Gunfight Science

If you carry a gun for self-defense, like more and more people in the US do, you have taken one step towards taking care of yourself instead of relying solely on others to do so. But a gun is a mechanical device and mechanical devices sometimes break or don’t work. There is no time in the middle of a fight for your life to get a gun repaired, so having a spare can be an excellent idea.

You don’t have to look for trouble to find it. In times of instability, it is prudent to consider where the trouble may come from and form a tentative plan to address it. I have always sought to understand things at a fundamental level. Fighting involves all the components of marksmanship and overlays tactics.

According to 88 Tactical, 65% of law enforcement shootings are in and around vehicles. Your immediate response is critical. A key determination that must be made immediately, is it cover or concealment? Can you hide behind it? Can you shoot through it? 

The fact is that a majority of defensive shootings take place at what we will call “bad breath distance.” The aggressor will more than likely already be inside your personal space and the ensuing fight will be a close quarter battle. While a single article can never replace real-world training, we can at least offer a few suggestions to consider.

A slow or sloppy presentation is akin to leisurely leaving the starting blocks when the starter’s gun goes off for a race. This is the case no matter where you carry your gun. While there are countless ways to carry, let’s look at two of the most common modes of carry (standard waistband carry and a pocket pistol) and how to effectively get them into the fight.

In the realm of defensive handgun the most commonly neglected area is in weapon manipulations for malfunctions and reloads. Many people are exceptional shots, but if their gun goes unexpectedly quiet, an internal “oh crap” surfaces and the scramble begins.

They stand behind you in the checkout line of the grocery store. They stroll past as you walk to your car after work. These people are concealed carry proponents and they are armed while still appearing to be just another face in the crowd. They have mastered hiding in plain sight.

Requiring accuracy from a pistol is like requiring precision cuts from an ax. It’s not what the platform was designed to do. As long as he can hit six-inch groups at 25 meters consistently, that’s good enough.

When it comes to AR slings, there’s really only one route to go. Two-point slings! That’s right, junk your single-point sling and grab yourself a two-point sling.