2012-08-23 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 2, Day 4 (basic routine)

  1. 20 reps of Wall Drill, from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO
  3. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO
  4. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H
  5. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO
  6. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

Really working on the eye-target line and ensuring eye focus shifting to the front sight.

2012-08-22 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 2, Day 3, reloads

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  2. 20 reps reload from slidelock, slow, 2H
  3. 20 reps reload from slidelock, 3/4 speed, 2H
  4. 10 reps reload from slidelock, slow, 2H
  5. 10 reps of wall drill form press-out, 2H

A few things came out of this session.

First, I was reloading too low. I didn’t realize I was holding the gun low when I was reloading. It wasn’t at my belly button, but it was low enough that when my eyes shifted to look at the magwell my peripheral vision no longer saw the target. Had to get and keep things up high. Basically, at the point where you start the press-out, also known as step 3 of the 4-step draw. I was just a bit too low and that’s just ineffective and wasted movement.

Second, I found it useful to make the reload and the (return) press-out 2 distinct movements. If I blur right from releasing the slide to getting my left hand back on the gun to pressing out, that ends up kinda smearing things and not having the best presentation. If instead I take a moment to finish the reload, have a conscious break/pause (even if it lasts only 0.1 seconds), then start the press-out, it’s much better. It’s not such a smear, it’s not as difficult for me to get the sights back on properly and so on. It’s so easy to screw up that first shot, so take that moment to ensure you do things right.

Third, gotta ensure when I do put my left hand back on the gun that I resume the strong crush grip. Too many times I came back on with less grip than I started with.

2012-08-21 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 2, draws.

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  2. 20 reps of wall drill from holster 2H
  3. 5 reps of wall drill from holster, SHO
  4. 5 reps of wall drill from holster, WHO
  5. 10 reps draw & fire at 3/4 speed, 2H
  6. 10 reps draw & fire slow 2H

Posted this a bit late, but I took care of this in the morning as usual.

I wasn’t very “on” in this session. I need to tell myself, at times like this, stop trying to keep the speed of before. If I go slower but every motion is correct, every sight picture is perfect, every press-out is right… well, that’s better than going at normal speed and reinforcing less than optimal habits.

Another thing is working on the “eye-target line”. I actually want to elaborate on that in a solo article, which I’ll try to get to soon.

2012-08-20 Dry Fire Practice

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 2, Day 1

Basic routine

  1. 20 reps of Wall Drill, from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO
  3. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO
  4. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H
  5. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO
  6. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

 

2012-08-18 Dry Fire Practice

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 5

Movement

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press out 2H
  2. 10 draws stepping right, 3/4 speed, 2H
  3. 10 draws stepping left, 3/4 speed 2H
  4. 10 reloads stepping right (reload on the move), 3/4 speed 2H
  5. 10 reloads stepping left (reload on the move), 3/4 speed 2H
  6. 10 reps wall drill from press out 2H

My first “missed” day. Should have happened yesterday (Friday), but that morning I had the thought of going into work early and then being able to leave early (and practice when I got home). The best laid plans… didn’t work out. Day ran very long. So of course, had to make it up as quickly as possible, so here the next day I did it.

Gotta remember … what shot is the easiest to mess up? The first shot. What’s the most important shot? The first shot. This session is all about “first shot”, because that shot after the reload? That’s a first shot. You can’t allow yourself to get in a hurry after the reload to get the gun back out there… else you risk rushing and blowing that first shot. Be mindful, and that’s also why the 3/4 speed in this is very useful.

I also love practicing movement like this. It’s simple, but it always makes me remember Tom Givens’ name for it: a “what the fuck” moment.

Um… they didn’t work, but I know something that does.

A man goes to the Family Research Council’s offices in Washington DC and starts shooting.

DC Mayor Vincent Gray doesn’t get it.

…a Herndon man who purchased a firearm on Aug. 9 and brought it “into our city,” Mr. Gray said Thursday on NewsChannel 8.

“He would not have been able to do that in the District of Columbia,” Mr. Gray said,

Not have been able to do what in “your” city? Because it looks like he certainly did. Now I grant, after reading Emily Miller’s trials in obtaining a handgun in Washington DC it’s a tough thing to do, but not impossible. Regardless, this man didn’t seem to care about any laws.

We already have laws on the books that prohibit murder.

We already have laws on the books prohibiting assault.

We already have lots of laws in the books that make it difficult for people to obtain guns and other weapons. Heck, we have laws that can make it difficult to obtain just about anything and everything. I mean, drugs like meth, cocaine, heroin… they’re all banned, but that hasn’t seemed to stop much.

“We don’t need to make guns more available to people,” Mr. Gray said. “There are irresponsible people, there are people who have mental health problems, and the easier access they have to guns the more likely we are to predispose innocent victims, like yesterday, to the use of the guns.”

Actually we do need to make guns, training, and a better mindset available to more people. Why? Because the reason this particular situation didn’t get bad was because someone was willing to fight back. Granted, the extreme cases of someone really hell-bent on causing harm are going to do what they’re going to do. But the vast majority of criminals – petty or large-scale – only do what they do due to lack of opposition. Consider many that do the mass shooting spree stuff… once the cops show up, they commit suicide. They don’t want opposition, they want easy targets. Most criminals wanting to mug someone will hit up the person with their nose stuck in their iPhone as they walk down the street, not the guy with his head up walking like the baddest lion on the plains. Why do most burglaries happen on weekdays between 10AM and 3PM? Because most folks aren’t home thus the burglar won’t face opposition. Why does the rapist attack the woman walking alone a night and not the group of women walking around together? They just want a quick score, not a righteous fight. Consider where many crimes happen — in gun free zones, in places where it’s promoted to curl up and die. It’s rare to see crimes in MMA gyms, police stations, NRA conventions. Why might that be the case?

I don’t disagree with Mayor Gray, that irresponsible people, people with major problems, should be better managed and helped with their problems. But we must remember, someone bent on destruction will do whatever — law will not and do not stop them. I recently read a story where a mass killing occurred via arson, with the arsonist using 2 gallon milk jugs filled with gasoline, and matches. Are we going to ban the corner grocery store? Are we going to require background checks and waiting periods and monthly rationing to fill up our SUV’s? I mean, if grandma’s got a cold, we’ve got laws to make it difficult for her to get a decongestant. We can’t travel in this country any more without being considered a possible terrorist. Why are we looking at addressing symptoms instead of addressing root causes? I grant because it’s easier to make yourself feel like you’re doing something if you can pass a law and ban some talisman of evil… but it doesn’t solve the problem, and typically only makes matters worse.

Mayor Gray, you have lots of laws. Washington DC still makes it immensely difficult for law-abiding people to live their lives. Your laws didn’t stop this from happening. No, what stopped this was a person willing to fight back and stop the madness before it became a tragedy.

If you want to do something to help, Mr. Gray, why don’t you enable good people to fight?

2012-08-16 Dry Fire Practice

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 4

Basic routine

  1. 20 reps of Wall Drill, from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO
  3. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO
  4. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H
  5. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO
  6. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

More fundamentals. Like I said, probably my favorite routine…. cause I can’t get enough work on it.

2012-08-15 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 3, reloads

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  2. 20 reps reload from slidelock, slow, 2H
  3. 20 reps reload from slidelock, 3/4 speed, 2H
  4. 10 reps reload from slidelock, slow, 2H
  5. 10 reps of wall drill form press-out, 2H

Started late on this, but at least I got it done today. If the goal is to work every day, I have to work every day. It’s weird how some things in life I can get so dedicated on and other things I don’t. Hrm. Something for me to cogitate on.

I really need to find a mag solution. Using regular mags is ok, but you can’t really get the motion of reloads down if things keep hanging up on the slide stop. I do what I can.

One nice thing about today? 70 reps of the press-out. Make ’em count.

2012-07-24 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 2, draws.

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  2. 20 reps of wall drill from holster 2H
  3. 5 reps of wall drill from holster, SHO
  4. 5 reps of wall drill from holster, WHO
  5. 10 reps draw & fire at 3/4 speed, 2H
  6. 10 reps draw & fire slow 2H

Had more front sight dips than I cared for. Tightened up my grip and it went away. That’s a big thing for me to work on right now: keeping a tight grip during dry fire. Or rather, keeping a tight grip always.

2012-08-13 dry fire practice

Following TLG’s sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 1, basic routine

  1. 20 reps of wall drill from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of wall drill from extension SHO
  3. 5 reps of wall drill from extension WHO
  4. 20 reps of wall drill from press-out 2H
  5. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out SHO
  6. 5 reps of wall drill from press-out WHO

Start of “cycle 2” of this routine.

Probably my favorite day/routine because it’s the fundamentals.