Firearms Instruction & Training

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Jeff Cooper 1920-2006 It is our sad duty to report the passing of Jeff Cooper on September 25, 2006, at the age of 86. Jeff died peacefully at home while being cared for by his family. He was laid to rest at Gunsite in a private service on October 2, 2006. Rest In Peace

The Central Texas Standards Course: This course of fire was originally developed by Chip McCormick and Ronin Coleman (who is the genius behind the PACT timer). It was handed down to me by Texas 3-gun guru Jim Griggs. I've used this drill a lot - it's a good set of exercises to build up your basic stand-and-shoot skills. See also Sections: II. Concealed Handgun License Regulations (Texas) | III. Conflict Avoidance and Dispute Resolution | IV. Weapon Storage and Child Safety | V. Basic Firearms Training | Archived Complete (Except section II) | Two Target Standards -another standards course | 100 Round Practice - a sample plan for a 100 round practice session | Training Tips - ideas and suggestions on how to improve your IPSC shooting (also on archived page) | Technique Tips - some photos showing some basic techniques in grip, stance | and Dry Fire and Airsoft practice targets. Set these up at 5 yards to simulate 15, 25, and 50 yard IPSC targets. Finally, KRT Newsletters are archived on this page.

'Make It Easy' article published in Warrior News (Suarez enewsletter) We get a lot of couples and women in classes ranging from NRA basic pistol to CHL and our post-CHL courses that teach defensive shooting skills. Unfortunately my observation is that most men that give advice to women shooters are well meaning but still give bad advice. I hate to say it but the process described in the recent e-news article about teaching spouses to shoot pretty much defines exactly what NOT to do when trying to help a beginner get started, in my opinion. Here's why...

Jeff Cooper article on using two hands to control a pistol The classic one-handed hold on the six-gun and pistol may be a thing of the past. Handgun veterans and the military are more and more getting both hands into the act - with amazing results! Archived, if this link goes down.

Shoot Better Faster By deliberating too much, you can miss your chance. Here's how to get that shot off quickly.

Police One Exclusive: The crucial role of competition in training Bringing competition into the training environment will lead to increased performance among the majority of those who participate in it. There will always be those who shrink from it and will make excuses. This is no reason to get rid of competition. On the street, you don't get to pick the competitions you will engage in, they will happen to you. If you are not constantly feeding the drive to win on a regular basis, you will not have the skills, confidence and will of those who compete on a regular basis.

DEFENSIVE USE OF FIREARMS: Point Shooting? Point shooting means different things to different people. To some people it means hip shooting, with the gun well below the line of sight. To others it means shooting with the gun at or near a conventional position for aimed fire but with the vision focused on the selected target, not on the sights. For others, dating back to Fairbairn and Sykes, and increasingly including more of today's trainers, it is part of a continuum that begins with shooting from the hip and ends with traditionally aimed fire, depending on the distance to the threat.

Armed and Female by Massad Ayoob Issue #63 Most firearms, and most shooting techniques, were developed by males, for males. Females, particularly petite specimens with proportional size hands, have to work harder to find pistols and revolvers that fit their hands. Some male-oriented shooting techniques won’t work well; conversely, some techniques work better for women than for men.

Covering Suspects We need to be very careful about the techniques that we borrow from match shooters and how we apply them to the street. Neither the conditions nor the ultimate purposes are the same, so the unexamined use of match techniques in the ambiguous, fluid street environment is an invitation to tragedy.

AIMED Point Shooting or P&S For Self Defense In 1969, the Firearms and Tactics Section of the New York City Police Department instituted a procedure for the in-depth documentation and study of police combat situations. It was designated Department Order SOP 9 (s. 69). Data gathering began in January 1970, and over 6000 cases were studied during the 1970s. The study results and findings were released in 1981. The following sets out many of those that focus on shooting situations and shooting techniques.

Jeff Cooper article from 1974 on proposed rules for practical pistol competition Practical (or "defensive" or "combat") pistol competition... produces true skill-at-arms, and skill-at-arms is an ineffable personal comfort to anyone living in this savage century. Timidity in the face of violence is unbecoming to God's Image. Personal skill-at-arms can overcome it; and only when it is overcome, can a man live at peace with himself. This is the value of practical pistol competition. It has produced the "swordsmanship" of the modern age. There are those who are distressed by this, maintaining that such skill is "anti-social." Perhaps it is, but only to the degree that man himself is anti-social. It seems we must fight, whether or not we wish to fight. A reasonable man can understand the need to know how to fight well... Archived, if this link goes down.

Shooting: Encyclopedia II - Shooting - Shooting technique. You have to scroll down below the advertising. Sigh. See also: Shooting - Shooting technique: Encyclopedia - Shooting

The integration of shooting techniques - THR Interesting forum discussion. See also: Why Learn Sight Shooting first? - THR

The Weaver Stance developed by Jack Weaver The excitement and challenge of wide open competition was what led Jack Weaver to develop the Weaver Stance, with the sole purpose of winning Jeff Cooper's "Leatherslap" competition in Big Bear, California. In Cooper's own words, "It began in 1956 at Big Bear when I set up the first Leatherslap. As far as I know, it was the first match of its kind held anywhere in the world. It was unrestricted as to technique, as to weapon, as to caliber, as to holster, as to profession. It was a straight quick-draw match — just draw and hit a target at seven yards."

