how to respond when the bad guy comes knockin'

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TARGET DIAGNOSES The following will help you read your targets and diagnose your accuracy problems. There is a cause and solution listed for each.

SHOTS ARE GOING LOW 1. Trigger Flinch: Trigger flinch is the most common of all shooting errors. Simply put, the shooter jerks the gun in anticipation of the recoil. It is always a downward movement and sometimes to one side, usually the weak side.

Solution A) Practice dry firing at home. With an empty and cleared gun (always think safety!), balance a dime on the front sight and practice not letting it fall off as you press the trigger. Then move on to.... B) With the help of a range buddy, have them place, in random order, some empty cases or dummy rounds in your magazine or cylinder. When you are shooting, and reach an empty case or dummy round, your gun and sights should not move.

2. Breaking the wrist downward: With the gun hand pointed at the target, the wrist is pointed downward.

Solution Make sure you keep your wrist locked straight, before, during and after each shot.

3. Relaxing too soon: Relaxing too soon after the shot is fired. Most often before the trigger has been pressed or the bullet has exited the barrel. The least common reason for shots going low.

Solution Follow-through. Keep doing what you were doing just before the gun fired.

SHOTS ARE GOING TO THE WEAK SIDE 1. Trigger finger not in far enough: A trigger finger that is not inserted far enough, will actually cause you to "push" the gun slightly to your weak side.

Solution The middle of the first pad of the trigger finger, should be placed on the center of the trigger for single and Glock safe action tiggers. For double action, the first joint of the trigger finger should be used.

2. The support hand is pulling to hard: The weak/support hand is "pulling" to hard, causing your shots to go to your weak side. A very common problem when using a Weaver stance.

Solution Instructors usually teach a "push-pull" two handed grip. Try thinking of it this way, the weak hand is just there. The weak hand does not "pull", it is just a brace for the strong/gun hand, which pushes into it. Concentrate on only applying enough pressure to stablize the strong hand.

SHOTS ARE GOING LOW & TO THE WEAK SIDE 1. Relaxed Elbow : For the best possible accuracy, you need to keep your arm as steady as possible. It is very common to have the elbow too lose.

Solution Whether you shoot with your elbows bent or arms straight, you need to keep the elbows stiff/locked in place. Do this before, during, and after the shot.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ELBOWS You must keep the elbows pointed down. It is very common to see shooters with their elbows pointed outward. This will allow the gun to recoil at different angles, forcing the sights to be re-aligned after each shot. When the elbows are pointed straight down, the gun will recoil straight back. This allows for faster follow-up shots because the sights come right back on target and don't have to be re-aligned. SHOTS ARE GOING LOW & TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Weak grip : Your grip is loose enough that, when you squeeze the trigger, your whole hand is squeezing at the same time. When your hand compresses around the grip during firng, it pulls the gun low and to the strong side. Solution Your grip should be tight enough, that when you let go of the gun, you will see the imprint of the grip checkering on your hand for a while afterwards. The only part of your grip that should be loose or move is the trigger finger. 2. Limp wrist: Your wrist is loose; not locked; if the wrist is not tight, your shoots are going to go to the strong side, and usually low. Also, if the wrist is too limp, it can also cause a malfunction, usually a failure to feed, with a semi-auto pistol. Solution Tighten your grip, with the gun in a parallel line with your forearm, and lock your wrist there. The muscles of your forearm should be tense, if they are, your wrist is stiff.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GRIP Your strong hand grip should apply pressure front to back. Your support hand should apply pressure side to side. This combined with the proper grip pressure, should effectively lock the gun in your hands, not allowing it to "torque" or twist. SHOTS ARE GOING HIGH 1. Pulling the gun back when firing: Another anticipating recoil reaction. Pulling the gun back when firing will make your shots go high. Solution Again, follow-through. Make sure your wrist, elbow and shoulder do not move. SHOTS ARE GOING TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Trigger finger in too far: A trigger finger that is in too far will cause you to "pull" the gun to your strong side. But sometimes, the opposite can happen, though very rarely. Solution Place the first pad of the trigger finger on the center of the trigger for single action and Glock safe-actions. All the way to the first joint with double-actions. SHOTS ARE GOING HIGH & TO THE STRONG SIDE 1. Anticipating the gun's recoil: Don't worry about the recoil, let it surprise you, that is the proper way to shoot. If your shots are going high and to the strong side, you're getting a head start on the recoil. You're lifting your arms, or bringing the hands up, or leaning back in anticipation of the recoil. Solution Concentrate on your follow-through. Proper grip and no movement before, during or after the shot. SHOT STRINGING 1. Body movement: While shooting, any body movement will cause vertical stringing of your shots. Solution Stand as still as possible. Watch your knees and shoulders, these are usually the first to move.

