One-hand gun skills?

[Glamdring]

Thanks for the tape recorder idea. I never thought of that, could add LOTS of training effects with tape recorder. Better yet, two of them. One playing to give respones from Goblin when challenged and such. Other on record.
***

I ALWAYS shoot handguns with strong hand and off hand. I don't set up malf drills for my autos, I just clear them as fast as possible when they occur on the range.

I do practice wounded shooter drills with revolver. Including reloading with one hand. I have found that it isn't really that hard to reload a revolver with one hand. Note the technique I use is easier with single round than from speed loader. Basically you juggle gun from firing grip so you can work release, use thumb to work ejector. Then place it on the ground with cylinder open, at least with my guns if you don't push it closed two or three chambers remain clear enough to load. If you have time you can load full cylinder by just spinning it. IMHO it is more useful to load two or three and get back in action.

Always carry a backup, MUCH faster. That is why I have a P32 and Spyderco.

 

[Gomez]

In response to the gentleman who observed that training one-hand drills on the range does not duplicate reality, well, du-uh. And shooting with two hands on the range doesn't duplicate reality either. And shooting on flat paper targets doesn't duplicate reality either. Since all of these events fail to duplicate reality, should we simply not train. What a grand idea!

 

[Fred]

Back up guns

I like the idea of running two guns and addressed that issue in a recent class. In the bottom two photos you'll see intermediate students running back up guns.

http://wct.4t.com/photogallery.html

We set up the primary handgun with a round in the chamber and two rounds in the magazine. The shooters shot the primary handgun to slide lock. Once the primary failed to fire it was brought back in to count three of the presentation (close contact) while the back up gun was being presented.

The shooters continued to fight with their back up guns. Once they solved the problem the primary was holstered and reloaded with the firing side hand as they covered down with the back up gun. You can see the young lady in the fore ground (bottom picture) inserting a magazine into the holstered primary handgun.

Once the primary was up and running the primary was presented and the back up gun was holstered. They also had the option of continuing to cover down with the back up as they displaced to safety.

HTH

Fred Darling www.wct.4t.com

 

[caz223]

No offense Gomez.
But you missed my point, too busy trying to make yours.
One handed malf drills are a good skill, but presentation of backup gun and a quick evaluation "snapshot" of your current situation is sometimes a little faster, and sometimes much, much faster.
Trying to do too much with too little is admirable, but it's easier to DO more WITH more.
Proper training is ALWAYS the answer, but I happen to be of the mindset that if you're going to return a weapon to service, it's better to be prepared (Armed) while doing so, even if it's a secondary (Less formidable.) one.
Sometimes all you need is a few more seconds, a few more feet, (To find better cover, etc.) and a secondary is sometimes all you need to get there from here.
I try my best not to belittle people or their ideas, and I wish everyone would conduct their internet activities as Stephen A. Camp once suggested, as if they were in a face-to-face flesh and blood meeting. (But some of the tactics I use to get people to listen to themselves talk wouldn't work at all face to face.)
This discussion board is a great resource, and threads like this get everyone thinking, which is always good.
Sometimes it seems like some people are discussing, and others aren't.
I try my best to remain focused on this, sometimes I lose perspective, but I still try to be as polite to others as I wish they were to me.

 

[caz223]

I learned the tape recording trick when in driving school.
Making comments into a tape recorder while staying focused on driving.
Sometimes these comments seem kinda lame, stupid and irrelevant when making them.
But when listening later (While in a different mindset.) sometimes listening to your own comments can be a powerful tool for improvement.
I have found other ways to use recorders, and they really help.
For instance, driving laps.
You can record your first ten laps or so, then take a break.
When you begin driving again, press play.
You can now listen to yourself making comments on stuff that's happening RIGHT NOW.
This works well in shooting courses, and helps counteract "Buzzer amnesia".
Now anytime I have to focus on the now, and try to improve at the same time, I carry a recorder on me.
It just lends a little different perspective.
I think it's easier to believe somebody giving you hard advice when it's yourself. (Your toughest critic.)

 

[caz223]

Fred has more of an idea of what I was saying, and communicates it much better than I.


Also, the recorder was to ensure that you didn't cheat.
You would know by listening to your comments if you were cheating, or not.

 

[Gomez]

Caz,

No offense taken, and if my "tone" came across negatively, I apologize. (Ask me about a five week old and a two year, both coming down with a cold and neither sleeping through the night.) If you look at my earlier posts, I'd already agreed that a second gun and movement were both extremely valid options. At no point did I suggest that one-handed stoppage reductions were the only response or even the best response to a gun going tango uniform in a fight.

On the topic of tape recorders, I'll admit I've never done that, simply because I don't have a portable tape player/recorder. I do have a camcorder and use it during most range sessions for exactly the reasons you mentioned. It does give an "independent third party" view of what's going on that can be very helpful in evaluating what's going on.

My point about the unrealistic nature of range training was made simply to point out that it is unrealistic. We strive to make it as stressful as we can, but by its nature, it's not the real thing and it never will be. But that doens't mean that it is without value.

Just because I'd rather access a second gun &/or increase distance, (both of which I would like to do), that doesn't mean that I'll be able to. And that still doesn't solve the problem of the nonfunctioning gun.

 

[caz223]

True dat.