Failure Drill

posted on July 14, 2011
rackley2015_fs.jpg

The Failure Drill consists of three shots designed to ensure that an attacker is stopped by putting two shots into center of mass with a final shot to the head.

While most attackers can be deterred by the simple act of drawing a gun, and most others with a single shot or two, the Failure Drill stops those few attackers that just don’t stop due to adrenalin, motivation or drug use.

The idea is simple. Fire two shots into the center-of-mass to stop the attack, but if these don’t do the job, it should at least slow the attacker down long enough to fire a carefully aimed shot to the head. While this seems like common sense, most people automatically refer back to however they typically shoot at the range when under the stress of an attack. This is why the failure drill is so important. If you normally only fire at the center of mass at the range, then you will probably only fire at the center of mass during an attack.

Start the failure drill with the gun in your holster concealed by a cover garment with a silhouette target about 5 to 7 yards away. Have a friend time your efforts along with telling you to go. At the mark, draw and fire two rounds into center mass, then transition and fire one shot to the head. Most shooters will take around 3 to 4 seconds to perform this drill, while a good shooter can shave it down to below three. If you can do it in around two seconds, you’re good.

Latest

Gotw Beretta 92Xi Squalo Web
Gotw Beretta 92Xi Squalo Web

Gun Of The Week: Beretta USA 92XI Squalo

Join American Rifleman staff in this week's video to learn about a new version of the famed Beretta 92, a line extension that offers up single-action-only operation, optic-ready capability and more.

The Armed Citizen® July 26, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Retro Review: The Smith & Wesson Model 5946

The Model 5946 duty pistol faithfully served police forces nationwide until it was pulled from production just before the turn of the millennium. Now, lots of these trade-in duty guns are available to commercial sales through distributors such as Aim Surplus, LLC.

NRA Leading The Way In Range Development Education

From its Range Development and Operations Online Course to Range Conferences, the National Rifle Association is leading the charge to educate potential and current range owners and operators with range development information, environmental issues, safety and more.

Rifleman Review: Colt Gold Cup National Match M1911

Colt is the brand that's traditionally associated with the M1911, and in this Rifleman Review, we look at how they're paying homage to the classic design with the Gold Cup National Match model.

New For 2024: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy Coyote Brown

Springfield Armory now offers several models of its 1911 DS Prodigy with a coyote-brown finish.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.