2. Breathing: Unusually large breaths will effect accuracy and cause vertical stringing. Solution This is more common when shooting under stress, and experiencing shortness of breath. Take several large breaths of air, then hold your breath while shooting. Under normal circumstances, your shot should break (fire) at the moment of dead air while breathing. This is the point between an exhale and an inhale. You need to time your squeezing of the trigger to fire the gun as your breathing reaches this point. But don't jerk the trigger to catch up if your timing is off, dry fire practice will help you get the proper timing down.

2. Horizontal body movement: Any kind of horizontal body movement, like pivoting or swinging the body, will cause horizontal stringing, of course.

Solution Stand as still as possible. The knees and shoulders are usually the first to move, but in this case add the torso too. Horizontal stringing is usually another result of a recoil induced problem. The body and shoulders turn away and the knees bend, all in anticipation of the recoil. You must stand still, while leaning forward slightly. This will help to counteract the recoil, plus giving you a much more stable shooting platform. SHOTS ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE TARGET 1. Not focusing: Shifting focus from one part of the target to another from shot to shot. Also could be caused by not focusing on one specific part of the target. Solution Keep your aim at the exact part of the target you want to hit, and do this for every shot. Don't move your eyes around to different parts of the target while shooting.

Questions? click here Comments? Training Regimen

One of the first things to avoid, is to fall into what I call "range or shooters ego". What happens is, a new shooter will go to a shooting range and look around to see what they should be doing. They will see an experienced shooter practicing at 25 yards and since that shooter is doing well, start from there. Soon, almost everyone there is shooting at 25 yards, why? Nobody wants to feel inferior, and the "if they can do it, so can I" ego takes over. This may sound stupid, but I have seen it happen time and time again. It is very common with less experienced shooters. Stick to your training regimen, don't be influenced by what others are doing.

The most common results of range ego are, a shooter who blames their gun for being inaccurate and/or is ready to quit practicing because they feel they will never be able to learn to shoot well. This is simply not the case, anyone can learn to shoot and shoot well, the proper practice is all it takes.

Before you start any training regimen, assess your needs. Determine what type of situations you might encounter that would require you to need to use your handgun. For example, if the area you live in doesn't allow concealed carry, and your primary concern is home defense, then you might want to limit the target range you train at to the distance equal to the longest shooting distance of your home. An example would be, from the master bedroom doorway, down the hall to the farthest living room wall.

Training with a semi-auto should be done with five rounds per magazine, revolvers can be loaded to maximum, but I prefer to use only four rounds. The reasons for round limits are: 1) To make you concentrate on every shot, keeping you out of the "spray and pray" mind set. 2) To keep ammo usage down. 3) To get you in a habit of always having some rounds left for the unforeseen. 4) If you ever have to use your gun for self defense, only in the very rare instances will you need more than four or five rounds.

There is no time limit on how fast you should complete each stage or phase. Everyone learns at their own pace, move on when you feel comfortable with your abilities at each stage. When you start a new training session, repeat each stage, working your way up to the stage you're currently working on. The only way to completely master each stage is through repetition, by repeating each stage at the start of each training session, you will become that much better of a shooter. You also might find you haven't mastered each stage like you thought you had.

Let's start with the basics: Finding your dominate eye The easiest method of finding your dominate eye is the pointing test. Point, with your index finger of your strong hand, at an object across the room. Now close your left or right eye. If your finger is on target, the eye that is open is your dominate eye. If not, try the other eye, now you should be on target. Aiming There are two parts to the aiming process, each equally important, sight alignment and sight picture. Something you should also consider is, whether you want to shoot with your weak eye closed, open or partially closed. With your weak eye closed, your field of view is limited, but all of your focus is on your sights. With your weak eye open, it takes alot more concentration to focus on the sights, but your field of view is almost normal, not really for the novice handgunner. The best compromise is to "squint" or partially close your weak eye. This gives you a greater field of view than total closure, without the high concentration needed with having your weak eye open.

