At-Home Carry Drills

[Talyn]

Time at the range, in this day in age, can be difficult to secure. The good news: You can practice from the comfort of your home. Dry fire drills are lovely for muscle memory, and self-defense expert Jim Gilliland recommends rehearsing carry drills regularly.

At-Home Carry Drills

 

[Annihilator]

Time at the range, in this day in age, can be difficult to secure. The good news: You can practice from the comfort of your home. Dry fire drills are lovely for muscle memory, and self-defense expert Jim Gilliland recommends rehearsing carry drills regularly.

At-Home Carry Drills

Interesting article, never thought about doing this at home, just at the range, thanks!

 

[Keystone19250]

I will classify this as an interesting article, how are these individuals determined to be “experts” and I’ll assume he’s good in self defense but not at writing his own articles.

Since I don’t dry fire my weapons the writer’s report on the “experts” opinions on how to train are a moot point aside from that I do practice similar drills without pulling the trigger on an empty gun.

I “have said” before, I am at a disadvantage of not having a local range that allows training from
“draw, shoot and re-holster.”

 

[Sld1959]

I practice with laser cartridges in home all the time. Drawing and trying to hit a dime sized target at speed is challenging to say least. I move the target in different sized rooms and down hallways.

First rule all ammunition is taken and sat on the dresser and double checked before starting.

 

[Net Engineer]

I practice with laser cartridges in home all the time. Drawing and trying to hit a dime sized target at speed is challenging to say least. I move the target in different sized rooms and down hallways.

First rule all ammunition is taken and sat on the dresser and double checked before starting.

Same here, Mantis Laser Academy + Mantis X3. Laser measuring tool comes in handy as well so you can get the distances to targets from various points in the house.

 

[kenpomaniac1958]

For me I break down the different elements of using a firearm for self-defense. Then I practice the elements together. This principle was taught to me in martial arts many years ago and it makes sense.

Firearm example of this:
- Practice "Off target off trigger. On target on trigger." with an unloaded firearm(or loaded with snap caps).
- Practice moving shirt, jacket, etc, from firearm draw path non shooting hand and putting hand on firearm.
Add other elements that you use.

As we work the individual elements and smooth them out, then we start putting them all together a few elements at a time until we get to the full sequence, including re-holstering. (Most gun ranges do not allow people to practice firearm self-defense drills because of the liabilities. One work around is to train with a pellet pistol that's similar in size and feel to your carry firearm in a closed area of your house, etc.)

This takes consistent practice and may not work for everyone...it works for me.

One thing is for sure, when you are safe and smooth, your brain and body work well together. It's good to do drills that improve your smoothness and drills that force you to deal with unexpected situations like a weapon malfunction, slipping to the ground and getting back up, etc, etc.

I learned this in martial arts training many, many years ago and it's still true today. Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. Eliminate extra motion, don't forget to breathe, take short steps, keep your movements small/short and efficient, big movements lead to big problems(Kenpo Ed Parker). The mental aspect is just as important as the physical aspect. Get your mindset right.

 

[somorris]

Mindset is probably the most important aspect.

I agree that at-home practice is very important. That is where it is best to discover that your winter coat is too tight around your posterior to allow you quick access to your concealed firearm. Or that your cellphone gets in the way, or that your gun in your purse is just too difficult to get to, especially with gloves and a heavy coat on. Or that you cannot hold your sights on target as you practice a dry fire shot. There are a lot of things that need to operate smoothly together.

By the way, Springfield engineers advised me a few years ago to use snap caps for dry fire practice.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Snap caps are great for manipulating your firearm and going through all the motions, draw and presentation, practicing "tap and rack" to clear malfunctions, testing different clothing, different holsters, etc. With a laser cartridge, or MantisX, you can also test your accuracy. For the cost of a couple boxes of ammo you can get a valuable training tool that will pay for itself in ammo savings. I've been using the G-Sight products for over two years.

Here's an old quick-draw practice session, from 5 yards. Please pardon Mrs. BassCliff watching TV in the den while I practice in the front room. No need to watch the whole thing. It's rather repetitive.

This is a more recent session in my new basement laser range, 10 yards, and incorporates a 90° pivot, target acquisition, and presentation.

I also practice speed reloads, shooting from cover, and plain old sight picture accuracy.

I can tell when I go to the range that my live fire practice suffers if I have not been doing my dry fire practice. It's all part of staying ready just in case these skills are ever needed to defend ourselves or loved ones.

I was hoping the article would suggest a few dry fire drills for us to practice at home. I tend to practice at home what I've learned in my classes and clinics, modifying them as necessary.


Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

 

[somorris]

Looks like your practice is paying off, BassCliff.