Question about drawing from holsters

[45R]

At one of the local ranges allowed for the following
1. Rapid fire
2. Double taps
3. Drawing from the holster.

After the RO certifies the shooter and deems him safe. 1,2,3 are only done when the range is slow.

1 and 2 takes time, patience and good common sense.

This also applies to number 3.

Learning to draw from a holster is a good skill. What I would like to know is how does one practice safetly while drawing from the holster.

I have the basic steps down.

Finger to the side of the holster (finger away from trigger at all times)
Draw from holster, clear holster while bringing the pistol chest level, point foward toward intended target pushing the pistol forward, while bringing both hands together the sandwich pistol.

I've practiced this alot with snapcaps after making darn sure the gun is not loaded.

Any advice or extra training that I need to practice before going to the range with a hot pistol.

 

[fourdeuce82d]

I was taught to bring the support hand , palm facing yourself, up to your chest, to ensure it wouldn't wind up in front of the muzzle. Beyond that, I duess I'd suggest having a qualified person practice with you at the range starting out- better to go slow, and make sure you're getting good habits, than practice a lot by yourself, and burn bad habits into your muscle memory.

I think an even better approach for all of us is to hone our situational awareness, so that we don't have to depend on a lightening fast draw.

Spotting trouble early and running away is always good...*grin*

 

[Black Snowman]

My situational awareness is pretty good, I wouldn't mind having a quick draw to back it up I'm going to follow this thread with some interest.

 

[P95Carry]

Used to do quite a bit from the leather way back when doing a lot of active compo' stuff. Would hardly say I ever got real slick but ... certain aspects of the draw when I practice now are .... automatic and, hard to say why, because it was never something taught - as much as ''developed''.

Because of gaining access to the concealed weapon .. whether in sho rig, on belt etc ..... the weak hand is always by default somehow involved with ''clearing the way'' ...... and even if no clothing in the way .. I find that hand goes automatically to a position close to strong.... it sure ain't anywhere near the muzzle! That would be real awkward.

Then as gun leaves holster the weak hand joins it on the way up - the trigger finger smoothly settling into position as the weak hand ''locks on'' the complete the grip..... this is about the point where full arm extension has occurred, and not before.

This works well for me and is safe for me .... at the last moment it is also possible to ''cancel'' the trigger finger insertion ..... if presentation only is required ....... this is probably the final stage of the whole draw process.

 

[Fed168]

When drawing from the holster, first establish your master grip. That is the grip that you will have during the entire firing sequence.

Center the gun to the body, bringing in the support hand (if possible), and bring it up to the eyes, while pulling the trigger smoothly and with no anticipation of recoil.

 

[OF]

Bring your weak hand up to your chest in close while you grab the gun in a full firing grip with your strong hand as the rest of your body moves into it's shooting position. Keep your finger alongside the holster just like it would be if the holster wasn't there. When you're pretty sure you have your strong-hand grip correct, yank the thing straight up. As soon as the muzzle clears the top of the holster, start rotating the gun (from your wrist) towards the target while bringing it up in front of your chest where you add your weak hand to the grip. Then push the gun out toward the target, slowing down to a stop and the last moment, looking for the front sight.

As soon as the muzzle is pointing towards the target, feel free to take the safety off. As the gun is coming to a stop at full extension in your two-handed grip, put your finger in the trigger guard. Find the front sight. Make your decision. Let the shot go.

A couple common bad habits to look out for:

1. Be sure and push the gun out away from you, don't swing it up into place. The idea is not to have to overcome any inertial forces as the gun reaches the firing position. It should just settle into place with the front sight right there where it needs to be.

2. Try to come to a stop gently. Like there is a plate glass window in front of you that you're going to touch with the muzzle of the gun...don't break it.

3. Don't ever let the gun point above horizontal. You don't want to 'rainbow' the thing up and then be settling it back down into place. If you find yourself looking at the top of the slide as the gun muzzle settles down onto the target, you're letting the gun rise above the level of your eye.

Hope this helps...

- Gabe

 

[JJohnston015]

Go slow at first. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Support hand meets the gun and firing hand near the body, as you start the push out to the target.

Swinging the gun up = "bowling".

Be especially deliberate in reholstering. The motion is just the reverse: gun comes back to the body, support hand back to the chest/abdomen, pause, rotate muzzle down, insert. If you feel anything (shirt, etc.) hanging up, stop, bring the gun back out, use support hand to clear it, and try again.

 

[OF]

Be especially deliberate in reholstering.

Good point.

- Gabe

 

[Silver Bullet]

Gabe, very nicely stated.

The one additional thing I was taught is that in very close quarters you don't push the gun out away from your chest; you aim (not with the sights) and shoot (if necessary) while maintaining your least vulnerable grasp of your weapon.

 

[Jammer Six]

My situational awareness is pretty good, I wouldn't mind having a quick draw to back it up I'm going to follow this thread with some interest.

Just out of curiosity, why do you think your situational awareness is pretty good?

The reason I ask is because I'm constantly amazed at what I didn't know.

