The next step in the process is to build some defensive shooting skills for Concealed Carry. Once you have your basic gun handling and safety rules behind you its time to start to learn some skills that will help protect you and your family.
Presentation And Draw From The Holster-
Presentation to a ready position from the holster and basic draw from the holster skills are primary Concealed Carry skills for anyone that will be carrying a firearm in public. Drawing from the holster is an area of much danger and that’s why some ranges do not allow it. Be sure that you have proper instruction from a qualified instructor, and practice your skills to a competent level. You also need to check the rules of the range where you will practice these skills. You need to be able to draw your gun to a ready position and fire shots on target.
Gun Stoppages –
Any interruption in the cycle of a gun functioning is a gun stoppage. By this definition, an empty gun is a stoppage, no round in the chamber is a stoppage, a primer that fails to ignite and results in a stoppage, a failure of the slide to go into battery is a stoppage. All of these issues are addressed with a single set of skills. Any ‘failure to go bang’ results in the gun being drawn back to a physical reference point, the magazine base is struck to ensure that it is properly seated and the offhand continues and ends up grasping the slide, at the cocking serrations, and fully running the slide to the rear and releasing it at that point. If it is determined that the gun is at slide lock, a reload is conducted. Next, a proper two-handed grip is established and the weapon is driven straight toward the threat, shooting if needed. These are primary Concealed Carry skills. You need to know how to put your gun back in working order for any type of gun stoppage including recognizing when your firearm needs to be reloaded. My favorite gun stoppage training video of all time is Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch. This video gives you all you need to know about pistol stoppages
The Performance Objective–
The performance objective for the Concealed Carry student is to be able to shoot a simple state level qualification course to a 100 percent standard starting from a ready position. Shooting a qualification course provides a mild degree of stress for the student and that is used as a stress inoculation. The State of Arizona Qualification Course from Arizona’s Firearms-Safety Program is one that I like to use. Colorado has no shooting requirement for a concealed carry permit. Using a state accepted course has value because, in the event of legal complications, jurors may not grasp the value of the XYZ training company qualification course, but a state recognized qualification may be more understandable.
Legal Issues-
Instruction on legal issues and how they are applied in the context of self-defense is most important in the concealed carry arena. Most of my students get a good background on basic Colorado use of force laws covering both inside and outside the home. I think the information that Andrew Branca teaches is far and above any other on the study of self-defense law. Andrews book is available on the Law of Self Defense website or on Amazon. He also has one-day classes around the country that you can attend.