Range time with the CCW arms.

[Adam Helmer]

Fall is in the air here in Northcentral PA and it is time to wear the sleeveless vests. The vests hold off the chill and cover the strong side holsters. My friends come to the farm for range time since silhouette targets are banned at their nearby gun club. I see a target as merely a target, but the "trapshooting clique" at the club had enough votes to impose the "No humanoid target" rule. Be that as it may....

We had a chat session last week after range time and the discussion revolved around "similarity of conditions." In other words, how many folks practice drawing and target acquisition while wearing the vests, jackets or outside the trouser shirts they wear on the street. I had a CCW friend a while back who always shot year-round on an indoor range in shirtsleeves. He wore a heavy coat on the street in Winter and one day had a heck of a time getting to his gun BECAUSE he NEVER practiced drawing with a parka in the way!

When I ran the semi-annual qualifications for agents, I always required them to come to the range with some sort of jacket or sports coat on their person because our regulations required our guns be covered on duty, and all draws would be with a jacket in place covering their guns. Practice all draws under a SIMILARITY of CONDITIONS so the muscle memory is in place for the day you face Gravest Extreme.

Adam