Tactical Pistol: Thoughts Unthunk…Usually

1 min read

I’m inclined to ask if it is wise for a man to get into a gunfight without giving thought to the possibility of getting shot?
With that in mind, how much time have you spent drilling one-handed? Let’s say you’re shot in your weak arm and can’t use it. Can you draw and fire one-handed? Can you reload a magazine one-handed? Can you clear a jam one-handed?
And don’t we all practice shooting while standing still?
Have you ever played a first person shooter where people stand still and shoot? While first person shooters are in no way definitive when it comes to tactics, in this case they are dead right. Gun fights are not static affairs. Move while you shoot. Shoot as you move.
In an armed confrontation, always move in a rotation that keeps your own sights on the enemy, while moving you towards his strong side. If he’s shooting right-handed, you rotate around him to your left.
And how about reloading one-handed? If you carry a full sized backup and cover ain’t available, this is a good time to drop your primary and pull it. If you can find cover, drop the empty mag and put the pistol between your knees with the empty grip pointing towards the front of your body. Grab your new mag, put it in the grip, pop it once to seat it, bring the weapon back to ready position and hit the slide release. This should take just a few seconds.
If you have a jam,  most can be cured by simply racking the slide. Use the offending case to catch on your belt and push down until the slide racks and ejects the bastard. If you can’t do this, drop the useless weapon and pull your backup.
And yes, you should always have a backup.
I practice these drills quite a bit. I hope you do the same.

6 Comments

  1. Tried out any new pistols that would make good primary and backup arms? I think the previous recommendation was IWB for primary, where do folks like the backup?

    • Different folks here have different preferences. Lector hates IWB, and carries OWB. I tend to carry IWB for my primary. If I am wearing boots, I usually carry my backup there.

        • I have one of those cheap “Uncle Mike” holsters. I can fit a .380 pretty easy with one of those in my boot. I usually carry either a 9mm or .45ACP IWB, but the .380 is nice to have as a backup. I use Alien Gear or Crossbreed for my IWB.

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