Tips, tricks and training RSS

Friendly reminder to take some classes this year. Better yourself.

Check out the link in our top navigation to find a map of training centres in your area and get out there and learn some stuff!

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A lot of people practice what they are comfortable with and tend not to shoot handguns in particular at any distance past 5-10 meters. Push yourself, if you have the space to do so, practice shooting at farther distances. Becoming proficient at distance makes everything else closer easier. 

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Shooting on the move is often overcomplicated by the shooter attempting to eliminate the wobble of the sights. A wobble zone is always present, accept it and drive on. Your objective is to not to eliminate movement, but to limit movement inside of the acceptable target area and then pull the trigger straight to the rear.

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If you are not practicing a particular skill on a regular basis, chances are you're probably not very good at it. Regular, measurable, and deliberate dry fire practice is key to enhancing your skill set.

Draw, grip, sight picture, target acquisition, trigger pull, target transitions, sight movement. All of these are simple things that can be practiced and honed under dry fire conditions.

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Shooting doubles at different distances is a challenging exercise that is as helpful as it is humbling. Learn how to track your sights, watch what they do between shots and take time to learn this so that it becomes muscle memory.

It is a great way to see what your vision, grip, and overall structure are doing as you shoot with almost immediate feedback.

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Targets don't stay still and neither should you. Integrating movement into your training is mandatory. Making yourself a difficult target to track is critical to your own survival, and being able to identify and engage YOUR target while on the move is key to making this possible. Ensure you're working movement drills into your dry fire and live fire training.

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Your skills are developed through consistent and intentional practice and training and thoughtful analysis.

What did you catch yourself doing well? What solutions are you seeking?

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Shot timers are absolutely necessary for training, and cameras of various kinds are valuable too.

Having a range buddy film your drills or, mounting a GoPro or Insta360 to a hat or chest rig can provide third-person perspective into weird grip issues or habits that you may not be aware you had.

Set up your phone on a cheap tripod and check your stance and mechanics with a critical eye. Record your dry fire and live fire in real time or in slow motion and evaluate.

We all have a gap between what we think we're doing and what we're actually doing. Regular video review can close that gap.

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A draw stroke should be consistent and efficient. Speed will follow.

Eliminate excess movement: head bobbing, ducking, turtling, crouching, wild limb flailing, and any other extraneous body movement that doesn't contribute to actually producing the weapon.

Check the draws from this training session: the only thing moving is the hands and arms. #SelfDefence #Firearm #FirearmTraining #GunLicence #FirearmLicence

Staying target-focused when shooting handguns can be a real challenge. Especially when the target lacks a clear aiming reference.

A simple piece of masking tape in the middle of your target can make a great visual training tool for learning to stay target-focused.

Stare just at the tape and let your dot sit below it if you are having trouble with your eyes changing focus to the dot.

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If your support hand is not preoccupied with something else then it should be in a spot active ready to do something. For example, if you are drawing your gun, then put it to your chest/body in a position ready to be placed on the gun. It should not just be dangling around doing nothing. Put it to work. This will make your draw quicker and more repeatable and also prevent you from flagging yourself. #SelfDefence #Firearm #FirearmTraining #GunLicence #FirearmLicence

Grip has been an emphasis in training lately. One element we've been incorporating is removing the slide to get a better visual of where hands are placed on the frame.

We've seen some success with this in basic handgun classes for new students. It simplifies what's going on for the student, removes visual obstructions, and gives them a clearer picture of hand placement.

Give it a try next time you're focusing on grip or training someone new and let us know how it works.

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We can't say this enough: practice your draw from every carry condition and situation and always consider what you need to overcome to draw your weapon - clothing, seatbelt, bag etc.

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Carrying a gun with an empty chamber can be a polarising topic.

The IDF has long followed this tradition while most of the world has chosen to carry with a round ready to go, "one-up".

The way we look at it is simple - practice whatever carry condition you choose. The IDF have proven that they can be fast, efficient and effective in their designated carry position through training. If you are not comfortable carrying "one-up" then don't but don't be complacent with your training. Make sure that you can draw and manipulate the firearm in YOUR chose carry condition regardless of what that is.

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Often, the new gun buyer will start their journey by purchasing a gun they think looks cool or they heard performs well only to scour the internet for attachments or holsters to go with it.

Given the timeline to licence a gun in South Africa we always suggest the old motto "buy once cry once". Sometimes it's cheaper to spend more upfront than to have to purchase again in the future. The other important thing to remember is cost (and availability) of critical spares and components: magazines, holsters, sights etc.

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When choosing a weapon light it's not always about the biggest and brightest light you are willing to carry.

Remember that for most people they are only needing to identify an immediate threat INSIDE their property. Always consider your application, need and use case before making a purchase. Think about the "throw" of the light - how far will your potential threat be? Consider the "spill" of the light - how large / broad a light do you need to cast to illuminate your surroundings? And ALWAYS consider reflection - light walls and shiny surfaces will reflect the light right back at you, so as with anything - practice dry! Do dry fire drills in your house to identify obstacles and objects to make yourself aware and keep yourself sharp.

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Weapon Mounted Lights (WML) have their place and we support them, but a handheld light is an EDC essential in our opinion. Even the best WML doesn't replace a handheld. You don't want to have to point a gun at something to identify it... a good torch is a non negotiable in any EDC setup.

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If a carry gun modification is not well tested, a failure could be catastrophic.

Modifying or replacing your trigger with subpar components can lead to a failure to fire or your pistol going full-auto.

A trigger upgrade is a reasonable mod to make but it needs to be done correctly and with ample testing before using it in your carry gun. #SelfDefence #Firearm #FirearmTraining #GunLicence #FirearmLicence

There are lots of options when it comes to how you carry a handgun and they all have their pros and cons.

What works for one does not work for all. Be prepared to make mistakes along the way as you figure out what holster, position and carry method works for you.

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Stippling your carry gun can help give you a more secure grip in recoil.

Done wrong, it could also make your gun almost unshootable in high round counts.

There are a few places on your grip you actually want to smooth out such as the back and sides of the tang and under your trigger well.

For the newer shooter, we recommend putting a few thousand rounds through your gun before making this modification.
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You can't hit what you can't see.

Weapon mounted lights are critical for ALL self defence weapons. Remember that you will need to have a holster that is compatible with your specific weapon mounted light, so take this into consideration when purchasing. Another thing to think about is the ability to replace a battery rather than recharge one. You never know what the situation may bring, and its always easier to replace a battery in a limited time than to wait for a battery to recharge...

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