A Dangerous Gambit

Contact shots are based around the fact the violent criminal actor’s hands are not doing anything or they are not aware of your intentions. If the VCA’s hands are not occupied with a task and they are aware of the gun in close proximity you can bet there will be a lot of effort directed towards controlling the gun. At this point, the viability of contact shots is low, opening up near contact shots. There are many viable means to controlling and if possible disarming an opponent armed with a gun. It is a dangerous gambit, but at this point danger is a foregone conclusion. But, what does it really look like. In a word, chaos.

Disrupting the Muzzle’s Alignment

The first step is in realizing the majority of violent encounters don’t go as planned. In a typical grappling encounter, the same side hands/arms are engaged with their opponent’s. This means my hand(s) is trying to control my opponents hand(s) on the same side as I face them. If one of the hands of either party is holding a weapon, the tendency is to go “two on one”. Recognizing the danger presented with the weapon leads to both hands attempting to grab or control the weapon or the opponent’s one hand holding the weapon. Remember, these altercations are happening at very close range. The likelihood of achieving a normal 2-handed range stance is low. Putting aside strength, gender and leverage, two hands are generally stronger than one. The risk of losing control of the weapon and being disarmed is very high, even if there is no trained disarm skill. The real advantage is not in the disarm, the real advantage comes in the form of disrupting the muzzle’s alignment.

Kinesthetic Muzzle Awareness

With two hands on the gun it is easier to move the muzzle away from the body, or pin the muzzle and move the body away. Either case ends the same, the body being out of the path of the bullet. That is great if you were the subject of an armed robbery, but what if the bad guy is able to get their hands on your gun. It seems unlikely they will drop their weapon to go 2on1, but even one hand is enough to disrupt muzzle alignment. The key is understanding when the muzzle is on and off target from a kinesthetic point of view. If it is on target, there is the viability of delivering at a minimum a single near contact shot.

Just Tango On

How does one develop the kinesthetic muzzle awareness when entangled with an opponent. It starts by acknowledging how dangerous this would be in real life. Then, just doing it. There are a couple of tenets to remember. What are they controlling; the gun or your body, ie. hand or wrist. The closer to the end of the lever, in this case the gun, the more control or force the opponent can exert. You need to regain some of that force by brining it back to as close to your centerline as possible. Realize your wrist and shoulder joints have a tremendous amount of articulation available. They can rotate in combination to create some very favorable angles. The next tenet is rotate inwards. Rotating outwards not only moves the muzzle off target, it makes it much harder to come back and easier to disarm. The last tenet is to change levels. In this case, you will have to move the body since the hand is somewhat isolated. Move the body to move the muzzle. A little goes a long way.

Get Behind the Gun

Obviously, this is a super complicated and dangerous concept. It however is more common than you might think. Gun grabs and gun takeaways are something to be aware of if for no other reason than to avoid making mistakes that lead to disarms. Far be it from me to tell someone not to do something to save their own lives. This might be your last best option in a defensive gun use. When you are danger close, it might be all you have once the gun is drawn. Think about the muzzle’s direction, is it on or off target. If off target, how do you get it back. Where is the control, gun or hand. Try to get it back to the centerline by moving it inwards. Change levels and use your whole body, not just your hand/arm to get behind the gun.

Is this an over simplification, perhaps. But, I will tell you these are principles. And like any principle, they are the foundation.

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Close Call

Why the big change? Because, only a few days earlier my son and I sat in that very same movie theater. After enough accurate information was released I put myself back in those seats to brainstorm how I would’ve handled a similar situation. I’ve had many conversations about my thoughts with close friends. The big take aways were; low light, moderate distance and high percentage shots. I try not to let a single event reset my own system, but I’m all for allowing it to influence my thought process and in this case my loadout. It just so happened around that time, I had finished a 6-month experiment working to solve a problem for my old community. This problem centered around low light and running with pistols. In the end, mini-red dot sights or MRDS were the clear winner. I hadn’t put much thought into them for everyday carry scenario. This problem was very unique. Flash forward to the theater shooting and all of a sudden I’m interested.

