By steve tracy I Editorial director
steventracy@hendonpub.com Stick Shift 1911
he green fl ag is about to drop at the start of your fi rst race. The other drivers behind the wheel have automatic transmissions, proven and tested engines, and experience. Your race car has a manual transmission and you’ve never driven a stick before. On top of that, your particular race car is Australian and therefore right-hand drive and you’ve only driven around town, never on a racetrack. T e fi eld takes off at high speed, while you stall your car’s transmission and have to re-start your engine, only to stall again and again. You are at a severe disadvantage. You don’t belong in this race. You’re not qualifi ed and your decision to be there is endangering your life and those around you. T is analogy applies to fi rearms, including a competition that I assisted at as an RO. I was asked to keep an eye on a new shooter. I craned around him where he stood in the booth to see what was going on and I dissected several diffi culties he was having.
T
First, his holster’s retention device was delaying a fast draw. Second, his 1911 9mm did not feature an ambidextrous man- ual safety and he was a lefty. T e third problem was a big one; his right hand’s thumb kept pressing on the nub of the slide stop, pushing it out to the left and jamming the pis- tol’s action. Lastly, his magazine pouch was messed up on his belt. It only allowed the 1911 mags to face for a right-handed shooter, requiring him to twist them when withdrawn during each reload.
I tried my best to give him advice and attempt to remedy some of his maladies, but the fi ring line wasn’t the time to remedy the problems. He was frustrated enough to give up on his own and, as he packed up his gear, I asked him to meet me at the next range bay over. T e new shooter explained that he had not experienced these problems on the static practice range with his new 1911. I advised him that the pressures result- ing from competition brings out the fl aws in both equipment and skill. It’s much better to experience failure while compet- ing for points than when competing for real with your life.
I’ve been shooting 1911 pistols my entire life and am com- fortable with them. All the cops I know who carry a 1911 handle them with aplomb. I had to step back and look at the pistol from the point of view of a newbie. While the 100-year- old design is not all that complicated, there is a bit more to its manual-of-arms compared with modern polymer frame hand- guns. T e current striker-fi red wonders are perfectly safe when holstered and quick to get into action when needed. With practice and training, the 1911 pistol is an excellent tool. With modifi cations to make it more user-friendly for left- handed shooters, it’s a fi ne weapon. T e new shooter needs to either practice more with his retention holster or acquire one for competition without a manual release. He needs an ambi- dextrous safety and more time using his trigger fi nger to press the mag release button. He must use a new grip that keeps his off -hand thumb away from the slide stop and the slide. He also needs a new magazine pouch. He also needs to dry fi re practice will all of this before the next competition date. Fellow police offi cers have been known to suff er these same maladies with fi rearms they are not able to manipulate without thought. Experienced offi cers have hit a Sig Sauer slide release instead of a de-cocking lever. It’s not a diffi cult task, but it re- quires practice and muscle memory. Newer offi cers sometimes have trouble operating double action revolvers for off -duty or backup carry when qualifying on the range. Instruction for manipulating the cylinder release and ejector rod has gone by the wayside because newer range offi cers have little to no ex- perience instructing with wheel guns. Weapon handling skills can be improved without the fi ring of live fi re ammo. It just requires practice through time and persistence. Like a race car driver who’s never driven a stick shift before, the 1911 user needs some time behind the wheel before he is ready to hit the road. Practically, anyone can learn to drive a stick shift and the same applies to a cocked and locked pistol. T ere’s a reason John M. Browning’s genius has lasted over 100 years. PM
Post your comments on this story by visiting
www.policemarksman.com
Steve tracy I Editorial Director
Steve Tracy has over two and a half decades experience as a police offi cer and fi rearms instructor. He is also a tactical rifl e, use of force, less-lethal, and scenario-based training police instructor. He can be reached at
steventracy@hendonpub.com.
“Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” – Col. Jef Cooper
To post your comments on this story, please visit
policemarksman.com 3 The Police Marksman Mar-Apr 2015
www.policemarksman.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55