Septembe 2009 • COMBAT HANDGUNS 83

By Mike Boyle

D espite the fact that the autopistol now dominates the defensive handgun market, the revolver

has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Savvy lawmen continue to back up their service sidearm with a small snub revolv-er and this same hardware is often car-ried off-duty. In a parallel universe, armed citizens with CCW permits have discov-ered that it can be difficult to blend into polite society while trying to conceal that high-capacity autopistol. Then there are those folks who have always preferred the revolver for self-defense. I wouldn’t necessarily sell them short.

When I noted that a course in Defen-sive Revolver had been added to the Gun-site curriculum, I was intrigued. Although I shoot revolvers often, my formal training came to an abrupt halt when my agency went with an autopistol. This course would, no doubt, provide me with an op-portunity to improve my revolver skills. In the end, this turned out to be one of the best training experiences I’ve had.

Ready PositionAfter our classroom briefing, we were

off to the range to get down to the real nitty-gritty. Initial work was done from the Ready or Guard Position, which consist-ed of firing singles and pairs at a target a few yards away. In the field, the Ready Position would be utilized when the handgun is presented, but not fired. To acquire the Ready Position, the handgun is drawn and the arm is lowered about 45 degrees without any alteration of the elbow or wrist flexing from the shoulders. The muzzle is depressed below an adver-sary’s danger points (hands/feet) and the trigger finger is straight along the frame. The Ready Position is especially useful in managing threats or when moving into potential problem areas.

After the instructors got a benchmark of our groups’ shooting skill, we would then work on the presentation (drawing) of the revolver into the show. Gunsite teaches a five-count draw stroke (grip, clear, touch, smack, look) for the revolver. The ultimate goal is to be able to draw and place two center hits on a target 7 yards away in 1.5 seconds. This is a pretty high standard,

but quite attainable if you work at it. The presentation can be safely practiced off the range with an empty gun. Soon enough, it will seem that the gun is up to the eye in one fluid motion.

Over the next three days, we took a number of runs on what was referred to as “school drills.” Shots were fired at a Gunsite Option Target at distances that ranged from 3 to 25 yards. Our goal was to place hits in the center of the target, all the while balancing speed with accuracy. In fairly short order, all hands were meet-ing with success.

We also had the opportunity to shoot from different kneeling positions. Kneel-ing while shooting allows one to become

a smaller target, utilize cover, or sup-port the pistol better. Positions included braced kneeling, speed kneeling, and double kneeling. All have their advantag-es and should be included in everyone’s handgun training regimen.

Combat TriadThe Gunsite Combat Triad consists of

Mind Set, Gun Handling, and Practical Marksmanship. Mind Set remains the key to conflict resolution. Simply put, if you are not aware and willing, you will lose. This message was made abundantly clear during my recent training and re-ally didn’t deviate at all from the message originally delivered by Colonel Cooper with, of course, “DVC.” These elements are applied consistently, providing an equal balance of power, accuracy and speed (DVC=Dilegentia, Vis, Celeritas).

The tactical reload remains a contro-versial and often misunderstood skill. When tac loading a pistol, we are ex-changing a partly depleted magazine for a fully loaded one. With the revolver, we

DEFENSIVE REVOLVER

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Gunsite Combat Triad—Mind Set, Gun Handling, and Practical Marksmanship!

GUNFIGHTING

Despite the popularity of the autopistol, revolvers are still very formidable tools. S&W M624 .44 Special (left) and S&W 686 .357 Mag (right) would be very decisive stoppers. Colt Cobra .38 Special (bottom) remains an excellent hideout piece.

Dry fire builds good habits.

88 COMBAT HANDGUNS • September 2009

are voiding the cylinder of empty cases and recharging with fresh cartridges. Tacti-cal loads are only attempted when there is a break in the action and no imminent danger is present.

One might argue that time spent prac-ticing tactical loads with an 18-shot pistol is a waste of time. That may or may not be, depending on your point of view. The ability to tac load a revolver is absolutely vital if you choose to go afield so armed. I don’t know about you, but I would rath-er not dump four live rounds on the deck and reload with my final six if that’s all I had. If time is on my side and I’m behind something hard, I would attempt a tac load. Should the situation be unresolved or you’ve fired four or more, use your speed-loader. My old 2x2x2 pouch got a serious workout throughout the class.

Additional live fire drills included the re-tention position for extremely close quar-ters, pivots and turns, and failure to stop. The failure to stop drill is the immediate action taken in the event a pair of body shots fails to neutralize a determined ad-versary. Should the two body shots come up short, a precise shot is delivered to the head. Originally, doctrine called for lower-

ing the gun after the non-effective shots to assess the situation. This can get you dead in a hurry. The new improved drill is a much better fix.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Gunsite class if we didn’t get to try our hand on the clas-sic El Presidente, Dozier Drill, and man-on-man shootoffs. A couple walks through the outdoor simulator tested our skill. Steel, reactive targets along with “good guy” no-shoots were placed along a desert wash you negotiated with your revolver. Tagging these targets proved far more challenging than the square range.

Gun & GearFor my Defensive Revolver class, I used

a Smith & Wesson M581 .357 Mag with Federal American Eagle .38 Special am-munition. Built on the popular L-frame, this revolver featured a 4-inch barrel and fixed sights. Originally, my M581 sported a blue finish, but had taken a toll due to holster wear and the usual hard knocks. Several years ago, I packed it off to Bob Cogan of Accurate Plating & Weaponry, who refin-ished it in hard chrome and gave it a street action job. The double action trigger pull is especially nice.

For support gear, I brought a Safariland and HKS speedloader plus a Brown Shoe Vertical Carry Holster from C. Rusty Sher-rick. Rusty’s website pitches this rig as a “holster for old revolver guys” and I clearly qualify. Crafted from horsehide, this holster allows one to obtain an optimum firing grip while drawing and conceals the gun very well under a loose shirt or jacket.

RevelationsThe Defensive Revolver class gave me

a better appreciation of this timeless sys-tem’s capabilities. It felt good to get a first-rate workout with a revolver. Autopistols certainly have an edge when it comes to continuity of fire; but a couple of hundred tactical reloads later, I’ve become more comfortable keeping my revolver in the game. With the right tool, I wouldn’t feel “undergunned” protecting my hide with a revolver. In extreme close quarters, the re-volver continues to shine and even holds an advantage over the autopistol.

The 3-day Defensive Revolver course also made me keenly aware of some of my own limitations. As most everyone knows, Gunsite is a strong proponent of sighted fire for just about anything beyond contact distance. I can tell you that the fixed front sight on my M581 has grown significantly smaller and fuzzier over the last 25 years! When I returned home, the red fiber-op-tic front sight on my S&W M686 made an enormous difference and was a far better deal for my middle-aged eyes.

I also found out that getting up and down wasn’t quite as easy as it used to be. In the past, I heavily favored a braced kneeling position, but I’m now much more comfortable speed kneeling. It is better to find out our limitations on the sterile envi-ronment of the range.

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Airtravel With A Gun

GUNFIGHTING

(Continued from page 83)

Storm Cases protect gear while traveling.