A quick write up for how to get into defensive training. This is all "101" stuff, but until you are familiar with basic weapon safety handling, the fundamentals of marksmanship (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9oF05mqdvo&t=86s), and especially
the weapons safety rules, you need to start there. This guide is generalized for any weapon or equipment in the first half, and specific to handguns in the second. I'll get around to a first day with a carbine at some point. I strongly suggest making your first purchase a chrome lined barrel AR-15 and a Glock that suits your needs. This guide also assumes your personal goal is self defense or tactical application of your firearms.
Before you hit the range: (Part One)
Clearing:
You must know how to properly clear your gun of ammunition and know when it is clear. Be 100% confident in your certainty of what condition your gun is in, and what procedure to follow to know if the weapon is hot.
Reloads:
At home before you head out to start shooting be sure you know how to conduct both a tactical, emergency, and administrative reload.
Tactical reload: This is reloading the weapon with a round still in the chamber. The gun did not run dry, and you are replacing one still loaded magazine with another, and then stowing the old magazine on your person.
Emergency reload: This is reloading your firearm after it runs out of ammo completely. You'll eventually learn to do this faster and faster, but for the time being, focus on doing it right.
Administrative reload: Unlike the other two types of reloading, this one might involve reloading the weapon, removing the magazine, and topping off the magazine again. Or, it might mean putting a specific magazine in the gun to conduct a particular drill. Maybe this particular drill involves starting on an empty chamber. Basically, you aren't on the firing line and are situating yourself and your weapon for a particular drill. Typically, this manifests as a normal loading/inserting the magazine on an empty gun. This falls under a different category because this is the place to conduct a chamber check, or check to make sure the magazine is fully seated with a tug. Habits you might not want to mix in with other reloads.
Malfunctions:
Malfunctions happen, even on extremely reliable weapons. Sometimes it is the gun, sometimes the ammo, sometimes a bad magazine, sometimes it is because you did something wrong. Knowing how to clear common malfunctions safely and efficiently doesn't just get your gun back on the line, but is is a safety consideration. Typically malfunctions are cleared with either a "remedial action" or an "immediate action". Look up these procedures for your gun and memorize them, and know when to apply which. Other malfunctions might require further or different actions, but these need to work their way into your subconscious.
Holstering:
You need to own a holster. You also have to be able to safely holster your pistol, every time. You can not practice this enough. The majority of negligent discharges happen during the holstering of a weapon, and they can easily be lethal. It is 100% okay to look at your holster while holstering. The old adage that you shouldn't look at your holster while holstering applies exclusively to Law Enforcement, you as a civilian, should not be putting your gun away while any threat is apparent. Where as a cop might have to stay in contact with a dangerous suspect that doesn't require lethal force, you aren't pulling out your gun without articulatable imminent lethal threat. If you aren't comfortable taking your eyes off the threat for the half second it takes to holster, they are still a threat who know you have a gun, and they might want it. So its fine to look while you holster at first, but work your way up to doing it without looking as you become comfortable and familiar with the movement.
First Day at the Range: (Part Two)
Bring with you a box of index cards, disposable backers of some sort to put those index cards on, a good target to zero on (a classic bullseye is fine, the grid square zeroing targets are handy though) and a stapler.
These index cards will do an excellent job simulating the size of a heart and "T box" zone on a human. They will be your standard of accuracy throughout all your self defense drills from here on out. Other targets can be useful for other reasons, but this standard of accuracy is what you should strive for from now on.
The 10yd line:
Start at the 10yd line. Any closer and you might have difficulty diagnosing your shot patterns because you likely won't be missing by enough to get usable data. Too much further and your groups will open up so much it can be hard to pin down what you are doing wrong. Draw 1" diameter dots in sharpie on 3 index cards. Staple these to your fresh target backer spaced around the target. Draw, fire one round at one of your three targets and then re-holster. Repeat for each of your three targets for three ten round groups on your three distinct index cards spaced on your target.
I wrote up a shot group diagnostic earlier in the thread, even with the typos it is a good place to get started. There are many good sources of information available on the internet. Some of the best people to get advice form are competition shooters who put tons of resources out for free. But analyze where you are hitting and reference a trusted source for how to adjust your grip, sight picture, trigger pull, presentation, etc The following are some helpful drills you can run to work out some common errors.
