A Couple From Claude Werner

Shooting Illustrated recently published an article by Claude Werner on practicing with small, pocket sized handguns including shooting drills to test yourself and suggestions on training appropriately entitled "Practicing With Small Handguns." The two handguns that Werner used as examples were a 5-shot J-frame snub nosed revolver and a Ruger LCP, but his suggestions should work for most any pocket pistol.

    Werner starts with a couple practice drills for accuracy. The first he mentions is the qualification course used by the San Diego Sheriff's Department for obtaining a concealed carry permit. He relates the course of fire:

The qualification course set by the San Diego Sheriff's office for obtaining a concealed carry license is an excellent course for practicing with a small carry gun such as a Ruger LCP or Smith & Wesson 642. It consists of 15 rounds fired from 7, 5, and 3 yards, in that order. Five rounds are required at each distance, At 7 and 5 yards, it is shot two handed. For the 3-yard stage, 3 rounds are shot with the primary hand and 2 rounds are shot with the support hand. Of the 15 rounds, 13 must hit the silhouette target to qualify. 

He also suggests a slightly modified version of the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program Defensive Pistol I course, which he describes. 

    And because practicing your trigger pull is important, he also has a couple exercises to use at the range to test whether you are jerking the trigger, anticipating recoil, etc.: one intended for the revolver and one intended for a semi-auto pistol. 

    Good stuff, so be sure to check it out.

    Another of his articles that also caught my attention recently is "Gunfighter Challenge" that describes a test used by actual gunfighters of the Old West to see whether they were a "good shot" or not. Basically, the test used an envelope 5-inches square, with a stamp (1-inch square) placed on the back side of the envelope (i.e., so it was not visible from the front). This target was then shot 6 times at 10 paces. To be considered a "good shot," the shooter needed to strike the target with all 6 rounds with at least one shot piercing the stamp (i.e., centered in the target). I find this last bit interesting because it measures not only accuracy of the shot, but also the shooters ability to accurately find the center of the target without the "cheat" of a dot or crossed lines.

    Although Werner interprets the 10 paces as being 10 yards, I don't think this is correct. A typical length given for a single step pace (measuring from one foot to the other) is 30 inches (I've seen it shorter in some accounts, but not longer). Using that measurement, the distance would be 8-1/3 yards (or 25 feet). However, a "pace" historically referred to the distance between the same foot after two steps (typically measured heel to heel), or about 5 feet (see also here), although another source indicates between 4-1/2 and 5 feet. If this is what was meant (and it probably was), then the distance to target would be between 45  and 50 feet (i.e., 15 to 16.6 yards). A little more respectable distance to hit a 5x5-inch square six out of six times, with one shot dead center.