When it comes to self-defense, firearms are the great equalizer, allowing a frail old woman to defend herself just as effectively as a star athlete in their physical prime. With that said, though, being able to adequately defend yourself with a firearm requires more than the ability to pull a trigger; if you want to ensure that you are able to effectively use your firearm in a life and death scenario, you’ll need to have the right skills and training.
Time spent at the range doing typical target practice is certainly a great place to start, but the reality is that self-defense scenarios are going to differ wildly from calmly firing rounds at a stationary, paper target. In order to truly prepare yourself for these situations, you’ll need to get a little more creative with your shooting drills.
Below, we’ll take a look at three drills that you can use to improve your ability to defend yourself with a firearm.
Double Tap Drill
Neutralizing a threat will most often require you to put more than one round on the target. At the very least, putting multiple rounds downrange is good insurance. This is why most all police and military personnel practice the double tap drill. In case you’re not yet familiar with the term, double tap involves rapidly firing two rounds at the target, grouping them as close together as possible.
To practice the double tap drill, start with your handgun at your side or in its holster, draw your weapon up, quickly aim at the target, and fire two rounds in rapid succession. Ideally, both rounds will strike the target near the center and will also be grouped as close together as possible.
Practice the double tap drill until you are able to fire both rounds without any pause between the two shots while also maintaining your accuracy and putting the rounds in a tight group.
The Wall Drill
Not every drill requires you to fire live rounds in order to improve your abilities, and the wall drill is one of several “dry fire” drills that allow you to train with your firearm at any time without having to go to the range or purchase ammunition.
The reason that the wall drill is effective is that it allows you to practice trigger control. A lack of trigger control is one of the main things that can cause a shot to go off target, so improving your trigger control will improve your accuracy as well.
To perform the wall drill, first make sure that your firearm is unloaded. After you have checked and double checked that your firearm is unloaded, aim the sights at a point on the wall and squeeze the trigger, paying close attention to whether or not the front sight moves and if so by how much.
Practice the drill until you are able to squeeze the trigger without moving the front sight off of the point that you are aiming at and your accuracy will improve.
Draw and Fire Drill
Unless you plan on carrying your firearm in your hand at all times, being able to quickly and smoothly draw the gun from its holster and transition to a firing position is every bit as important as accurately placing rounds on the target once you are in a firing position.
Start with your firearm in the holster however you would normally carry it, facing your target. Then, without taking your eyes off of the target, draw your firearm from the holster, aim, and fire as quickly as you possibly can without sacrificing accuracy.
Practice until you are able to draw and fire in one quick, fluid motion, then mix things up by practicing at different distances, putting multiple rounds downrange, starting by facing away from your target, or any other variation that you feel might be useful in a self-defense scenario.
Conclusion
As any concealed carry instructor will tell you, regular practicing with your firearm is the only way to ensure that you will be prepared should you ever have to use it. Practicing the three drills outlined above is a great way to begin developing the skills that may one day save your life.
Of course, there are plenty of other effective drills to explore once you’ve mastered these three, and you should certainly continue to expand your skills in every way that you can. Let us know your favorite drill in the comments section below.
~ American Gun News
Another exercise that may be helpful for trigger control. It will require two persons at the onset and during this drill. (At least initially )
***Clear your weapon, clear your weapon, clear your weapon. In the presence of your fire control assistant. After you’ve checked to ensure your weapon is clear. And you are absolutely certain containing no ammunition in the weapon or in the same room with your weapon. Hand your weapon to the fire control assistant, there beside you. Let them also confirm the weapon is clear containing no ammunition, no ammunition in the same room ( or at least no ammunition within 20 ‘ of the drill area) The drill area may be any place inside of the home. But it is best practiced with only you and your fire control assistant in the general 20 ‘ area. By assuring no one is remotely in your area, this will enhance your training. This may seem extreme but in training with any weapon safety is paramount in all circumstances.
*** This drill works best with a 1911 style weapon. You will need two items for this drill, your cleared weapon (confirmed cleared by you FCA) and a quarter coin. You take the cleared weapon and the FCA has the quarter coin.
With a weapon in hands place the weapon in the ready to fire position. Have the FCA balance the coin onto the uppermost flat part of the weapon’s slide.
You should focus upon a spot on the wall with a weapon in the ready to fire mode (in the case of most 1911 this means the weapon is in the ready to engage and fire with the hammer cocked back. Remember at this position also your finger is not on the trigger. But rather along the side of the slide adjacent to but just above the trigger itself. After gun in the correct position and coin balanced place finger on trigger and fire.
Repeat this exercise until the weapon can be fired without the coin falling over.
This is a simple drill to perform, safely. In doing so this can enhance many fire control body and weapon controls.
Good luck with this drill. Always put safety first.
Birdy.
For the “wall drill” and similar practice exercises which involve “dry firing”, or repeatedly pulling the trigger without ammo in the gun, I’d recommend doing an internet search for “snap caps” in the caliber you need. (Example: Search for “9mm snap caps” minus the quotes and then buy some.). Even if your particular make and model handgun can take the punishment of the firing pin repeatedly smacking into nothing when there is supposed to be a primer there, you’ll still save a bit of wear and tear on the firing mechanism, and more importantly, get to do a lot of firearm manipulation – working the slide to eject a snap-cap and letting it snap forward to chamber another (dud) round and etc. Practice working that firearm with fake “snap cap” ammo relentlessly until all associated movements become a matter of automatic “muscle memory”, so to speak.
Reloaders have an easy time making these (or if you are friends with a reloader), also if you have a lathe you can take some plastic round bar and make up the little inserts to fit snugly inside the cartridge case, after first facing the interior end such that you leave a “button” projecting out (like the “+” end of a AA battery) the same diameter of the drilled out primer pocket in the case, so the end of the plastic insert sticks out flush with the base of the case just like a primer would, and gives the firing pin something to smack against, instead of it just hitting nothing and putting all that snappy stress elsewhere other than where it is designed for. Seat your brightly painted or plastic coated lead bullets (to help differentiate them from live ammo) to proper overall length as per normal and there you go, easily made and replaced “snap caps”, for safely practicing all aspects of firearm manipulation with no danger of accidental discharge. Load and reload, rack and tap simulated “stove pipe” jams and etc., until it all becomes automatic / muscle memory movements that you’ll then be far better able to do under real world stress, if that ever becomes necessary. Practice practice practice and then practice some more. Followed by lots of practice. And then repeat. 🙂