Recoil anticipation:
If you are flinching the gun down when shooting, run a few mag dumps. Seriously, it will work out the jitters. Flinching does result in recoil anticipation, but it addressing the issue when it presents itself less dramatically typically needs to be addressed. Two great drills you can do to work out recoil anticipation, one requires some "Snap cap" dud rounds, and the other is known as the "Paul Howe Drill"
If you buy snap caps, load up several magazines with a mix of snap caps and live rounds in them. The higher the ratio of snap caps to live rounds the better (more duds, less live ammo). Pay attention and carefully align your sights, get front sight focus, and pull the trigger smoothly. If the gun goes bang, assess your impact to see if you are still shooting low. If it does not, cycle the weapon and repeat. If you are shaking right before the trigger breaks when dry firing, correct it as you go. This is where that "smooth steady squeeze" adage comes to play pulling the trigger. The live rounds are there to give you real feedback, the dry fire is for you to work out that anticipation and tendency to try to counteract the recoil.
If you don't want to commit to buying snap caps, you can get the same practice doing the "Paul Howe Drill". Simply cycle the gun manually doing dry fire between 3-5 times, insert a live mag, shoot, observe impact, remove the mag, cycle it again and repeat the dry fire. You'll end up with a little pile of live rounds to collect, but its a well known and proven way to work through that recoil anticipation.
Both of these methods will only work if you are paying attention to what happens with your sights on each trigger break and you are honest with yourself about what you are doing.
Your first strings of fire:
Once you can get 5 consecutive hits on the index card doing single shots, you can move on to firing multiple shots between holstering. Set up fresh index card targets, and fresh backers.
Draw, fire 5 shots as quickly as you think you can hit the index card, and re-holster. Be very wary of keeping your grip consistent through all the shots, and your trigger reset.
As you shoot, you need to make sure you don't let your finger leave the trigger. You start slow, releasing pressure on the trigger as it returns to its position until you feel a distinctive click. Building this habit properly now will save you much trouble down the line.
Be sure not to look where each shot hits after you fire. Stay focused on that front sight (or target aim point if using a red dot) for each shot, and observe how you did once all rounds are fired.
Consecutive shots need to be practiced with either special tools you put in your gun or with live rounds. Recoil control and maintaining a sight picture is a matter of repetition. But each shot needs all of your attention and the application of the fundamentals individually.
If you can get 5 shots on the index card in 5 seconds or less at 10yds congrats, you've made greater strides on your first serious training outing than most Americans will in their lives. If not, that's okay, typical even. In my experience I can coach someone to achieve that degree of speed and accuracy in fewer than 100 rounds, without the benefit of a competent coach, it will likely take you more.
Cool down/self assessment:
Starting today, and whenever possible in the future, end your day doing a 25yd slow fire. Just to see where you are at. It will keep you humble, and will be very telling of how much progress you are making. It is entirely possible (and frankly not all
that impressive) to hit a 8inch target at 100yds without much trouble. That type of slow fire is towards the endgame for pistols. So until you get there, 25yds is a good stand in for you to consider your maximum engagement range with a pistol. Stretching the range out also helps expose errors you are making in your shooting. Your groups at this distance will be telling of your habits once you are consistent enough to be making dinner plate sized groups at this range.
Obviously this isn't all encompassing, but it does contain some effective drills that nearly all beginners need to work on. I'm looking forward to any discussion around this, and answering any questions you might have about how to get better or my methodology.
with your shooting hand on you gun ready to draw. Yell verbal 1, from there transition into your normal draw, hold/grip and pull. Repeat working your way up. V1, V2,-Shoot, V1 ,V2 , V3-shoot ect. If they have real intent most shoots pop off at verbal 2 or 3 and you have to make the choice in 3 second's at 5 even 12 yards to pull and ghost his ass.( don't say that in court) If on duty and you make it V5 and you're a real smooth talker and good reader (Cough) you can chill them out with the most retarded Shit like if they wearing a sports ball jersey comment that they or you don't want to miss the next game or I always had the best successes with talking shit about myself or the job. Just don't ever say " I'm just doing my job" because that sets a nigger off: " Your job is keeeling black ppl" ( Monkey noises) annnd you shot or beat the shi--" assisted him to the ground". You made the right call as he had opportunity & means but not intent since he backed off and you would've been in court over that unless you live in a based area. Know your local laws and never cover up shit as it's not the 80 or 90's -It'll come back to you. look up "Verbal judo" if you want to study on your own.