Technology & Equipment

Low light is always challenging. You come to depend on technology and equipment. The use of night sights have been around for decades, but they somehow were not enough to solve my teammate’s problem, hence my involvement. Using a MRDS gave them anytime view ability, especially under night vision. In a darkened theater the MRDS would be hugely valuable, but under low light conditions it only tells me where I’m aiming. Sure, I could take aim at the muzzle flashes, but positive target identification is paramount. I’ve long opposed the necessity for weapon mounted lights for everyday carry. The added weight and size are barriers to entry for many. Over a decade and weapon mounted lights have come a long way as far as size and output. Now, I can have a smaller, more powerful light better suited for concealed carry. The problem wasn’t necessarily the WML, the problem was finding a good holster, comfortable for all day, every day type wear. Even today, there are very few. Of those around, even fewer that do a good job.

Surgical Style Shooting

Depending on where you sit in a movie theater you could have a close shot, or an extended shot under low light conditions. I have long commented the greatest MRDS advantage is accuracy at distance. Distances in movie theaters can vary, but a 10, 20 or 30 yards plus impossible shots becomes possible. High percentage shots were similar to a hostage type shot. Where there was minimum target availability along with maximum risk. With people running through a smoke filled theater it would be chaotic to say the least. Should you have a clear shot, you still have to be aware of your backstop and surroundings. While not technically a hostage the field of fire would more than likely be small if not tiny. The level of precision again is something a MRDS does exceptionally well. But, when you merry up the use of a powerful white light and target focus, it makes for an impressive package. Those that work in low light enough know the narrowing of your perceivable field of view. In this case, narrowing on the target and still being able to aim precisely are a winning combination.

The Tradeoffs Are Big

Up until the beginning of the pandemic I carried a compact as my daily carry pistol. At the time, it was not equipped with a MRDS or a WML. The primary reason was simple, many of my government clients were running iron sights on their duty pistols so it didn’t make sense for me. I would add the WML during training and remove it for concealment work after hours. Flash forward and currently the proliferation of MRDS at the government level is quickly growing. A client’s new program had me revisiting the subject, but in reverse. Now, I don’t want to be the only one without a MRDS. Due to the nature of the program it also required a WML. I was back to solving the problem of size and weight. As I mentioned so many advancements have made this easier today. Even so, there is still a massive difference in size and weight that cannot be ignored. The tradeoff is the very small percentage of scenarios where this combination would dominate versus the most likely scenario where they probably wouldn’t make a large enough difference.

Forward Thinking

With hostilities increasing on the home front I thought about this mass shooting and our new program. I don’t feel “under-gunned” running my micros, but I’m limited with WML’s and available holsters that accommodate both. This problem was the reason I revisit my compact pistols. I’m still carrying the micros, that’s not changing, but I had to be honest about my movie theater debrief. Was I ready for another similar type of event? Don’t mistake my commentary for only being able to solve this type of scenario with technology. It will always be the indian and not the arrow. But, it did spark my loadout reevaluation. My loadout also depends on the perceived threat. For instances, during the pandemic we saw some crazy behavior. Did it make sense to go with a heavier loadout, absolutely. Does it make sense to default to this condition, absolutely not.

The point is we all need to periodically review our loadout and preparation. Have you put critical thinking into these topics and if so what has changed as a result.

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An Origin Story

Maybe not the exact same effect, but most would be really surprised to learn how effective this method is when done correctly. Where did the sling tension method or sling method as I was taught come from in the first place. Those of us who cut our teeth on assaults with a sub-machine gun at some point had to learn this method to work with gas masks or chem/bio suits. Believe me it was not as sexy as it sounds, but it was a mission requirement we had to perfect. The best way to explain how it works is when the sling is properly positioned, adjusted and the platform is setup correctly you push against the sling to create tension or a simulated stock. This tension helps stabilize the firearm.

