Marksmanship Fundamentals

It is always good to start with the fundamentals. As a matter of fact, any true student of the gun must master the fundamentals to achieve repeatable success. It’s been said by wiser men than me that there really is no such thing as high-speed or advanced shooting. There is merely a mastery of the fundamentals.

When you arrive at the range, it’s never a bad idea to remind yourself to focus on the fundamentals of clear front-sight focus and a smooth, deliberate trigger press. Check your grip and ensure your finger is placed on the trigger so as to allow a smooth press directly to the rear. Take your time and make every shot count. Think of each shot fired as a pass-or-fail test. If the shot strikes the center of your target, you pass. If it did not, you failed. If your round didn’t strike where it was supposed to, you must be honest with yourself and consider why.

A miss or a poor shot is not necessarily a bad thing—if you learn from it. However, if you are missing the target and can’t figure out why, it’s probably time to get some professional instruction.

When held in the support hand, the pistol can be deliberately canted to align the front sight with the dominant eye.

Single-Hand Shooting

One of the benefits of employing a handgun is, during a crisis situation, you can operate the pistol with only one hand. Obviously we have more stability when using two hands, but that is not always practical, particularly in a personal-defense scenario. You might have an object in your support hand such as a flashlight, or you might be holding something you are not willing to let go. Your child’s hand is a good example.

When firing with only the strong or support hand, it is more critical than at any other time to focus on your sights and your trigger control. The front sight must be in line with your dominant eye. This is quite natural if your shooting hand and eye dominance coincide. A challenge occurs when the hand holding the gun is the opposite from your dominant eye.

Again, one of the benefits of a handgun is it allows you to easily cant the gun to align the front sight with the dominant eye. You don’t need to close one of your eyes. Keep them both open and align the front sight with your dominant eye. When I am working this particular single-hand drill, I like to put at least one full magazine through the gun with my strong hand only, and then switch to my support hand only.

While you may not be allowed to draw from the holster, the pick-up drill still forces you to quickly acquire a sight picture.

Drills from the Table

I’ve practiced at a lot of indoor ranges all over the country, and gun-handling rules vary from one to another. A common thread I have discovered is few will permit the shooter to draw from a holster. You may be fortunate to belong to a range that allows it, but my experience is most don’t.

If this is the case, you can still practice presentation by prestaging your handgun on the little table almost all ranges provide. I call this the pick-up drill. Start with the gun loaded and in the condition you would actually carry it—with any manual safeties you might have engaged in the holster.

Begin the drill with your hands by your side. On a signal or command, pick the gun up and engage the target with a single shot. Once you are comfortable that you are hitting the target in the preferred area, move on to controlled pairs or multiple shots. This might not be as valuable as drawing from the holster, but keep in mind, you can always practice presentation from the holster at home with an empty pistol.

Lights

One of the benefits of using an indoor range versus outdoor is the ability to practice with tactical lights and laser sights. It doesn’t matter how many lumens your tactical light emits, on a sunny day you won’t be able to see the beam and few outdoor public ranges permit you to shoot after sundown.

The neck-index hold puts the gun and light on target quickly.

The indoor range setting should enable you see the beam from your light. When I’m alone on the range, I like to turn out a light or two—or all of them—and practice the different flashlight techniques. There are a number of different ways to use a hand-held light in conjunction with a firearm. The modified FBI, neck-index and Harries techniques immediately come to mind.

Using a hand-held light with a live firearm is not a skill you simply pick up. It’s always better to get some professional training. After you’ve received that education, you’ll need to practice to maintain a level of proficiency. When practicing flashlight techniques, you should work on form first. Speed will come once the skill is mastered.

With practice, the Harries flashlight technique provides stability that comes close to a two-handed grip.

Lasers

When it comes to working with laser sights, the indoor range offers the best environment in which to see them clearly. The sun has a nasty habit of washing out red lasers. That’s fine, of course, because we have iron sights to use in normal light conditions.

I fully understand the pros and cons when it comes to laser-sight systems. Some folks go nearly apoplectic when you bring up the subject, and that’s fine. A couple of decades back, I recall a crusty old Marine commenting on the then-new tritium sights. He saw them as an expensive novelty with no practical value and referred to them as “nuclear sights.”

Laser sights are not a magic wand, but they certainly have their place. Indoors, in poor light conditions and when the shooter is firing from an awkward position are all good times to employ a laser sight. The drawback with lasers is far too many gun owners think purchasing a laser negates the need to practice. That is not the case. Poor trigger control is poor trigger control, laser or no laser.

Just as with any type of equipment, in order to get the most out of your laser-sighting system you need to actually get to the range and practice with it. The indoor range is a perfect setting.

Working the Gun

The indoor range setting provides a good opportunity to work on your gun-handling skills. By this I mean the skillful manipulation of all the manual controls that are unique to that particular firearm.

Depending on the make and model, you will have any number of manual controls on your handgun: decocking levers, manual safeties, slide releases, cylinder latches, etc. Every manufacturer puts its special touch on these areas. For instance, the Beretta 92 and SIG Sauer P226 both have decocking levers, but they are in completely different locations. One is located on the slide and the other on the frame.

While at the range, take the time to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the controls and practice operating them. I’ve seen a number of shooters with double-action pistols equipped with manual safeties and decocking levers. They’ll charge the gun with a full magazine and fire every round without ever engaging the safety or decocking the action.

This is fine if all you ever plan to do is shoot paper targets on the range. However, if the gun is used for concealed carry or kept for self-defense, ignoring the operation of the gun’s controls can lead to poor gun handling during a crisis. Take the time on the range, when no one is shooting at you, to completely familiarize yourself with all characteristics and controls of your gun.

9 mm Carbines

We have been focusing on handguns, but this subject meshes with our indoor range topic. Like the holster issue, some indoor ranges will allow you to practice with centerfire rifles, but I’ve encountered just as many that don’t.

If your range only allows handgun ammunition, one of the new breed of 9 mm carbines might just be the ticket to long-gun practice. A number of black-rifle manufacturers are producing AR-style guns chambered in 9 mm. I’ve had tremendous success with the models from CMMG.

For ranges restricted to pistol calibers, a 9 mm carbine like this one from CMMG might be a good alternative to a standard black rifle.

Before you whip out your 9 mm black rifle on a pistol-caliber-only range, be sure to let the guy behind the counter know it is chambered in 9 mm, not 5.56 NATO. This should prevent hurt feelings on both sides resulting from any confusion or misunderstanding.

Regardless whether your range allows centerfire rifles, 9 mm training ammunition will run you half the cost of 5.56 NATO fodder. Of course, the 9 mm carbine can also be loaded with controlled-expansion ammunition and pressed into service as a home-defense tool.

Indoors or outside, training and regular practice are the keys to success. Many well-meaning, uninformed indoor range owners will implement more rules than the International Olympic Committee in an attempt to make the range extra safe. The fact is, the best way to make everyone safer is to have well-trained shooters who practice often.

Should you find yourself in a position where the indoor range is your best option, with a bit of forethought you can have a valuable practice session. And practice is never a bad thing.

When using a firearm to defend your life or that of another, proper identification of the threat is vital. Away from the gun range, there are far more things that should not be shot than things that should. Responsible citizens understand they will be held accountable for every round they fire. If any of these negligently strikes something or someone, the person who fired that shot is liable. Gaining an awareness of not only a threat, but also what is behind, in front of or beside it—and reacting appropriately—requires sight.

Unfortunately, violent crime and assaults occur predominantly during the hours of darkness or in places with diminished light when vision is compromised. The FBI Uniform Crime Reports are compiled annually, and year after year they show police officers are attacked and killed during low-light hours between 60 and 70 percent of the time. Other life-threatening criminal activities, like home invasions and muggings, follow the same pattern.

Live-fire training in a darkened shoot house is a great way to practice shooting in low light.

Compounding the problem is the deterioration of vision brought on by age. As we age, our eyes require more light to function normally. It’s a simple fact of growing older. In dim light, the eyes of a 40-year-old will not see as clearly as those of someone in his 20s. Older eyes may need three to four times more light to function as they did when they were younger. Vision issues include a reduced ability to see contrast and colors and impaired depth perception. The amount of time it takes for the eyes to transition from light to dark or vice versa increases with age as well.

Corrective lenses certainly help with vision problems, but consider the following scenario: It’s 2 a.m. and you spring up in bed in a panic. Your Lab is barking ferociously, and you thought you heard a crash down the hall. The adrenaline is racing as your grab a pistol and flashlight from the nightstand. Your children are asleep in their bedrooms, and their safety is at the forefront of your mind.

How many of you think you’ll remember to grab your prescription glasses?

How’s your vision? Could you make a life-saving shot without your glasses? Have you ever trained without them?

Let’s say you have the clarity of mind to reach for your glasses, but in the haste of the moment you can’t find them. Or maybe you do find them, but they’re knocked off in a struggle with the intruder. Can you shoot your defensive gun without your prescription glasses? More importantly, can you identify the threat using a flashlight? Can you hit your target?

Right Light

The best tool available to help make up for the aforementioned vision deficiencies is white light—and lots of it. When we find ourselves in poor light conditions, handicapped by aging eyes or absent glasses, it’s time to pour on the white light.

How bright should the light be? Generally speaking, the more light the better.

An accurate way to gauge “brightness” is by expressing it in lumens, which measure the entire output of visible light. You may have also heard of candlepower, which measures the brightest part of the beam, but lumens give a better representation of the total amount of available light. Sixty- to 100-lumen flashlights are good, but those producing 200 lumens are far superior. A light small enough to be carried in a pocket with an output of 100-plus lumens should get you through the night.

There are two basic types of lights that will best serve you in a defensive situation: hand-held and weapon-mounted. Pros and cons come with each, and one isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other.

Both require practice to use effectively in concert with a firearm. Regardless of the deployment system, quality tactical or combat lights should have certain characteristics.

With the Harries technique, the off-hand helps support the gun while operating the flashlight.

