I always get a cocked eye brow or a side smile that precedes a smart mouth comment after I tell someone I carry a Beretta 92FS. Otherwise known by its nom de guerre, the M9 was the firearm I cut my teeth on as a young ensign in the Navy. I’ve burned thousands of rounds down the Italian steel barrel, but I surprisingly went another route when I purchased my first handgun. There is a saying that a griping sailor is a happy sailor. Sailors love to gripe about their firearms. I should know, because I griped about mine. So much so that there are two specific makers that I will no longer shoot or purchase. But Beretta is not one of them. I mistakenly took some of this good natured griping that compared the M9 to various other pistols currently in service and decided on buying another brand with a polymer frame. I soon regretted this purchase. Even though I purchased a compact version of this particular firearm I found it too small, magazine capacity was not sufficient, and I did not care for the trigger safety. There was nothing wrong with the pistol’s functionality and design. Many people rave about this particular firearm, but it wasn’t right for me. Sounds like a break up letter, right? At my earliest convenience, I went back to my old standby. I quickly traded my polymer frame pistol for the 92FS I carry today. Shooting it was like the first home cooked meal you eat after moving out of the house at 18. It’s a bit bulky and I only recently found a holster that I can conceal carry at the 4 o’clock position. Until now, I could only conceal carry at the 6 o’clock because, let’s face it, the 92FS is a brick. My pants don’t fit normally unless I have it tucked in my waist band. But I’ve never had a problem keeping my drawers up wearing a normal leather belt. While driving, I usually keep it under the seat but it can be uncomfortable keeping it in the small of the back. But there is consensus across armed citizens that there is a certain level of discomfort when you choose to carry. Some of this discomfort can be mitigated, some can’t. Right now I’m comfortable with carrying my Beretta as it is with the holster that balances comfort, concealability, and accessibility. Shake out your gear, practice with it, and find out what works for you and what doesn’t.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not adventurous, I usually stick with what I know I like. But I have been testing other steel frame pistols that are lighter, a bit smaller, and still hold ammunition levels that I am comfortable with. There will come a day my 92FS will get upgraded with a light and find a permanent home in my nightstand, but for now I’ve made accommodations necessary for carrying a full size hand gun. It can be done, but only if it’s right for you. Your match is out there. You just have to find it.
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*Instructor’s Note – this is a DRY FIRE exercise only! Ensure you have your firearm clear and safe before proceeding. In previous posts I’ve explained that you need to include range time and possibly coaching fees in to your firearms budget. In this post, I’m going to explain why. Some ranges will not allow you to shoot from the draw. Be a good gun owner and obtain permission from the range safety officer before you begin this exercise. Always, ALWAYS, obey the rules of gun safety: 1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. 2. Do not point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your trigger finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire. 4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. Shooting is just like any other sport. It requires hand/eye coordination, muscle memory, and balance. Developing these skills takes time and repetition. One tool that you can use to develop your shooting form is to dissect an entire movement (in this case drawing your pistol from the holster) into smaller movements for repetitive practice. Just like a baby first learns to crawl and then walk, so too will we learn good fundamentals at the sub-level and then put them together for improvement at the gross motor skill level. For example, if we begin with our hands empty and out front then we can break the entire movement down in to 3 steps:
1) From the hands up to gripping the pistol, 2) drawing the pistol, lowering the elbow, and gripping with the support hand, and 3) extending (sometimes called “railing out”) both arms until you have site alignment. Through this, also maintain good shooting stance. It’s possible even to break these in to smaller steps, but this is a good jumping off point for shooters new to this type of training. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Perform each step at least 10-15 times before moving on to the next step. Make sure each repetition is done slowly. In fact, make it painfully slow. Once you have completed each step of the draw begin the whole process over again, but pick the pace up. Do not go full speed, maybe 75%. For the third circuit go full speed. On the last circuit, let ‘er rip tater chip and go as fast as you can without dropping your pistol. Then take a break and let the acid drain from your muscle tissue. To recap: Set/Speed 1. 20-40% 2. 75% 3. 100% 4. 110% Rest After this break, put all these pieces together and practice the complete pistol draw technique. Perform 10-15 repetitions at half speed and then 10-15 repetitions at full speed. Take a break and then begin your live fire. Set/Speed 1. 50-75% 2. 100% Break/Begin live fire training. This is a long training evolution, but like Lt. Aldo Raine said, |
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December 2020
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