Learning About Slings

Let’s talk about properly positioning the sling. You can run a two point or one point sling configuration. I tend prefer the two point, but both work well. If you run a sling that can transition between the two its the best of both worlds. I used the Blue Force Gear 221 sling; which gives me this option to much success. In class, I would transition from running a two point, to a one point simply by moving the QD swivel. To further explain a properly positioned sling we talk about the mounting location. If you run a one point, you can either attach it to the inboard or the outboard side. Some AR Pistol configurations have an end plate with a QD attachment that further simplifies your setup. However, if you are running the folding or collapsible type braces this is not an option.

The Secret

Making sure the sling is properly adjusted is the secret. You want there to be just enough tension. You are looking for almost full extension, about 80-90% full extension to be exact. This will allow you to apply force into the sling. It is this force that helps stabilize and reduce recoil while shooting. This works best with pistol caliber AR pistols, but I’ve had much success with rifle calibers. In classes I’ve run the Sig Rattler chambered in 300 Blackout and love the versatility of this little blaster. To make this method work even better, use the inside of your sling to create an improvised cheek weld. This creates a semi-third point of contact. The bad news is it can reduce your options when you try to achieve a shoulder mount. There were plenty of times I would run and gun with the sling tension method, but slow down for a long shot or a high percentage shot using the stock. So for me, I would run with my stock extended. If you get the sling just right for sling tension, it might mean the setup or position of the sling can interfere or get in the way of obtaining a good and reliable shoulder mount.

A Little Preparation

There is not a lot you have to do to your firearm platform. Meaning, if you running a folding brace, it is ideal to keep the brace folded so it is not in your way. The extended brace can sometimes get in the way of seeing your sights quickly. Modern red dot sights have somewhat negated this issue, but still something to consider. Running with no brace makes it pretty clean and easier to run the sling tension method in my opinion.  Something else to consider is depending on the barrel length a concern might be your weak hand position. Hand stops that prevent your hand from moving too far forward will keep your hand away from the hot gases near the muzzle. It also allows you to place a little bit more forward isometric tension into the sling.

How Does It Perform

When you have everything setup for optimal performance using this method you will find speed and accuracy to be pretty impressive. If you have to make a snap shot inside 15 yards it is wicked fast. Back in the day it was all iron sights, but using a red dot sight gives you the ability to step back with more accuracy.  Stepping back to 25, 35 and 50 yards produces more than acceptable accuracy. You are not going to be shooting a sub-MOA group, but you can easily shoot an 8 inch group at 50 yards; which is 4MOA and plenty accurate for most defensive gun uses.

The bottom line is all is not lost if you cannot use the brace. Experiment with this sling tension method and you will find it very capable.

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I have been a student of assaults for the better part of my adult life. I’ve studied, practiced and perfected the art and managed to infuse a little science to the affair.

Seeing The Big Picture

When you are first learning how to conduct CQB operations or assaults there is so much to take onboard. I’m not going to lie, it is overwhelming. Every action or inaction has both a postive and negative outcome. If you go to the right, you miss a target to the left. If you fail to clear this deadspace you expose your teammates to deadly force. The list is mind boggling, but the answer lies within the chaos. Underneath all the crazy there is a simple yet effect symphhony of movement that reduces the dangers you face, while increasing the danger the bad guy faces. The real question is how do you get tickets to the symphony?

Practice Makes Perfect

It all starts with an acknowledgement it will take time. While every force, unit and team will vary there is an agreed upon notion it is weeks, sometimes months to grasp a minimum level of competency to be safe among those who have mastered the art. One of the greatest dangers as an experienced operator is being in close proximity to someone who is still learning. Obviously, the dangers increase as you add live fire practice, varous explosive and of course a living, breathing advesary. So, what is the secret? It’s really no secret, it is practice. What you have to understand is what type of practice. There are various forms of practice, but the type of practice that produces the best results is a deep type of practice.