The Glock FAQ [Shooting Technique & Practice] see also: SSAA - Handgun shooting tips

Shooting at AllExperts Precision marksmanship in shooting competition (unlike in combat) can be achieved by proper execution of the seven step checklist in shooting...

Point Shooting - Colonel Rex Applegate - Sykes - Fairbairn ... Point Shooting is generally recognized as the skill of discharging a firearm quickly, usually a hand-gun, in self defense, with minimial or no use of the sights on the gun. While this skill always works good in the movies, especially cowboy movies, in order to point-shoot well in real life and death situations, a certain amount of self-education or formal training is required, along with as much practical practice as possible. While fast draw may be considered by the uneducated to be the same as point shooting, it is in fact an entirely different animal. Fast draw should not be of primary consideration to those who truly wish to master point shooting for real life practical self defense in genuine life and death situations. In practicing point shooting, being quick on the draw will come, but should be secondary to point shooting itself.

Points to ponder: one of America's most experienced shooting instructors reflects on the lessons his many students have taught him.

Women & Guns Mirror Image Self Training. If you have not been injured, you still face the problem of learning to shoot well with the weak side. Some forms of competition demand weak hand fire. Some of us like to have the ability for tactical purposes. I have to note that lefties usually have an easier time of learning the weak hand. They are used to working in a right-handed world. Transmission gear shifts, door knobs and power tools are right-handed. The lefty is far more dexterous than his or her right-handed brother or sister.

Using mental techniques to calm yourself in your fighting stance For shooting I want to be as calm as possible during a stressful situation -- a possible gunfight. Since shooting is more of a fine motor skill rather than a gross motor one, I want to stress a calmness and peacefulness when I raise my firearm up to shooting position to overcome the natural effects of stress.

Modtech All of the modern techniques, whether for the pistol, rifle, or shotgun are based on what has come to be called The Triad. This consists of the three equal and interconnected principles of gun handling, mind set, and marksmanship, all of which must be learned through proper training and practice.

How to shoot a handgun accurately by Massad Ayoob Issue #85 Today, with more than 45 years of handgunning behind me (yeah, I’m old, but I started early, too) I realize that you actually can cover this topic in a fairly short article. The reason is found in the classic statement of Ray Chapman, the first world champion of the combat pistol. “Shooting well is simple,” Ray said, “it just isn’t easy.”

The Shifting Of Zero ~ Here's why you can't zero another shooter's rifle, or count on your own. By Wayne van Zwoll

Trigger Control Drills excellent

12 Rifle Shooting Tips I miss shots just like everyone else. Mostly, I miss difficult shots, but I've missed some easy ones, too. Nobody is perfect, and any hunter who claims never to have missed simply hasn't hunted very much. It takes years to become truly proficient and absolutely confident with a rifle when difficult, fast-breaking shots on game are presented. On the other hand, you don't have to start out by missing everything you shoot at. Here are 12 simple tips that I promise will make you a better field shot - whether you're a beginner or an old pro.

Shooting - Trigger hand/finger placement and techniques Just a bunch of collected tips. Interesting enough, though.

Handgun Trigger Control Good hits are made with perfect trigger control, not perfect sight control. Align the sights and have a perfect sight picture, but yank the trigger and you miss. why do we put sights first in our teaching? The instructor's mantra is invariably, "Front Sight. . .Press. . .Front Sight." I suggest it should properly be, "Trigger Press. . .Let the Sights Wobble. . .Trigger Press."

Cornered Cat - Cure A Flinch We've all done it. Mysteriously misplaced holes appear in the target. The holes are low, below the bullseye, and usually fall left of the centerline. What in the world could cause that? A flinch.

USING A RIFLE IN COMBAT By DUNCAN LONG: Target shooting and the ability to hit an enemy in combat are two different things. Granted, being able to hit a bull's eye at 500 yards may help...but in combat a lot of other things are involved and the time that your target can even be seen will usually be very limited.

Firearms Maintenance 101 It’s the shot of a lifetime: After two days’ drive, an expensive game tag, and an hour-long stalk, you’re looking through your sights at a fat trophy just a hundred yards off. Meat for the winter. Memories for a lifetime. It’s a cold, blustery day, a spectacular morning after a hard freeze. The wind’s in your face with just a dusting of snow. You’ve settled into a textbook, solid prone position with a tight sling. Your pulse has steadied, you’ve taken your shooting breath, and as the crisply-honed trigger breaks-- instead of the anticipated crack and recoil, there’s just a loud snap you’ll never forget...

Torso Targets Survival Primer Website has made these (upper & full) torso targets available for downloading.