1. Sight Alignment Align the front sight so that there is an equal amount of space on either side of it when placed in the " V" or notch of the rear sight. Now align the top of the front sight so that it is even with the top of the rear sight. This is the proper sight alignment. There are so many different sight configurations today, that to descibe them all would take too long. But some of the more common are: Three dot sights, just align all three dots with equal space on both sides of the center dot. Horizontal bar and dot, rest the dot on the center of the bar with no space between bar and dot. Vertical line and dot, dot the "i" or place the golfball on the tee, eiher way, no gap between dot and line and dot is "balanced" on the line. 2. Sight Picture Sight picture is basically, seeing your aligned sights superimposed on your target. Since the human eye can only focus on one thing at a time, keep your focus on the front sight. The rear sight and target should be "fuzzy". Targeting With revolvers and most semi-autos, the classic six o'clock position is used. This is where the point you want to hit on the target is "resting" on top of the front sight. Some "combat" semi-autos use "combat" sights. This is when you put the front sight directly on the point of the target you wish to hit. Glock, Sig, and the Beretta 92 series use this type of sighting. just to name a few. Stance There are two primary "combat" stances, Isosceles and Weaver. I'm only going to deal with these two "combat" stances, as they are the most used and practical for defensive handgun training. I practice both and more, I've found it to be a good idea to be able to shoot from more than one position. You never know when, where or how you may be forced to use your firearm. But if you are just starting out, use the one that is the most comfortable for you. After you've become more confident and proficient, you can try different stances and other techniques. For now though, let's keep it simple and use one style to learn to shoot properly first.

1. Isosceles Stand facing your target. Feet shoulder's width apart, slightly bend your knees, and bend slightly forward at the waist. Chin parallel to the ground, eyes looking forward. Raise your arms up, extending them in front of you, bringing your gun sights to eye level. Keep your elbows pointed down, towards the ground, whether they are bent or locked straight is up to which is more comfortable to you and allows you to see the sights better. This is the basic Isosceles stance.



-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 14, 1999

Answers

zoobie, I have always appreciated your excellent techical posts on firearms handling. However, it is probably worth noting that the best weapon that one can have for home protection (especially at "knock on the door" range) is a 12 gauge shotgun. Loaded with #4 buckshot, it is a devastating manstopper that does not require the level of expertise that a rifle or pistol would, nor would it have the worrisome penetration that might do damage to neighbors.

Anyone just starting to prepare, and is looking for a home defense weapon that offers maximum protection with minimum proficiency, should consider this option.

47 days.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.~net), November 14, 1999.

Zoobie,

Do you have a link for this???

snoozin'...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), November 14, 1999.


I think you can find this information at:

The Firing Line, in either the forum or library areas.

Dennis

-- Dennis (djolson@cherco.net), November 14, 1999.


Then again you could offer the starving chap a plate of beans and rice.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 14, 1999.

No, I am a member of the Firing Line... It ain't there...

checkin' six...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), November 14, 1999.



Hmmm... you did forget the part about needing an attorney after you discover you've killed the Avon lady.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), November 14, 1999.

How comforting to know that a fresh group of first time weapon owners will be waiting for the slightest noise at the front door, fueled by their newly acquired delusional paranoia. Of course, after reading a few posts on this forum they will be armed with the skills to fend off the evils lurking on the front porch. Here is my short list of high risk occupations for the coming months ahead: (1). UPS, FedEx, and Postal delivery drivers (2). Pizza people (3). Census takers (4). Girl Scout cookie salespeople (5). UN-announced friends and relatives (6). Utility meter readers Neighborhood pets might be well advised to wear full body armor when cruising around these folks.

-- Truth (at@the.ready), November 14, 1999.

Truth,

I am not a first time weapons owner, but I am concerned with those who are. Gun safety should be anyone's FIRST priority BEFORE buying that shiny new Glock, S&W, etc...

I know it will not happen in most cases, and it will be more "ammunition" for the anti-gunners in Washington when someone with a new weapon accidentally shoots an innocent.

Please, if you have a new weapon, take a gun safety course, and then after that is complete, PRACTICE, and get more familiar with your new purchase.

There is no safe weapon. Treat an unloaded gun like a loaded one...

frustrated at the newbies...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), November 14, 1999.


Truth,

Ain't it the truth??? :) Heaven help us with these paranoid doomers and loaded guns.

-- (Polly@wog.com), November 14, 1999.


Anyone who is unsure when it is legal or ethical to use lethal force in self defence should read "in the gravest extreme" by massad ayoob,firearms carry a huge burden of responsibility.To allude to shooting the avon lady,or any unidentified misinterpreted threat is nothing more than anti-gun demagoguery.There are many escalations and contingencies that MUST be met before lethal force comes into play.Dog,I picked it up off of web somewere,I keep a copy in my mailbox to repost here from time to time for new shooters.Be safe,and say "hi" to greybear for me.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 14, 1999.


hmm.maybe I'm thinking of "big dog"

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 14, 1999.