Working From The Known To Unknown

Within this deep practice, the student is given a set of parameters to work within. Then, they are put into practicals they must apply their understanding of the parameters. It is impossible to get it right on the first attempt, even the 1000th attempt for some. But that’s the point, there is sciene in failure. Failing is a key ingredient to success. You have to be put in these situations often and fail often. This failure brings about a problem solving mindset that is constantly adapting to the environment within the type of individual that makes a good operator.

Understanding The Look

The ideal environment for CQB is one where it starts simple and works to complex. That should come as no surprise, but even a simple square room can get uber complex when you start adding doors, oddities and dead spaces. The trick is to incrementally expose the operator to each of these scenarios. To provide them with what I call “the look”. This look is essential because it gives the operator a frame of reference. In the real world, no live target building will look like the training kill houses we virtually live in when practicing. What you are trying to accomplish is to build a database the operator can quickly review. What they are looking for is not the exact copy, but something close enough. This close enough will allow decrease the reaction and processing time. Providing a workable solution. It may not be perfect, but perfection is the enemy of good.

Being Disciplined and Hungry

How does this help the average person. The lesson to take away is anything you want to be good at is going to require hard work, practice. But not just any practice, deep practice. The type of practice that will produce errors, that you can review and reflect upon. Then try to avoid repeating the same errors in the future. I teach a four part system. First you have to identify the error. Then you need to intercept the error before it occurs. Replace the error with the preferred action then repeat until reliable. What I mean by reliable is repeat until this new action becomes the new habit. I’m always pushing our students to fail, I want a 20% failure rate. This gives the student enough positive to stay motivated and enough negative to stay hungry.

I can go on and on regarding teaching CQB, but that is for another day. What I love is within all the chaos is simplicty.

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There is a belief that all you need is a fast drawstroke to stop a threat at close range. There is truth in this view, but it is also less than half the story when you realize access to your firearm under pressure is not nearly as quick as you might think.

It’s All About Balance

One of the great fortunes of being involved in combatives from an early stage in my career was I didn’t have any illussions about what worked and what didn’t work. Playing both good guy and bad guy were almost required to truly understand the balance. The balance I’m referring to is when your opponent is off balance, they have very little success completing their origianl task. This didn’t matter what role you were playing, it was something equally experienced by both sides. This is a huge take away, it says that you must maintain your balance at all times and work to disrupt your oppenents balance with every move.

Action Versus Reaction

Most folks are thinking, how can knocking someone off balance be so valuable. What I’m referencing is not soley about your equilibrium, or the distribution of weight. The balance I’m referencig has a lot to do with your thought process. When we look at one of the most dangerous situations we could face, it would probably look like an ambush at close range. Even worse, would be extreme close range. Sometimes words don’t help paint the picture and we need to assign some measurements. Close range to me is defined as any conflict where the opponent(s) are within five yards. Extreme close range is within a double arms interval. That means if both the good guy and bad guy extended their arm forward the finger tips would touch. At this range it is not about how fast you can draw your gun. It might seem that way, but no matter the situation as a private citizen you will always be in a reactionary mode. Meaning, the bad guys is going to say when.

You Can Touch Them

Why is this important? Because no matter how fast your drawstroke, at this range it is a low probability outcome action when access to your firearm under pressure. Meaning, the liklihood you will be able to out draw his action of drawing a gun or thrusting a knife is often not realistic. Add to the equation, that each sitaution will be different and it makes it far less realistic. Instead, you need to consider how to disrupt the balance to shift the reactionary gap to your side. In my experience, the best way to do that is injury or incapacitation. At the extreme close quarters you as the good guy have one advantage, if they can touch you…you can touch them.

Further Disrupting Their Balance

Striking is not your only option of course. You can attempt to jam up their drawstroke, either through fouling their firing grip or locking the gun in the holster. Both of these are sensible options, but a lot of times to be effective you will need two hands. A natural reaction from your opponent is a reflexive counter. Nothing fancy or taught, just a recognition their action is being impeded and they must do something. That something is simple, use the other hand. So, while this action can sometimes open up a window it is not a guarantee. When both hands from your opponent are occupied trying to complete the original task, you now have the option of disrupting their balance through strikes. Think of it this way, you want your first strike to be effective. If it is effective, you have an even better chance of recocking and landing additional strikes, each further disrupting their balance.

