamentals. That is the foundation that everything is built upon.
As a Concealed Weapons Permit instructor, it is becoming very apparent to me that the majority of people are not comfortable with their weapons. This is not to demean anyone, this is simply an observation from a trainer’s point of view. I also understand that many people have not had the opportunities that I have had. I also know that it takes time, dedication and money to train. I have encountered numerous people who spend hundreds of dollars purchasing a weapon, holster and ammunition but will not seek proper training to become proficient with the weapon. The only understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship is what is covered in the CWP class. The CWP class is not a marksmanship class, it briefly touches on the fundamentals of marksmanship and presenting the weapon. The class is primarily designed to teach the legal aspects and safe operation of a handgun, along with some other topics.
What I have observed, frankly, is scary. It scares me to know that so many people are carrying guns who cannot safely and competently manipulate them. If someone carries a weapon but is not competent handling it, they become a liability. I have written about the physiological changes that occur in a deadly force encounter that we have no control over. If someone cannot load or unload a weapon with ease, how could they possibly believe they can control the weapon in a stressful situation? This also leads me to believe that this type of person would be extremely lucky to hit their intended target but most likely would miss and hit something or someone they did not intend to. We all had to take drivers education and before we could get a license, we had a learner’s permit. Unfortunately, there is no such mandate prior to applying for a CWP. You only need to attend the class and pass the written test with 70% and get 35 out of 50 hits on a silhouette target from distances of 3 yards to 15 yards. Most people pass the qualification but require coaching while manipulating the weapon. The only stress involved in the qualification is self-induced. What would happen in a life-threatening situation? The person would most likely become a statistic due to the inability to protect themselves due to lack of training.
It does not take thousands of dollars to become proficient handling weapons and applying the fundamentals of marksmanship but it does take some time and a lot of practice. Shooting is a perishable skill and lack of practice becomes very evident quickly. Practicing hitting a paper target at close range is fine but it is not realistic scenario-based training that provides real world training. I cannot stress enough the need to seek a qualified trainer who has real life experience, not just someone who has certifications. There are things I know from personal experience that someone who attended a class to become an instructor does not know and cannot know due to lack of real-world experiences. I am not saying they are incompetent, I am saying you would be learning from someone who only has book knowledge.
I believe you must be the first responder and take control of the situation by whatever actions are necessary. Our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms is vital to our safety. On that note, I implore you to prepare yourself for whatever may come your way. You cannot depend on someone else to take care of any problems you encounter.
I encourage you and anyone else you know to contact me for training, questions or concerns. If you put a group of 5 together, I can discount classes and conduct a class specifically to your needs. Check out www.tacticaladvantagefirearmstng.com or www.facebook.com/timowenstraining for additional info.
Over 21,541 police officers have lost their lives in the performance of their duties since 1791.

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Dry Fire

All too often we fail to “find the time” to go to the range for quality and specific training to maintain proficiency with our weapons. While it is important to get that range time, we all have blocks of 10 to 20 minutes to work our dry fire routine. A good dry fire routine can be more beneficial that sending those bullets downrange and is definitely more cost effective.

I once met a national competitor pistol shooter who told me “I only live fire to confirm my dry fire practice”. That is a powerful statement and shows the confidence of having a great dry fire routine.

Dry fire does not have to be boring and repetitive. We can choose to work on very specific areas to fine tune and maintain proficiency. Your dry fire routine must be done safely. Ensure all ammunition is in another location and you are free from any distractions. Make sure you have a safe backdrop, just in case Murphy shows up.

I encourage you to reply and let me know how you maintain proficiency when you are unable to have that quality range time that we all enjoy.
Be safe!

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