TRIGGER CONTROL and Bad Habits

I've been in the gun business for over five years now, teaching CCW in Ohio and buying and selling.

There are several bad habits that I see constantly.  I'd like to address them here.


1) 98% of the information you get from the movies, and incorporate into your personal defense, and/or general shooting discipline, IS WRONG.

This is across the board.  If you have not been taking training, have not been told other wise and are just a general weekend shooter, you have bad habits and I don't even need to see you shoot to know this.

Bad Habits you may have:

a)  Chopping down on the targets.  This is dangerous, and wastes time.  If you have an accident while the gun is pointed up, you send the bullet somewhere you didn't want to.

I'm convinced that this bad habit comes from two sources.  One is that it was a traditional posture for deliberate, one-handed slow fire target shooting.  Two, it is a hold over from the old cowboy movies.

Most of the time i think it is the movies.

b)  Bowling with the gun.  Swinging the gun up from a low ready position like a bowling ball.  This wastes time and is dangerous in that a bullet could ricochet up if you have an accident.

The solution?  Always point the firearm in the direction of the target.  Keep the gun level at all times.  If you are at the range, you want the bullet to go downrange, and only downrange.  If it is a Bad Guy who wants to damage you, why would you point the gun in the air, or at the ground ever?

c)  Cup and saucer hand grip.  This comes out of the movies.  None of the pros that I know use or teach this.  For a good example, watch the Black Widow in the Avengers movie.  Then google IDPA or one of the competitive shooting schools and see what the shooters use.

d)  Weaver Stance.  There may be someone still teaching this, but not anyone i know.

e)  And last, but certainly not least, TRIGGER DISCIPLINE!  Most of the people who come in my shop or attend my training have the extremely bad and downright dangerous habit of keeping their finger on or near the trigger.

This link addresses the problem and the solution further.  Trigger Discipline with Greg Elfritz.
  
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/trigger-finger-positioning-hand-clenches-and-accidental-discharges

Be safe people.

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