Think of disrupting someones balance not the mere act of shifting their weight, that is a huge part. Disrupting their balance is also about knocking their cognitive weight out of alignment.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England

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The trick to backup guns is being competent enough to use them well when you need them the most. That takes hard work and discipline, but using this 3 tips for shooting snubby revolvers well will speed up the process.

The Close Range Pickle

The first thing I discuss with anyone considering carrying a snubby revolver is do you plan on training. If you don’t, that’s cool, but it might not be the saving grace you thought. On the one hand, they are easy, but on the other, they are hard. What I mean is should you resort to drawing your snubby revolver, chances are you are in a pickle, but it is a close range pickle. So, marksmanship requirements may be less stringent. Plus, the added benefit of contact shots with a revolver can sometimes be reason enough to consider. This by no means is a pass on your shooting skill, you will still need a high degree of controllability to continue to deliver effective fire. It is controability you should put the lion’s share of your training for shooting snubby revolvers.

Perfecting Your Firing Grip

The first tip is to really look at your grip. While it is very possible you can retrograde a semi-automoatic grip to work with a revolver, you would be wise to avoid this temptation. If you are thinking it helps maintain continuity it really doesn’t. What you get is added exposure to injury and poor grip mechanics. While there are some that can shoot these well using their auto grip, they are anomiles and not the norms. Positioning on the available real estate is critical. You have to take up as much useable space, beause you don’t get that much. From there, it’s all about the friction. The more friction you can achieve the better it will help control recoil. I use an over thumb grip, but I do it slightly different than most. I literally point my thumb’s tip downwards. Most don’t get a fully downward pointing thumb, it is more angled. Not terrible, but it doesn’t allow me to take advantage of tip number two for shooting snubby revolvers well.

Shooting Strong Hand Only Provides Gifts

I subscribe to a reverse thumb grip. It is reverse in the sense, my weak hand thumb rests on top of my strong hand thumb. Because I pointed the tip of my strong hand thumb downward there is somewhat of a shelf formed by the second digit. This shelf allows me to rest my weak hand thumb more securely allowing me to apply grip pressure more evenly and consistently. Speaking of grip pressure, I apply inward pressure with my pinkies of both hands. It is very similar to my auto-grip, but not with the same grip force. I make up for it a little by applying pressure downwards from the weak hand thumb. This process produces a firm and secure grip capable of rapid fire. The bonus is when you shoot strong hand only, pressing the thumb down and pinky inwards produces great results.

Downward, Not Rearward

The last tip is the direction of the trigger finger’s movement. Contrary to the norm, I squeeze more downward than rearward. It seems odd, but the curvature of the trigger makes me change the movement direction slightly. Since it is nothing more than a lever and I want maximum leverage making this change helps. As the trigger moves rearward, the angle of the trigger’s face changes. I want to press more downward than rearward once it reaches the apex of it’s movement. It is subtle for sure, but it has made a difference for me.

I do value what a snubby revolver offers me in the form of a backup gun. I carry them more frequently currently than I have in the past partly because I have made huge strides in shooting them well using this tips.

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From the shooting world, we talk about the importance of having a quick and effecient drawstroke. How important it is, how much effort we put into developing this in training and practice, but we also over looking timing and space.

Stakes Vs. Odds

The biggest thing to understand is every deadly force encounter will be different. It is dangerous to try and lump them all into boxes. You might hear folks talk about statistics and you should pay attention to them. The problem is building your whole system on something out of your control. You cannot control the time of day, location, distance or even the number of violent criminal actors. All you can control is yourself, the equipment you have chosen and the training completed. So, when someone talks to you about statistics, ask yourself do I have control over them or not. Another way of looking at statiscs is to consider them the odds. Odds are you will find yourself at this distance, this time of day or with this many VCA’s. I am more comfortable with this approach, but I counter with what are the stakes.

