Gun Draw Safety

[duct tape]

I'm sure I'll receive several replies about using good technique and keeping trigger finger off trigger until ready to fire but...

I've shot several local tournaments of production division and have considered getting more heavily into the sport except for my concern about safety to me and others around me while drawing my pistol. Nothing else is a serious concern, and I like the rest of the aspects of IPSC especially the mental part of planning and then (often with difficulty) remembering the best way to shoot a particular section. The running or moving between targets, or changing hands doesn't really bother me, I feel I'm completely in control of my muzzle direction and able to always keep my finger off the trigger in those situations.

But the action of drawing from a holster really concerns me. I've taken two different sets of lessons from a local shooter, fully understand the proper technique, and have never had a DQ or even any comment from an RO other than good job (or more often, nice effort). Most of my results are usually low to middle of the division, in large part b/c of technique, but in small part b/c I intentionally choose what I consider to be the safest way to approach the course often knowingly taking a longer time, more difficult approach to some targets, run slower, etc. I'm sure with time and practice my confidence will improve but frankly I've held back from more tournaments b/c of the above concern about the draw. Thanks for any advice and experience.

Edited December 14, 2010 by duct tape

[JAFO]

In a medium or long course, your draw time won't matter nearly as much as your transitions, reloads, movement, etc. Draw your gun at the pace at which you feel safe doing it. In time, you will feel more confident about it and your speed will increase. You may also want to try unloaded draw practice at home to build your confidence. Put on your gear, triple check that your gun is unloaded and there's no ammo in the room, and practice drawing to a "target" of your choosing (a dot on a piece of paper, an old cardboard target, a lamp, etc). You can practice reloads the same way.

[BayouSlide]

Staying within your comfort zone and setting up a proper grip for the first shot will be more beneficial at this point than saving a couple of tenths on raw draw speed.

With proper application and time, the speed will come and you will stay safe in the interim.

Curtis

Edited: 'cause I hate tipos typos!

Edited December 15, 2010 by BayouSlide

[ima45dv8]

Dryfire....dryfire....dryfire.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

[Seth]

You can draw your gun a million times and it won't go off til you put your finger on the trigger. Learn to draw with your finger in the right place.... practice it enough that its rote.

Muscle memory and a healthy dose of respect will keep it plenty safe.

[G-ManBart]

Dryfire....dryfire....dryfire.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

+1

[duct tape]

Thx to all for replies

[Six]

IMHO, the draw is nowhere near as dangerous as the holstering.

A lot of people tend to rush holstering the gun, don't pay attention to their fingers, shirts, lanyards, pull strings or whatever else might get caught. Couple that with a desire to angle the gun 30 degrees towards the body and you have a real potential for disaster. Not to mention how many sweep the weak hand which they insist on placing at the front of the holster.

During the draw however, you're starting with the gun in a known condition, and since you're pulling it out, other than your finger hooking into the trigger guard on the draw there's really not much that can go wrong.

Holster slow, draw fast.

[Dwight Springthorpe]

Dryfire!!!

I have a printout of a miniature target taped to my window in my house. Just be sure that there is no ammo around and practice, practice and practice.

Did I mention practice

Dwight

[JAFO]

I have a printout of a miniature target taped to my window in my house. Just be sure that there is no ammo around and practice, practice and practice.

Dwight, please don't take offense to this, as it's just a concerned suggestion, but you may want to put that printout on a wall with something solid behind it (ie, brick exterior, chimney, etc). In the unlikely event that you should have an AD while dryfiring at a window, there's very little to stop it.

[Dwight Springthorpe]

I have a printout of a miniature target taped to my window in my house. Just be sure that there is no ammo around and practice, practice and practice.

Dwight, please don't take offense to this, as it's just a concerned suggestion, but you may want to put that printout on a wall with something solid behind it (ie, brick exterior, chimney, etc). In the unlikely event that you should have an AD while dryfiring at a window, there's very little to stop it.

No offense taken.

There is a reasonable berm just outside the window, so iit can go no further. The window also allows me to see what I might hit, if it went bang. Also my walls are only Sheetrock and vinyl so there is very little there that could stop an AD. Window might be easier to fix than wall....

Thanks Dwight

[latech15]

I took a class with Blake Miguez recently. Blake is known for his speed and that is what he was tryin to help me with. He kept telling me to just go faster, go faster. I finally explained to him that I had a terrible fear that in trying to go faster, that I would simply throw the gun out in front of me.

Blake gave me some advise that has really helped. That was to dryfire and practice drawing really fast, faster than I am comfortable doing. Keep doing that until it is second nature. Then in a match, draw at 90% of what I was doing in practice. That way I feel like I am more in control, but since I have been practicing way faster than normal, the 90% is way faster than I was previously drawing.

Keep doing that and eventually your draw speed will increase. As others have said many times, dryfire will increase your abilities exponentially. I don't do it enough but I have been able to get my draws under a second with ease since I started. Before I started I was around 1.5 seconds to draw and get a good hit.

[G-ManBart]

I took a class with Blake Miguez recently. Blake is known for his speed and that is what he was tryin to help me with. He kept telling me to just go faster, go faster. I finally explained to him that I had a terrible fear that in trying to go faster, that I would simply throw the gun out in front of me.

Blake gave me some advise that has really helped. That was to dryfire and practice drawing really fast, faster than I am comfortable doing. Keep doing that until it is second nature. Then in a match, draw at 90% of what I was doing in practice. That way I feel like I am more in control, but since I have been practicing way faster than normal, the 90% is way faster than I was previously drawing.

Keep doing that and eventually your draw speed will increase. As others have said many times, dryfire will increase your abilities exponentially. I don't do it enough but I have been able to get my draws under a second with ease since I started. Before I started I was around 1.5 seconds to draw and get a good hit.

The Steve Anderson books do this. They have you figure out your comfortable par time, start slower, work up to your par time, they go one step faster, then two steps faster. Eventually, you can do the one step faster as your new par time, and add an even faster two step. Before long, something like a 1.0s draw really isn't a big deal (on reasonably close targets). R,

[alpha-charlie]

Dryfire....dryfire....dryfire.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

+1

+1 also. I learned a little different so take this with a grain of salt. I learned to shoot in the Academy (C.P.D.). Every time one of the recruits would put their finger on the trigger when they shouldn't have, an instuctor was right in your face and down we went for 25 push-ups. Try practicing while someone watches you and have them call you on it every time, the same way a R/O would. And if you're up for it, drop and do 25 push-ups every time you get busted. You'll either cure yourself or build some major upper body strength!!! Good Luck!!

[elynch2007]

Watching a lot of shooters as an RO, the one thing that I see that is not talked about by very many shooters during the draw is when to click off the safety. Personnally I try to keep the safety on until the gun is coming near the target after the gun is in a firm grip with both hands and the finger outside of the trigger guard, but have seen many, many shooter not clear the holster before hearing that click sound. I agree with all above Dry fire, Dry fire and then dry fire some more, but do it with purpose and safely.

Edited December 31, 2010 by elynch2007