Re: Dry Fire

26
VodoundaVinci wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 7:01 am My Beretta Px4 consistently shot low and left. One very smart instructor type kept after me to improve my trigger and grip and all that and I kept telling him that this is the only gun I own and shoot that is consistently low and left.

It's a poor craftsman that blames his tool, I was told. So, I had him shoot and guess what? He shot low and left. So I added adjustable factory sights and adjusted them and all lived happily ever after.

VooDoo
Sometimes a cigar really is just a cigar! "When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, is the solution."--Sherlock Holmes.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: Dry Fire

32
Buck13, thanks for the holding drill. One of my problems is fatigue. Live fire experience shows that the first couple of mags are usually ok followed by better once I settle and then back to crappy as I fatigue. I'll give this a go.

Confessions of an office jock that doesn't do as many push ups as he should. Just look at these soft, callus free hands.... :blush:

Re: Dry Fire

33
The bump drill is good because one gets familiar with the trigger and an the point when it breaks. A bit more challenging with three pistols - LCP (DAO) and the M&P and Shield that are (SA) striker fired single action.

All the best of luck featureless!
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Dry Fire

34
highdesert wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 4:42 pm All the best of luck featureless!
Thanks! I've been spending about five minutes on each of the three every (almost) morning for the last two weeks. I need to up it and will likely put the LCP off to the side for weekends and focus on the striker guns. It's interesting that the comfort level goes up the more you manipulate the things. I've owned guns for close to 20 years but don't get to play with them nearly as often as I'd like. It's good to have a goal in mind and my wife has been very supportive of pursuing the permit (which is striking considering she's been fearful of guns--she even did a training day with LGC-instructor Daniel with me last summer).

Did I mention I hate tests? I always feel like I need 100%. I should probably lower my expectations and be happy with 70. :ugeek:

Re: Dry Fire

35
featureless wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 5:09 pm Did I mention I hate tests? I always feel like I need 100%. I should probably lower my expectations and be happy with 70. :ugeek:
How challenging is the CA test?

I was following a thread about Texas CPL on the BersaT@lk forum and I found it horrifying that anyone could fail the TX test. My spousal critter could have passed it with a .22 on her first lifetime day of shooting and with a 9 mm after her second or maybe third!

I'll bet your daily practice, even if brief, will lead to good results!
IMR4227: Zero to 900 in 0.001 seconds

I'm only killing paper and my self-esteem.

Image
Image

Re: Dry Fire

36
I don't believe it's that difficult. I've heard brand new shooters have been walked through it. I just have a "nailed it" thing about tests (unhealthy residual from college). That said, each instructor sets their own standard so I really don't know. If it's an FBI target at 15 yards, things should be fine. But wouldn't and clovered target be nice?

Re: Dry Fire

37
My state-required CCW class was this weekend (likely still months until I get official word from the Sheriff). 16 hours talking about and practicing shooting self defense drills is intense. It was a good class and I'm glad it is a requirement to the California CCW license (objective criteria). It was split up with 4 hours of lecture/Q&A and 4 hours of shooting each day. We ran lots of drills I'd never experienced before: one handed, transitions, high/low drills, shooting around barriers, walking and shooting and failure drills. Passing those was not a requirement, more of a "think about what you might need to do out there in the real world." Qualifying was technically at 3, 5, 7 and 10 yards on an FBI target.

I shot ok. I did well with the Shield and the dry fire definitely assisted trigger pull. I qualified it first since it was my first priority and I wanted to be fresh. Next up was the M&P40. I generally shoot it with a 9mm conversion barrel so the .40 recoil was off putting (yeah, I know, man up or something). I didn't shoot it as well as the Shield. First shot was always good but follow ups I was not settling. I did qualify it when I slowed down the pace but it showed I need more time behind it, especially in .40. I shot my LCP for the last part of the class but didn't have the confidence I wanted in it to try to qualify it. It was only the second or third time shooting it. I actually did pretty well with it from closer than 7 yards. I'll likely keep practicing it and go back to qualify it. It sure is easy to carry.

I learned it is something else entirely to concentrate when you have a chambered firearm strapped to your belt. I learned I need to work on my grip strength (sweaty palms and .40 didn't mix well for me and I was constantly readjusting my support grip). I learned I need more consistent live fire to overcome recoil/settling issues. I learned that, at my current level of proficiency, I can consistently place hits on target under stress and not send them past the target (even if my pattern isn't what I'd like it to be). I learned several drills much more useful for real world self defense than trying to shoot clovers on a round target. It was great for confidence and identifying weaknesses.