After the starving chap finishes his beans and rice, he rests and regains his strength. Then when the host isn't looking, the well nourished chap overpowers the host and kills him.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), November 14, 1999.

Truth,

Did you ever stop to think that the info Zoobie is posting may actually save some lives? He is advocating responsible handling and accurate shooting. Nowhere does he state against who or in what circumstances should a fiream be used. That is up to the person using deadly force, and is a very personal choice that should be made only after studying local laws and reflecting on what it may mean to take a life in self-defense.

Let's face facts:

1) people are going to acquire weapons if they think the threat of Y2K is real. It is better to try and stress firearm safety than call names and make fairearms awners look like nuts. Your insults are not going to make them give up their guns.

2) If the situation gets bad enough to where folks are arming themselves, FEDEX UPS and others won't be delivering. And folks will probably be smart enough to keep their pets indoors.

Your post reminds me of all the anti-gun arguments about concealed carry. Over 35 states have it now, and the crime rate has gone down in all of them. Their have only been a handful of instances where registered concealed carry permit holders used their guns illegally, compared to many thousands of instances of using them to thwart crime. All the anti-gun folks said "there will be blood in the streets", and the exact opposite has happened.

-- cavscout (cavscout@fix.net), November 14, 1999.


Hey Truth,

Body armor would do no good for the hapless delivery/meter people arriving in my yard, as I have 1000 rds of ss109 steel-cored "armor piercing" rds of .223's.

(insert wry smile here)

BTW, anyone that uses a wepon without knowing EXACLY that the target is hostile deserves whatever wrath gets visited upon them. (If I shoot the pizza hut delivery guy, does that mean my pizza is free?)

-- Dennis (djolson@cherco.net), November 14, 1999.


Even if the bad guy is willing to stand still while you read and study all that, just reading about it won't make you a more accurate handgun shooter anymore than reading about how to play the piano will make you a good pianist. This stuff requires a LOT of practice, so that it becomes second nature. And the only advantage to a handgun is it's easier to carry around. Not ideal for home defense.

Ultimately, there are two secrets to accurate handgun shooting -- hold the gun as still as possible while pulling the trigger, and do it the same way every time. Whatever works for you is best. After a hundred thousand rounds or so, you'll notice you've improved a bit. If you've just bought your first handgun, don't expect to actually hit anybody you can't reach out and touch with your finger. Even that might be too far away if he's moving.

Get a shotgun.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), November 14, 1999.



If things ever get desperate enough that you're shooting people to protect your stash, who's going to prosecute you for doing a sloppy job? Won't the cops/judges/lawyers/bailiffs/potential jury members be too busy scrounging a meal themselves, or protecting their own stashes?

This is the part of this discussion that's always baffled me. I understand that RIGHT NOW there are specific laws about what I can/can't do to an intruder. But if TSHTF at my house, it will be hitting the fan all over my neighborhood/city/state.

Who's going to have the leisure time to prosecute me if I shoot & kill an intruder?

Won't they be doing much the same at their own homestead?

-- someone (explain@this.tome), November 14, 1999.


soneome:

IF you should find yourself in that position, your prosecutor will take the form of the person you shoot at and miss. It might not be justice, but it will be quick. There's no substitute for skill.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), November 14, 1999.


Dennis,

"steel-cored armor piercing rds"? You wimp, I use depleted uranium ammo. Get it at Saddam's web site.

-- (bangbang@you're.dead), November 14, 1999.


During the depression years the people, outside of the country, would feed the desperate person but they did not allow him inside. One latched the screen door and opened it again with either a sandwich or plate of food and if a plate the person would eat it sitting on the steps. In the country one ran the risk of building a dependency and so the person had to either work for it or purchase that meal and in that case the person was allowed to enter the kitchen. I think we're in for chronic hunger in America outside of some areas in acute power outages. Chronic hunger sometimes builds a caste system with its own set of rules as it did in the depression era.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 14, 1999.

Jack,

You might take note that the shotgun requires you to AIM if you want a full pattern hit. You do want the full pattern to hit, not just a couple of pellets (even 00 Buck), otherwise, it's MUCH less effective.

If you have time to aim and get that full pattern hit, you had time to aim with a rifle too.

Sure, a shotgun, given proper ammo, can do the job fine, under certain circumstances. BUT, it has a large number of handicaps associated with it. Enough so that I prefer a semi-auto rifle for home defense work. Pistol is a backup only.

-- Bill (billclo@msgbox.com), November 16, 1999.


A handgun is just the conviently carried weapon you use to fight your way back to the long gun you should not have left behind in the first place!

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 27, 1999.

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