Its Okay To Acknowledge Weak Areas

What are the stakes if you invest all your time, talent and treasure into the odds you have selected. While I understand the need to prioritize what folks often forget is your prioritizing is simply to address the initial phase of your development. To give you a foothold, not to be your go to or be all. Instead, you need to be well rounded enough to manage just about any situation you face because remember, you are not in control. When you need to prioritize because your time, talent or treasure is in short commodity, just remember you are leaving gaps in your defenses. There is no two ways around it, you have weaknesses you are choosing to overlook and that is okay…for the moment.

Observable Vs. Surprise

When we start talking about a fast drawstroke, realize the situation has to support that as the right choice. The other piece to this equation, is it has to be at the right time. Here is where we see a lot of disconnect. If we subscribe to the odds are you will be at close to contact range for most of your deadly force encounters (DFE) then we have a problem. The problem is most DFE’s are either observable or suprise in nature. Meaning, you are either ambushed and caught off guard. Or, you recognize cues that indicate something bad is about to happen and are able to take action. Let’s focus on the observable types since this is what most of our training, particularly training from the holster constitutes. It is only in these types of incidents a fast drawstroke is relevant.

First Response Is Not A Gun Response

The first thing to consider is what type of distance are we dealing with, how far away is the suspect or person of interest. We break distance up into four zones, contact, close, intermediate and extreme. Contact is within double arms reach and close is inside the three yard line. Intermediate is outside the three yard to the ten and extreme would be beyond the ten yard line. Observable type attacks generally fall within intermediate to extreme zones, where you have some control over the events. However, the odds favor close range and in where timing and space are questionable. Will you have the time and or distance to effect a quick draw. Harder question to answer, so when we find ourselves in these zones we need to consider the very real possibility the first response will not be a gun response.

Disrupting Their Plans

Anytime we find ourselves in these close range and in zones we need to have other options available. We need to consider first, strike weapon and weapons of opportunity as our immediate response. These types of weapons allow us to weather the immediate attack with the idea we have been able to create timing and space to draw our gun. In this case, our primary carry handgun is not our first response even though we put so much training time into it’s mastery. Very little time is spent on empty hand, edged weapon and improvised weapons. Truthfully, they may be out of range since most of them fall into the “contact” weapon category. Which means you may have to create a cover for action to get closer or distract to close the distance. Consider these two scenarios, you are far enough away you cannot disrupt their weapon system. These means you either try to out draw a drawn gun. Or, you have to create the timing and space to disrupt their plans. This can be in the form of weapon block (knocking and holding the gun off-line) or employing your first strike weapon. Of course, these are not your only response, compliying is also an option you may have to consider.

Integrated Combatives

I’m a big believer in first strike weapons. These can be just about anything, but the three most common are a phone, cup of coffee and car keys. Any of these objects alone may seem benigh, but when considered first strike weapons they take on a new life. Any of these objects can be used to create a reactionary gap that allows you to either disengage or if deadly force is justified to draw and fire. The real question is if the likelihood of being within close range is so high, wouldn’t you expect your efforts towards first strike weapons to be equally high. Yet, it is often overlooked or dismissed. The point is you need an integrated combatives approach to your self defense needs. One that takes into consideration a broader approach to included empty hands, edged weapons and improvised weapons.

Instead of playing the odds, consider the stakes and how can you revesrve the setting to shift the momentum onto your side. It is definitely worth considering since so many DFE happen within close range.

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Is there a reason to have a weapon mounted light (WML) on your handgun? Absolutely, but there are more reasons you don’t need a WML than you might think.

Needs Vs. Wants

The good news is technology has advanced far since I was first issued a weapon mounted light on my pistol in the Navy. We had them for a while and were waiting for suitable holsters to use them operationally. The logistical train will always play a game of catch up compared to new product development. They made doing our jobs a lot easier, with a high sex appeal to boot. Today, you can literally mount just about anything to the utility rails common on most handguns. This doesn’t mean you should. There is a big difference between a “need” and a “want”. Most people want one, but they don’t need one. And that is totally okay.