They should produce a solid, focused beam of unbroken light. Cheap flashlights, usually of foreign manufacture, have “dead spots,” or dim areas, in the beam due to poorly constructed reflectors. These are nothing more than throw-away lights. I’m sure you’ll agree your life is worth more than a $5 flashlight. Consider models built specifically for self-defense or duty use from respected manufac-turers such as SureFire, Streamlight and Blackhawk.

White LED lights are the rage and provide many benefits. LEDs have no bulb filaments to break, and they offer tremendous battery life and runtime. For hand-held tactical lights, the switch should be some form of pushbutton at the base of the light. This allows you to find it easily in complete darkness with either hand. Dual switching between momentary- and constant-on is a plus. For personal protection, stay away from lights with beams having an adjustable focus.

Weapon-mounted lights, whether on handguns, rifles or shotguns, must be rated as such from the maker and be shock-resistant. Just because a light uses an LED instead of an incandescent bulb doesn’t mean it’s a good weaponlight. The shock from a recoiling firearm can jar loose cheap wiring and circuits. Again, it pays to purchase a brand-name weapon-mounted light from a maker known for quality.

Laser Aid

Low-light conditions not only make it difficult to identify a threat, but they also complicate aiming. If you can’t see your front sight, it’s tough to deliver accurate shots beyond a couple of yards. A weapon-mounted laser will not illuminate a threat or your surroundings, but it can provide a definitive, highly visible aiming point in light conditions that make it difficult to see conventional sights.

Laser-sighting systems have many advantages, but you still need to practice with them.

Crimson Trace Lasergrips, which replace the grip panels or wrap around the grip area of pistols and revolvers, are known for their easy activation. Hold the handgun in a firing grip, and the middle finger of your strong hand activates the laser. LaserLyte offers a replacement rear sight for several handguns that incorporates a tiny laser module. Other manufacturers like LaserMax and Viridan produce rail-mounted lasers. LaserMax also makes guide rods with an integral laser for a number of pistols. Most of these companies offer lasers for long guns as well, either as compact units or vertical foregrips that attach to an accessory rail.

Regardless of what type of laser you choose, activating it should be simple and straightforward, and you should practice until operation becomes second nature. And, of course, you need to zero the laser after mounting or installing it.

Lasers help overcome another issue when shooting in low light. There is a strong tendency to want to shoot the light beam. That is, when using a hand-held flashlight, you may inadvertently shoot toward the brightest part of the light, which may not be illuminating the target’s vital area. Even though you know you should be shooting at the upper torso, your mind and eyes are drawn to the brightest area, and that’s where you will hit.

By introducing a visible laser sight, be it red or green, the desire to shoot the light versus the appropriate part of the target is lessened tremendously. The subconscious desire to shoot toward the beam of the flashlight seems to be overcome by the presence of an intense aiming point.

Moving the flashlight with the FBI-modified technique forces a gun-wielding perpetrator to guess where to shoot.

Sights to See

Absent a visible laser, the next best thing is to have iron sights that you can actually see in the dark. A tritium insert in the front sight helps a great deal. Remember, the front sight is the most important one. If you have more light-emitting material in the rear sight than the front, it defeats the purpose.

Minus tritium, the front sight of your defensive firearm should reflect what ambient light is available. Gold beads, fiber-optic inserts and even white paint are better alternatives than a plain black front sight. Whatever the design, the front sight should stand out from the rest of the gun, not blend in with it. The Big Dot and Standard Dot front sights from XS Sight Systems are excellent examples.

There are a host of sights made for low-light conditions available from manufacturers such as Trijicon, Novak’s, Meprolight, TruGlo and XS Sight Systems that fit most pistols and a number of revolvers. If your defensive handgun isn’t so equipped, swapping sights is a simple job for a qualified gunsmith with the appropriate tools. Some companies like Trijicon and Novak’s will also install their sights on a firearm for a nominal fee.

Night Training

Shooting accurately in low-light conditions while using lights and lasers is an advanced skill and must be practiced if you have any hope of doing it under stress. The twisted irony is that the vast majority of firearm training is conducted when the light is best. Most ranges are closed during foul weather and at night. Nearly all public and private ranges have strict rules about shooting after sunset, and few police departments train in darkness. For those that do, it is normally for annual qualification and not a regular event. If you are serious about defending your life with a firearm, seek out realistic training and find a school that conducts low-light training.

When you can’t shoot at night, take your firearm with a flashlight or a weapon-mounted light to the daytime range. Use the light to “illuminate” the target, and run through some drills. You will soon know whether the gun and light will operate in conjunction with each other. The same is true with a laser. Practice activating it while you present or shoulder your firearm. Most lasers, particularly green ones, are visible in daylight against light-colored targets at close ranges. However, the culmination of your learning should take place in actual darkness on a live-fire range.

Finding a school that trains in the dark may be difficult, but it’s worth the effort.

There are several professional firearms schools that offer advanced self-defense courses where students engage targets in the dark. During a recent trip to Gunsite Academy, I took part in nighttime training using both indoor and outdoor simulators.

During the indoor exercise, I ran the scenario with clear safety glasses, but without my prescription set. My pistol had a SureFire X300 weaponlight. It was a challenge, as there were both “shoot” and “no-shoot” full-color targets in the specially designed building. If all you have ever practiced is slow-fire shooting on a square range in ample light, clearing a building in the dark with a flashlight is an eye-opening experience. Any person serious about protecting their loved ones with firearms should seriously consider such training. It’s not easy and it’s not cheap, but it’s worth every penny.

Outdoors, I took a trip through Gunsite’s West Wash, which is populated with steel popper targets hidden in cutouts and obscured by dirt berms. Students must work a serpentine drill, slicing the pie left and right. I used a Colt M4 carbine fitted with a Crimson Trace MVF-515 foregrip, which incorporates both a visible laser (red or green) and a white LED light. Pressure pads activate the light, laser or both. The particular model I used was equipped with a brilliant green laser.

Working with only starlight and the illumination provided by the MVF-515, I engaged reactive steel targets from 5 to 15 yards using frangible ammunition. At the end of the drill I was exhilarated. It seemed it wasn’t even fair for the targets. The combination worked tremendously well and demonstrated the benefits of having a white light and a laser on a long gun for nighttime situations.

When it comes to personal-protection scenarios, having a gun is good. Having a gun and a light is even better. The gun-light-laser combination would be the best of all. But tools without training are merely toys. Arm yourself with the best training and equipment available for dealing with threats in low light. Combining the two will give you the skill and confidence you’ll need when faced with things that go bump in the night.

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Law enforcement and military veterans also fall into this category. They may have spent years, decades even, carrying a particular handgun. So when the time comes to purchase one, they naturally gravitate toward the familiar make and model. (For a gallery of photos of the CM9, go here.)

During the past few years, interest in personal protection, particularly concealed carry, has spiked tremendously. Many citizens looking to purchase a concealed-carry handgun don’t have a longtime favorite; they are simply looking for the best combination of power and concealment—and, of course, value.

Kahr pistols have been slowly but surely making headway against the established brands made popular by law enforcement agencies and the military. They function reliably, shoot well and in the case of the CM9, outperform expectations.

Lightweight and compact for concealed carry, the Kahr CM9 has self-defense-oriented features that are also designed to save you money.

Although the company has a full line of all stainless steel handguns, some of the most popular Kahr pistols are polymer-frame versions. One of the newest models in that line is the CM9, which is essentially Kahr’s attempt to offer a more price-point-friendly pistol. Though it is similar to the Kahr PM9, the CM9 includes cost-saving features such as a pinned versus dovetailed front sight, conventional versus polygonal rifling and a more streamlined slide. Also, the CM9 ships with only one stainless steel magazine instead of two.

By pinning the front sight instead of using a dovetail cut, Kahr reduces the machining time on the slide, thereby reducing cost. The same thought process goes into the barrel. Using conventional rifling rather than polygonal also reduces machine time. Will the shooter notice a difference? It depends on how often they visit the range. Most concealed-carry guns are carried a lot but shot very little. It’s up to the consumer.

Metal injection molding (MIM) enables a manufacturer to produce parts and components from a powdered metal blended with a bonding agent. This reduces the cost of making small parts over more traditional machining or investment casting. If you desire a 100-percent machined firearm, you must be willing to pay the additional cost.

Despite its subcompact size, the Kahr CM9 has a capacity of six-plus-one rounds

This polymer-frame 9 mm pistol has a stainless steel slide and barrel group and was built with concealed carry in mind. Its empty weight is only 14 ounces. As a compact pistol, the CM9 is only 4 inches high and has an overall length of 5.42 inches. It is rather slim as well, at only .9 inch wide. Aside from the fixed front sight atop the slide, Kahr installed a drift-adjustable rear sight. The front sight has a white dot and the rear has a white bar at the base. A single-column magazine feeds the pistol and holds six rounds. Larger, single-column 9 mm Kahr magazines will work in the gun, but they protrude from the base of the frame.

Manual controls on the CM9 include the double-action-only trigger, the magazine-release button and the slide lock. Kahr uses what it calls a “safe-cam action,” which ensures a positive, consistent trigger stroke. The trigger is a smooth/non-serrated design.

The company’s safe-cam action is akin to traditional double-action triggers, but eliminates the heavy stacking at the end of the trigger stroke many older models experienced. This feature provides a much cleaner break than most double-action-only pistols. It’s something you really have to feel in order to appreciate.

To give the new CM9 a thorough workout, I took along six different 9 mm loads from three manufacturers. Both controlled-expansion projectiles and full-metal-jacket bullets were represented. As some subcompact pistols tend to be finicky eaters, particularly when it comes to bullet weight, I made sure the spectrum was covered. From fast-moving 115-grain loads all the way up to the slower and heavier 147-grain offerings.

The windage-adjustable rear sight has a white bar that indexes quickly.

From a 3-inch barrel, I wasn’t expecting earth-shattering velocities. Those posted were on par with what you might expect from a subcompact pistol. The heavier 147-grain loads were in the 800 fps range, and the lighter 115-grain rounds exceeded 1,000 fps.

