GUNFIGHTING
DEFENSIVE REVOLVER
Gunsite Combat Triad—Mind Set, Gun Handling,
and Practical Marksmanship!
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 revolver and this same hardware is often carried off-duty. In a parallel universe, armed
citizens with CCW permits have discovered 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 Defensive Revolver had been added to the Gunsite 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 opportunity to improve my revolver skills. In
the end, this turned out to be one of the
best training experiences I’ve had.
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.
Ready Position
After 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 consisted 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 adversary’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,
a smaller target, utilize cover, or support the pistol better. Positions included
braced kneeling, speed kneeling, and
double kneeling. All have their advantages and should be included in everyone’s
handgun training regimen.
Combat Triad
Dry fire builds good habits.
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 meeting with success.
We also had the opportunity to shoot
from different kneeling positions. Kneeling while shooting allows one to become
The 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 really 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 controversial and often misunderstood skill.
When tac loading a pistol, we are exchanging a partly depleted magazine for
a fully loaded one. With the revolver, we
Continued on page 88
Septembe 2009 • COMBAT HANDGUNS 83
GUNFIGHTING
(Continued from page 83)
are voiding the cylinder of empty cases
and recharging with fresh cartridges. Tactical loads are only attempted when there
is a break in the action and no imminent
danger is present.
One might argue that time spent practicing 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 rather 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 speedloader. My old 2x2x2 pouch got a serious
workout throughout the class.
Additional live fire drills included the retention position for extremely close quarters, 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 adversary. Should the two body shots come
up short, a precise shot is delivered to the
head. Originally, doctrine called for lower-
Airtravel With A Gun
Traveling the “unfriendly skies” can
be an extremely frustrating experience. Planes are crowded, airports
are chaotic, and the drill for declaring
and securing firearms when flying can
really try your patience. For the last
few years, I’ve been using products
by Storm Case to make sure my gear
makes it to my destination. Constructed
of HPX High Performance Resin, Storm
Cases are virtually unbreakable. Hasps
accommodate standard-size padlocks
and their unique pull latches open
with a press of a button. My IM2975
Storm Case accommodated my guns,
gear, and clothing in style. For more
info, contact Hardigg Storm Case;
800-542-7344; stormcase.com
Storm Cases protect gear while traveling.
88 COMBAT HANDGUNS • September 2009
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 classic El Presidente, Dozier Drill, and man-onman shootoffs. A couple walks through the
outdoor simulator tested our skill. Steel,
reactive targets along with “good guy” noshoots were placed along a desert wash
you negotiated with your revolver. Tagging
these targets proved far more challenging
than the square range.
Gun & Gear
For my Defensive Revolver class, I used
a Smith & Wesson M581 .357 Mag with
Federal American Eagle .38 Special ammunition. 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 refinished 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 Sherrick. 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.
Revelations
The Defensive Revolver class gave me
a better appreciation of this timeless system’s capabilities. It felt good to get a firstrate 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 revolver 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-optic 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 environment of the range.