Totally Dark Locations

When do you need a WML? When you can no longer positively identity the target with the available lighting condition. When you cannot see enough to make the decision to employ deadly force. Here is a great bit of trivia to digest. When the lighting conditions diminish enough you can no longer see in color, you are legally blind. It is in these conditions you need additional lightening to be sure of your target. Hours of diminished lighting typically go from the beginning of nautical twilight in the evening to just past nautical twilight in the morning. The problem, most of us live in areas with lighting all day long. It is very hard to find a good reason you would be in a totally dark location in the first place.

Enough Ambient Light

Even in those places, there will more than likely be some form of ambient light. There has to be some form of light for the criminal element to perpetuate their crime. They don’t need enough light to identify their target, they just need to know you are there. Even then, how much light do you need when you are the victim of a violent crime. It is very rare you would be able to draw your handgun to use it in advance of an attack in public. When most violent crimes happen at contact range, how necessary is your WML to positively identity the target. 

Home Invasions

Change the scenario somewhat to low light conditions in your home and things are a little different. If you must investigate a disturbance late at night or diminished light, having a WML is a good idea. As you move from reaction mode, to action mode it will help to have the light attached to your handgun. Being able to work doors, move people or even fight with an intruder make the WML an advantage.

Violating Personal Rights

Would you be forced to use your weak hand to defend while you grip the handgun with your strong hand. Absolutely. However, by the time this part of the situation has developed you are well passed positive target identification. Should you need to carry someone or move people would have a WML be helpful. Possibility, but it is not necessary. You can manage people while holding a handheld light the same as if you had a WML. Another issue to remember is deadly force justification must have been meet for you to draw your handgun. So, if you wanted to use your light because you are not sure about someone or some place, should you be wrong you just violated that persons rights. Reasons you don’t need a WML are pretty varied, but the point is they exist. 

Considering Long Term Sustainability

Even if you have a weapon mounted light, you still should have a handheld light. The utility of a good handheld light outweighs the times you might need a handgun. It is much easier to deploy a handheld light by mistake than a weapon mounted light. The added advantage of having both is something to consider as well. If your body style, wardrobe and environment allow for the added bulk and weight you are set. Reasons you don’t need a WML might also have to do with sustainability. The question you have to ask yourself is how sustainable is that load out. Can you do that everyday? Maybe, maybe you can. Just remember, if you are involved in a deadly force encounter you are a statistical anomaly. Add hours of dismissed lighting where a light would be necessary to positively identity your target and that statistic shrinks significantly.

There is a big difference between a need and a want. Make sure you know the difference and can support the load out for the long term. 

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As we start to come out of what I call the “great, big stupid” how will you adjust or adapt your carry loadout. Since most of us are creatures of habit, you probably adjusted your loadout with a view of safety vs. preparedness.

Downgrading For Comfort

In the beginning, things got pretty bad. It is not difficult to believe how a pandemic can bring out the worst in the human species. At the time my primary carry was a sub-compact pistol. I had evaluated my situation against potential risks and felt comfortable with this lighter loadout. Summer time in Texas can also have a reason for the frame downgrade. It is nice to carry something lighter when you are wearing less clothes and sweating more in general. I have discussed it before when it comes to selecting your primary carry firearm, the specific characteristics. One of those characteristics is a 10 round minimum magazine capacity. A huge bonus is many of today’s modern sub-compact pistols easily accommodate this requirement.

Upgrading For Preparedness

So, from a preparedness point of view I felt ready to handle the most likely scenario I could face as a private citizen; aggravated assualt or robbery. The pandemic changed all that almost overnight. Or at least when consumables and supplies started to be in short supply. I opted to upgrade to a compact frame. My rationale was wanting to reduce the chances of having to reload along with hitting faster, further away. It was about a year I had been carrying the sub-compact so it was quite the change. I went back to a heavier loadout, literally and felt it every day for at least a month. Given the new situation, I felt I needed to up my preparedness to match. What I find is many people are creatures of habit. How many else found the situation evolving a reason to re-evaluate their carry loadout in order to be more prepared? Not as many as I thought as I discussed it with students in the classes we were running at the time.