The standard 25-yard benchmark seemed a bit impractical for testing the accuracy of a subcompact pistol with fixed sights, so I tested it at 10 yards. While a double-action-only trigger might not be the first choice for competitive shooters, for a compact, personal-protection handgun it is just right. I must admit I was impressed by the smooth, deliberate stroke of the trigger. No creep or heavy stacking was noticed. Each group was fired using a fully loaded six-round magazine. As mentioned earlier, the safe-cam trigger is one that truly must be tried to be appreciated. I’m not an engineer, but I’m a shooter who can tell the engineers responsible for this gun’s design got it right.

As far as the CM9’s accuracy, the vast majority of rounds impacted the center of the 10 ring. A couple of the loads wanted to strike a bit high and left, but the difference was less than 2 inches. Essentially, the sights were right on from the factory.

Regardless of bullet weight or style tested, groups averaged less than 1.5 inches. Most of them bested the 1-inch mark. For a relatively small, lightweight pistol with a long double-action-only trigger stroke, those results are indeed impressive. The gun will put the rounds where they need to be as long as the shooter does his part.

Pinpoint accuracy is worthless if your pistol won’t cycle reliably. By the time I was ready to run drills, I’d already put somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 rounds through the gun. I hadn’t experienced any malfunctions at that the point.

Keeping with the CM9’s concealed-carry mission, I used a Crossbreed Mini-Tuck so I could run some presentation drills.

Kahr’s safe-cam action provides the pistol with smooth and consistent trigger pull without the burden of stacking.

As most folks will want to carry the CM9 with a full, six-plus-one rounds of ammunition, I began every drill by loading the gun with seven. Some compact pistol’s won’t function reliably when topped off, so this is an important litmus test for any carry gun.

Drill number one was simply to draw and engage a silhouette from 7 yards using a two-handed hold. Moving and shooting until the gun ran dry, I found it was 100-percent reliable. Primary loads for this test were the Federal American Eagle 115-grain FMJ and Cor-Bon 147-grain FMJ Match.

Next, I ran through some strong-hand shooting drills using my right hand only before transitioning to my left hand. There is no doubt a 14-ounce 9 mm handgun is going to bounce a bit when held in only one hand. Be that as it may, the CM9 was still controllable and I was able to get back on target quickly. Most importantly, the pistol cycled reliably and I didn’t experience any stoppages. The slide consistently locked back on an empty magazine.

One issue about which new or novice shooters need to be aware is the fact the CM9’s recoil spring is stout—it has to be to account for the slide’s short travel while absorbing the recoil impulse. New or inexperienced shooters often struggle with guns that have such short slides and strong springs.

The Kahr CM9 gets high marks for accuracy and reliability. It is lightweight and easy to conceal. Kahr’s use of price-cutting features did not seem to affect the performance of the pistol. The CM9 is not a competition or race gun. It’s a self-defense pistol, and for its intended purpose, the CM9 holds its own. Decide whether you want to spend the extra money for more features, or save the cash. In the end, that’s another type of freedom we as gun owners celebrate.

Manufacturer: Kahr Arms; (508) 795-3919, www.kahrarms.com
Action Type: Double-action only, recoil-operated, semi-automatic
Caliber: 9 mm
Capacity: 6+1
Frame: Polymer
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Rifling: 6 grooves; 1:10-inch RH twist
Trigger Pull Weight: 6.5 pounds
Sights: Pinned front with a white dot, drift-adjustable rear with a white bar
Grips: Black polymer
Length: 5.42 inches
Width: .9 inch
Height: 4 inches
Weight: 14 ounces
Accessories: Hard case, trigger lock, owner’s manual
MSRP: $565

If we are talking about venison recipes or the best way to get red wine stains out of your dress shirt, opinions vary and it’s not that big a deal if the advice doesn’t quite pan out. However, when we are talking about the most important activity you can undertake—protecting your life and the lives of your family members—bad advice can have dire consequences.

In the United States today, there is little doubt concealed carry is one of the hottest topics, at least for gun owners. Sales figures for compact, concealable handguns bear out this argument. Furthermore, at last count, there was a grand total of one state that had absolutely no provision to allow their citizens to carry a concealed handgun. In the other states, the majority have shall-issue laws on the books.

Obtaining a lawful permit or permission to carry a concealed handgun is only one part of the equation. I’ve encountered dozens of citizens who obtained a permit but don’t carry because they do not feel comfortable or capable of actually using a gun for personal protection. The reasons vary, but they generally boil down to a lack of training and/or misunderstanding what it means to be an armed citizen.

Carry Only When Needed

I am certain my face shows distress when I hear someone say they have a CCW permit but they “…only carry it when I think I might need it.” My patent answer to that statement is, “If you think you are going to need a gun, don’t go there.” Or more aptly, “If you know you need a gun you should take a rifle or a shotgun, not a concealed handgun.”

The Smith & Wesson J-frame is easy to carry and extremely reliable, but requires dedicated effort to master.

If I knew I was going to a fight I’d prefer to take the USS Missouri, but battleships are tough to conceal.

Carrying only once in a while, when you think you might need it, is akin to purchasing car insurance that only covers you on Friday nights from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and every other Saturday. Certainly, you wouldn’t buy an insurance policy that only covered you on random dates or occasions.

When you obtain a carry permit, you are essentially purchasing life assurance—life insurance only kicks in once you are at room temperature. When you’ve decided to arm yourself against unknown, unanticipated threats, you need to do it as often as humanly possible.

Empty Chambers are Happy Chambers

In an effort to seem reasonable or extra safe, some permit holders will carry their semi-automatic pistols with a loaded magazine in place and the chamber empty. Not on the nightstand mind you, but in their holsters. I’ve also encountered double-action revolver owners who will deliberately prestage an empty chamber so the first hammer strike falls on nothing.

Good training is key before you carry. Regular practice afterward not only sharpens your skills, but provides the kind of confidence it will take Good training is key before you carry. Regular practice afterward not only sharpens your skills, but provides the kind of confidence it will take to defend your life.

The reason for this thinking is typically little or no training and a bit of insecurity. In an effort to be “extra safe” by keeping the chamber empty, the gun owner is assuming they will always have the time and ability to draw their pistol and charge a round before they need to fire.

In both the semi-automatic and revolver scenarios, the shooter is purposely reducing his round count and increasing the amount of time it will take to get the gun in the fight. Should you be attacked with deadly force, time is likely not something you will have on your side and you may need every round you have.

One of the most dangerous aspects of this practice is you wind up playing the “Is my gun loaded or not?” game. It also leads to “It’s alright, the chamber is empty,” type of thinking. Loaded guns are safe guns because people treat them with respect. I once had a pistol fired into the ground 2 feet from me because the shooter thought the chamber was empty, so it would be safe to dry-fire.

Women Should Only Shoot .22s

While .22 LR handguns are fantastic training tools and excellent ways to learn the basics of marksmanship, they are not the best fight stoppers in the world. It is true, as my friend Walt Rauch once advised, “No one wants to leak, not even bad guys.” However, there is no reason a healthy adult woman cannot carry and employ a centerfire handgun.

Ruger’s LCP in .380 ACP and LCR in .38 Spl. are both wildly popular for concealed carry, but it is vital to train with these compact handguns despite the inherent difficulty in shooting a small pistol.

Not long ago, a woman told me when the subject of a defensive handgun came up, one of her male co-workers told her to buy a .22 and load it with dum-dum rounds. Yes, that was the exact term he used. Dum-dum rounds aside, the purpose of defensive shooting is to force the attacker to stop, not to bleed to death 20 minutes later.

A centerfire pistol or revolver with a bore diameter of .35 inch and up is a good place to start. Concealable handguns from .380 ACP up to .45 ACP abound and are readily available. The recoil impulse from the .45 ACP is generally less severe than that of a .40 S&W from the same-size handgun. I’ve encountered numerous women who could run a 1911 like no one’s business. The question was not the sex of the shooter or their size, but rather their level of training and their experience.

Practice Gun Zen

Another common trend I’ve come across is the carry gun versus the range gun. Folks will go out and purchase the latest, greatest compact or subcompact pistol. They’ll boast to their buddies about how easy it is to carry and conceal. They can carry it all day and forget it’s in their pocket. That covers step one—be armed.

When it comes time to hit the range, these very same guys pull out a pistol with a 5- or 6-inch barrel, target sights and meticulously tuned trigger. From 10 yards, they set about punching neat little holes in paper targets and call it training.

Don’t get me wrong, shooting should be enjoyable recreation. It can be a great way to spend an afternoon. However, if you bought a compact .380 ACP pistol for personal protection and still haven’t gotten through your first box of 50 rounds, you are kidding yourself if you think you’re ready for combat.

By their very design, compact, lightweight pistols and revolvers are easy to carry and difficult to shoot well. These guns demand you train and practice with them. You might be able to plink a soda can a 20 yards with a Ruger Mark III pistol, but that’s not likely to be the gun you’ll have on you when a bad guy shows up. Can you hit a soda can at 10 feet with your pocket pistol?

A compact Glock, such as a G19 or G23, can be carried concealed all day long with proper holster. Carrying a spare magazine is always a good idea.

This is an easy trap to fall into. Your shot groups don’t look as good with the pocket gun as they do with your larger target pistol. Park your ego at the door and practice with the pocket pistol. One day, you might be glad you did.

Hand Me Down That Gun

Many who decide to carry a gun are not gun people. They don’t subscribe to any gun magazines and don’t know or care about the history or nomenclature of firearms. All they know is they need a gun for personal protection. I’ve run into this many times during concealed-carry training courses and I’ve spoken to several trainers across the nation who agree this seems to be a trend.

Students, many of whom are women, will arrive at the class with gun handed down to them by great uncle Joe or grandpa Jim. Some have never put a single shot through the gun, but they load them up with the ammo uncle Joe gave them and keep them on the nightstand, the car or in their purses.

Far too many of these family heirlooms are in such poor condition, they can’t be relied upon to fire two rounds in succession. During one course, I had a lady show up with a double-action revolver given to her by her grandfather. The timing was so out of whack, it took her three to four trigger pulls to get a cartridge to fire.