Shooting as a Martial Art Traditional martial arts have been handed down to us for thousands of years. As the stakes of war were very high, there was much motivation to make each war art as effective as possible. This is why these arts are so deadly, until the lethal techniques are removed for competition today. Moreover, they all utilize the same basic principles because the same anatomical human body had to perform them, regardless of race or culture. These principles of martial arts had never been applied to the most recent martial art: shooting. In 1980 Kent Turnipseed asked, "why not?" After many years of experimentation and development, we now have the Turnipseed Technique.

Taming A 12 Gauge Shotgun The first thing one has to understand is balance. If a person is not in balance, he is always trying to get there. This is automatic. We are in balance while we walk, while we stand, while we sit, while we lie down, while we climb stairs. If not, we would not be able to make these movements.

The Method What makes one shooting method and one shooting instructor stand out over the others? The response to this question requires a rational and logical analysis of existing methodologies. This endeavor also requires complete objectivity.

Firearms handling refresher Part I- Handguns by Massad Ayoob 031207 & Part II & Part III One of our readers e-mailed John Silveira to tell him that taking a handgun afield after a long layoff had resulted in some scary moments. While gun handling is not a perishable skill, it is certainly a corrosion-prone one. The skills don’t really die, but they sure can get rusty fast. Since the reader’s problems were with handguns, we’ll start there with this installment. In Part II, we’ll follow with shotgun handling tips, and in Part III, we’ll cover protocols for handling rifles.

Shooting Tips The act of firing a rifle, pistol, shotgun or other firearm accurately is made up of a combination of the following skills. Mastering these skills, and repeating them as consistently as possible, each and every time you fire your gun, forms the foundation of accurate shooting...

Improved Battlesight Zero by LTC Chuck Santose. A great all purpose zero for all rifles/carbines (no matter the iron sight type); and you zero in yards (50) instead of meters. It keeps the bullet within 2" of the point of aim from 8M to 220M (very flat trajectory). Also perfect for carbines with A1 sights; and ARs having a 'Red Dot' type sight inline with their iron sighs [on a flattop or in front of the carry handle].

Marine 300 Meter Battlesight Zero Per M16A2 Operator's Manual. The official sighting in procedure previously used by the US Marines and currently used by the US Army. If you set your rifle to the -3 clicks specified, it is supposed to give you zeros at 100, 200, 300 etc.. meters (but doesn't since this method has been proven to give an improper zero).

Army 250 Meter Zero for the M16/M16A1 Rifle Per DoD sources. The official method of zeroing M16A1 rifles. Only useful for rifles with A1 rear sights, and primarily those with 20" barrels (for carbines with A1 rear sights use the Improved Battlesight Zero). Its big advantage is when shooting the 25M Schedule C Qualification Course. Just flip to the L sight aperture, and you have a perfect 25M zero, flip back to the short range one and your rifle is 'battle' ready.

9mm AR-15 Carbine Zero by LTC Chuck Santose. Looking for a good zero for that 9mm AR? This zero is for a 16" carbine using 115gr 9mm (and the 147gr 9mm round). Good for use with iron sights or a dot sight.

Reflex/Reflex 2 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight Zero Per the manual. A 300 meter battlesight, with tips specific to the 12.8 MOA triangular reticule and the 6.5 MOA dot.

M68 Close Combat Optic (Aimpoint) Zero Per DoD sources. This is how the U.S. Military zeros the M68 Close Combat Optic (Aimpoint Comp M/XD red dot sight). This is a 300M zero, and is set up to hit the same point as the iron sights (typically the Marine 300 meter zero).

Zeroing Telescopic Sights with Built In Bullet Drop Compensators (BDC) Per our experiences on the range. This is a method that allows one to easily zero their BDC type scope. This works for those compensators that are mechanical (i.e. Colt, Leapers (Colt clone), Elcan) or those that have reticules with extra crosshairs for bullet drop compensation (i.e. Trijicon ACOG scope).

25 Yard Method of Zeroing Per our experiences on the range during MD AR shoots. During our AR shoots we needed a method of quickly and temporarily zeroing for 25 yards (to shoot the Alternate Course C Qualification). It is not a recommended initial zeroing procedure, but it should be close enough till you can get to a 50 yard range and verify the Improved Battlsight Zero (the 8/3 - 2 setting).

Basic Skills - Step by step instructions (with photos) of the skills needed to operate an AR-15. Loading, unloading, disassembly, cleaning, assembly, function testing, and reacting to a malfunction are all covered.

Tactics and Techniques - American Shooting Academy The American Shooting Academy (ASA) was established in 1984 in Phoenix, Arizona, and provides firearms instruction and non lethal self defense training to both civilians and law enforcement. ASA is based at the Ben Avery Shooting facility north of Phoenix and provides year round instruction in courses with varying degrees of skill levels. James R. Jarrett runs ASA. Jarrett's experience in firearms/outdoor tactics/non-lethal self defense tactics span over 30 years. He has held many positions both in the military and law enforcement over the years and is currently a University Instructor in Justice Studies.

The Anatomy Of Fear and How It Relates To Survival Skills Training

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