Thought for the day:
As I said yesterday, I believe one handed shooting , drawing from a holster firing with one hand or using your support hand , is one of the most critical skills you can acquire. I find this applies more for LEO’s and civilians than military applications. Although there are many similar techniques, tactics ,and training that cross over from military CQB and the LEO world, one of the major differences in military applications, you rarely go hands on( my experience) and this is something LEO’s do every day.
Controlling suspects usually involves at least one hand, most often two. Just the simple act of escorting a cuffed suspect back to the vehicle requires you place a firm grip on the elbow. Imagine a sudden attack, you will not have time to shove the suspect out of the way and draw and fire from a traditional two handed grip. Same with a civilian escorting their child across a busy intersection, one hand to control the child for a safe approach, if attacked, , you will have to respond with a one handed grip. In real life nothing ever goes according to every plan or every type of training.
Another view:
One-handed shooting may be the most necessary skill no one really teaches or practices.
Self-defense situations have real-world obstacles. People, chairs, tables and lots of other things will be in the way that you must go around, over and through. Doors need to be opened or closed, and items need to be pushed aside when you’re making your way to the exit. Your family will need to be contained, and you may have to carry small children. Hopefully, you can keep your firearm holstered or rifle slung. But you most likely won’t be able to, so one hand will be occupied. You must clear clothing and draw with just one hand, and possibly re-holster your gun similarly. You might have to grab someone by their hand or shirt, or push people out of the way. Just think about it. You might have to cover an exit while holding open a door.
Restaurant kitchens have those hanging plastic curtains that you might have to walk through and cannot see beyond. You will absolutely run into obstacles in such a crisis, and your balance won’t be perfect. You and everyone else in the area will be moving. The threat may be hunting you.
As you can see, everything in the real world conspires to prevent you from obtaining a perfect two-handed grip, stance and sight picture. So, you should practice being able to shoot from less-than-ideal positions with just one hand rather than praying for divine intervention or expecting to “rise to the occasion.” In more than three decades of experience, I’ve found the former is out of your hands, and the latter is pure fantasy.
What You Need for One-Handed Shooting
Your preparation should start by getting a firearm that you can shoot accurately with just one hand. It doesn’t matter whether you use a revolver, a semi-auto handgun, a rifle or even a shotgun—it must work under the least favorable conditions; like when you’re off balance, on the move, can’t get a great stance, etc. You could be seated, on one knee, on the ground behind cover, or walking backwards protecting your family.
Real fights are messy, and itty bitty guns may not work. This is why people are turning to pistols equipped with reflect sights. Six-pound rifles with tons of useless crap are worthless if you can’t hold them up with one hand. Ultra-light ARs, whether they’re pistols or SBRs, also shine here. Keep your gun light so you can carry and use it with just one hand, but not so small that it won’t get the job done in the worst possible conditions.
Perfect Practice
To become accurate with one hand, you need to work on presentations from concealment, aiming, trigger manipulation and getting hits. Single-handed stoppage and reload drills are great, but you’ll have both hands for that, so keep it to a minimum. After you get things down from a static standing position, it’s time to start moving. Shoot from a seated position, on one knee, and around, through and over obstacles. Make sure that your gun works with your carry ammo in these conditions, and that you can keep the gun running.
Grab a pillow, a basketball or something similar and carry it in your support hand while you’re shooting. Load up a suitcase with something heavy and drag it around while you shoot to simulate holding a hand or dragging someone. Then kneel over the pillow or suitcase and shoot as if you’re holding someone down. It might be someone that’s injured or scared, and you need to push them down to keep them out of the line of fire. Set up steel targets and push the object with one hand while shooting, as if to move someone out of the way.
Practice presenting your pistol from a seated position, like on a bench or chair, without covering yourself or others. Do it slowly, quietly and covertly—it’s not about speed. Quick Draw McGraw is a cartoon character; you want surprise on your side. Practice “dry” or with a blue gun, then live. Bring out a table and start behind it. Push it over while staying on target with the other hand. Learn to work around it. Practice transitioning with one hand, then shooting with that same hand. Place your spare magazines so they can be reached with your strong hand. Get creative and stay safe, but figure out how to safely simulate real-world scenarios whenever possible.
Push Yourself
None of this is easy. No one never said it would be. The most useful skill is often the most difficult to learn and practice. Unfortunately, the easiest and most fun practice is often the least useful. We all like to do what’s fun, but we can’t stop there—not if lives are on the line.