Time Is Never On Your Side

Another way to look at safety vs. preparedness is from a safety or access point of view. It should go without saying that unauthorized access to firearms in the home should be a top priority. This is where safety was something to consider. Once the pandemic was in full swing, we see violent rioting in major cities. Still to this day in fact. When the threat of moving to the suburban areas was announced, many took it seriously. Investments in extra fire extinguishers and other fire retardation options became a top priority. Along with keeping a long arm handy. By handy, I mean at the ready. In my home I have no children or grandchildren, not yet at least. So, keeping firearms at the ready was an easy decision. On top of keeping them in strategic locations they were all in condition one. Should I have to defend my home from an organized group of violent rioters who intended to burn my dwelling time was of the essense. Hence, the upgrade from safety to preparedeness.

Back To A Lighter Loadout

These were a few examples of what I did over the last 16 months to adapt to the new situation of safety vs. preparedness. Those of you who carry a single loadout always, did you feel compelled to change. Those who carry on the lighter side might have, but what about those who carry on the heavier side always. Did you make any changes? Now the threat has somewhat diminished I plan to lower my level of preparedness at home. Preparedeness now is less important than safety. Time will always be an unknown, but at this point it doesn’t trump safety. As for my carry loadout, I have already dropped down to a sub-compact frame for about half the time I’m carrying. I imagine within a month or so, it will be the majority of time. Especially as we reach the peak of summertime.

Nothing should be set in stone when it comes to your personal safety plan. When necessary, you should be ready and able to adapt to new situations as you face them.

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Mission First

The first time you take a punch when you know it is coming there is a sense of dread associated. Will it hurt, how much will it hurt, can I fight on or will I back down. Being put in these training situations provided me with amazing insight. It showed me there was a threshold I could operate within when things were bad and still accomplish my mission. I could take several hits, yet still remain combat effective. It greatly improved my confidence, but it also opened up my throttle. I wouldn’t say I was reckless, I would say I was calculated.

Know Thyself

It is difficult to share this type of experience in the private sector. While I believe it is essential to anyone with self defense goals, it is not easy to put yourself in these types of situations. Reality based training is a great vehicle to simulate the type of stress you might experience. Where I find value is in providing an opportunity for the student to work through some of their own demons. To help become more familiar with violence and what it means to use calculated violence. The challenge is doing so without closing them off, without shutting down their motivation to challenge themselves. If done inappropriately it can lead to avoidance or dismissal.

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

There is a method to the madness. It does not begin by throwing students into shark infested waters wearing a meat suit. The exposure to the stimuli must be gradual and controlled. The instructor’s intention is to provide the student the opportunity to succeed through guided encounters. Each scenario should have a simple goal in mind. For instance, the difficulty of not drawing your firearm. To skirt the edges of deadly force justification requiring the student to employ other tools. Tools such as de-escalation, disengagement and escape. When all roads lead to deadly force you promote poor decision making. You promote deadly force as the only option in the student’s eyes.

Time to Press On

The challenge is in expanding the student’s comfort zone by placing them in uncomfortable situations. It is not easy. You have to start with the little things. In our Force On Force class we start with an exposure to pain. Many times students have no idea what a marking cartridge feels like so they get purposefully shot for the experience in a safe and controlled environment. Then we work at exposing them to a chain of events they can control with good decision making. Should they make the wrong decision they learn through pain the outcome is negative. One way to simulate this encounter is by restricting the number of rounds in the student’s firearm. With this low round count they now must consider if they fail pain is a result.

The hardest scenarios are usually the ones requiring the most thought. Getting the student to think their way through the problems is the best outcome for everyone.

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