In my video series I talk about the ready position frequently. The ready position is the starting point of all my drills. I do not always start my drills from the holster. The reason is that I need a constant factor in order to gauge my performance and from the holster I may not always get the same draw, so I have a position I start from I call the ready position which removes all variables. The ready position is gun at shoulder height , pointed slightly upward and down range. By starting this way I have removed the all variables the draw creates.
Some of the drills I would do from the ready is a reload drill. I will fire one shot and reload then shoot one more shot and compare times with the different techniques I use. What this does is allow me to concentrate only on the reload. Another I might do from the ready is shoot two to the body and one to the A/B zone then two back on the body. I can do these drills much more effectively by concentrating on the drill and forgetting about the draw.
I cannot tell you which tape in my video series is best to order for these drill as I talk about it throughout my tapes. Please read the Burner Series tape inventory to find out what is best for you.
This week, a gun tip. After a new barrel is broken in (approximately 5000 rounds) you will notice the fit of the barrel is not as tight as it was. The reason is initial break-in has caused the barrel to seat to it’s final fit and wear on the lower lugs and slide stop has maximized. What I do is pull my slide stop pin and check the diameter and install the next size up (usually a couple of thousandths). What this will do is bring back the lug fit to it’s original fit that the smith set up. You need to do this only once in the life of the barrel and the fit will never change again. The initial break-in is what really wears on the parts and you will be surprised how this trick will bring your gun back to it’s original tight fit and will also increase accuracy. This tip is only for you buffs who really like to get the most out of your guns. It is not necessary nor is it done very often, but when it is done it does work. Remember a 1911 style gun runs the best when it is loose so don't over do it or you may cause malfunctions.
Next time you practice your weak hand drills, try this. With your strong hand resting against the lower portion of your holster, swivel your wrist upwards and grab your scope pulling the gun out of the holster under your hand. Transfer to the weak hand (easier because the entire grip is exposed) and fire one shot. Note the time to the first shot. Now do the same thing with your conventional draw and compare times. This does not work with all scopes and is not always the fastest method for everybody, but I have seen many shooters decrease their weak hand draw time by practicing this method. Try it and see if it works for you.
If you are having trouble with pulling shots to the left you may need to increase your trigger over travel screw to have more play after the shot breaks. This will allow the bullet to clear the gun before you pull against the frame. Try this both free style as well as strong and weak hand. You may be surprised how this little adjustment can help you.
Whenever I go out to the range to practice I always take along my infrared printer. I start my practice day with a few drills while I am still cold. After I do each drill, I print the results and make my comments on the printout. Then, throughout the day, I'll try to improve what I am working on during that practice session.
The next time I go out to the range, I shoot the same drills while cold, only using the improvements I tailored to the particular drills last time out. By comparing printouts I then get a true reading of how much I improved.
You must shoot cold to get an actual reading of your performance. Remember, you will naturally get faster as you warm up, so don't get fooled by better hit factors as you get into your practice session. Try it cold.
The infrared printer is an invaluable learning tool.
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