Tactical Pistol: Thoughts Unthunk... Usually

I'm inclined to ask... is it wise for a man to get into a gunfight without giving thought to the possibility of getting shot?

With that in mind... how much time have you spent drilling one handed? Lets say you're shot in your weak arm and can't use it. Can you draw and fire one handed? Can you reload a magazine one handed? Can you clear a jam one handed?

And don't we all practice shooting while standing still?

Have you ever played a first person shooter where people stand still and shoot? While first person shooters are in no way definitive when it comes to tactics in this case they are dead right. Gun fights are not static affairs. Move while you shoot. Shoot as you move.

In an armed confrontation always move in a rotation that keeps your own site on the enemy... while moving you towards his strong side. If he's shooting right-handed... you rotate around him to your left.

And how about reloading one handed? If you carry a full sized backup and cover ain't available... this is a good time to drop your primary and pull it. If you can find cover, drop the empty mag... put the pistol between your knees with the empty grip pointing towards the front of your body. Grab your new mag, put it in the grip... pop it once to seat it... bring the weapon back to ready position and hit the slide release. This should take just a few seconds.

If you have a jam... most can be cured by simply racking the slide. Use the offending case to catch on your belt and push down until the slide racks and ejects the bastard. If ya can't do this... drop the useless weapon and pull your backup.

And yes... you should always have a backup.

I practice these drills quite a bit. I hope you do the same.