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Questions and Answers for week ending:
June 25th, 2004
| Submitted By: |
Chuck Manzella of Pittsford, New York |
| Category: |
Guns |
| Question: |
Thanks a lot for providing a means for people to email you questions. I
think it is great that you help people out with their shooting and other
questions.
I have a couple of questions regarding 1911's and I am interested in
your thoughts. How would you advise a police department if they were
considering issuing 1911's? Are they OK to use for general issue or
would you be more likely to steer them towards a double action auto?
In your training do you feel that some shooters, police or civilian,
should not be using 1911's or is it a gun for everyone?
Thanks a lot and I appreciate your help! |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
My thoughts on this issue are based on shooting
performance and safety. In my experience, the only difference to
the shooter is the use of the manual safety on the 1911. This part
is not present on many other designs. The only reason the 1911 may
be considered an expert's gun is because one must be proficient at
manipulation of this device. Anyone accustomed to the 1911 will tell you
this movement (taking off the safety) becomes automatic with a modicum
of training and experience. I can tell you from personal
experience, that if anything, users of firearms with manual safeties
experience fewer unintentional firings of the gun than those with
passive safety devices. The reasons for this are varied, but the
mere fact that a motion must be made to "safe" the gun causes the user
to get his trigger finger away from the trigger. This, of course, solves
many of the A.D. problems.
If a user is not willing to learn the use of the safety devices of a
weapon, then a weapon without them is a viable choice. However, a person
who is not willing to invest any time whatsoever in the learning of such
techniques may have issues regardless of the weapon used. The
amount of time and effort required to learn the use of a manual safety
is minimal and therefore, does not in itself, designate the user as
experienced and safe. Firearms are tools and require more than
familiarization from their users for them to be considered safe and
proficient. The 1911 has proven itself safe and reliable for a long
time. Many pistol designs try to substitute simplicity for training. The
Glock and our XD are popular examples, but proficiency and safety are
always in the hands and mind of the user. RL |
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| Submitted By: |
Prashant Singh of Eden Prairie,
Minnesota |
| Category: |
Training / Practice |
| Question: |
I am relatively new to IPSC, and my question is, how
do I get faster?
I really like your advice on trigger control, and often when I shoot
stages with difficult shots, I can compete with the more experienced
shooters. Where I really fall behind is on more open shots, where
other shooters are significantly faster than I am. What can I do to
increase my speed without sacrificing too much accuracy and trigger
control? |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
To get faster on easy shots, accept that you
may drop some points in pursuit of speed. As the
target gets easier, the importance of a perfect trigger
release is reduced. Recognize that trigger control is
not a fixed element. On easy, fast shots, you jerk the
trigger as fast as you can, you simply must maintain the
gun's alignment on the target. This is proper trigger
control for a fast, easy shot. Trigger control varies
from stage to stage, target to target and shot to shot.
It's like a golfer carrying 14 clubs in his bag ... Each one
has its own purpose and you don't expect to hit a 300-yard
drive with a pitching wedge and you don't putt with your
driver. You must develop specific techniques for each shot.
This, of course, is a dramatic simplification and can't be
properly addressed without hands-on training. If I
could just tell you how to be faster, I would.
However, I need to see what you're doing in order to make
specific changes. I guess that's where classes come in
;-) RL |
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| Submitted By: |
Paul Bailey of Ephrata, Pennsylvania |
| Category: |
IDPA / Guns |
| Question: |
I would like to get
involved with IDPA matches with the only handgun I own - a Beretta M9
Limited Edition (the 1 of 5000 model).
Is IDPA a "come as you
are armed" event or must you own an M1911-A1 pattern pistol to compete?
I'd like to use the Beretta as it shoots to point of aim, is quite
accurate, has never malfunctioned, and is an all around blast to shoot.
Thanks for your time. |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
Your Beretta is perfect for IDPA
Stock Service Pistol class. There is no reason to go out and buy
another gun, instead spend your money on ammo and learn how to shoot!
IDPA is the perfect starting platform ... Just get a good holster and
find someone to show you the ropes! Good luck and shoot fast! :-) RL |
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| Submitted By: |
James Long of Bordentown, New Jersey |
| Category: |
Training / Practice |
| Question: |
I am a member of a club in NJ that
does not allow drawing and firing. It is strictly a Bullseye club.
Don't get me wrong, bullseye is extremely challenging.
I would
like to know if you have any drills, exercises or suggestions in
improving bullseye shooting.
By the way congrats on the single
stack win! I have followed your career off and on since the mid
80's and can't believe that you are still kicking their rears.
Keep it up! |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
I personally use bullseye-type
shooting as cross training for the other kinds of shooting I do.
The actual strings of fire are very well thought out and teach you
important elements of sight alignment and trigger control that are not
stressed as much in fast-shooting disciplines. Not being a master
of bullseye shooting, simply a student, I would not be the one to tell
you how to improve. I can tell you that when I shoot bullseye, I
focus on accepting the wobble and releasing shots as cleanly as possible
with as much surprise as I can. The rest is just sight alignment.
Sounds simple, but there's so much more to it than this. RL |
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| Submitted By: |
Terry Wrachford of
Arlington, Texas |
| Category: |
Politics |
| Question: |
I read on the gun boards time and
time again that tactics are more important than "gun skills". I
suspect that many say this perhaps because they just don't shoot all
that well. In my mind tactics and "gun skills" are of equal
importance. I would love to hear what your take is on this! |
| Rob's Complete Answer: |
I consider myself "tactical-light" in
nature, meaning that I am aware of my surroundings and situations, but
don't worry too much about it. Instead, I spend all of my time
learning how to shoot well.
I'm going to forward this to a couple of friends of mine who are law
enforcement instructors. They also happen to be extremely good shots. If
Steve and/or Craig responds to you, I would heed what they have to say!
I've always thought that tactics are little more than running and hiding
if you can't shoot well. :-) If there's nowhere to run and hide,
then what are you going to do?
This is an over-simplification, but it does make you think, huh?
Keepin' it light. RL |
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