Training Driving Gear Choices

[amhenry]

I'm interested to find out from some of you who have taken classes in either Firearms Retention/Combatives or One-Handed Pistol Manipulation how that training caused you to reconsider and change any parts of your EDC gear.

Have any of you run a One-Handed course with an AIWB setup? How did that turn out?

For guys carrying strong-side hip, did you usually work behind your back for support hand draws? If so, did you find yourself wanting to run your holster a little further behind the hip, or with a more neutral cant?

 

[esrice]

I've made a few "training-based" gear decisions before.

I now carry a reload. I didn't before because I thought 16 or 18 rounds would get me by. After FoF and combatives work I realized that having that spare fixes a lot of problems, regardless of how many total rounds I have at my disposal.

I now carry closer to 3:00 whereas before it was often 4-5:00. Further back was tough to access when seated in Vehicle FoF. And now that I've lost weight I can draw with my weak hand by reaching across the front of my body.

When I bought night sights I intentionally purchased ones with a "shelf" on the rear sight to aid in single-hand racking. That paid off in class last weekend.

If I was still running a Glock I would probably do the "Gomez hack" to my grip for easier magazine extractions. Fortunately M&P magazines already have a nice lip for such things.

After a flashlight combatives course I now carry a flashlight on my person large enough to strike with, with a non-clicky tailcap. Before that it was just a little Streamlight MicroStream or PT2L.

That's off the top of my head.

 

[jgreiner]

I've made a few "training-based" gear decisions before.

I now carry a reload. I didn't before because I thought 16 or 18 rounds would get me by. After FoF and combatives work I realized that having that spare fixes a lot of problems, regardless of how many total rounds I have at my disposal.

I now carry closer to 3:00 whereas before it was often 4-5:00. Further back was tough to access when seated in Vehicle FoF. And now that I've lost weight I can draw with my weak hand by reaching across the front of my body.

When I bought night sights I intentionally purchased ones with a "shelf" on the rear sight to aid in single-hand racking. That paid off in class last weekend.

If I was still running a Glock I would probably do the "Gomez hack" to my grip for easier magazine extractions. Fortunately M&P magazines already have a nice lip for such things.

After a flashlight combatives course I now carry a flashlight on my person large enough to strike with, with a non-clicky tailcap. Before that it was just a little Streamlight MicroStream or PT2L.

That's off the top of my head.

Carrying a spare mag is an excellent point. Magazines can jam. Something most don't think about, and thankfully it is a rare occurrence. But if it does, carrying a spare can save your butt.

 

[cedartop]

Training can most definitely drive gear. For the most part I think that is a good thing. We see it a lot in pistol classes, probably the two most common being going to a hicap pistol, and getting a decent holster. I have seen it a whole lot more in rifle classes. Everything from changing slings, to optics, to getting some of the extra crap off the rifle, to how you carry your spare mags, you name it.

 

[jdhaines]

It's convinced me that anything you can move towards your centerline, the better off you are. Gun at 12:30/1:00 (AIWB), Horizontal magazine at 11:30, fixed blade knife up front. Everything works with both hands.

Also, and feel free to try this and prove it to yourself, but there is almost zero way to lock someone down so they cannot get at least one hand to their centerline. It's not completely impossible, but if someone is struggling, it's damn near. We have nice strong muscles to hunch over (shoulders/traps/abs), and pull our arms in (chest, biceps). It's easy to think of ways to isolate one arm, but not both. It's also easy to think of ways to keep both hands from getting to 3:00 because you only have to worry about the nearest one. As Evan said, he can reach around and draw with the off-hand, but that's a very weak movement, and would be VERY easy to stop. Carrying centerline, I could have someone ripping my shoulder in a lock, or breaking an elbow in a lock/armbar type situation but my other hand is capable of accessing a gun, fixed blade knife, or my reload. Also think of protecting your head from strikes with one arm while drawing with the other. With tools in the middle you can protect yourself with either arm depending on what works better in that situation while not worrying about if you could access your tools.

Seems like a good thing to me.

 

[iChokePeople]

It's convinced me that anything you can move towards your centerline, the better off you are. Gun at 12:30/1:00 (AIWB), Horizontal magazine at 11:30, fixed blade knife up front. Everything works with both hands.