I bought a weapon, and joined a league. At the league, everyone was wearing a carry vest. I thought it was a fashion thing until I realized why they all had one.

All of a sudden, I realized that there are carry vests all around me, every day. I just never saw them before. In places where you wouldn't think an attack was imminent. Like Cirque de Soleil.

Then I started noticing them on the news, surrounding guys like generals and politicians. Carry vests and sunglasses, paying very close attention. To everything.

Then I got a permit, and a concealement holster. The holster felt like a huge lump, and I was sure that everyone could see it.

All of a sudden, I noticed similar lumps all around me, every day, and because I was new to this, and sweating in a nylon windbreaker in 80 degree heat, I suddenly noticed that in 80 and 90 degree weather, there were people all around me wearing jackets.

Why don't guys with big guts wear suspenders instead of belts? Suspenders are a LOT more comfortable if your belly hits your belt buckle, but you just can't make a holster work on the waist without a belt.

I bet there's something on the belt.

Now I notice guys with big guts and covered belts, jackets in hot weather, and big bulges of the right shape in the right places. In other words, I notice everything that I know about.

I don't mean to offend.

I'm just curious how you know that your situational awareness is good.

How can you be aware of things you don't know about?

 

[Black Snowman]

I've had threat analasys burned into my brain as a survival mechanism since pre-school. With a name like Burt and a learning disablility I drew more than my share of teasing and beatings. The skills developed reading peoples body language, expressions, tone, movement, has carried through to adulthood (in case you're concered an occupational theapist helped cure me of my dyslexia around 4th grade ).

My situational awareness doesn't just apply to individuals or groups but to my community. I know and avoid dangrous areas and when having to travel through them do the most I can to seem non-treatening. Whenever possible I avoid contact with the unknown.

I don't just notice "It's aweful hot for a coat." I notice "That guy is casing the area." "That woman is wearing an earbud but doesn't have a cellphone or walkman." "That car has someone in it apparently asleep."

I'm not worried so much about someone carrying concealed nearly so much as somone acting strangely or threateningly. I don't get the chance to practice spotting people's "prints" very much here in KC since KS doesn't have CCW and the MO one is on hold. Better believe it will become habit quickly once they do. I'm already on the look-out for people "jumping the gun". Want to know who might be back-up

Edit: I'm educated in concealed weapons. I've practiced it at home and on the range for informal "combat shoots". Tried and compaired differant methods. I'm always amazed in movies and TV shows how may people "packing" aren't printing like they should.

Out in public I'll notice someone with a knife or leatherman on their belt but 99% of the time they are in no way threatening and are immidately dismissed. Now if somone has a knife inside their coat . . . that's odd for around here and is worth worrying about.

 

[Smoke]

Agree with what was said above ....I don't want to be fast, I want to be smooth. Fast is for TV westerns.

I want to be able to draw and present the gun as smoothly as possible, as consistently as possible and as fast as I can without compromising the other two.

Drawing from the holster at the range, while a good experience, is not necessary. Drawing to presentation, and dry firing is just as good, maybe better as one rarely develops a flinch dry firing.

Repeat until it is second nature.

 

[ARperson]

I learned the most valuable technique I've ever heard, seen, or read about from the guys at Defensive Edge. I can't do it justice by trying to describe it in words.

It fits mostly with the descriptions here with some nuances that lend themselves to making it what I consider to be a superior technique.

If ever you get the chance to work with them, take it.

 

[ceetee]

There's been so much good advice on this thread that I just had one more thing to add: After you draw, nice and smooth... re-holster and do it again. And again. And again.... Thousands of repetitions. And then, when you have it mastered... do it some more...

 

[Standing Wolf]

I make sure the gun is loaded with dummy rounds before I even think about practicing drawing.

 

[clarkg1124]

45R,
If you can find a copy of Bill Jordan's "No Second Place Winner",get it and read his chapter on the draw.It explains the technique better than I ever could.
Clark

 

[Topgun]

45R......The BEST technique

is to carry in IWB holster on LEFT side if you are right handed. When threat appears, slowly.....deliberately.....and with a knowing ...sneer...push back your coat.

This will let an adversary know you are serious and have been watching the right movies. Thus inducing extreme fear.

As the music builds.....(carry a tape player)....hook the jacket to your rear pocket by sticking the corner of the jacket into the left rear pocket.

At this point, your adversary will be trembling uncontrollably and his attention will be focused on your evil, steely glare. (practice in mirror)

Now......during all this, he will not have noticed your RIGHT hand already gripping the SECOND handgun (revolver recommended) in the RIGHT jacket pocket .


Fire through pocket!

done.

 

[OF]

 

[Gunfyter]

I've been to two session at ComTac. Shooting videos are really good. Try "Shooter Ready" from Dillon Precision and "Tactical Pistol 1 and 2 " from Gunsite.

 

[45R]

These are all great suggestions. Are we missing anything else?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Whenever a new holster is issued, I advise the user to practice drawing from it in front of a mirror at least 1,000 times. Gun is empty of course.