3/27/2013

This may sound like a bold statement, but after 20 years as a firearms instructor I feel safe in saying that everyone, regardless of how long a person has been acquainted with firearms, can benefit by attending firearms training. New shooters are introduced to a previously unknown world of skills for using a firearm safely and properly. Experienced shooters discover new techniques while fine tuning and polishing existing skills. If you own a firearm, you need training.

The type of training you should attend, and how much, is dictated by your anticipated use of the firearm. Sporting purposes—plinking at the range, target shooting, hunting or competition—require you to know how to operate the firearm safely and efficiently. For defensive purposes there is a completely different skill set required. Keeping an intruder from coming down your hallway from behind cover is one thing. Someone who carries a firearm for self-defense may face situations that call for a different skill set. Armed professionals require additional knowledge particular to the job.

The majority of skills necessary to successfully operate firearms are not natural or instinctual; both the mental and physical aspects of operating a firearm are mostly counterintuitive. You might, with enough time and ammo, figure out these techniques on your own, but the most efficient mode of acquiring this knowledge is to attend training.

A basic class introduces the fundamentals of using a firearm—safety, marksmanship and manipulation. The fundamentals of marksmanship—grip, stance sights and trigger control—apply to all shooting. For example, with iron sights your visual focus is on the front sight, not the target, which is what we naturally want to focus on. You press the trigger smoothly without anticipating the recoil and disrupting the sight picture. After the shot you reset the trigger, releasing the trigger only far enough forward to reset the hammer and sear. Trigger reset, a technique even life-long shooters normally aren’t aware of, increases accuracy and is key for firing multiple shots efficiently.

With instruction you learn the right way to manipulate your firearm—loading, unloading and checking its status. There’s a lot more to these manipulations than most people realize; an entire book could be written just on the correct way to perform these fundamental skills. Empty reloads, tactical reloads and malfunctions are other subjects the majority of shooters aren’t very well versed in. A malfunction while target shooting on the range is no big deal. Knowing how to clear a stoppage in a violent confrontation can be the difference between life and death.

In a defensive class you begin forming your response to a violent threat. You learn to move, communicate, use cover and, if necessary, shoot, actions that are again contrary to our natural instincts. Our natural response when we decide to fight is to root to the ground, but you want to be moving, creating distance or getting behind cover. Under stress we tend to get lockjaw, remaining silent, but you need to issue verbal commands to the threat or communicate with friends and family. Bystanders are frozen in shock, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. You might be the one who has to step up and instruct them to call 9-1-1 or leave the area. The natural inclination is to stay close to cover, but training explains why this is exactly the opposite of what you want to do in a defensive situation.

Responding to a violent attacker may involve shooting, but if you move to create distance, issue verbal commands and position yourself behind cover, it may change the attacker’s mind and end the confrontation. By making yourself a more difficult victim, you can win without having to fire.

If it’s necessary to fire, you’re now talking about combat marksmanship, which is a world apart from target shooting. The target—threat—will be moving, and you will be moving. The standard response is to place shots into the center mass of the chest. When that doesn’t produce the desired response it’s time to address other areas of the body such as the pelvic region. Statistics tell us most confrontations occur in low-light environments. Do you know how to work in the dark with a flashlight? A low-light class will answer these questions.

And in every course, you’ll receive a lesson in safety. When most people pick up a firearm their finger goes on the trigger. Under the eyes of a diligent instructor you’ll quickly learn to keep your finger off the trigger and clear of the trigger guard unless your sights are on target. You’re taught to always identify your target, and about angle of fire. Safety is our first and primary concern whenever handling a firearm, regardless of the application, and especially under the stress and unsure conditions of a violent confrontation.

Another benefit of attending defensive training is the fact that the more training you get, the less likely it is you’ll need the skills you’re learning. Most people don’t comprehend the nature of violence. Educating yourself and developing an understanding of how and why violent encounters occur allows you to spot potential problems before they escalate. Avoidance and escape should be at the top of your list of tactics.

Videos and books are good as they explain techniques and how to perform them, but they can’t offer corrective suggestions of what you’re doing wrong. Having an instructor watching you perform, supplying corrections and constructive criticism on improvement is the only way to get a good foundation on the necessary skills.

Instruction provides the skills you need to learn, but keep in mind you won’t have the time or repetitions during the class to truly learn the material covered. After attending a course it’s on you to practice the proper techniques, until eventually the majority of them become subconscious actions. These skills are perishable. Practice is required to stay proficient. A good course should also include information on ways to dry practice, the best way to practice your skills without having to go to the range or spend money on ammo. Making the time to practice is just as important as money and time spent on attending instruction.

Training, and the following practice, cultivates the physical skills to operate a firearm, but it also creates the mental confidence to apply these skills under stressful situations. Knowing how to operate a firearm properly and safely, frees up your conscious mind to focus on everything else that’s going on. Whether you’re trying to shoot a smaller group than your buddy, put meat on the table or defend against a violent attacker, the skills to operate your firearm properly and safely are the keys to success.