At another course, a shooter arrived with a compact .22 LR semi-automatic pistol passed down by a relative. This person had it for two years and had never fired a round through the gun. When it came time for the live-fire portion, we discovered it was essentially a single-shot pistol. The gun this citizen had been keeping loaded, “just in case,” malfunctioned after the first shot and would not cycle or feed from the magazine.

The Winning Formula

The good news is when these folks show up for a training class, it becomes immediately, if not painfully, obvious they have been getting by on luck for a long time. Unfortunately, too many people feel owning a gun takes care of the personal-protection issue. To paraphrase Col. Jeff Cooper, owning a gun doesn’t make you any more an armed citizen than owning a guitar makes you a musician.

It really is not possible to train yourself. You can practice on your own, but unless you’ve had professional instruction you are likely just ingraining bad habits. A good training course will teach you what to practice and the best ways to do so.

Shooters will often leave a course amazed at how much they didn’t know when they arrived, and that is a positive thing. They are now on their way—they’ve become a student of the gun.

If you are truly serious about defending yourself with a firearm and carrying one on a regular basis, there are several steps you should take. Apply for your CCW permit, purchase a quality firearm, get some training and then practice often.

It’s really not all that complex of a formula, but I’m dismayed by how many folks stop after the first step. When all is said and done, it’s your life on the line—the choice is up to you.

After we remove the mythological aspect from the gun we have a basic machine. In the case of the semi-automatic firearm, the fuel that is driving this machine is the ammunition cartridge.

Every firearm has what is referred to as a “cycle of operation.” For the AR-style rifle, this cycle has eight steps: firing, unlocking, extracting, ejecting, cocking, feeding, chambering and locking. Simply put, any unintentional interruption in the cycle of operation is a stoppage.

A stoppage is not necessarily a malfunction due to a broken part or gun. Stoppages can generally be fixed quickly and the weapon put back into firing condition. When teaching stoppage clearing, I find it easiest to classify the most common types of stoppages as Types 1, 2 and 3.

Type 1 Stoppage

It’s been said the loudest sound a gun makes is not the boom when a round goes off but the click when you were expecting a boom. In this case, you likely have a Type 1 stoppage or “Failure to Feed/Failure to Fire.”

Magazines that are worn and abused can cause stoppages, particularly double-feeds.

This situation can occur for any number of reasons. The most common cause is operator error. You thought that you chambered a round, but in fact did not. The bolt might be out of battery, or the magazine may not be seated properly. Though technically possible, but extremely rare, you may have a bad round of ammunition.

The good news is the solution to the Type 1 Stoppage is straightforward and easy to perform. 1) Tap the magazine to ensure it is seated. 2) Rack the bolt vigorously to the rear, letting the buffer spring drive the bolt home. 3) Reassess the target to see if you still need to fire.

Yes, we used to teach “Tap, Rack, Bang” until someone figured out we were teaching people to unconsciously or reflexively fire—not a good thing. Each and every time you press that trigger, it needs to be a conscious, purposeful decision. You can’t call that bullet back and you own every round you fire.

The Type 2 stoppages occur when brass extracts, but doesn’t fully eject. Though different from a Type 1, these stoppages can also be cleared with the Tap, Rack, Reassess method.

So, the mantra for a Type 1 malfunction is “Tap, Rack, Reassess.” The good news is this fix will clear somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 to 95 percent of stoppages. From a commonality of training aspect, tapping the magazine and racking the charging handle is identical to the loading process for the rifle.

Type 2 Stoppage

The Type 2 Stoppage is also called the “stovepipe.” The reason this name is, a half-century ago when this stoppage became prevalent, most people still had wood-burning stoves in their homes and therefore had stovepipes sticking out of their roofs. Today an actual stovepipe is generally only found at a hunting cabin.

Nonetheless, the term for a piece of spent brass caught in the ejection port is still a “stovepipe.” In technical terms we could call this a chamber or feed-way obstruction. Regardless of what you call it, a Type 2 stoppage means a piece of fired brass has been extracted from the chamber, but somehow did not clear the ejection port.

The bolt face, driven by the power of the buffer spring, has pinned that piece of brass against the ejection-port wall. The rifle isn’t going bang again until we clear this stoppage.

One solution is to take the non-firing or support hand and sweep or wipe the brass out of the ejection port. That fix does work. However, there are three problems with this method. First, you need to first visually confirm you have a Type 2. This requires ample light. We don’t always have enough light to see an obstruction.

The second issue is, we don’t know for a fact whether a fresh, unfired round was chambered when the stovepipe occurred. Sweeping the offending brass away from the ejection port does not cycle the action and chamber a round.

The third issue, and the biggest one in my opinion, is that the neuromuscular pathway for the brass sweep is different than the tap/rack method for Type 1. As the most common stoppage is a Type 1, if your AR fails to fire when it should, Tap, Rack, Reassess is the fix you should apply. If you instead pause, visually inspect the firearm and then decide to sweep the brass away with your hand, you have wasted time and effort.

Although its causes are many, one possibility for a Type 1 stoppage stems from the bolt being out of battery.

To clear a Type 2 stoppage with the AR, refer to the Type 1. Tap the magazine, rack the bolt vigorously and reassess. The only step that I would add is to angle the ejection port toward the ground to let gravity help you.

Type 3 Stoppage

While the failure to feed/fire and stovepipe represent the majority of stoppages encountered with the AR, the Type 3, though rare, must be addressed. The final common stoppage is a double-feed.

A double-feed occurs when two objects attempt to occupy the same space. In this case it’s the rifle’s chamber. As the chamber is not designed to accept two rounds, this presents a big problem.

The most common type of double-feed is the failure of a spent piece of brass to extract from the chamber and a fresh piece of ammunition is fed in behind it. This stoppage cannot be cleared by tap/rack.

If you’ve been training diligently, you will first notice a double-feed after your rifle has failed to fire and you attempted to clear it with Tap, Rack, Reassess. Having discovered that you indeed have a Type 3, you need to follow these further steps: Lock, Rip, Rack.

The log jam in your action is being exacerbated by pressure from the buffer spring. First, lock the bolt to the rear. This takes the spring pressure off the stuck round. Then, rip the magazine out, as the magazine is often a contributing factor to a double-feed. Finally, rack the charging handle once, twice, even three times for good measure. This will clear the obstruction nine times out of 10. If it does not, you may need to stick your fingers into the magazine well and sweep out the brass.

Type 3 stoppages—although rare—are the most complicated to clear thanks to buffer spring pressure. Resolve it by locking the action, ripping the magazine free and vigorously racking the bolt.

With the chamber now cleared, insert a fresh magazine, rack the bolt and reassess to determine if you need to fire. Reading the instructions for clearing a Type 3 actually takes longer than doing it, but it’s still going to take a little time.

A highly trained operator can clear a Type 3 in five to 10 seconds. The average person will naturally need more time. If a stoppage occurs in the middle of a fight you have two basic options; transition to a sidearm and keep fighting or seek cover and fix your rifle. The situation will dictate what’s appropriate.

Parting Shots

As I mentioned, the most common cause of the stoppage is operator error. We forgot to chamber a round, didn’t seat the magazine all the way or took the bolt out of battery with a hastily executed chamber check.

Another big culprit, particularly regarding double-feeds, is used, misused and abused magazines. Magazines will eventually wear out, especially if they are designated as “trainers” and used by multiple shooters. After thousands of rounds, the lips of the AR mag will begin to spread ever so slightly and cause double-feeds. At this point in American history, 30-round AR magazines are plentiful. Purchase several and rotate them regularly. If a mag gets worn out and is causing stoppages, get rid of it. Don’t be cheap.

Dirty, dry guns are also to blame a good deal of the time. Remember, a that semi-automatic firearm is a simple machine. Machines run the best when they are clean and properly lubricated—not dry and dirty. You wouldn’t run your truck or car engine without oil, would you?

There is quite a bit of hype and rumor about the reliability of the AR. Each year, I train several thousand shooters using M4s and I can tell you, by and large, it comes down to maintenance. Keep your rifles clean and lubricated and they will serve you well. Again, firearms are simple machines. Parts will wear out after tens of thousands of rounds. Get familiar with you rifle. Changing out springs and other moving parts is really not all that difficult if you know what you are doing.

Gear is great, but training is the key. Get out to the range and practice often. Work on the Tap, Rack, Reassess drill. Set up a double-feed and run through the Lock, Rip, Rack technique until it seems almost natural. With practice you can get your rifle back up and running in seconds—and whether your are in a competition or defending your life, every second counts.

Park Your Ego!

Although women can be guilty of this, males are the primary culprits. The greatest obstacle to handgun mastery for most men is their ego. For whatever reason, men have an ingrained belief that the mere possession of a Y chromosome makes them excellent drivers, lovers and shooters. Honestly, we know this is not the case.

Proper shooting grip is established in the holster with the trigger finger extended.

If you wanted to learn how to throw a 90-mph fastball you’d seek the instruction of a professional baseball coach, correct? Having found a coach, would you then argue with him that your dad taught you how to pitch and you don’t need his help?

Similarly, you decide you want to learn judo. After some searching you secure training from the former coach of Team USA’s Olympic judo team. After the first lesson, would you question the instructor’s methods and then tell the coach how you’d like to be trained differently?

As ridiculous as it sounds, this is exactly what goes on at professional shooting schools. I have a close friend who is by all accounts a world-class firearms instructor. He has written books and received awards from his peers.

A few years ago he took a hiatus from teaching after becoming sick of ego-driven students. During one class, he got so fed up with an individual who kept interrupting and interjecting, he simply stopped speaking in the middle of the lesson. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he invited the know-it-all to the front of the group and offered to let him finish the lecture. The guy clammed up.

Too much space between the web of the hand and the backstrap compromises control of the handgun.

We all have varied levels of experience and backgrounds. When it comes to professional training, you should spend twice as much time listening as you do talking. If you’re paying someone to teach you, park your ego and take in all that is being taught. You’ll be amazed how much you can get out of the lesson.

Get a Grip

A solid firing grip begins with the dominant/strong hand. Your strong hand should grip the pistol firmly with the web of your hand high in the backstrap. This offers the greatest recoil control and consistency. The trigger finger is extended along the slide until the decision to fire is made. In addition, your strong thumb should be pointed in the direction of the target.

Your support hand wraps around the strong hand. Remember, the support hand supports. The goal of your grip should be to have as much contact between your hands and the frame as possible. Crossing thumbs, ducking the thumbs down, pointing both thumbs at the sky—all of these positions create an unnecessary gap between your hands and the pistol frame.

With thumbs crossed, a gap is created on the frame, reducing the ability to control the gun.

Keep it simple, stack your thumbs (strong hand atop weak) and point them both in the direction of the target. Remember, unlike a rifle where you have multiple anchor points, the only anchor points for your handgun are your left and right hands.

Maintain Your Grip

When it comes to shooting a handgun with dependable accuracy, a reliable and consistent grip is a must. Far too many shooters alter or change their grip during the shooting process. This hinders rapid presentation of the handgun and slows down projectile delivery on target.

A grip with the thumbs tucked down is also improper.

We’ll assume for the sake of this review you will start with a handgun secured in a belt holster of some sort. The proper draw stroke begins with the dominant hand gripping the pistol firmly and high on the backstrap. Trigger-finger placement is not a part of the gripping process. It remains extended straight, so when the pistol clears the holster, it will be indexed along the slide away from the trigger.

The shooting grip is achieved while the pistol is still in the holster. This is the grip you will use for the entire target engagement. Many shooters err by drawing the handgun, extending it toward the target and then pausing to readjust or correct their grip—a waste of time and effort. The moment your muzzle is indexed on target, you should be ready to engage the threat.

Trigger Finger

If you are doing everything right, the only muscles that should be moving the moment before your shot breaks are those in your trigger finger. The hands should be rock solid while the trigger finger does the work.

Again, for consistent accuracy your finger should always make contact with the trigger in the same place, both in relationship to the finger itself and the trigger.

This kind of finger placement will result in pushing from the fingertip, reducing a shooter’s ability to stay on target.

Take a moment to look down at your trigger finger. We all have a unique fingerprint. That fingerprint (the pad of the trigger finger) is the portion that should be making contact with the trigger face.

There are many different trigger styles and designs, each with their own idiosyncrasies. As a general rule, I suggest finding the center point of the trigger both vertically and horizontally and pressing that point with the pad of your trigger finger.

Common errors in trigger-finger placement include hooking the finger all the way through so the first knuckle joint is on the trigger, or pushing on the trigger with the end/tip of the finger. Inconsistent trigger contact, where the shooter moves his finger from shot to shot, is also a frequent culprit in poor or inconsistent shot placement. Remember, don’t jerk, snap or pull the pistol’s trigger—press it.

Breaking the Shot

When you complete the trigger press, the handgun is going to move and make a very loud noise. The ingrained human response to loud noise is to flinch.

Hooking with the knuckle of your trigger finger can also reduce your chances of success.

I’ve watched shooter after shooter fire their first shot with a pistol and the round strikes the center of the target. They then fire the second shot, and it’s wildly off the mark. What went wrong? For the first shot, they were focused on the front sight and target, but during the second shot they were focused on the anticipated noise and recoil.

Recoil anticipation comes in two common forms: muzzle depression and muzzle elevation. Most of those who anticipate a shot will apply added pressure to the upper portion of the frame and push/dip the front sight down just as the trigger stroke is being completed. The result is a low shot.

A less-common, but still encountered, form of anticipation is “heeling” or adding undue pressure to the pistol with the heel of the palm just prior to the shot breaking. This pressure forces the front sight up just as the trigger trips the sear. The result is a shot far above the mark.

When a shooter anticipates the shot, he might push the front sight down, which in turn dips the gun. As a result, shots go low.

The solution for either form of anticipation is front sight focus. This is a complete, deliberate focus on the front sight, not just visually, but mentally as well. If you have a flinch or anticipation problem, I recommend actually saying front sight in your head as you press the shot. Your focus on the front sight should be so deliberate that you’ll find the shot has broken before you had the opportunity to anticipate it. If you find you are focusing so intently that the shot breaks and gives you a surprise, you did it right.

Don’t Fall Down

I was baptized a Weaver shooter nearly three decades ago. As a result, I was taught the proper angle to hold my feet and arms, and the correct percentage of weight that should be on the rear foot and on the front. A couple hundred thousand rounds later, what stance do I use now? The “me” stance.

I’m not trying to be arrogant, I’ve simply evolved. Rather than calculate angles and percentages, I try to hold to basic principles. Point your toes in the general direction of the target, flex your knees slightly (don’t lock them), lean forward at the waist, putting the shoulders slightly ahead of your belly. Relax and shoot. That’s it.

A solid shooting stance provides good balance with the shoulders forward of the waist.

Is there a need for a precise, deliberate stance? Certainly, if you are shooting a slow-fire, known-distance course where a rigid platform with proper bone support is a key component to success.

Defensive or practical shooting (IPSC, IDPA, 3-gun) are different animals entirely as they are fluid events. By fluid I mean ever-changing. You will be moving to avoid incoming fire, to get to cover or to reach the next form of cover. Practical shooters are constantly on the move. Even if you have a shooting stance that would make Jack Weaver tear up with pride, the moment you take a step your perfect stance is gone. It’s better to apply the basic principles of balance than to focus on angles and weight distribution.

Follow-Through

I’ll address this element last, since it occurs after the shot has broken. Follow-through simply means to ride the recoil of the gun, reacquire your front sight and get back on target. Regardless of whether or not you intend to fire another shot, follow through.

Proper follow-though addresses both unconscious flinching and what I call turkey necking. We’ve all seen it and have likely been guilty of it. Turkey necking happens when the shooter breaks the shot and immediately pops his head up to look over the gun. We want instant gratification to see where the shot impacted on the target.

Turkey necking to see where the shot impacted can teach you to flinch.

Big deal you say, the bullet is already downrange, so who cares? Turkey neck long enough and it will become part of the shooting process. You’ll start to ingrain the neck, shoulder and arm movement into your shooting. Before you know it you’ve taught yourself to flinch.

Add It Up

Firing a handgun with consistent accuracy takes a determined physical and mental effort on your part. No one is born a good shooter. Shooting well breaks down to about 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental. In today’s fast-food, instant gratification, over-stimulated world, disciplining your mind can be the most difficult part of all.

If you choose to seek professional instruction, bully for you. Remember to park your ego and enter with an open mind. Expert instruction can be found coast to coast at schools such as the SIG Sauer or Smith & Wesson academies, Tactical Defense Institute, Tactical Response, Combat Shooting and Tactics, Gunsite and ITTS, to name just a few.

With all these things in mind, you want to make sure you are getting the most out of your experience. Showing up without the proper gear, poorly made equipment and/or no foul-weather clothing is a recipe for disaster.

It doesn’t matter how tough you perceive yourself to be, if you are cold, wet and have sore feet, your attention isn’t going to be on learning. Starting from the ground up, ensure you have comfortable, well-fitting boots or shoes. Better yet, pack two comfortable, well-made pairs of footwear you can use on the range.

Head to Toe

All training schools I know operate rain or shine. Unless there is severe weather or lightning, you can expect outdoor training. If your boots get soaked the first day, they aren’t likely to be dry by the next morning when you need them again. Believe me, you don’t want to start the day by putting your feet into wet boots.

Along the same lines, pack quality socks—one or two pairs more than what you think you’ll need. They weigh next to nothing, but are invaluable if you need them. Ditto for T-shirts.

Comfortable footwear, like these Danner Desert TFX Boots, is essential.

Regarding weather, take the time to research the average temperature and weather forecast for the area where you will be traveling. Think layers. Cold mornings in the high desert quickly give way to hot afternoons. Conversely, a sunny morning in the Midwest can easily become a rainy afternoon. You’ll never regret taking a quality rain jacket with an insulated liner. However, it’s easy to regret forgetting to do so.

As far as normal classroom and range wear, long pants and long-sleeve shirts are the way to go. Brass will be flying, and that stuff is hot so it’s not fun when it lands on bare skin. Kneepads are another investment you will appreciate if your class is more dynamic than simple marksmanship training.

Read the List

I know most men are visual, hands-on learners and don’t ask for directions, but do yourself a favor, read the recommended gear list. Most every school has a detailed, suggested packing list. They do this for a living, so take their advice. They know what you should bring.

Regarding the style of holster you need to bring, it is very important to follow the school’s guidelines. Most professional shooting academies do not allow shoulder holsters and cross-draw rigs on their ranges. If the school recommends at least three magazines for your pistol, don’t try to short them and bring one or two. There is a method to their madness. Stuff breaks—you are better off having extra than not enough.

With hundreds of rounds sent downrange in a few days—even hours—expect to need spare magazines. Marking them beforehand ensures you’ll get your gear back.

Regarding gear, especially magazines, take the time to mark them before you leave. Every Glock 17 or Beretta 92 magazine looks the same. Sharpie markers and paint pens are fantastic for marking your stuff. Trust me, at some point you’ll drop, misplace or forget something. If your name is on it, chances are good you will get it back.

It should go without saying, but ensure you have the correct safety gear—wraparound shooting glasses and protective earmuffs. If you have the means, spend the extra money for electronic hearing protection. These cut down on some of the frustration from not being able to hear the teacher and having to constantly remove the earmuffs to listen to instruction.

Physical Fitness

Few privately run shooting courses will rival Marine Recon indoctrination. Nevertheless, expect to exert yourself some. At the very least, you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet. If you have a genuine physical infirmity, your instructors will work with you, but soft and out of shape is not a legitimate handicap.

You should have plenty of lead time before the course. If you haven’t gotten any exercise lately, this might be good time to start. Remember, you are investing in yourself. You aren’t doing it for the instructors or your peers. I’m not telling you to prep for a marathon, but you should be able to make it to lunch without a nap.

Attitude

I have deliberately saved this subject for last, not because it is of least importance—just the opposite. Regardless of the guns and gear with which you are equipped, your attitude is the most critical factor in determining how much you will get out of a training course.

Step number one, drop your ego. You’re paying the instructors for their experience and expertise. At least try what they show you before you discount it.

I asked several of the nation’s top firearms trainers what one piece of advice they would give shooters readying themselves for school. To a man, they all replied a student’s attitude when they arrive was the most important factor. Gear issues and bumps and bruises can be overcome with a positive attitude.

Dave Starin, training administrator for Gunsite Academy responded, “Improper gear or clothing can lead to mental distraction and even breakdown. On the other side of that coin is the misconception that different gear or clothing will solve unrelated problems such as improper trigger control or sight alignment. However, these two areas are usually the easiest to remedy…[m]ental preparedness or mindset can enable students to overcome the gear, improper clothes and physical limitations.”

John Benner, owner of Tactical Defense Institute, summarized why arriving at training with on open mind is important. “Mental is the most important,” he said. “We rarely have an issue, but people need to go to a class with an open mind and try their best to do as the instructor asks, obviously as long as it is safe. It is an individual’s choice what methods and techniques they adopt, but when you go to someone’s class, you have chosen to do that for a reason. Try what they are teaching. I never want anyone to feel they can’t ask why, although we always try to explain that ahead of time.”

While speaking with James Yeager, owner of Tactical Response, he said, “One thing we respectfully ask all of our incoming students to do is read ‘Principles of Personal Defense’ by Jeff Cooper. We stress the hierarchy of mindset, tactics, skill and gear at Tactical Response and the book helps them get into that frame of mind. I also tell them that practice and training are not interchangeable terms. Training teaches you what and how to practice. When a student leaves our school they will have the tools to return home and practice what they’ve been taught until they are ingrained.” 

Every Journey Begins…

When the temperature drops, fleece is your friend. By dressing in layers, you stay warm in the morning, but can remove garments once the afternoon warmth sets in to remain comfortable.

For those outside of the military or law enforcement realms, planning a trip to a professional firearms academy is a bit of an adventure. You are getting out of your “pond” and leaving your personal comfort zone—that is a good thing. It’s nearly impossible to grow or improve in any area of endeavor without professional guidance, or at least honest peer critique.

The best firearms instructors in the nation are those who constantly travel to schools other than their own. Retired M/Sgt. Paul Howe, who owns CSAT, a school in Texas, recently wrote, “Training, like selection, is a never-ending process. We begin learning on day one of our life.”

Whether you are planning a weekend or a week at a professional training course, you will be well served to take the time to prepare your mind, body and kit bag. Never kid yourself by thinking “I’ll just pick up ‘x’ when I get there.” Referring back to my Marine Corps days, you should be ready to go as soon as your boots hit the ground.

We’ll call the small, easy-to-conceal handguns “pocket guns” for the sake of discussion. Pocket guns are generally carried a lot and shot a little. Full-sized pistols or revolvers have large grip areas and ample weight to absorb the felt recoil of most standard handgun cartridges. This makes them enjoyable to shoot. Conversely, pocket pistols have small grips and weigh little, making them less comfortable to actually fire.

In the right hands, pocket pistols, like the Ruger LCR, can be accurate at distances most might expect these little guns to falter.

The Conundrum

A short sight radius, compact grips and minimal mass all combine to make pocket pistols some of the most difficult handguns to shoot accurately. Despite this fact, most gun owners will purchase a pocket pistol, fire a few rounds through it and then go about carrying it as a personal-defense tool. Even more interestingly, they will buy these guns and give them to shooters with very little training or experience (wives, daughters, girlfriends, parents, etc.) and suggest they use them for protection.

If we are to be honest with ourselves, we need to ask whether we have genuine or false confidence in our choice of equipment and training. Fighting for your life generates the highest level of physical and emotional stress you can ever experience. It’s a rather important consideration. Are we prepared to defend our lives with a pocket pistol that is difficult to shoot well and one with which we hardly ever practice?

Results from the gelatin autopsy show most every round expanded as advertised, despite being fired from very short barrels. A critical component of carrying a snubbie is selecting ammunition that will perform.

Pocket Pistols and Pen Lights

David Biggers, marketing vice president for XS Sight Systems, had all of those issues in mind when he came up with the idea for a special training event at the Gunsite Academy. Its official title was “Pocket Pistols and Pen Lights.”

The concept was very simple; use the compact handguns folks actually carry on a daily basis for personal defense, and run through a number of basic and advanced training scenarios. This project quickly took on a life of its own. SureFire, Ruger and Smith & Wesson were soon on board as co-sponsors. Other companies providing material support included Galco, 5.11 Tactical and Wilderness Tactical Products. All of the manufacturers were a natural fit, as they make products perfect for concealed-carry and personal-defense applications.

As for hardware, the primary arms would be the LCR (.38 Spl.) and LCP (.380 ACP) from Ruger and a variety of Smith & Wesson J-frame models chambered in .38 Spl. Defensive and training ammunition in both calibers came primarily from Hornady, with a few boxes from Federal and PMC.

Room clearing at night with a pocket pistol and flashlight is a challenge for any shooter—precisely why those who carry a pair for self-defense need to practice.

Crawl, Walk, Run

We started our weekend training event with the basics from distances of 3, 5 and 7 yards, and engaged the hallmark Gunsite camouflage silhouettes. Using the revolvers, shooters practiced reloading with both HKS Speedloaders and Bianchi Speed Strips. Like most comparisons, the circular speed loader versus the speed strip is a tradeoff. Speed loaders are faster, but don’t carry as well in a pants or shorts pocket. Conversely, speed strips require more time to load, but conceal well in most any pocket.

As far as accuracy is concerned, like most handguns, a pocket pistol’s accuracy is not so much an issue of hardware as it is the hand that holds it. Veteran cops Dave Spaulding and Rich Grassi shot the compact revolvers like human Ransom rests, each meticulously chewing a large ragged hole in the cardboard targets. Bo Wallace, gunsmith extraordinaire for XS Sights, was able to ring the steel popper target with an LCP at 50 yards with regularity.

The compact flashlight we used during the evening practice was the SureFire E1B, better known as the “Backup.” Like the pocket pistol, the E1B would not be my first choice if I were to go hunting for bad men in the dark, but it carries so well, it has become my personal always-carry light. As a result, I call it the J-frame of flashlights.
SureFire Academy’s Lead Instructor Bill Murphy ran us through several drills with our pocket pistols and compact light. The E1B is a dual-output LED model that produces 80 lumens of light. That’s more than your old D-cell lights 10 times the size.

It’s easy to see why many call SureFire’s E1B “Backup” the J-frame of flashlights.

There are numerous single- and double-hand methods of employing a flashlight and a handgun simultaneously. To discover which one works best for you, you really need to get to the range and practice. Many folks will practice dry firing with a light, but you don’t get a true feeling for what works until you are in the dark putting rounds down range. The first time you try to use your light and gun together should not be at 2 a.m., responding to the sound of breaking glass.

Day two found us back on the range. We chronographed each pocket pistol using the personal-defense ammunition and then fired the loads into some ballistic gelatin to see whether the bullets would expand as advertised.
The .38 Spl. standard and +P loads averaged from 800 to 1,000 fps. Even out of the compact stubby barrels, the Hornady Critical Defense +P loads were pushing speed in the high-900 fps range.

As few felons are going to attack you bare-chested, the ballistic gelatin was covered with a layer of denim and pillow-fill-type insulation. This simulates the barrier a bullet would encounter going through a light jacket. When we did our gelatin “autopsy” we found that all of the Hornady Critical Defense ammunition expanded like the picture on the box. The Federal .38 Spl. load mushroomed, but the .380 ACP version didn’t seem to have enough steam to open up, though it penetrated a full 21 inches of gelatin.

t takes a practiced hand to deliver fight-stopping shots at the robot as it charges or changes direction. This underscores the vital need to train with your pocket pistol as you would with any other firearm.

Indoor Simulator

Next up was simulator training. You probably know them as shoot houses. Gunsite has several indoor training facilities that mimic the interiors of a home or office building. Each participant was allowed a loaded compact revolver and an LCP. Depending on the scenario, there were either five or six full-color shoot/no-shoot targets throughout the building.

Shooters were required to negotiate the structure using cover and proper tactics to engage each target. Some targets were blatantly armed bad men, while others were judgment calls. At least one hostage scenario was included.

It become immediately obvious that proper shot placement was an absolute necessity. You could empty half a cylinder or magazine into one bad guy, then round the corner and be faced with two gun-wielding felons. Double-tapping or conducting a typical failure-to-stop drill on six bad men with 11 rounds leaves you more than a little short on ammo. And that doesn’t even address misses or peripheral hits that fail to stop the attack.

Naturally, one man versus five or six armed felons is virtual suicide. No sane person would take on such a task unless circumstances forced that kind of outnumbered defense. However, consider the current home-invasion trend. Two, three or more armed criminals force entry into an occupied home. Is your nightstand gun a five-shot revolver with no spare ammunition?

Some fundamentals, like the proper use of cover, remain the same whether using a compact handgun or a patrol rifle.

Fighting the Robot

After the daylight simulators, we returned to the square range to fight the robot. Yes, that’s right. When you attend a training course at Gunsite, you get to fight robots—well, kind of.

Northern Lights Tactical manufactures a remote-controlled, armored chassis onto which any number of targets can be mounted. An instructor stands behind the shooter making the robot advance, retreat or move in all directions to simulate a perpetrator’s movement.

The robot moves pretty quickly, forcing the shooter to be on his toes. For guys who always practice with their feet firmly anchored on the ground, it’s an eye-opening experience.

Just as a human attacker can close distance rapidly, so can the robot. It can easily cover 20 feet in 2 seconds. If you aren’t prepared to move laterally, the ‘bot will be on top of you in no time.

Fighting the robot with a five-shot revolver or a six-shot compact was an adrenaline-pumping experience. I ran through the drill several times. Alternating between double LCPs and double LCRs, I began the drill with a pistol in each jacket pocket. When one gun would run dry, I immediately transitioned to the other.

Ruger’s LCR chambered in .38 Spl. raises the bar for compact revolvers. Its polymer construction and recoil-mitigating grip make it an ideal choice for concealed carry—as long as you practice with it regularly.

Night Fighting

The graduation exercise of sorts was the simulator in complete darkness. As heavy storm clouds approached, we all took our turn clearing the buildings at night. Our only available light source was the SureFire Backup.

Opening doors, negotiating corners and hallways, all while attempting to utilize good cover and tactics was a challenge. It had been some time since I’d worked a night house and I truly felt the adrenaline pump while moving throughout the structure, engaging the full-color, life-size targets. The added pressure of using a pocket pistol only enhanced the realism.

This exercise also reinforced several training points. First, if you plan to use a flashlight in conjunction with a pistol, you’d better practice firing single-handed. Also, learning and practicing more than one flashlight technique is a valid choice.

Lastly, one of the biggest issues is sights. In the deep shadows and darkness, many standard factory sights are found wanting. The LCP technically has front and rear sights, but in the dark they were all but impossible to locate. People will say, “You don’t need sights on a pocket pistol. All of your shooting will be up close and personal.” During both the daylight and night simulator runs we were forced to engage a hostage target. One was supposed to be a child and the other a wife or girlfriend.

From a personal standpoint, I used revolvers with an XS 24/7 front sight to dispatch both of the hostage-taking villains. The sight picture was immediately apparent and clear in my vision.

Smith & Wesson J-frames, such as the Model 637, have been a go-to pocket pistol for decades. They remain an excellent choice for a personal-defense compact handgun.

Parting Shots

Many moons ago, Clint Eastwood remarked, “a man’s got to know his limitations.” That really could be the subtitle for the pocket-pistol summit; know your limitations. Better yet, be honest with yourself. Do you have genuine confidence with the pocket pistol you tote for self-defense, or is it merely a security blanket that makes you feel warm and fuzzy?

Learning points abounded. Number one: Even pocket pistols need sights. Look for good sights you can quickly acquire in all light conditions.

Number two: Practice, practice, practice. Compact/sub-compact guns are the most difficult to master but often the most neglected.

Number three: if you follow FBI Crime Statistics, the majority of violent crimes take place during hours of darkness or low light. Secure a high-quality flashlight and practice using the light and your defensive handgun simultaneously.

Finally, regarding ammunition, we have come a long way in the last 20 years. There are defensive loads that can be counted on to do the job and expand even when fired from short barrels. While the .38 Spl. and
.380 ACP will always be on the low-power end, today’s high-tech defensive loads are a better choice than the full-metal-jacket or old, lead round-nose ammo.

Pocket pistols are akin to kitchen fire extinguishers and first-aid kits. They are emergency gear. You hope to never have to use them, but if you do, you’ll be glad you had them. Are there better tools? Certainly, but circumstances often dictate what is practical. Train with your equipment, know your limitations and shoot straight.

Most of this publication’s readers understand deadly force encounters unfold in mere seconds. Dialing 911 and cowering under the bed is not the best way to address a felonious assault.

That being said, how many folks who wouldn’t simply dial 911 and hide until the police arrive feel perfectly content to place that same call and wait patiently for an ambulance? This irony was driven home recently during a conversation with a close friend.

The War on Terror has taught us many hard lessons and one of them includes the effectiveness of tourniquets. A lengthy study conducted by the U.S. Army dispelled many of the fallacies commonly associated with its use, and today first responders are taught tourniquets should be placed as high on the limb as possible, then tightened until the blood stops flowing.

He was on the range working with one of his rifles when a medical emergency occurred. A few shooting positions down, another shooter had a violent “rapid disassembly of parts” due to a bad handload.

My friend was first alerted to the situation when another shooter started waving his arms yelling, “That guy blew up his gun and he’s bleeding pretty bad.” There was blood everywhere. Having first-responder medical training, he was able to assess the situation and use his trauma kit to stem the blood flow. It worked out well in the end.

When discussing this incident, the most striking issue was the lack of preparedness by most everyone at the range. Aside from a Band-Aid or two, no one else on the range had any kind of emergency medical kit.

The emergency medical plan most folks had was to call 911 from their mobile phones and wait for an ambulance to arrive. Ironic indeed that folks who have no problem defending themselves against a violent attack have little or no plan to deal with life-threatening medical emergencies.

The bandage roll can be used as a handle to tighten a pressure dressing.

Life-Saving First Aid

First of all, get some training. Buying a gun doesn’t mean you can shoot. Purchasing a first-aid kit doesn’t miraculously give you the skill to use it, either. Family first aid and CPR training are nice, but the basic courses really don’t address deadly serious issues like gunshot wounds.

Initially, you need to realize there is a difference between a typical first-aid kit and a trauma kit. The boo-boo kit generally has comfort items.

It often includes Band-Aids, aspirin, a tube of Neosporin, perhaps an alcohol wipe or two, maybe a small roll of medical tape, and 2×2- or 4×4-inch gauze pads—items for injuries that are non-life-threatening. Trauma kits are for life-threatening injuries: major blood loss being the number-one killer.

Tourniquet: Myths and Misunderstandings

A couple of years ago, there was a negligent discharge resulting in a wound on my local shooting range. The shooter in this case discharged his pistol into his upper thigh, severing the femoral artery.

Fortunately for him, there was a surgeon on the range that day. The doctor immediately assessed the life-threatening injury and put a hasty, improvised tourniquet on the man’s leg. Without a doubt, the improvised tourniquet saved his life. Although an ambulance was called, the victim would have bled to death in the 10 minutes it took to arrive.

The M.E.T. (left) and C.A.T. (right) tourniquets are lightweight, easy to carry and a lot faster than improvising a rig while blood is leaking.

The Global War on Terror has taught us many lessons. One of the biggest as far as immediate casualty care goes is the proper use of tourniquets. A severed artery in the arm or leg can kill in a matter of a few minutes—not 5 or 10, but 2 or 3.

Arterial bleeds generate bright red spurting blood. Every time the heart beats, blood pumps out. If you are in the field or at the range and sustain a major bleeding injury, the blood flow must be stopped as quickly as humanly possible. Waiting to use a tourniquet as a last resort, after all other means have failed, can be a death sentence for someone with arterial bleeding.

I can put more oxygen into your lungs. I’ll blow it in. But, I can’t give you more blood. The blood you have in your body is all you’re going to have until we get you to the ER. A couple of basic rules for tourniquet use are to place them as high on the limb as possible and tighten them down until the bleeding stops. Think of it like shutting off a garden hose. If the victim is conscious it’s going to hurt, but it’s better than bleeding to death.

Contrary to the popular myth, the use of a tourniquet does not ensure amputation of the limb. Every day in the United States, surgeons operate on arms and legs with medical tourniquets applied to them. These tourniquets may be in place for hours without permanent injury to the limb.

The U.S. Army conducted a three-year study of tourniquet use in the field. After examining hundreds of cases, the Army did not find one instance where a tourniquet was the cause for amputation.

Pressure Dressings and Bandages

Next to a tourniquet, the most important form of blood control is a pressure dressing or trauma bandage. Tourniquets are used to stop arterial blood loss. The pressure dressing stops the next most dangerous type: venous bleeding.

A pressure dressing can be as fancy as a military “H” bandage or as simple as a roll of gauze and an elastic Ace bandage. There are special hemostatic bandages such as QuikClot Combat Gauze. This gauze strip is impregnated with an agent that speeds up coagulation.

Properly applied, a pressure bandage is tight and should cover the wound completely.

As the name implies, a pressure dressing not only soaks up blood, but also applies direct pressure to the wound to stem blood flow. Pressure bandages are placed directly on top of the wound and tightly secured. By keeping the bandage roll in your hand, you can use it as a handle to snug the bandage down securely over the wound.

Head wounds are prime candidates for pressure dressings. Even small cuts or lacerations to the head/scalp bleed profusely. A well-placed bandage can stem this blood flow quickly and efficiently.

Eyewash—The Most Neglected Form of First Aid

Sterile eyewash is one of the most-often-forgotten items that should be in a first-aid kit. Airborne foreign substances are a fact of life at a shooting range and if you get something in your eye—even something as simple as gun oil, a Kamikaze gnat or dust—you’ll be glad it’s there. In a pinch, bottled water will also work.

Check your first-aid kit. I’ll bet you don’t have sterile eyewash in it. If you do, congratulations you’ve earned a gold star, you are among the very few. It’s not until you really need it that you realize the value of eyewash. Yes, you can use a bottle of water if you have it, but do you always have bottled water?

Every time you press the trigger on a firearm, stuff starts flying around at high velocity. Burning propellant gases, bullets, shot, brass from semi-automatics, etc. are all moving at great speed around you. Even something as innocuous as lubricating oil can be an eye hazard.

During a recent training session, one of our students sustained a simple eye injury. The shooter was wearing safety glasses, but cried out that his eyes were burning. Originally, we thought he might have taken some gas or dust in the eyes. He was led to an eyewash station and thoroughly flushed his eyes. Upon closer inspection, we discovered he had applied a very heavy amount of Break-Free to his pistol. When he fired, a cloud of oily vapor enveloped his face.

Dust, sand, even tiny insects all present an eye hazard in the field and at the range. A bottle of sterile eyewash is worth its weight in gold should a foreign object find its way to your eyes.

Advanced Trauma Care

Chest seals, decompression needles and nasopharyngeal airways are valuable additions to your trauma kit, but without the advanced training to use them effectively, you can do more damage than good to the victim.

As with any type of training, you can stay basic or move on to more advanced learning. Just how far you go is up to you. Gunshot trauma to the chest (lungs), while life threatening, can be effectively treated in the field.

A punctured lung often leads to a condition called tension pneumothorax. This occurs when air enters the chest cavity, collapses the injured lung and puts pressure on the heart. Sucking chest wounds can be treated with specially designed chest seals and decompression needles.

Airway maintenance is essential as well. If your victim is conscious and talking to you, he has an open airway. No problem. However, if the person is unconscious when you get to them or loses consciousness, you need to ensure that his airway is open and unobstructed.

The nasopharyngeal tube, popularly known as the “nose-hose,” is a fast, effective way to maintain an open airway on an unconscious victim. The nasopharyngeal tube falls into the same category as needle decompression and chest seals. They require advanced training and attempting their use without proper technique could further injure the victim.

First-Aid Kits

On a more basic level, boo-boo kits are important and serve a purpose. Even small cuts and scratches can ruin your outing. An infected cut will definitely ruin your week. Basic first aid for cuts, scrapes, etc. is: clean (rinse with water), sanitize (wipe down with alcohol or apply anti-bacterial cream) and bandage (dress the wound with a clean bandage and secure it in place with tape).

Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever is always good to have on hand. Benadryl or some type of antihistamine can be effective first aid for insect bites and skin irritations from poison ivy, poison oak and severe allergic reactions.

Parting Thoughts

If I have swayed you and you’ve decided to investigate the topic further, you’ll need to research both training and gear. From the training side, Tactical Response of Camden, TN, offers a course called Immediate Action Medical. The two-day class addresses all forms of trauma from gunshot and knife wounds to explosions.

Gunsite recently announced its new Emergency Medical Preparedness course. This is a three-day program to deal with traumatic injuries on the range and in the field.

As for gear, Combat Medical Systems, Tier-One Quality Solutions and North American Rescue all offer trauma kits of various shapes and sizes. All three companies offer products with tourniquets, pressure dressings, chest seals, nose hoses and carrying cases.

We go to the range or field to enjoy ourselves for recreation, and no one wants to think about life-threatening injuries. Nonetheless, it’s an imperfect world. Bad things can and do happen to good people. First-aid kits and training are like good insurance—I’d rather have it and not need it than the other way around.

The “eXtreme Duty” pistol, or XD, was first introduced in the most popular LE/self-defense calibers: 9 mm and.40 S&W. Pistols in .357 SIG, .45 ACP and .45 GAP were soon to follow. Naturally, we’ve seen the obligatory upsizing and downsizing of the XD as tactical and compact models were introduced. (More photos of the Springfield XD(M) in .45 are found here.)

A number of factors have worked in the XD’s favor. The most important from the consumer’s standpoint is price. Springfield XD pistols are priced at or below that of other comparable models. This aspect cannot be discounted, as when all else is equal, many gun buyers favor price.

The latest pistol in Springfield’s XD(M) line is not a surprise, but it is nonetheless a welcome addition to the popular series of handguns.

Not just another polymer-gun knock off, the original XD boasted a number of attractive features, including an ambidextrous magazine release, a well-designed grip safety and excellent ergonomics. The pistol rides high in the hand and points naturally.

As with most modern duty pistols, the XD includes an internal, striker-driven firing mechanism combined with a positive trigger safety. The loaded-chamber and cocked-striker indicators can be verified by both sight and feel. Its polymer frame includes an accessory rail—use it or not, nearly every modern pistol has one. Also, as you would expect, the pistol disassembles quickly and easily without tools.

Following handgun evolution, the XD transformed into the XD(M) a couple of years back. The “M” stands for modular, among other things. These new pistols have, among other improvements, interchangeable backstraps in small, medium and large, or more accurately, thin, medium and thick contours. The grip design was updated to provide a more-secure hold on the pistol. Sticking to the modern-handgun formula, the 9 mm and .40 S&W version of the XD(M) were the first to be introduced. American gun buyers being who they are naturally took a look at the upgraded XD pistols and said, “That’s nice, but when are you going to come out with one in .45 ACP?”

Well, it’s here.

Molded into the polymer frame, a section of Picatinny rail allows shooters to mount a light or laser.

Enter the .45

It’s not really a secret that in order to be a serious player in the American handgun business, you must catalog at least one .45 ACP pistol. I have no intention of arguing the pros and cons of this, it simply is reality. The newest XD(M) chambering the beloved .45 ACP cartridge combines two things many American shooters love, capacity and price. Magazine capacity for the .45 ACP version is 13 rounds. When I sat down to pen this review, I did some online research and found the average gunshop price was well below $800. The median price was closer to $699.

As with all XD(M) pistols, the .45-caliber version is not just a gun, but an entire kit. Inside its very nice padded hard case is a pistol, three stainless magazines, a polymer holster and double-mag pouch, three interchangeable backstraps, a gun lock and a magazine loading tool.

Getting to some specifics, the .45 ACP XD(M) tips the scales at only 31 ounces empty. The hammer-forged, match-grade barrel is 4.5 inches long and has a fully supported chamber and polished feed ramp. A forged steel slide sits atop a polymer frame. Black Melonite or silver stainless steel slides are available.

Boasting a 4.5-inch ramped barrel and a steel guide rod, the XD(M) .45 ACP performed flawlessly in testing.

Sight channels are cut both fore and aft on the pistol. The gun I received for testing included fixed sights of the three-white-dot variety. Tritium night sights are available from the factory, although shooters can also install a number of aftermarket variations.

Range Time

In order to test the appetite of this auto-loading pistol, I took several .45 ACP loads of various weights and manufacture to the range. Looks are great, but function is king and I wanted to test many types of ammunition. Along for the field trials was ammo from Black Hills, CCI, Cor-Bon, Federal and Wolf Gold. It has been many years since I worked with an XD pistol of any kind, so I intended to get out on the range several times to really give both myself and the pistol a workout.

While it is important to ensure self-defense/controlled-expansion rounds will cycle in your pistol before carrying it for self-defense, that kind of ammunition is expensive. Trigger time for training is a lot easier on the wallet with bulk boxes of FMJ ammo from various manufacturers. Before beginning the range portion of this piece, I picked up a 250-round box of American Eagle .45 ACP from Federal. This is quality ammunition to be sure, but it was made for training, not duty or home defense.

On the first afternoon at the range, I was accompanied by my oldest son to help with the pistol’s break-in. You may have heard the term “sweating for your craft,” well, we were sweating that day as the mercury pushed its way into the high 90s and the hygrometer showed high humidity.

As it had been a while since I’d handled an XD pistol, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the controls and unique aspects of the gun. Specifically, I wanted to get accustomed to the XD’s trigger. This striker-fired system has a relatively long reset when compared to others in its class.

A relatively long reset on the XD(M)’s trigger did not cause any difficulty on the range, nor did it adversely affect accuracy.

I was immediately impressed by two aspects of the pistol. First, for a .45 ACP, the grip dimensions are comfortable and fit the hand exceptionally well. Second, the sights were right on as it came from the factory. Head shots on a Birchwood Casey silhouette target were simple enough at 10 and 15 yards with no adjustment necessary.

We ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 rounds through the pistol on our first outing. All three magazines were loaded to capacity, which made the supplied loading tool an invaluable aid. It helps get the 12th and 13th rounds into the magazine without killing your thumbs. All five loads were mixed in to test the pistol’s eating habits. From the fast-moving +P load from Cor-Bon to the slow and heavy 230-grain FMJ’s from Federal and CCI, all the ammunition fed and cycled without issue.

Range session number two would begin with a much slower pace. We posted several targets downrange at 25 yards. With my arms resting on a rolled up range mat, I set about the slow, deliberate testing. I was definitely happy with the results.

The last portion of the test included presentation from the holster, reloads, footwork drills, etc. I donned the included holster and dual magazine pouch and loaded the magazines to capacity with American Eagle and CCI FMJ ammunition.

Despite its beefier chambering, the gun retains roughly the same grip size as the smaller-caliber offerings in the XD(M) line.

I worked both with and without gloves, single- and weak-handed. Targets were engaged from a variety of unconventional positions, including seated (folding chair), from my back, kneeling and prone. Testing also included shooting the pistol while moving forward, backward and laterally. By the time I completed my training session, there were more than 200 pieces of spent brass strewn across the range. The slide was too hot to touch with bare hands, and I was convinced beyond a doubt that the new XD(M) .45 ACP pistol was a solid performer.

Parting Thoughts

As with all handguns, each has its own unique features and characteristics. To truly master and appreciate a pistol, you need to spend some quality time (read trigger time) with it. This is particularly true when learning the trigger on a new gun.

Regarding the .45 ACP XD(M), I believe the kit is a great value and should certainly give the owner reliable service. Though functional, for my money I can definitely do without the three white-dot sights. First of all, if you begin with a clean, out-of-the-box pistol all the white dots will be bright. The rear sight—having double the amount of white paint—will draw your focus as it is brightly colored and closest to your eyes. A quick moment of adjustment and you are now focusing on your front sight. No problem? Perhaps not, but think about this: After a magazine or two you will notice the front portion of the slide/muzzle area is a bit dirty. That’s where the burning propellant escapes. Guess what? Your front sight now has a light coat of carbon and the white dot is now dimmer than the clean rear sight. This makes finding your front sight and focusing on it quickly even more difficult. I prefer if we started with a bright, easy-to-pick-up front sight and just left the less important rear sights dark.

The same issue occurs with three-dot tritium or fiber-optic sights. There is twice as much light-producing or gathering material in the rear as there is in front and the front sight invariably will get dimmer the more you shoot. When it comes to shooting handguns, particularly for personal defense, the front sight is king and should be your number-one focal point. The rear sight is nice to have, but of secondary import, therefore it shouldn’t detract from your ability to instantly acquire the front sight.

The only thing that gives away the latest XD(M)’s chambering is engraving on the slide and breech portion of the barrel.

All in all, I was pleased with the Springfield XD(M) .45’s performance. Reliability was unquestionable and accuracy was as good as you could have from pistol of this kind. I really like the fact that Springfield includes three stainless steel magazines with the gun. Too many pistol makers these days are cheap with the mags.

Alright American gun buyers, you asked for a .45 ACP, high-capacity XD(M), and now you have one. The next step is yours.

Manufacturer: Springfield Armory; (800) 680-6866
Action Type: Striker-fired, semi-automatic
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 13+1
Frame: Polymer
Slide: Forged steel
Barrel: 4.5 inches, match-grade
Rifling: 6 grooves; 1:16-inch RH twist
Sights: Dovetail front and rear, three-dot
Trigger Pull Weight: 6 pounds, 2 ounces
Length: 7.75 inches
Width: 1.27 inches
Height: 5.75 inches
Weight: 31 ounces
Accessories: Case, manual, three magazines, holster, magazine pouch, reloading tool
MSRP: $709 (black), $771 (bi-tone)