You just finished your first class and now it’s time to PRACTICE.
That class you just paid for and sweated through isn’t going to do you a DANG bit of good if you don’t practice on your own. We don’t want to overwhelm you – the internet has a TON of information on dry fire practice and live fire practice. We’re only giving you THREE drills. These drills were all things we did in class, so it should reinforce what we worked on.
YOU ARE GOING TO GET BORED! We all get bored. No need to do this for hours. 10-15 minutes a day is a LOT of dry practice. You don’t have to do all the drills on the same day. Pick what you want to work on, and just do that.
Dry Practice
Before you start, ensure that ALL of your live ammunition is in a different room. Preferably boxed and in your gun bag, or on the shelf where you store it. Ensure that your magazines are empty, and that your firearm is unloaded – check it! When setting up space for your drills, try to follow the 4 safety rules, as best as you can. Keep in mind to point your firearm in the direction of LEAST CONSEQUENCE, just in case the Magic Bullet Fairy gets up to her sneaky little tricks and drops a live round in your gun.
Drawing Drill
Set up a target about 15 feet from you. Closer is fine, if you’re limited on space. Six steps is a close enough approximation of 15 feet – no need for a tape measure. Put on your holster. Ensure your firearm is UNLOADED, with the magazine removed. Secure your weapon in your holster and put on your cover garment. A t-shirt that covers your weapon is fine. Slowly and deliberately, practice the draw. You don’t need to go fast. What you’re trying to do is build new neural pathways in your brain that will allow you to eventually draw the firearm without having to think about it very much.
1. Clear your cover garment, using your support hand. Keep your support hand high in the middle of your chest.
2. Get a FIRM grip on the butt/pistol grip of your firearm.
3. Clear the weapon from the holster by drawing it straight UP, leaving the muzzle pointing DOWN.
4. Rotate the muzzle of the firearm so that it’s perpendicular to the ground. Bring the firearm to the center of your chest and get a firm, two-handed grip on the firearm.
5. Extend your arms while watching your target. When your sights are aligned with your eyes and you have a good sight picture, STOP.
6. Slowly and deliberately, follow the same path BACK to the holster. WATCH the holster as you place the firearm securely back where it goes.
7. Repeat the process as many times as you like.
Sight and Fire Drill
Set up a target about 15 feet from you. Closer is fine, if you’re limited on space. Six steps is a close enough approximation of 15 feet – no need for a tape measure. Ensure your firearm is UNLOADED, with the magazine removed. You may do this from the holster (which means you get to practice your draw, too) or from the low ready. You don’t need to go fast. What you’re trying to do is build new neural pathways in your brain that will allow you to eventually maintain an efficient grip, gain an acceptable sight picture, and efficiently manipulate the trigger without having to think about it very much. (That’s actually a LOT of stuff from one drill). These instructions have you starting at the low ready – if you choose to do this from the holster, include the draw.
1. From the low ready, bring your firearm UP while watching your target.
2. When your sights are aligned with your eyes and you have a good sight picture, slowly and deliberately press the trigger to the rear until the firearm CLICKS. Watch your front sight and note if it moves! The direction of movement of your front sight will tell you a LOT. If it dips, you’re pushing down. If it moves to the left or right, you’re pushing or pulling the firearm while pressing the trigger. The goal is as little movement as possible of the front sight.
3. Rack the slide, and return to the low ready.
4. Repeat the process as many times as you like.
Malfunction Drill
This drill combines the sight and fire drill with clearing a malfunction or a stoppage. If you’re feeling EXTRA, you can do this from the holster and combine all three. But….that’s a LOT of things to work on at once. Try this from the low ready first, and then incorporate the draw.
Set up a target about 15 feet from you. Closer is fine, if you’re limited on space. Six steps is a close enough approximation of 15 feet – no need for a tape measure. Ensure your firearm is UNLOADED, with the magazine removed. Do this from the low ready. You don’t need to go fast. What you’re trying to do is build new neural pathways in your brain that will allow you to eventually load a magazine, insert a magazine into the firearm, rack the slide and load a round, maintain an efficient grip, gain an acceptable sight picture, efficiently manipulate the trigger, re-seat the magazine, rack the slide and remove the stoppage, and get your gun back into the fight without having to think about it very much. (Like I said before, this is a LOT of stuff from one drill). These instructions have you starting at the low ready – if you choose to do this from the holster, include the draw. It’s recommended that you load a magazine with 5 to 10 snap caps to practice clearing the stoppage, but if you don’t have any – don’t stress. Just use an UNLOADED firearm with the magazine removed.
1. Load a magazine with 5 to 10 snap caps.
2. Insert the magazine into the firearm.
3. Rack the slide, and release. DON’T ride the slide forward. Rip and release so the gun does the work.
4. From the low ready, bring your firearm UP while watching your target.
5. When your sights are aligned with your eyes and you have a good sight picture, slowly and deliberately press the trigger to the rear until the firearm CLICKS. Watch your front sight and note if it moves!
6. We’re going to PRETEND that you did NOT get a click.
7. Slap FIRMLY on the bottom of the magazine to make sure it’s seated.
8. Rack the slide, and release. Watch for the snap cap to eject. It’s going to go flying, so, just understand that you’ll have to go pick it up later.
9. Sight back in on your target.
10. Return to the low ready.
11. Repeat the process as many times as you like.
That’s it! That’s a lot of dry practice for a beginner.
Live Practice
YOU WILL DO THE SAME DRILLS ON THE LIVE FIRE RANGE. Bring a buddy – we don’t recommend shooting alone (just in case). Heck, WE don’t even like to practice live fire alone. Remember to ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use the four safety rules!
Here are the only changes you’ll make for live fire:
1. Drawing Drill – load a magazine with 10 rounds. Insert the magazine and rack the slide. Place the weapon in the holster. You will slowly and deliberately draw your firearm and fire ONE shot. Slowly and deliberately return to the holster. LOOK IT IN while reholstering - make sure your cover garment didn't get tangled up in there. Keep your trigger finger straight and high on something solid. Repeat.
2. Sight and Fire Drill – Load a magazine with 10 rounds. Insert the magazine and rack the slide. From the low ready, acquire your target and fire ONE shot. Return to the low ready. Repeat.
3. Malfunction Drill – this works better if you have snap caps. Have your range buddy load a magazine with a mixture of live rounds and snap caps, so you don’t know when the snap cap will be engaged. Insert the magazine and rack the slide. From the low ready, acquire your target and fire ONE shot. If you get a bang, return to the low ready and repeat the process. If you get a click, clear the stoppage, re-engage your target, and fire again. If you get a bang, return to the low ready and repeat the process. If you get ANOTHER click, clear the stoppage, re-engage the target and fire ONE shot. Repeat.