Also, and feel free to try this and prove it to yourself, but there is almost zero way to lock someone down so they cannot get at least one hand to their centerline. It's not completely impossible, but if someone is struggling, it's damn near. We have nice strong muscles to hunch over (shoulders/traps/abs), and pull our arms in (chest, biceps). It's easy to think of ways to isolate one arm, but not both. It's also easy to think of ways to keep both hands from getting to 3:00 because you only have to worry about the nearest one. As Evan said, he can reach around and draw with the off-hand, but that's a very weak movement, and would be VERY easy to stop. Carrying centerline, I could have someone ripping my shoulder in a lock, or breaking an elbow in a lock/armbar type situation but my other hand is capable of accessing a gun, fixed blade knife, or my reload. Also think of protecting your head from strikes with one arm while drawing with the other. With tools in the middle you can protect yourself with either arm depending on what works better in that situation while not worrying about if you could access your tools.

Seems like a good thing to me.

That's some good stuff right there ^^. +1.

 

[SmileDocHill]

After training in situation awareness I decided to just stay home.

Seriously, what little training I've taken has transformed me to a multi option mindset. Having a gun and even being trained with it is not enough. A knife and flashlight is handy even for the non-defense mindset times. I carry a pen EVERYWHERE except the shower. Knife pen and flashlight are things that I use multiple times daily now that I carry them and are formidable weapons should the need arise. They can be made ready to use without alarming everyone around you should your ooda loop start buzzing. I mean you can't draw your gun every time a shady character gets close to your kids but I often feel the need to write something down when that happens.

 

[SmileDocHill]

It's convinced me that anything you can move towards your centerline, the better off you are. Gun at 12:30/1:00 (AIWB), Horizontal magazine at 11:30, fixed blade knife up front. Everything works with both hands.

Also, and feel free to try this and prove it to yourself, but there is almost zero way to lock someone down so they cannot get at least one hand to their centerline. It's not completely impossible, but if someone is struggling, it's damn near. We have nice strong muscles to hunch over (shoulders/traps/abs), and pull our arms in (chest, biceps). It's easy to think of ways to isolate one arm, but not both. It's also easy to think of ways to keep both hands from getting to 3:00 because you only have to worry about the nearest one. As Evan said, he can reach around and draw with the off-hand, but that's a very weak movement, and would be VERY easy to stop. Carrying centerline, I could have someone ripping my shoulder in a lock, or breaking an elbow in a lock/armbar type situation but my other hand is capable of accessing a gun, fixed blade knife, or my reload. Also think of protecting your head from strikes with one arm while drawing with the other. With tools in the middle you can protect yourself with either arm depending on what works better in that situation while not worrying about if you could access your tools.

Seems like a good thing to me.

But won't you get points taken away or time added to your score if you draw from a location forward of your hip bone or something like that?

 

[jdhaines]

But won't you get points taken away or time added to your score if you draw from a location forward of your hip bone or something like that?

Or disqualified! Actually, my most hated rule is an automatic DQ if you drop your gun. Makes people do everything they can to start flipping it back up in the air and catch it. Stupid Stupid Stupid Rule! It should be if you start to drop your gun, and try to flip it and catch it you are DQ'd...if it hits the ground then you get a pat on the back.

[/Offtopic!]

 

[Shay]

After training in situation awareness I decided to just stay home.

Seriously, what little training I've taken has transformed me to a multi option mindset. Having a gun and even being trained with it is not enough. A knife and flashlight is handy even for the non-defense mindset times. I carry a pen EVERYWHERE except the shower. Knife pen and flashlight are things that I use multiple times daily now that I carry them and are formidable weapons should the need arise. They can be made ready to use without alarming everyone around you should your ooda loop start buzzing. I mean you can't draw your gun every time a shady character gets close to your kids but I often feel the need to write something down when that happens.

When are you going to come take a class?

 

[rhino]

One of my goals when I teach (or take as a student) the one-handed manipulations class is to have students evaluate their gear and how they can use it in addition the actual skills.

I used to carry one gun. Then I learned in a class that I couldn't reach it with my support hand and I was advised to carry two (at least), and I listened. I have experimented both in classes and outside of them with the placement of gear as well as how I use it. I've done "mirror image" support side carry, crossdraw, and appendix for a second gun. All of them have advantages and disadvantages and for the last few years, I've settled on appendix position. It has the best balance for my expected needs.

I'm interested to find out from some of you who have taken classes in either Firearms Retention/Combatives or One-Handed Pistol Manipulation how that training caused you to reconsider and change any parts of your EDC gear.

Have any of you run a One-Handed course with an AIWB setup? How did that turn out?

For guys carrying strong-side hip, did you usually work behind your back for support hand draws? If so, did you find yourself wanting to run your holster a little further behind the hip, or with a more neutral cant?