5 Day Pistol Course - Lesson 3

Type: Dry Practice (No live ammunition)

Time: 1 hour

Venue: Title: Basic Pistol Course- Lesson 3

Weapon Training Classroom

Students: 12

Student Equipment: 12 X Pistols

36 X Pistol magazines

10 X dummy pistol rounds per student

Instructor Equipment:1 X Pistol

3 X Pistol magazine

10 X dummy pistol rounds

Assistant Instructors (AI'S): 2 (Names)

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES:

Prior to arrival of students:

- Write lesson title on board.

- Set up classroom chairs.

- Layout 1 X pistol, 3 x magazines and 10 dummy rounds under each chair if students are not providing their own.

- Safety check all weapons.

- Inspect all magazines, no live rounds/ensure working.

- If used, load/check PowerPoint.

On arrival of students:

- Safety declaration, check no live rounds.

- Seat.

CONDUCT OF LESSON

This lesson, Pistol-Lesson 3, teaches Gear Placement and the Fundamentals of Shooting. I am the primary instructor (if first time with students, give name and background) and I will be assisted by (introduce the assistant instructors).

Introduction

EXPLAIN- Whatever type of equipment we choose regardless of the application (duty, competition, tactical or concealed), it is imperative that it functions correctly. Holsters and magazine pouches should be specific to the pistol and caliber and provide the required amount of retention under all conditions. Placement of the equipment on the body is particular to its application but must provide ease of access for the user. Under ideal circumstances, a holstered pistol should not point to any part of the body. This is not always achievable with the multitude of body shapes and sizes and the variety of holsters.

Objective

EXPLAIN- At the conclusion of this lesson, you will be able to demonstrate correct equipment placement for your given application.

Review

EXPLAIN- The previous lesson, Lesson 2, covered the extremely important safety rules, disassembly, cleaning, maintenance, reassembly and function check for the pistol.

PRACTICE AS MUCH AS TIME PERMITS (Have students disassemble and reassemble the weapon, carrying out a Safety Check first, with instructors correcting as required.)

Here are some questions for you:

What are the Cardinal Safety Rules?

What is the purpose of function checking your pistol?

Equipment placement

EXPLAIN & DEMONSTRATE-

COMPETITION: Holsters for IPSC styled competition are usually open-top and/or open-front of the scabbard design They usually provide limited retention and are designed to be worn at or just forward of the hip-line. Magazine pouches are usually of the open-top design and are worn on the support side forward of the hip line. Magazines should be placed in pouches with the bullet projectiles facing forward and / or up, towards the centerline of the body. Competition equipment is usually made of composite or stiff leather.

DUTY: A modern holster will be open-top incorporating one or more internal retention devices depending on agency requirements. They usually provide good retention and completely encase the trigger guard They are usually designed to be worn at the hip-line. Magazine pouches are usually of the closed-top design and are worn on the support side, slightly forward or at the hip line. Magazines should be placed in pouches with the bullet projectiles facing forward and / or up, towards the centerline of the body. Duty holsters may be made of composite, leather or cordura type ballistic nylon.

TACTICAL / DROP LEG: Holsters are of the open top design having a lowering strap to keep the holster clear of body armor. They usually provide varying levels of retention (dependent on the user requirements) and completely encase the trigger guard. They are designed to be worn on the strong side thigh with one or more leg straps. Magazine pouches are usually of the closed-top design (although open top variants with excellent retention are now available) and are worn on the support side, slightly forward, at, or just behind the hip line. Magazines should be placed in pouches with the bullet projectiles facing forward and / or up, towards the centerline of the body. Tactical holsters are made of composite, or cordura type ballistic nylon

CONCEALED CARRY: Holsters can be open-top or of the thumb-break / retention top strap design and may incorporate one or more internal retention devices. They usually provide good retention and completely encase the trigger guard. They can be worn inside or outside the waistband at the hip or 4/5 o'clock position or inside the waistband around the centerline at the front (known as appendix carry). Magazine pouches are usually of the deep open-top design and are worn on the support side, slightly behind the hip line in the 7/8 o'clock position or in conjunction with the holster in the case of many appendix rigs. Magazines should be placed in pouches with the bullet projectiles facing forward and / or up, towards the centerline of the body. Concealed carry holsters may be made of composite or leather. Both weapons and magazines should be correctly concealed under clothing under all conditions – reaching, bending etc. and the choice of clothing should not telegraph the presence of the weapon i.e. a light t-shirt hanging off the top of your pistol grip exposing its location or a short vest that exposes your pistol when bending forwards.

PRACTICE AS MUCH AS TIME PERMITS (Have students correctly place equipment in accordance with their chosen application. Instructors check and advise as required).

Fundamentals of Shooting

Introduction

EXPLAIN- Upon making the decision to shoot, we want to control movement and manage the recoil of the pistol so we can shoot as quickly and accurately as possible in order to neutralize a threat. Application of the fundamentals of shooting will help us achieve this.

Objective

EXPLAIN & DEMONSTRATE - At the conclusion of this lesson, you will understand and be able to demonstrate the Fundamentals of Shooting.

GRIP: Firm grip on pistol, the equivalent grip with which you would offer a handshake. Shooting hand as high as possible on backstrap, fingers wrapped around the grip. Cant the support hand at 45 degrees downward and place the palm onto the pistol grip, fingers wrap around the front of the grip overlapping the fingers of the strong hand. Thumbs parallel to the ground should not interfere with the controls on pistol.

STANCE: There are three popular stances, Isosceles, Weaver and Fighting.

• In the Isosceles the shooter is squared to the threat, arms straight or with a slight bend, knees slightly bent, slight lean forward at the hips, head up, feet squared to target and aligned shoulder width (or wider) apart. The stance is comfortable and natural to a large proportion of shooters and it places the most protective part of a body armor (if worn) towards the threat. It has good side to side stability but is lacking in front to rear.
• The Weaver stance is one where the shooter blades their body at an angle support side forward towards the threat. The shooters firing arm (strong arm) is straight with the support arm bent at the elbow. The strong arm pushed while the bent arm pulls to create a stable platform. Legs slightly bent with the firing side foot to the rear shoulder width (or wider) apart. Some people believe this stance offers them better stability. A down side is that when wearing body armor the unprotected side is presented more towards to threat which is less than ideal and movement while maintaining the shooting position can be cumbersome.
• In the fighting stance the shooter is square to the threat both arms extended towards the threat. Slight lean forward in the upper body. Feet shoulder width (or wider) apart and slightly bent with the shooting side foot to the rear in what is sometimes referred to as a "boxers" stance. Rifle, shotgun and pistol platforms can be utilized from this stance. It is the position that most people naturally adopt when under stress. When wearing body armor the most protective part of the armor is presented towards the threat. The stance is stable front to rear and side to side.

SIGHT ALIGNMENT: The top of the front sight viewed flush with the top of the rear sight and centered in the rear sight gap with equal amounts of day light on either side of front sight.

SIGHT PICTURE: Sight alignment transferred to the point of aim on the target with the front sight being clear and the rear sight and target being slightly out of focus. In general, the center of mass of whatever is visible of the target is your point of aim.

BREATHING: Ensure that you breathe while shooting. Lack of oxygen may lead to a deterioration in fine motor skills and reduced vision. As long as you breathe, breathing isn't relevant at close ranges. For greater accuracy at extended ranges, shoot during what is known as the natural respiratory pause (NRP). The NRP is the point at which you have finished exhaling and have not yet started to inhale.

TRIGGER CONTROL: Place the trigger between the tip of the finger and the first knuckle. Apply steady even pressure straight to the rear on the trigger. Ensure that you do this without interrupting your sight picture. Once the pistol has fired, allow the trigger to come forward and reset in preparation for further firing if necessary.

FOLLOW THROUGH: Follow Through are the actions that occur after the shot has been fired. These actions are not sequential but are carried out as quickly as possible in order to be ready to fire follow on shots as required. The shooter reacquires sight picture, the finger rides the trigger forward without losing contact until a click is heard or felt and the sear is reset. It is not necessary for the trigger to move any further forward. The shooter assesses the need for follow up shots by asking yourself three questions

1. Did I hit what I was aiming at?

2. Was my shot effective?

3. If I need to, am I ready to shoot again?

Ask if any questions

Final practice, if any

Ask if any questions

Ask the students questions for final confirmation

Summary

EXPLAIN- Successful combat marksmanship is nothing more than mastering the basics of well-aimed, deliberate fire. If you master your ability (potential) for rapid, aimed fire in training, you will be able to fire accurately and as fast as you need to in combat.

Look Forward

EXPLAIN- Your next lesson is Lesson 4 which covers the Loading/unloading, sight in drills and the High/low ready positions.

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