After much thought and research you have decided to carry a concealed handgun. You are of sound mind and have met all the legal requirements to carry a concealed handgun and understand the risks and potential liability. You have some exposure to informal shooting but no structured training.
Your decision to shoot or not shoot is a binding decision. The aftermath of even a justified shooting will include at minimum dealing with the police, your lawyer, and almost always a grand jury. There is much more to this decision on many levels. And never forget that you are responsible for every round you fire.
You must be able to use the firearm properly, effectively, and safely if you make the decision to draw it or use it. For many reasons the exercises suggested here are very basic and intended for new shooters. Experienced shooters will notice the lack of weak hand exercises, reloading exercises, moving while shooting, and malfunction drills. These and other advanced topics are very important skills, but in my opinion only suitable after a student is safe, comfortable, and competent with the chosen firearm.
Before making the basketball team one must first learn the basics such as dribbling, shooting, passing, blocking, rebounding, and so on. These basics are typically learned as separate skills that are then combined when actually playing a game. Ideally these skills become muscle memory, blend together, and don’t require thinking to execute. The basics, then, are the foundation of basketball skills and, if not in place, you might be able to hit the basket once in a while but you won’t be competitive.
This sports analogy holds true for many endeavors. Handgun skills are one. While you can pick up a handgun with no training or exposure and start shooting, your results will almost certainly be poor.Continue reading“Basic Handgun Proficiently Training – Part 1, by Steve A.”