Maintaining CCW Efficiency

[Stitch]

My wife and I both have a CCW permit. In Arizona the maximum range by law for self defense is 21 feet / 7 yards. With that in mind we shot from 1 yard, 3 yards, 5 yards & 7 yards. This was not just shooting at targets. It was combining speed and accuracy. I have a custom Colt Series '70 .45ACP for my primary CCW. My wife has a Colt Commander with an aluminum frame in 9mm made in 1951. I recently picked up a Springfield Armory Trophy Match in the event I decide to get back into competition shooting events. We spent four hours shooting. I shot about 500 rounds through both of my .45s and she shot over 300 rounds through her 9MM. We both view carrying a CCW like wearing a seat belt or having a fire extinguisher in the house. It is better to have it and not need it than the other way around. Thanks for looking.

Mrs. Stitch with her Colt Commander in 9MM.



Me with the Springfield Armory Trophy Match in the low ready position.



Shooting the Trophy Match with thumbs parallel.



24 rounds on target from the Trophy Match.



Shooting my custom Colt Series '70

[Domdabears]

Living in Illinois I'm so jealous. Us and our FOID card crap.
Hope the laws change here one day.

[Globalwarmer]

Nice shooting. I've never heard of a maximum legal self defense range, though. My CCW permit is from Arizona too.

[Stitch]

Nice shooting. I've never heard of a maximum legal self defense range, though. My CCW permit is from Arizona too.

Maybe it was a recommendation and not the law? I am on my first cup of coffee. Your comment makes me think I need to do some more research.

[Globalwarmer]

well, let me know if you find something for sure, one way or the other!

[Stitch]

well, let me know if you find something for sure, one way or the other!

A buddy of mine is an AZ CCW instructor. I am waiting for his response. I will let you know what he has to say.

[Omegaman]

I agree that a CCW does you no good if you don't practice with the gun, holster and clothing style you wear most and at realistic distances and situations. Going to the range and shooting from behind the bench in a perfect 2 hand hold will not prepare you for real life situations that may happen. I practice from cover, odd angles, prone, weak hand, strong hand, two hands and while advancing and retreating. I try to mimic every bad shooting situation that I can think of. I also never forget to practice failure to fire drills.

[Snow Walker]

I agree that a CCW does you no good if you don't practice with the gun, holster and clothing style you wear most and at realistic distances and situations. Going to the range and shooting from behind the bench in a perfect 2 hand hold will not prepare you for real life situations that may happen. I practice from cover, odd angles, prone, weak hand, strong hand, two hands and while advancing and retreating. I try to mimic every bad shooting situation that I can think of. I also never forget to practice failure to fire drills.

I will purposely get my cardio going before practice sessions with a bow or firearm.

You are right, there is a big difference between what I call practice and realistic practice.

[Stitch]

well, let me know if you find something for sure, one way or the other!

It looks like I was wrong. He said he remembers that inside of 21 feet can get you killed real quick.

[Stitch]

I agree that a CCW does you no good if you don't practice with the gun, holster and clothing style you wear most and at realistic distances and situations. Going to the range and shooting from behind the bench in a perfect 2 hand hold will not prepare you for real life situations that may happen. I practice from cover, odd angles, prone, weak hand, strong hand, two hands and while advancing and retreating. I try to mimic every bad shooting situation that I can think of. I also never forget to practice failure to fire drills.

There is no bench in any of the photos. In defense of the 45 degree ready position...

Below is in defense of the critisim 45 degree ready position.

snip
Ready Positions – Chuck Taylor invented the ready position. It was intended to be a position at which certain tasks were performed or from which others were started. Those advocating additional ready positions seem not to have a full understanding of the subject. To begin with, you can really only program the subconscious mind with one ready position. Once you add a second or third position it becomes a crapshoot as to what ready you will assume, the subconscious is very good at quick reaction but lousy at decision-making. As to the “Retention” ready advocated by numerous instructors, it is not only harder to defend the weapon from attack in this position (assuming you don’t want to simply shoot the attacker which you can do just as easily from the original ready) but if you perform the normal after action scan to look for addition opponents, you have just proceeded to point a loaded weapon at everyone in the area. Not a good thing to do for a number of reasons.
snip

http://www.defenseassociates.com/TM.htm

[oldsoldier]

Stitch your buddy is right, a distance of 20-21 feet can be closed by an aggressor in 1 second.

[Omegaman]

Stitch I was not critiquing your style or where you are shooting. I was saying that I meet and shoot with many CCW permit holders who think they are ready because they shoot from the bench a bunch of times each year. You know that it comes down to lots of practice and building muscle memory under different conditions but other don't. There is a training video that has a group of ten CCW people with their guns converted and loaded with simunitions. They are placed in a shopping environment and an office setting. They took all of them to the range to show that they were all good shooters and new the operations of their weapons. In the simulations 4 of them had problems clearing their weapons from their clothing most of them had to take their eyes off the aggressor to change mags. In all cases they failed to try and make use of any cover which proved fatal in all cases but one. One CCW subject had to take time to camber a round because he said he never carries with one in the camber for safety. Out of all cases the aggressors only suffered 2 hits and both were to the extremities. My statement was directed to people who are thinking about CCW or do carry concealed but do no real time training.

[TheLastMountainMan]

Practice practice practice. How many of you have practiced from a sitting position, like in a vehicle. Think ya got it figured out. Try a dry fire test. Bet theres room for improvement.

[Stitch]

My statement was directed to people who are thinking about CCW or do carry concealed but do no real time training.

Omegaman,
I apologize for taking your post out of context. I agree with your last post 100%.
Stitch

[Omegaman]

I have taken cement blocks and a piece of plywood to our range so that I can make a mock bed and practice firing while in and exiting bed like may happen in a home invasion. I have practiced at the range firing from inside my truck and I have to say I sucked and need more practice. My body position in the truck while firing was very awkward and tight, so I spent more time practicing exiting the truck while firing and taking cover.