The first part of this feature is Rangemaster’s “Drill of the Month” – a piece that has become a part of our feature rotation. It is part of that company’s monthly newsletter. CAUTION: If you have little or no experience drawing from a holster, work up to drawing and reholstering; don’t start with that. And never quickly reholster. If you’re on a range where drawing from a holster is proscribed, lay the pistol on a table, start from there: for any defense use of firearms, a required skill is getting access to the gun. As always, start slow before trying to progress. You can also seek training and the Rangemaster instructors travel. Check their website. The second part is my feeble attempt to shoot the course with a microcompact pistol wearing an optic …
This is a great drill for working on shooting accurately, at combat speed. This drill involves firing 30 rounds, in various exercises, but in each stage the time limit is 4 seconds, hence the name.
The target is a B-8, B-8C, or FBI IP-1 bullseye target, scored as printed. If a full-size B-8 is used, hits further out than the 7 ring are misses. 300 points possible.
3 yards Start holstered. On the beep draw and fire 6 rounds.
5 yards Start holstered. On signal, draw and fire 5 rounds. Do this stage 2 times.
5 yards Start at Ready, gun in dominant hand, pointed at the ground below the targets. On signal, fire 4 rounds using the dominant hand only.
5 yards Start gun in non-dominant hand only, at the Ready, pointed at the ground beneath the targets. On signal, fire 3 rounds, non-dominant hand only.
7 yards Start holstered. On the beep, draw and fire 4 rounds.
10 yards Start holstered. On the beep, draw and fire 3 rounds.
-- Tom Givens, Chief Firearms Instructor, Rangemaster Firearms Training Services
An Attempt –
Little guns are jumpy. Trying to quickly recover and make time standards without missing is a chore. Select your carry gun wisely and see if you’re willing to accept convenience over stability in time/accuracy.
Fired cold, with the GLOCK 43X, this is my first try at this particular exercise. The gun was the new one with the Aimpoint COA optic. Altogether a nice rig, I wanted to see if I could go fast – close – and “see the dot.”
I had the gun in a Galco IWB holster, worn under a cover garment.
At three yards, I got six hits high in the “10,” and I didn’t see any dot. I didn’t mess about. I saw the front sight well enough. As you can see, the hits arrived none too soon, making time at 3.99 seconds.
At five yards, I started my trip outside the 10-ring of my B8 repair center. While I made the times, the score was feeble – 260/300. I counted one just outside the “7” on the repair center as a miss.
How did it do? The G43X is quite accurate – I find that in the so-called micro-pistols I’ve shot; consistency of lockup, rigidity due to the short overall length of the system – something.
The Four Second Standards cover lots of ground; accuracy, speed to the first hit from holster and from guard, shooting one-handed with either hand and some distance. It’s a good all-around assessment.
I finished my range time – as I’m prone to do – by slowing down. Often, it’s close small targets and trying to keep the hits in one hole. This time I shot the FBI Bullseye course from their instructor school.
Slowfire is two five-round strings from 25 yards. This is followed by two 15-second “timed fire” strings and two 10-second “rapid fire” strings from fifteen yards. I shot that and scored 285/300.
Not significantly better – but still enough to get into instructor school.
Next time, I’ll try the Four Second Standards with a revolver.
— Rich Grassi