Re: Dry Fire

38
Good report. I wonder why folks put more than one gun on a CA carry permit? I also think that requiring training for a CCW is a good thing and does not infringe.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Dry Fire

39
CDFingers wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 11:15 am I wonder why folks put more than one gun on a CA carry permit?
Because 1) you can (other states allow carry of whatever you own) and 2) an M&P40 gets pretty heavy so a Shield is a nice alternative. Fortunately, the controls are nearly identical.

Re: Dry Fire

41
highdesert wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 9:17 am Very interesting featureless, thanks for updating us. Was the class conducted by your sheriff's department or a private company?
It was a private group (not a company, per say, since they don't charge enough to make any money at it--novel concept). The gentleman running the class created it 20 years ago to meet Mendocino County's needs and rents the handgun range at a private gun club. He was a CHP office for 20-30 years prior to that and then a competitor. He's 89 and still sharp and agile! His "assistant" is in his late 50s to early 60s, also a retired CHP office, was in charge of training CHP with firearms. He was also a competitor.

I lucked out with a class size of 9 so there was a lot of individual focus on the range. One lady had a Glock, new out of the box, that she couldn't get to function (consensus was she was limp wristing it so it wouldn't cycle--functioned fine for the instructor). She didn't get it qualified. Another "operator" type dude had a Shield he couldn't shoot fer shit and also didn't qualify with it (though he qualified with some Glock or other). There was another real "operator" with the full battle belt that would have made Batman jealous. Dude could shoot, and wanted everyone to know it! I volunteered to run the "21 foot" test (knife vs draw and shoot). I only made it 20 feet in the time it took him to draw and shoot. I guess the knife lost that one. Never volunteer to be the rabbit in a handgun class. :)

For others outside of CA, we are required to qualify with each gun we want on the permit, limit is 3.

Re: Dry Fire

42
Glad it was a good experience for you, other class members are always entertaining. My problem with most gun training is that the trainers/instructors are great subject matter experts, but not instructional experts so the curriculum and their delivery is wanting. In my county once your application and background check have processed, you are scheduled for CCW training at one of the sheriff's ranges taught by training deputies. If I was going to apply, I think I'd go through one of the CCW classes run by a private company just to prepare myself for the real one.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Dry Fire

43
highdesert wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:42 pm Glad it was a good experience for you, other class members are always entertaining. My problem with most gun training is that the trainers/instructors are great subject matter experts, but not instructional experts so the curriculum and their delivery is wanting. In my county once your application and background check have processed, you are scheduled for CCW training at one of the sheriff's ranges taught by training deputies. If I was going to apply, I think I'd go through one of the CCW classes run by a private company just to prepare myself for the real one.
Yeah, it was a good experience. They knew the laws and had experience both interpenetrating them and enforcing them. And they knew handguns. They even managed to pull it off with only a few political cracks. Operator guys sitting behind me were bitching about snowflakes the whole time. It's fun being a closeted liberal gun owner, hated by them and ostracized by your own. Makes me grateful for this place.

Re: Dry Fire

44
featureless wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 4:19 pm
highdesert wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:42 pm Glad it was a good experience for you, other class members are always entertaining. My problem with most gun training is that the trainers/instructors are great subject matter experts, but not instructional experts so the curriculum and their delivery is wanting. In my county once your application and background check have processed, you are scheduled for CCW training at one of the sheriff's ranges taught by training deputies. If I was going to apply, I think I'd go through one of the CCW classes run by a private company just to prepare myself for the real one.
Yeah, it was a good experience. They knew the laws and had experience both interpenetrating them and enforcing them. And they knew handguns. They even managed to pull it off with only a few political cracks. Operator guys sitting behind me were bitching about snowflakes the whole time. It's fun being a closeted liberal gun owner, hated by them and ostracized by your own. Makes me grateful for this place.
I hear you about the political jokes, surprisingly I didn't encounter it at the last gun class I took taught by two cops. Maybe they googled all of us ahead of the class, don't know but no politics by the trainers or students. So Cal isn't the solid red area it used to be, it's purple, red and blue and because it's a huge area firearms trainers can't be certain that they're preaching to a red choir.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests