The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Tactics and Training

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 26, 2019, 08:16 AM   #26
Brit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 29, 2005
Location: Orlando FL
Posts: 1,934
In spending over 25 years as an Instructor, mostly training new to firearms men and woman. In Toronto Canada. You have to teach a technique that will be able to be instantly available, in a self-defence application.

At the start of my training (1980), everybody was carrying Smith & Wesson revolvers.
Whether they were 38 Special or chambered for .357 Magnum cartridges, only 38 special ammunition was allowed.

In studying shootings both in Canada and the USA (our next door neighbours) both with Security Officers, and LEO. It soon became apparent, that there was very little chance of a Security employee armed with a Revolver, was very likely to ever fire his, or her revolver, in Canada other than on the range.

So my focus was on teaching a simple system, that would be retained.

As the revolver was carried in a holster always, all training had to start from the holster, and only 6 rounds were available, so not to waste the rounds was very important.
And any reloads had to be from speed loaders, in pouches on the belt. Swing out cylinder, point barrel at the roof, smack ejector rod invert, speed load, back to aim, freeze for an instant, and holster.

As a revolver was instantly ready to fire, double action, just by pressing the trigger all training was in double action mode. This same method of firing the revolver could be duplicated, with no rounds in the cylinder, as in dry fire, much invaluable training could be done that way.

In training Police Officers, I soon found that improper use of sights, had rounds striking low on man-sized cardboard targets, as close as 7m even though they had good groups. Trigger control was good, aim not so much.

I had one of my training revolvers, spit lead, badly from a miss aligned cylinder.
With the cost of S&W fixing this problem almost at the cost of replacing it?
I threw the cylinder away, and the latch that swung it out. You could now press the trigger, as in firing mode, but never able to load rounds.

Find the master eye, show the proper grip, individually! My classes were 8 at a time, as the indoor range could only safely hold 4 students at a time, 4 to shoot, 4 to pick up brass, and load speed loaders.

Hold the cylinder less revolver in the proper combat two hand grip. Have the shooter aim at a target. I would then stand in front of this none firing item, use my eye, to look at the shooter's master eye, manipulate the rear sight, so as to align up our eyes, then bring up the front sight to fit in the rear sight notch.

Quite the revelation to the Cops who had been looking over the sights for twenty years! Instant point of aim, point of hits.

New Security Officers ingrained correct use of sights. All draw and fire exercises, double tap. After dropping revolver to the ready position, the next command would be fire again, or holster.

Requal each year, fire around 100 rounds of my re-loads, in various exercises, then use the carried for a year company 18 rounds, to shoot the twenty round test (I know, I gave each Security Officer two rounds!) after cleaning their weapons, new rounds would be issued (Small companies brought their own) My one big company over 400 hundred of a staff, gave me a case of 38 +P to issue 18 rounds to the newly qualified Officer.

I could go on for ten more pages (But I will not!) I hope this brief glimpse of simplicity in method gives a good idea of a course of fire, designed for retention. At that possible close quarter defence of the Officers life.
In that twenty-five year span, no bystanders injured, one fatal shooting of an attacker, armed with a broken pint glass? One round straight through the heart, instant collapse, fired at 6ft.
Brit is offline  
Old February 26, 2019, 06:44 PM   #27
unclejack37
Junior member
 
Join Date: October 3, 2014
Location: Delaware
Posts: 121
At 70 years old and shooting with my Good Eye only for my entire shooting life, I'm not going to change now because someone thinks I should. I practice point shooting and site Picture shooting with 1 eye open and I'm pretty good at it. Good enough that I intend to stake my life on my ability. I think I gotta do what works best for me.
unclejack37 is offline  
Old February 27, 2019, 07:02 AM   #28
OhioGuy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 11, 2016
Posts: 1,089
Everyone has their own way of doing it, and changing tracks because someone else said they should would be a mistake. A lot is physiological. Some can naturally keep both open and see exactly what they need to see. Others never get good at it because their brains aren't wired the same.

I'm among those who think that red dots or other optics will become standard fare for pistols soon, and everyone will be learning to shoot with both eyes open because that's how the optics are designed to be used. Rather than trying to force our anatomy to conform to two pieces of iron, the sights are designed around our anatomy. Seems like a win to me.
OhioGuy is offline  
Old February 27, 2019, 10:13 AM   #29
Ricklin
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2008
Location: SW Washington state
Posts: 1,996
Air guns

It took me a while to learn both eyes open. Air guns (C02) are great for this.

I set up a 'range' in my basement, with decent ear pro it was fine. I do recommend ear protection, the higher powered C02 guns are loud.

They are also darned accurate. I basically learned how to shoot a pistol using a C02 airgun. Cheap and effective.
__________________
ricklin
Freedom is not free
Ricklin is offline  
Old February 27, 2019, 04:19 PM   #30
1MoreFord
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 30, 2014
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 244
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnKSa View Post
People who don't have one eye that is clearly dominant will find shooting with both eyes open to be difficult.
This is something people with a clearly dominant eye simply don't understand.

An old friend of mine badgered me forever to try shooting with both eyes open. I never could tell where I was shooting with both eyes open until I started obscuring the vision in my left eye with 3M transparent tape on my glasses. That's kinda hard to do in a SD moment so I'll revert back to one eye closed as necessary.
1MoreFord is offline  
Old February 28, 2019, 12:02 AM   #31
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 24,928
Yup.

My right eye is only weakly dominant. I do pretty well with both eyes open, most of the time, but when I'm shooting multiple similar small targets laid out in a row (like a plate rack), I can have issues with trying to figure out if I'm shooting at a real target or its "ghost-double" resulting from my non-dominant eye trying to take over in the middle of the string.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old February 28, 2019, 12:57 PM   #32
gwpercle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 30, 2012
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Posts: 1,740
Blind in my right eye.....
I will keep both eye's open if it makes you happy..... but the truth is , I only shoot with one eye , the eye that works .
And I can do quite well with one eye.....I've got more than a few shooting trophies .
Gary
gwpercle is offline  
Old February 28, 2019, 01:06 PM   #33
TunnelRat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 22, 2011
Posts: 12,181
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle View Post
Blind in my right eye.....
I will keep both eye's open if it makes you happy..... but the truth is , I only shoot with one eye , the eye that works .
And I can do quite well with one eye.....I've got more than a few shooting trophies .
Gary
Lol, well yeah, I think common sense comes into play at some point.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
TunnelRat is offline  
Old February 28, 2019, 08:20 PM   #34
kenny53
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 30, 2015
Location: My back yard
Posts: 971
I shoot with one eye. I hit what I aim at and I am happy. I wish I could shoot with both eyes open but it does not work for.
kenny53 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08124 seconds with 8 queries